Walt Coburn

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Walter John Coburn (October 23, 1889 – May 1971) was an American writer of Westerns. Coburn was born in White Sulphur Springs, Montana Territory, the son of Robert Coburn Senior, the founder of the noted Circle C Ranch located south of Malta.[1]

Coburn served in the Army aviation corps during the World War I era.[2] He later spent time as a cowboy and a surveyor, before becoming a full-time writer in the 1920s.

Western author[edit]

Coburn began his career with Western stories in general fiction pulp magazines such as Adventure and Argosy.[3] Later Coburn moved on to pulps specializing in Westerns, including Western Story Magazine, Lariat Story Magazine, Ace-High Western and Frontier Stories.[4] He often wrote for the Fiction House pulp magazines, which promoted Coburn as "the Cowboy Author".[5]

Coburn was enormously prolific; Flanagan states Coburn wrote almost two million words of fiction over a thirty year period.[1] Coburn at his most prolific, averaged over 600,000 published words per year.[6] He was so popular that eventually, two pulp magazines - Walt Coburn’s Western Magazine and Walt Coburn’s Action Novels were issued, consisting mainly of reprints of Coburn's work.[3]

After the pulps ended in the 1950s, Coburn switched his focus to writing paperback originals.[3]

Coburn was a devout Christian. Coburn claimed, in his posthumously published autobiography Western Word Wrangler (1973) that God had chosen him to spread the Christian message through his fiction.[1]

Coburn committed suicide at age 82 in Prescott, Arizona.[6]

Bibliography[edit]

Stories[edit]

