The character of William J. "Willie" Klump had quite a career in the pulps. He first appeared in Popular Detective magazine in 1938 and went on to appear in more than 60 stories over the next 21 years. Willie is something of a loser, but as a private detective he somehow always manages to get the job done (often with the help of friends, including his girlfriend and secretary, Gertie Mudgett, who often saves the day).
Willie was the creation of Joe Archibald (1898-1986), a prolific writer who published more than 900 stories in the pulps, digest, and "slick" magazines like Collier's and The Saturday Evening Post. He also illustrated prolifically for pulp magazines.
