A complete issue · 104 pages · 1860
The Slave Sculptor
A complete, restored issue of Pulp Fiction from 1860 — all 104 pages of painted-cover fiction magazines that launched science fiction, horror, and hardboiled crime, free to page through at ComicBooks.com.
A complete issue · 104 pages · 1860
This issue contains two serials set during the Aztec empire. "The Slave Sculptor; or, The Prophetess of the Secret Chambers" by Wm. Jared Hall follows Maxtla Ytzcoalt, a formerly enslaved sculptor of the Aztec capital, and Mazina, a former slave adopted into nobleman Lord Ahuitzol's household. A mysterious masked priest warns Maxtla that Mazina faces danger. When Ahuitzol's son Toluca attempts to enter an arbor where Maxtla and Mazina meet, violence erupts; assassins attack but a white-haired stranger intervenes mysteriously. The narrative depicts Aztec palaces, religious sacrifice rituals, and courtly intrigue during Montezuma's reign and Cortez's invasion period. The story emphasizes contrasts between Aztec civilization's artistic and architectural grandeur against its "cruel barbarism" in religious practices. Also advertised is "The Falcon Rover" by James Hungerford, described as a sea tale featuring mystery and romance.
Each page has its own page — the cartoon, who’s in it, and what the satire means.