L. Ron Hubbard Western milestone marked with Hollywood show

Author Services, Inc. marked the 90th anniversary of L. Ron Hubbard’s first Western story with a Hollywood event on July 11 that combined a history talk, live radio theater and a library tour. The program highlighted Hubbard’s place in the Western genre and drew a standing-room-only crowd.

Why it matters: - The event framed L. Ron Hubbard’s Western work as part of a 90-year publishing milestone. - The program also underscored the continuing audience for live Western performance and literary retrospectives. - The celebration tied Hubbard’s early genre entry to the broader history of the American Western.

What happened: - Author Services, Inc. hosted a July 11 anniversary event in Hollywood, California, marking 90 years since Hubbard’s Western tale "The Baron of Coyote River" appeared in the September 1936 issue of All Western Magazine. - The evening included a presentation by Kellen Cutsforth, executive director of the Western Writers of America. - A live radio-theater performance followed, featuring an early Hubbard humorous Western, "The Reign of the Gila Monster." - Guests also attended a chuck wagon dinner and toured the L. Ron Hubbard Library at Author Services, Inc. - The theater was standing-room-only.

The details: - Cutsforth said literature is a conversation across generations and argued that the Western is an American literary form rooted in national history, geography and character. - Cutsforth said Hubbard wrote across many genres, including adventure, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, sea stories, aviation stories, detective fiction and Westerns. - Cutsforth said Hubbard’s debut Western showed an instinctive understanding of frontier storytelling. - The evening opened with a revised performance of "Ragtime Cowboy Joe," retitled "Ragtime Cowboy Howdy," performed by Sisu Raiken, Nancy Daley, R.F. Daley and Steve Wagner. - The emcee said Hubbard drew on the frontier spirit of his Montana childhood. - The emcee said the story reflected Hubbard’s view of the West’s "do-and-dare attitudes, its wry humor, cowboy pranks, and make-nothing of the worst and most dangerous." - "Reign of the Gila Monster" is known for fast-paced comedy and sharp wit. - The performance featured R.F. Daley, Bob Caso, Richard Reich and Travis Oates. - After the show, guests returned to the library for hot peach cobbler, vanilla ice cream and photos with the actors and Cutsforth. - Industry attendees offered positive feedback on the event and the performance.

Between the lines: - The event positioned Hubbard not just as a science-fiction figure but as a writer with a broad commercial range. - The use of live radio theater and period-style hospitality gave the anniversary a nostalgic format that matched the Western theme. - The strong emphasis on audience response suggests Author Services, Inc. sees value in repeat events built around Hubbard’s catalog.

What's next: - Author Services, Inc. said more information on Hubbard and his Western stories is available at Galaxy Press. - The company also promoted its social channels, including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X. - Hubbard’s Western output was described as 38 novels, novelettes and short stories totaling more than 468,000 words, written under his own name and pen names including Barry Randolph and Winchester Remington Colt.

The bottom line: - The Hollywood program turned a publishing anniversary into a live showcase for Hubbard’s Western legacy, with history, performance and fan interest all centered on one genre milestone.