black mask magazine

September 1928 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

September 1928 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

~ William Donald Bray, “The Red Mackinaw”, ‘mining yarn’, 2^nd of 12 stories in BM

~ Tom Curry, “Murder Chains”, part 1 of 2, ‘gangster yarn; John Furnel, alias The Grand Street Kid; see p. 128 for data on & photo of TC’, 16^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Snarl of the Beast”, 21^st of 53 with Race Williams, last of 4 part serial, published as a novel in 1927 as The Snarl of the Beast, reprinted in The Snarl of the Beast: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.2 (Altus, 2016), 30th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Bob Du Soe, “The Kid on Number Twenty”, 1^st of 3 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Where the Buzzards Circle”, 4^th of 7 Black Barr, 26th of 99 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Yellow Smoke”, 7th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 9th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “A Grudge is a Grudge”, ‘among crooks, that is; police dick’, reprinted in Street Wolf (Altus Press, 2014), 8 of 67 stories in BM

~ Henry Wallace Phillips, “The Killing Nerve”, ‘Western’, 1^st of 8 with Red Saunders, 3rd of 12 stories in BM

~ Erika Zastrow, “The Crook Who Wanted To Be Straight”, 2nd of 3 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

August 1928 issue ~ cover art by H.C. Murphy

August 1928 issue

cover art by H.C. Murphy

better image than previously posted

~ Tom Curry, “The Master”, 7^th and last DeVrite, with Mac, 26^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Rough Stuff”, 25^th of 53,‘Race Williams vs. The Hidden Hand; Pt. 3 of 5 loosely organized 5-pt. serial’, reprinted in The Snarl of the Beast: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.2 (Altus, 2016), 37th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Fangs of Fate”, 5^th of 7 Black Barr, 33rd of 99 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Hell to Pay”, ‘Chicago hood; 1^st -person narrator’, reprinted in Street Wolf (Altus Press, 2014), 12 of 67 stories in BM

~ Stephen Payne, “Night-Riding Ruddy”, ‘Western; with Ruddy Ingersoll‘, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Lester Reynard, “Ritzie Gets Clever”, ‘Western; Deputy ‘Happy’ Collins & girl, Ritzie’, 1^st of 5 stories in BM

~ Everett H. Tipton, “El Tigre Was Bad”, ‘Bobby Warren, reporter, in Juárez (Chihuahua)’, 6th of 7 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “High Death”, ‘Mac, Ben Greed; 3rd of 6 in Border Brand series’, reprinted in Border Brand (Steeger, 2024), 23rd of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

February 1921 issue

February 1921 issue

cover art by William Grotz?

better image than previously posted

features image of cover from June 1920 issue – which was by Grotz

~ John Baer, “An Omen of Ill-Luck”, 2^nd of 24 stories in BM

~ Walter Deffenbaugh, “The Lizard”, 1^st of 14 stories in BM

~ Harold De Polo, “There’s Always Something Lacking”, 1^st of 6 stories in BM

~ Alexis Dolman, “An Admirable Man”, ‘short-short’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Carl Glick, “The Shot in the Dark”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ H.W. Haward, “Who Challoner?”, ‘the name may be Harward; in any case, possibly a pseud. of Harold Ward’, only appearance by this name in BM

~ Harry C. Hervey, Jr., “Can This Thing Be?”, 6th of 8 appearances in BM

~ Chauncey C. Hotchkiss, “ The Wrong Box”, author’s only story in BM

~ J.C. Kofoed, “Fear”, 7^th of 9 stories in BM

~ J.J. Stagg, “The Mystery of the Stains”, author’s debut and 1^st of 11 stories in BM

~ Ward Sterling, “The Letter in Pedro’s Skull”, 1st of 2 stories in this issue (see Ward), 5th of stories under this name in BM

~ Arthur Tuckerman, “Cross-Channel”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Harold Ward, “The Trego Circus Mystery”, 2^nd story in this issue, 11th of 29 stories under this name in BM [15^th and 16th of 46 stories in BM under three different names – Ward Sterling and H.W. Starr]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