  • The Ringtailed Rannyhans (1927)
  • Mavericks (1929)
  • Barb Wire (1931)
  • Walt Coburn's action novels; four western novels (1931)
  • The Passing of Poker Joe (Dime Western Magazine 1933-02)
  • Son of a Gun Man (Dime Western Magazine 1933-03)
  • Guns beyond the Border (Dime Western Magazine 1933-10)
  • Brand of the Badlands (Dime Western Magazine 1933-12)
  • Outlawed! (Dime Western Magazine 1934-01)
  • The Hoot-Owl Pool (Dime Western Magazine 1934-02)
  • The Hell Creek Maverick (Dime Western Magazine 1934-03)
  • Cowman's Law (Dime Western Magazine 1934-04)
  • Outlawed Orphan (Dime Western Magazine 1934-05)
  • Maverick Men (Dime Western Magazine 1934-06)
  • The Death Maverick (Dime Western Magazine 1934-07)
  • Men of the Dark Trails (Dime Western Magazine 1934-08)
  • Rim-Rock Renegades (Dime Western Magazine 1934-09-01)
  • Black Outlaw (Dime Western Magazine 1934-10-01)
  • Renegade Law (Dime Western Magazine 1934-10-15)
  • Brand Blotters' Blood Tally (Dime Western Magazine 1934-11-01)
  • The Rio Renegade (Dime Western Magazine 1934-12-15)
  • Creed of the Lawless (Dime Western Magazine 1935-01-01)
  • Satan's Saddle Mates (Dime Western Magazine 1935-02-15)
  • Ghost Guns of Black Coulee (Dime Western Magazine 1935-03-01)
  • The Rolling-R Rides to Glory (Dime Western Magazine 1935-04-01)
  • Badlands Orphan (Dime Western Magazine 1935-04-15)
  • Six Gringos Ride to Hell (Dime Western Magazine 1935-05-01)
  • Branded Men (Dime Western Magazine 1935-05-15)
  • Hate for a Lawman (Dime Western Magazine 1935-06-01)
  • Feud Guns of Brady's Basin (Dime Western Magazine 1935-06-15)
  • The Partner of Buckshot Blue (Dime Western Magazine 1935-07-01)
  • Wanted Man's Gamble (Dime Western Magazine 1935-07-15)
  • Badlands Lawman (Dime Western Magazine 1935-08-01)
  • Son of the Owlhoot (Dime Western Magazine 1935-08-15)
  • The Law Rides to Wolf Hole (Dime Western Magazine 1935-09-01)
  • Tom Ball--Gun-Doctor (Dime Western Magazine 1935-10-01)
  • Gunsmoke Born (Dime Western Magazine 1935-10-15)
  • Wild-Bunch Lawman (Dime Western Magazine 1935-11-01)
  • Gun Ghosts of Skull Creek (Dime Western Magazine 1935-12-01)
  • Vigilante Vengeance (Dime Western Magazine 1936-02)
  • Wild Men in Buckskin (Dime Western Magazine 1936-03)
  • Missouri River Renegade (Dime Western Magazine 1936-04)
  • Six-Gun Quarantine (Dime Western Magazine 1936-05)
  • The Dead-Game Tinhorn (Dime Western Magazine 1936-06)
  • The Badlands Vigilante (Dime Western Magazine 1936-07)
  • The Button rides to War (Dime Western Magazine 1936-08)
  • Trail Herd to Perdition (Dime Western Magazine 1936-09)
  • The Wagon Train Feud (Dime Western Magazine 1936-10)
  • A New Marshall for Pinto (Dime Western Magazine 1936-11)
  • Gun Cub of the Black Wolf (Dime Western Magazine 1937-01)
  • Blind Man's Gun Bluff (Dime Western Magazine 1937-02)
  • Straw Boss for the Damned (Dime Western Magazine 1937-03)
  • A Renegade rules the S-C Ranch (Dime Western Magazine 1937-04)
  • Death rides with the Black Fergusons (Dime Western Magazine 1937-05)
  • The Gringo who wouldn't die (Dime Western Magazine 1937-06)
  • Last Stand of the Gila Pool Cowmen (Dime Western Magazine 1937-07)
  • Lone Wolf of the Feud Pack (Dime Western Magazine 1937-09)
  • The Raw Red Trail to Dodge! (Dime Western Magazine 1937-10)
  • Trail Herd's Gunsmoke Market (Dime Western Magazine 1937-11)
  • Sun Prairie's Powdersmoke Revival (Dime Western Magazine 1937-12)
  • Guns break trail for a Texan's Herd (Dime Western Magazine 1938-01)
  • Death waits West of Dodge (Dime Western Magazine 1938-02)
  • Rawhide, Gunsmoke--and Texas Cattle! (Dime Western Magazine 1938-03)
  • Stepson of the Wild Bunch (Dime Western Magazine 1938-04)
  • His Partner, the Gun Ghost (Dime Western Magazine 1938-05)
  • The Badlands send[s] a Fighting Man (Dime Western Magazine 1938-06)
  • Signed on to die! (Dime Western Magazine 1938-07)
  • Fear God and shoot straight! (Dime Western Magazine 1938-08)
