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Paperback Warrior

Paperback Warrior is an American content creator that specializes in critiquing vintage fiction. The creator's flagship is it's eponymous blog that contains over 2,000 comprehensive posts about vintage and contemporary fiction including media such as comic books, graphic novels, pulps, action-adventure magazines, digests, black and white magazines, comic strips, and movie and television tie-in content. Additionally, the brand's owner, Christopher Eric Compton, hosts the Paperback Warrior Podcast, an outreach of the blog featuring reviews, author biographies, publisher histories, bookstore guides, buying tips, interviews, and analytic commentary about the 19th and 20th century publishing industry. The brand's YouTube channel contains over 200 videos that channels the same spirit as the blog and podcast with additional commentary about Eric's national bookstore experiences and a monthly ranking video of the prior month's reads.

Paperback Warrior continues to collaborate with publishers such as Stark House Press, Black Gat Books, Brash Books, Cutting Edge Books, Wolfpack Publishing, Rough Edges, and Encyclopocalypse. The brand also incorporates affiliate partnerships with Amazon, Abe Books, and YouTube with Ad Sense.

Media and publishers can contact the brand at paperbackwarrior@yahoo.com.

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Videos Everyone Loves:
▸ Ranking the Dean R. Koontz Books
▸ Paperbacks from Hell
▸ Ranking the Stephen King Night Shift Stories
▸ Used Bookstore Blitz!

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20 episodes
Avg 1 hr 2 min
English