1947 Avon digest, Murder Mystery Monthly, #46

cover art by Rafael deSoto

better image than previously posted

August 1951, debut issue

July 1935 issue ~ cover art by Rudolph Belarski

July 1935 issue

cover art by Rudolph Belarski

better image than previously posted

~ William Donald Bray, “Hot Gold”, 3^rd of 4 Britt Hardsley stories, of the Carneal Construction Co., ‘man of murder and mystery’, 1^st person narrator, 10th of 12 stories in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Buried Evidence”, ‘Tom Wade with Flashgun Casey’, 12^th of 27 with Flashgun Casey, 12^th of 31 stories in BM

~ B.B. Fowler, “A Frame Should Stick”, ‘Red Candless, reporter’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Dick Moreland, “Blue Dandy”, ‘Jim Delf, owner of Blue Dandy Kennels‘, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Murderer’s Guest”, ‘11th (of 25) Jerry Tracy capers, columnist on the (NYC) Planet, ‘mixer with poor and rich, the crooked and the straight, trailer of trouble and happiness’, 12th of 26 stories in BM. Reprinted in South Wind: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ Roger Torrey, “Nose Trouble”, ‘3rd of 4 stories starring 1^st-person narrator Mike O’Dell, ex-wrestler, now bodyguard’, 17th of 50 appearances in BM. Reprinted in South Wind: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ Thomas Walsh, “Death Can Come Hard”, ‘Dr. Ed French, interne, 1^st-person narrator’, 5th of 6 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

May 1920 issue ~ cover art by William Grotz

May 1920 issue – second issue published

cover art by William Grotz

~ Frank Blighton, “The Hop on Hyperspace”, ‘Hyperspace is a dog’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Hamilton Craigie, “Receipted in Full”, ‘Headnote is worth (partially) quoting from: “ …Another typical Black Mask complete novelette…which represent[s] the very best mystery fiction…printed in America today. Novelty of plot, nervous suspense and ingenious solutions are the keynotes…; 1^st of 3 stories in issue in which he figures’, 1^st of 7 solo stories in BM

~ Hamilton Craigie & Walter Grahame, “According to Specifications” and “The Jest Ironic” (2 stories by this pair)

~ Ashton Crowell, “The Prison Clock Strikes Nine”, ‘prison setting’, only appearance in BM

~ Captain Frank Cunningham, “The Best New Books”, ‘Regular column which reviewed new mystery & detective novels; also called “The New Mystery Books”; not indexed beyond this point.’

~ Schuyler Hamilton, “The Silvered Sentinel”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Clinton [aka Charles] Harcourt, “The Necklace of the Pharaohs”, 1st of 6 stories in BM

~ Greye La Spina, “The Seventh Step”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Maurice Level, “In the Light of the Red Lamp”, ‘short-short‘, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “Looking Out for Orchid”, ‘narrated by vaudevillian in dialect’, debut, 1st of 29 stories in BM

~ John Irving Pearce, Jr. and Joseph Faus, “The Belled Boomerang”, only joint appearance by these authors in BM, for JIP, see Oursler

~ Merlin Moore Taylor, “The Wheel Within the Wheel”, author’s debut in BM, 1^st of 8 appearances in BM

~ Harold Ward, “The ‘Tail’ of a Cat”, 2nd of 29 stories under this name in BM [2nd of 46 stories in BM under three different names– Ward Sterling and H.W. Starr]

~ Valentine Williams, “The Mystery of the Missing Finger”, ‘Desmond Okewood, British Secret Service’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

Canadian August 1942 issue

Canadian August 1942 issue

January 1943 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

January 1943 issue

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

better image than previously posted

~ Merle Constiner, “Why Meddle with Murder?”, ‘Luther McGavock, private detective; he works Atherton Browne who heads a Memphis-based agency, 3rd of 11 of the McG stories; usually rural setting’, reprinted in Let the Dead Alone: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Luther McGavock (Steeger, 2020), 3^rd of 12 stories in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Blood on the Lens”, part 1 of 3 of Murder for Two (novel published 1943), 25th of 27 with Flashgun Casey, 29th of 31 stories in BM

