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Costigan, Steve. Steve Costigan was created by Robert E. Howard (Pike Bearfield, El Borak, Conan, De Montour, Breckenridge Elkins, Steve Harrison, Solomon Kane, Kull, Bran Mak Morn, Turlogh O’Brien, Kirby O'Donnell) and appeared in twenty stories from 1929 to 1934, beginning with “Pit of the Serpent” (Fight Stories, July 1929).

“Sailor Steve” Costigan is a brawling boxer, only 6'0" and 190 pounds and unschooled in technical boxing, but able to overcome larger, stronger, and better-trained boxers through willpower, the ability to take a punch, and excessive brutality. Costigan is honest, has a big heart, helps out others, even when they’ve done him wrong, and has a code of ethics which he does not violate, but he is also possessed of boastfulness and an easily-provoked temper. He sails on a windjammer, accompanied by his white bulldog Mike.

* I'm including Steve Costigan in the Best of the Encyclopedia category because of how much fun the stories are. The first thing that people think of when they think of Robert E. Howard is Conan, and rightfully so; Conan basically invented an entire literary subgenre all by himself. But there are some of us who think that, enjoyable though the Conan stories are, they aren't Howard's best. I'd go with the Sailor Steve Costigan stories. Not just because he boxes a gorilla, although that does play some part in my decision-making, but also because they aren't as grimly serious as the Conan stories. For me, Howard was best when he was light-hearted, as in the Costigan stories--best, the most fun, the funniest. And the Costigan stories ably combine a certain light-heartedness with action/adventure in a way that few of his other series characters did. 

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