Episodes 20

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July 26 · 1 hr 1 min
Conversations - Bad Taste Books & The Book Graveyard
Paperback Warrior joins forces with Bryan from https://www.youtube.com/@BadTasteBooks and Nick from https://www.youtube.com/@TheBookGraveyard for a lively discussion of Shark Fighter, Len Levinson's outrageous 1976 cult paperback from Belmont Tower....
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July 5 · 1 hr 17 min
Conversations - The Book Graveyard
In this new collaboration with Nick from https://youtu.be/ciKAIJbTaUQ?si=TPyORnz-Wd9dBD7z, Paperback Warrior explores Mistress of Orion Hall, a haunting 1970 gothic-suspense paperback published by Fawcett Gold Medal. Along the way, the episode traces...
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February 23 · 1 hr 6 min
Conversations - The Book Graveyard
Welcome to my newest collaboration with Nick at https://www.youtube.com/@TheBookGraveyard On this episode, we continue our "Guide to Gothics" discussions by reviewing a 1976 paperback by William Ross titled Phantom Wedding. In this analysis, we...
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January 28 · 1 hr 26 min
Conversations - The Book Graveyard & Liminal Spaces
In this episode, I'm talking with Nick from https://www.youtube.com/@TheBookGraveyard and Chris from https://www.youtube.com/@LiminalSpaces03 about a 1969 paperback titled To the Dark Tower by Weird Tales author Frank Belknap Long. Is the book an...
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Dec 15, 2025 · 37 min
Episode 125: Top Reads of 2025
In this energetic year-end episode, Eric looks back at a wildly productive 2025 for Paperback Warrior — packed with reviews, interviews, collaborations, and behind-the-scenes adventures. He shares big milestones, surprising personal updates, and a...
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Nov 17, 2025 · 1 hr 12 min
Conversations - The Book Graveyard
In this month’s installment of Guide to Gothics, Paperback Warrior teams up once again with Nick Anderson of The Book Graveyard to unearth a paperback relic: Dorothy Daniel’s The Tormented, a 1969 gothic suspense novel from Paperback Library. The...
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Nov 10, 2025 · 1 hr 30 min
Conversations - John Shirley
Legendary writer John Shirley blasts into Paperback Warrior to talk crime, cyberpunk, and chaos. From his hard-boiled new novel The Silver Revolver to the upcoming streaming revival of his ’80s action series The Specialist, Shirley pulls no punches....
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Oct 20, 2025 · 54 min
Conversations - The Book Graveyard
The Brooding Lake – A Gothic Gem Resurrected In this episode of Paperback Warrior: Conversations, our host joins forces with Nick Anderson of YouTube’s Book Graveyard to unearth a haunting treasure from 1953 — The Brooding Lake by Dorothy Eden....
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Sep 22, 2025 · 1 hr 19 min
Conversations - David Agranoff
This in-depth interview explores the work and creative philosophy of author David Agranoff, known for blending horror, science fiction, and political commentary. The discussion covers his literary influences—ranging from heavy metal and punk rock to...
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Sep 16, 2025 · 1 hr 31 min
Conversations - Greg F. Gifune
In this in-depth conversation, acclaimed horror author Greg F. Gifune discusses his literary journey, publishing experiences, writing philosophy, and the psychological themes that define his work. From early magazine publications to film adaptations,...
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Sep 1, 2025 · 1 hr
Conversations - The Book Graveyard
The Paperback Warrior collides with The Book Graveyard for another "Guide to Gothics" episode. On this show, Eric and Nick discuss a 1972 Dell Gothic paperback titled, "Decoy in Diamonds". The episode includes a review of the book, discussion of the...
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Aug 25, 2025 · 28 min
Episode 124: William R. Cox
This podcast episode features William R. Cox, a prolific author of over 1,000 pulp stories known for his crime-fiction, sports, and western novels. It also includes a review of a 1967 vintage suspense-thriller by John Farris. Listen today! Follow...
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Aug 11, 2025 · 46 min
Episode 123: Pulps in Paperback
In this episode, Eric explores the transition of vintage pulp stories and heroes from magazine format to mass market paperbacks in the 1960s and 1970s. He also celebrates GarbAugust by highlighting three of the worst books he’s ever read. Be sure to...
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Jul 21, 2025 · 1 hr 54 min
Conversations - The Book Graveyard
Eric collaborates with Nick from The Book Graveyard BookTube channel to review the 1971 gothic paperback The Shadow Guest. They also explore the gothic paperback scene of the 1960s–80s, focusing on its mix of supernatural and mystery elements. The...
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Jul 7, 2025 · 33 min
Episode 122: Jack Karney & S.S. Rafferty
In this double-feature episode, Eric investigates the mysterious life and work of crime-fiction and boxing-story writer Jack Karney, while also spotlighting S.S. Rafferty, a regular contributor to Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazines....
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Jun 30, 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
Audiobook: Guns Drawn by Thomas Hyland (narrated by Eric Compton)
It's a book premier right here on Paperback Warrior! I narrate the new 75-page novella GUNS DRAWN by Thomas Hyland, a violent, tightly-knit character piece involving bad guys, sexy women, gunplay, and bloodshed. It's a stylish 1950ish potboiler...and...
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Jun 16, 2025 · 46 min
Episode 121: Arthur Catherall
In this episode, Eric embarks on a globe-trotting nautical adventure with a spotlight on Arthur Catherall, exploring his World War II-era series set in exotic locales. He also dives into a recent western discovery, reviews a thrilling novel about a...
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Jun 2, 2025 · 36 min
Episode 120: Lou Cameron
In this episode, Eric explores the life and career of Lou Cameron, a comic book artist who became a prolific paperback writer and pioneer in the adult western genre. He also reviews a Booktuber, showcases his latest used book acquisitions, and...
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May 19, 2025 · 36 min
Episode 119: Amityville Paperbacks from Hell
In this podcast episode, Eric explores the infamous Amityville murders and their impact on pop culture through a deep dive into The Amityville Horror and its many paperback sequels and spinoffs that shaped haunted house fiction in the '80s and '90s....
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May 12, 2025 · 56 min
Conversations - Paul Bishop
Acclaimed author, editor, and podcast host Paul Bishop joins Eric for a lively conversation about his latest book, 52 Weeks 52 Sherlock Holmes Novels. In this engaging discussion, Paul offers a thoughtful introduction to Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary...
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