~ C.P. Donnel, Jr., “Don’t Stand Under the Blackjack Tree”, 12th of 16 with Colonel Walter (Doc) Rennie, USA Medical Corps, 12^th of 20 stories in BM

~ Alan Farley [pseudonym of Mrs. W. Lee Herrington], “Buttered on Both Sides”, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Tom Marvin, “Bag o’Bones”, ‘1^st person narrator is a 23-year-old small town sheriff’, 1^st of 3 stories

October 15, 1923 issue ~ cover art by Lewis Kennerly

October 15, 1923 issue

cover art by Lewis Kennerly

better image than previously posted

~ Edwin Baird, “Keep it Dark” short-short, last of 3 stories in BM

~ Eustace Hale Ball, “Little Miss Muffet – 1923”, 9^th of 13 stories in BM

~ Royce Brier, “The Thirteenth Tack”, ‘Spider Klein, criminal’, 2^nd of 5 stories in BM

~ Ray(mond King) Cummings, “T. McGuirk Tries the Luck Charms”, ‘7th of 14 McGuirk stories, billed as “the quaintest character in the Underworld” & honest, more of less’, 7^th of 15 stories in BM

~ Drayton Dunster, “Aided and Abetted by the Law”, 8^th of 9 stories in BM

~ ‘Peter Collinson’ (Hammett), “Slippery Fingers”, 1st story in this issue, ‘see p. 127 for letter by DH & discussion of story’, last of 4 stories under this name in BM, though Hagemann doesn’t note it, 2^nd of 25 Op stories reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), reprinted in Zigzags of Treachery: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Continental Op, Vol. 1 (Steeger, 2023), though Hagemann does not list this as an Op story, 4^th of 51 total stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Crooked Souls”, the Op [3rd of 25], 2nd of 2 stories in this issue but 5th of 51 total stories in BM, reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), reprinted in Zigzags of Treachery: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Continental Op, Vol. 1 (Steeger, 2023)

~ Robert Lee Heiser, “Fifty Dollars a Peep”, ‘alleged to be true’

~ Jones Jones, “The Talented Burglar”, author’s sole appearance in BM [hard to believe that name is correct]

~ J. Fortune Reade, “At the Bottom of It”, ‘A Strange Detective Problem’, 2nd of 3 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Riddle of Room 14”, 17th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 18^th of 49 total articles in BM

~ J. Paul Suter, “Beyond Justice”, ‘daytime story’, 2nd of 19 appearances in BM

~ Joe Taylor, “The Doublecross”, 10th of 12 tales in ‘My Underworld’ series, 11^th of 13^th appearances in BM

~ Merlin Moore Taylor, “The Young Squirt”, ‘advertised as “A Complete Mystery Novelette”’, 4th of 8 appearances in BM

~ Edward Parrish Ware, “The Snitch”, 1^st of 9 stories in BM

February 15, 1923 issue ~ cover art by A. Rose

February 15, 1923 issue

cover art by A. Rose

better image than previously posted

~ Eustace Hale Ball, “The Trail of the Scarlet Fox”, part 3 of 6 parts with various subtitles, 3rd of 13 appearances in BM

~ Russell Arden Bankson, “The Ghost of Joe Speck”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Drayton Dunster, “The Conscientious Grave-Digger”, 3^rd of 9 stories in BM

~ Jack J. Gottlieb, “The Strength of the Weak”, 7th of 8 stories in BM

~ Francis James, “Sinister Images”, Prentice, Harvard-trained criminologist turned policeman (‘the young Central Office Man’) with Police Chief Shannon, 2^nd of 4 parts, 4th of 20 appearances in BM

~ George B. Jenkins, Jr., “Business and Pleasure”, last of 5 stories in BM

~ Wilson Clay Missimer, “Torn Fingers”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “The Jewel of Blood”, 15th of 29 stories in BM

~ Harford Powel, Jr., “The High Jackers”, 1^st of 6 appearances in BM

~ Walker J. Scott, “Fatal Fridays”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Clue of the Tattooed Arm”, 2nd of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 2^nd of 49 total articles in BM

~ Joe Taylor, “Stumbling Feet”, 5th of 12 tales in ‘My Underworld’ series, 5^th of 13^th appearances in BM