Benedict and Brazos, belated 50th anniversary * 1971-2021 *

Wow! Five decades went by so fast!

Benedict and Brazos first appeared in 1971. Roughly one year ago, Bold Venture Press released our first paperback edition.

The Australian-born series (from Cleveland Publishing Party Ltd.) followed the exploits of two brawling Civil War veterans. Putting aside their differences, they strike out to recover a stolen fortune. The search also entails their hunt for the outlaw who attacked them at the Battle of Pea Ridge.

The path to Benedict and Brazos began three years ago. I emailed Piccadilly Publications and inquired about the Larry Kent detective series. "Don't you guys release paperback editions?" Mike Stotter's reply was, "No. Do you want to do them?" I suspect this may have been the easiest deal struck in licensing history.

While publishing the Larry Kent series, I decided to pursue a western. Licensing issues made Bannerman the Enforcer unavailable, so Stotter suggested Benedict and Brazos. The unlikely duo became a personal favorite, so we issued the first installment Aces Wild in January 2021.

My conviction is most everyone who reads Benedict and Brazos will love them. Judging from reader response, I was correct in that belief, and we're eager to begin "season two."

So, Let's give a tip of the Stetson to Mike Stotter and Ben Bridges of Piccadilly Publishing. Thanks, Pilgrims!

Want to learn more about Australian pulp fiction? Check out AustLit, the down-under equivalent of PHILSP. AustLit is a searchable source of information about Australian writers and writing. The site documents more than 200 years of publishers, newspapers, magazines and journals.