Considering the half dozen preeminent collectors of popular literature in the recent one hundred years, Joseph L. Rainone’s holdings can compare to any of them. And Joe is very much alive today, actively studying the output of publishers from the 1840s until our new century. Shilling Shockers, Dime Novels, Story Papers, Thick Books, the infamous Pulps, and Comic Books, are all collected and examined.
Here’s a good interview with Joe about his history as a collector: https://scoop.previewsworld.com/Home/4/1/73/1019?articleID=41415
Students of this literature are indebted to J. Randolph Cox for creating his seminal Dime Novel Companion. To expand and compliment the work of Cox, Joe Rainone teamed up with E. M. Sanchez-Saavedra and created The Illustrated Dime Novel Price Guide Companion. Over 1700 images illustrate the myriad forms of popular literature in the dime novel era, approximately from the 1860s to the 1920s.
Watch the short video describing The Illustrated Dime Novel Price Guide Companion:
Copies can be readily obtained from Amazon and other online sellers:
New copies of The Dime Novel Companion can be found online:
Dark Lantern Tales 