A complete issue · 12 pages · 1909
The Last Throw
A complete, restored issue of Pulp Fiction from 1909 — all 12 pages of painted-cover fiction magazines that launched science fiction, horror, and hardboiled crime, free to page through at ComicBooks.com.
About this issue
"The Last Throw," a serialized story by Eleanor M. Ingram published in Gunter's Magazine, presents a Renaissance Italian drama centered on honor and family conflict. The narrative unfolds in the villa of an aging count whose niece Isaura was betrothed to his ward Lelio, a Spanish-posted nobleman. When the young Duke Paolo de Cariano is discovered courting Isaura in the gardens at night, the count demands satisfaction but accepts Paolo's proposal of marriage instead. The count then recalls Lelio from Spain, fearing his son Guido—ambitious and unscrupulous—will murder Paolo to prevent the advantageous match and restore family honor. Upon arriving home, Lelio encounters both his unfaithful betrothed and his manipulative brother. Though Lelio promises not to fight Paolo, Guido's intentions remain sinister and obscure. The story examines themes of family duty, romantic betrayal, and the dangerous intersection of personal vendetta with marital obligation.
Browse this issue page by page
Each page has its own page — the cartoon, who’s in it, and what the satire means.