Tales of the Bagman

Tales of the Bagman #1

by B.C. Bell, Kelly Everaert (Illustrator)

Old Chicago has a new hero, the Bagman. Created by writer B.C. Bell, the Bagman is former gangster Frank McCullough who goes straight and becomes a crime buster to protect the good people of the Windy City. These stories mix fast paced action and humor in the finest pulp tradition.

Designed by Rob Davis, this first volume features interior illustrations by Kelly Everaert and a gorgeous cover by Laura Givens. Produced by Airship 27 Productions.

164 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2010

About the author

B. Chris Bell writes Crime, Horror, Science & Pulp Fiction. His short story "How Pappy Got Five Acres Back & Calvin Stayed on the Farm," is an SFReader.com Award Winner. His 1st novel, TALES OF THE BAGMAN is a roaring 1930's pulp thriller about a mobster forced to don a mask. BIPOLAR EXPRESS is the story of mentally ill men trying to survive, sometimes humorously, sometimes savagely, in a an abandoned city as the magnetic poles switch. Bell has written adventures for many pulp heroes, including The Avenger, Secret Agent X & Dan Fowler G-Man. His work has ranged in influence from Dashiell Hammett & H.P. Lovecraft to Demons, Werewolves & Psychologists. Bell lives in Chicago (and occasionally shows up for readings).

Reviews

[Eric]

A former bagman (the guy who collects protection money for the mob) reinvents himself as the Bagman, vigilante public servant. His identity hidden by a brown paper bag, the Bagman quickly becomes a thorn in the side of criminals and crooked cops in depression-era Chicago. Self-conscious "new" pulp.

[Joe Nelson]

The pulp magazines of the 1930s and 40s bred the precursor to the superheroes that would follow. Heroes like Doc Savage, The Spider, The Shadow, and so many others, originated in those monthly magazines and dealt vigilante justice to the criminals of the world. And this loving homage to those heroes can stand tall among them.

In Tales of the Bagman, we get three "episodes" in the origin story of Mac McCullough, former baseball player, ex-shakedown man for the mob, and current vigilante (with the aid of a paper bag over his head to obscure his identity). The place is Chicago. The time is 1933, just before the repeal of Prohibition. And the action? It is plentiful!

Each story is semi-self contained, though they reference events and share direct continuity to the ones that came before, making it feel more like a modern television show than the old pulps, where everything reset each and every month.

Also modern is the more self-aware tone this takes, compared to the ultra-serious vigilantes of the original era. We get plenty of self-deprecating jokes, often cracked by Mac at his own expense, and a little wink and nod to the reader in the tone of the stories. It's refreshing to have some humor with the punching and shooting. And also refreshing is the rejection of the racism that plagued those old stories, making these adventures far more appealing.

The characters are splendid, with Mac being the perfect embodiment of the clumsy hero with a big heart, and his father-figure/voice of reason, Antoine "Crankshaft" Jones, provides a great, often sarcastic, counterpoint to the naive heroism Mac displays. There's also a host of side characters, some good, some bad, all well-written and with distinct voices.

And the action! Each story ups the stakes and the setpieces in spectacular fashion, culminating with a footchase on Chicago's famed El and an explosive shootout at the Lincoln Taphouse, with plenty of fisticuffs, near-misses, and gun battles throughout.

Sounds like I'm gushing with unreserved fanboy-ism. Were there any negatives to this book?

Yeah. In the second story we have the murder of a very important person to one of the main characters and his reaction is...underwhelming. I would expect a little more, you know, emotion?

Anything else? Nope. Other than that sole wrinkle, this is pitch-perfect pulp. I would devour the adventures of the Bagman in a monthly magazine for $0.10 from my local cigar shop or druggist! And I think anyone with even the slightest interest in the classic vigilante tales of old will absolutely delight in meeting Mac McCullough and his twin fists of justice.

[Mark Phillips]

Oddball New Pulp series starter, set in 1933 Chicago, has Frank "Mac" McCullough, con man and burglar, starting a new career as leg-breaking muscle and bagman for gangsters running protection rackets and loan-sharking. But he doesn't have the stomach for it and turns against the Mob, putting a paper bag over his head, adopting the persona of The Bagman, and instituting rough justice. Pretty soon he has a secret hideout, a souped-up vehicle, and a tough-as-nails old garage owner as an ally. He's also a complete doofus, making horrendous errors and lucking out of scrape after scrape. Except, every once in a while, he seems to channel an inner competence, like he may have multiple personalities. The mixture of grim violence and humor is sometimes jarring, but Bell's writing makes it, somehow, come together. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

[Damian Solorzano]

Halfway between The Shadow and Batman, a badass in his own special way.

I'm new to the Hard -Boiled genre, and I selected "Tales of the Bagman" based on the blurb and little else. I wasn't disappointed.

Mac began his career as a bagman for a Chicago mob. When a leg-breaking errand brings Mac back into contact with an influential person from his childhood, Mac changes tack and reconsiders his choices, adopting a persona that veers dangerously close to The Unknown Comic's, except far more lethal, and moral.

Along with Crankshaft, another role model, who's also a veteran of the legendary Harlem Hellfighters, and the owner of a garage in Chicago, Mac/Bagman establish themselves as undercover crime fighters, taking on both sides of the law.

I urge you to pick this series up, its full of surprises and unexpected sophistication.

[Whiskey Leavins]

Lots of fun. A faithful throwback to 1930s-40s pulp and serialized Saturday morning matinee stories featuring secret identity, vigilante heroes. Not that I'm old enough to know first hand. But yeah, it's a great origin story, a bagman turns on the mob, dons a bag over his head to preserve his identity and becomes. . . The Bagman. The Bagman is the scourge of gangsters and corrupt cops alike. And he's operating outside the law, so even the few non-corrupt cops are after him too. You want secret hideouts, Tommy guns, souped up hero cars, cool side kicks (extra points for working The Harlem Hellcats into the story), gangster bad guys getting their comeuppance? But all in an action-packed, PG-13 genre appropriate way? Tales of the Bagman's got it all.

[Carly Odonoghue]

Tales of the Bagman by B.C Bell is a book I listened to on audiobook.
Set in the 1930s Frank McCullough works for the mob but decides to protect the people of Chicago instead. Frank puts a bag over his head in order to hide his identity and calls himself 'The Bagman' evoking fear in his enemies which just happen to be the people he originally worked for after an incidence involving his uncle.
I really loved the relationship between Crankshaft, who is an auto salesman and Frank. In a way Crankshaft is his sidekick but also keeps him in check and grounded. Crankshaft is a father figure to Frank and is loyal to no end. I really enjoyed their humour.
I was glad I listened to Tales of the Bagman on audiobook rather than reading it. If I'm completely honest,if it wasn't for the narrator, Roberto Scarlato bringing the story to life and keeping me entertained with numerous character voices and his easy listening voice I don't know if I would have finished the book. Mr Scarlato has a way of bringing you into the world of 1930s Chicago with voices that I've only heard before from one of my all time favourite movies ever, The Untouchables. He brings all the characters to life that you will feel as if they are all real people existing today and forget that it's set over 80 years ago. You will be so enthralled by his voice that you won't want the story to end then you'll sigh and say 'now what'll I read/listen to?'
A great read for anyone who loves a good mob/ vigilante story laced with loyalty and humour.