  • The Owlhoot makes a Cowman (Dime Western Magazine 1938-09)
  • Doc Masters' last gun deal (Dime Western Magazine 1938-10)
  • The Gunsmoke Cub finds a Brand (Dime Western Magazine 1938-11)
  • Recruit for the Hang-Noose Syndicate (Dime Western Magazine 1938-12)
  • The Trail Drive God forgot (Dime Western Magazine 1939-01)
  • Breaking of the Horse-Thief Pool (Dime Western Magazine 1939-02)
  • Gun Call for Wind River Riders (Dime Western Magazine 1939-03)
  • The Square Dealer of Last Chance (Dime Western Magazine 1939-04)
  • Gunsmoke Bonus for Stolen Beef (Dime Western Magazine 1939-05)
  • Button Brewster rides to war (Dime Western Magazine 1939-06)
  • Lon Pike's last Gunsmoke Sermon (Dime Western Magazine 1939-07)
  • Marked with Satan's Road-Brand (Dime Western Magazine 1939-08)
  • The Summer of the Black Snow (Dime Western Magazine 1939-09)
  • Free Bullets for the Quick-Grave Legion (Dime Western Magazine 1939-10)
  • Gun Guide for Satan's Border-Jumpers (Dime Western Magazine 1939-11)
  • Gray Wool brings Gunsmoke (Dime Western Magazine 1939-12)
  • War Smoke guides the Western Mails (Dime Western Magazine 1940-01)
  • New Graves at Hide-Out Ranch (Dime Western Magazine 1940-02)
  • Gunsmoke Key to the Padlocked Deadline (Dime Western Magazine 1940-03)
  • Too Soft for the Owlhoot (Dime Western Magazine 1940-04)
  • Gun Partners of the Overland Mail (Dime Western Magazine 1940-05)
  • Smoke McGonigal's last Gun-Chore (Dime Western Magazine 1940-06)
  • Gun-Call for Buckskin Warriors (Dime Western Magazine 1940-07)
  • A Greenhorn rides the Death Watch (Dime Western Magazine 1940-09)
  • The Bear-Paw Man-Breaker (Dime Western Magazine 1940-10)
  • The Fighting Flaggs ride at Midnight! (Dime Western Magazine 1940-11)
  • The Mad Gunman of Wolf Tooth Point (Dime Western Magazine 1940-12)
  • Law Rides the Range (1935)
  • Sky-Pilot Cowboy (1937)
  • Hired to Kill (Dime Western Magazine 1945-12)
  • Pardners of the Dim Trails (1951) (vt: Tough Texan)
  • The Way of a Texan (1953)
  • Drift Fence (1953)
  • The Burnt Ranch (1954)
  • Gun Grudge (1955)
  • Wet Cattle (1955) (vt: Violent Maverick)
  • The Square Shooter (1956)
  • Border Jumper (1956)
  • The Night Branders (1956)
  • One Step Ahead of the Posse (1956)
  • Cayuse (1956)
  • Stirrup High (1957)
  • Fear Branded (1957)
  • Horse Thief Trail (1957)
  • Spider-Web Ridge (1958)
  • Beyond the Wild Missouri (1958)
  • Buffalo Run (1958) (vt: Fast Gun)
  • Free Rangers (1959)
  • Dark and Bloody Ground (1960)
  • Guns Blaze on Spiderweb Range (1961)
  • Invitation to a Hanging (1963)
  • Ramrod (1963)
  • Branded (1963)
  • Sons of Gunfighters (1963)
  • The Kansas Killers (1966)
  • Feud Valley (1969)
  • The Renegade (1969)
  • La Jornada (1971)
  • Sleeper's Mark (1990)
  • Showdown Mesa (1992)
  • Coffin Ranch : a western trio (1998; edited by Jon Tuska).

Non-fiction[edit]

  • Pioneer Cattleman in Montana: Story of the Circle C Ranch (1968)
  • Western Word Wrangler (1973)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c John D. Flanagan, "Coburn, Walt", in Twentieth Century Western Writers, edited by Geoff Sadler. St. James Press, 1991, ISBN 0-912289-98-8 , (pages 129-34)
  2. ^ "Walter Coburn, Writer of "Westerns" Arrives Here", Tucson Daily Citizen, Tucson, Arizona, volume LXV, number 298, October 25, 1934, page 6.
  3. ^ a b c Lee Server, "Coburn, Walt" in Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers. Facts on File, 2002 ISBN 978-0-8160-4578-5 (pp. 65-66)
  4. ^ Jon Tuska, The Western Story: A Chronological Treasury, University of Nebraska Press, 1999, ISBN 978-0-8032-9439-4 (page xxviii).
  5. ^ Jon Tuska, Star Western, Gramercy Books, 1995, ISBN 0-517-14688-6 (page 132).
  6. ^ a b "Walt Coburn Papers". Special Collections at the University of Arizona Libraries. University of Arizona. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
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