Thomas Albert Curry (1900–1976), was a 20th-century American pulp fiction writer who began writing crime and detective stories but went on to become one of the more prolific western writers in the genre.
Early life Curry was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on November 4, 1900. He attended Columbia College in 1920 and graduated in 1922. In 1923, he worked as a crime reporter for William Randolph Hearst's newspaper the New York American.Tom Curry - Author, Engineer, Sportsman PulpFlakes Some of his early crime stories were taken from this experience.
Curry's sister was actress Helen Curry who was married to fellow pulp fiction author F. R. Buckley.
Writing career Curry was paid $25.00 for his first story to be published, "Diamond in the Rough", which appeared in the March 1921 edition of pulp magazine People's FavoriteG. M. Farley, Tom Curry - A Biography, 1975, The Zane Grey Collector
In 1923 he was a crime reporter for the New York American.
Curry's stories have appeared in over 400 pulp magazines including Argosy, Black Mask, The Blue Book Magazine, Short Stories and several Thrilling Publications including Texas Rangers,Nick Carr, The Western Pulp Hero: An Investigation Into the Psyche of an American Legend, 1989, Starmont House, Inc. Thrilling Adventures, Thrilling Ranch Stories and Thrilling WesternJohn Dinan, Sports in the Pulp Magazines, 1998, McFarland & Company, Inc.Tom Curry Fiction Mag Index
The Rio Kid In 1939 Curry created his most well known character, The Rio Kid, bringing an element of historical fiction to the genre with his lead character interacting with actual historical events and people. This series had its own magazine devoted to it from 1939 through 1953
As was not uncommon in the genre, in addition to writing under his own name Curry would also write under pseudonyms including Jackson Cole, Bradford Scott (house names for Texas Ranger Magazine) and John Benton (house name for Thrilling Publications and sometimes ghostwrite for others such as Romer Zane Grey, eldest son of Zane Grey.
Curry was a prominent member of Western Writers of America for 50 years.
Selected works title publishedThe Bandits Of Boise1965The Buffalo Hunters - A Rio Kid WesternBlood on the Plains - A Captain Mesquite Novel1947Captain MesquiteChaparral Marauders1939Colorado Gold1974The Comstock LoadDrifter1973From an Amber Block1930Frontier Massacre1974Gunfighters WayGunfighters HolidayGuns Of Dodge CityHate Along The Rio1938Hell's Dimension1931Indian Outpost1971Kit Carson's WayLand of Challenge1965Land Pirates, The1976Leadville Avengers - A Rio Kid Western1970Marshal Of Wichita1946The Montana Vigilantes - A Rio Kid Western1941The Mormon Trail - A Captain Mesquite Story1942Octopus Guns1950On To Cheyenne1976Outlaws Brand1969Pards of Buffalo Bill - A Rio Kid Western1941Raiders of the Valley1946Range Of Doom1966Riding For Custer - A Captain Mesquite Novel1947Round Up GunsTrail Blazers, The - A Rio Kid WesternTrail Town Guns1948Wagons To California1972
State register Curry's former home in Norwalk, CT is listed on the Connecticut State Register of Historic Places.
References
External links Tom Curry, Guiana Trap Dime Adventure Magazine, October 1939