Category: Hardboiled

cover art by Lou Marchetti

gouache and tempera on illustration board, 13″ by 21 3/4″

1951 British 1st edition Digit Books

“The story of Sicilian Mafia crime families and political corruption is a forgotten classic pulp fiction page turner, and also a footnote in the legend of Marilyn Monroe.  During Monroe’s marriage to Joe Dimaggio, he was given a copy of the hardcover edition of the book, published under the title Horns for the Devil. So taken was he by the fast-paced and gritty story, that he convinced Monroe to buy the film rights for the novel and adapt it to the screen.  She spent $5000 dollars on the rights, and $20,000 to pay for the adaptation. Rather than produce the film however, Monroe insisted that if they wanted to renew her contract, Twentieth Century Fox would have to buy the film rights from her for $150,000, making the film one of the more profitable never-made pictures.”

The 1958 Monarch Books edition

December 1937 issue

December 1937

cover art attributed to Tom Lovell

John H. Knox, “Brides for Satan’s Pupils”

Francis James, “Merry Christmas from the Dead!“

Arthur Leo Zagat, “Soft Blows the Breeze from Hell!”

Russell Gray, “Death Sends His Manikins”

Henry Treat Sperry, “The Cat and the Corpse”

John Kobler, “Lust of the Jaguar Queen” (Peter Quest)   

better image than previously posted