black mask magazine

January 1937 issue ~ cover art by Wilber Thomas

January 1937 issue

cover art by Wilber Thomas

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “State Narcotic Dick”, ‘Bromley and muggles (marijuana)’, 13^th of 21 stories in BM

~ J.M. Bell, “The Blinking Eye”, short-short, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Max Brand, “Bulldog”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Raymond Chandler, “Try the Girl”, 4^th and last Carmady story, first reprint and first book appearance Killer in the Rain (Hammish Hamilton, 3/26/64), last of 11 stories in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Little Guy”, ‘18th (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’, reprinted in Murder Maze: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy, vol.2 (Steeger 2022), 19th of 26 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Murder Frame”, ‘Cassidy, cop, is framed’, 24th of 50 appearances in BM

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Shooting Going On”, ‘Hollywood murder’, 1^st of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

March 1951 issue

March 1951 issue

better image than previously posted

~ William E. Barrett, “Snatch As Snatch Can”, ‘wrestler in Texas oil town; reprint, not from BM’

~ Donald Barr Chidsey, “Let Me Tell It”, Police Capt. Mitchell, reprinted from Jan ‘34

~ Mel Colton, “Win, Lose – or Kill”, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ David Crewe, “Guilt Powder”, ‘Reprint; not from BM’

~ Jackson Gregory, “Indian Gift”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM, this one a reprint, not originally from BM

~ Richard L. Hobart, “Penny Pim – Accidental Detective”, reprint, not originally from BM

~ Robert Martin, “For Better or for Death”, last of 6 stories with ‘Dr. Clint Colby, medical detective’, ‘see headnote, p.2, for data on RM’, last of 8 appearances in BM

~ Edward S. Williams, “For Valor”, last of 8 appearances in BM, this story a reprint not originally run in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

February 1922 issue ~ cover art by William Grotz

February 1922 issue

cover art by William Grotz

better image than previously posted

~ John Baer, “The Pearl-Handled Revolver”, 1^st story in issue

~ John Baer, “Written in Blood”, 2nd story, 13^th and 14^th of 24 stories in BM

~ Christopher B. Booth, “The Phelam Lodge Mystery”, 3^rd of 5 BM stories

~ Walter Deffenbaugh, “24 Karat – But”, 10^th of 14 stories in BM

~ Arthur S. Garbett, “The Wet Hand”, 3rd of 4 stories in BM

~ J.B. Hawley, “The Hallowell Murder”, 10^th of 12 stories in BM

~ J. Burton Loftus, “At the Expense of James Cathew”, short-short, only appearance in BM

~ Lloyd Lonergan, “The Disappearing Judge”, 2^nd of 8 stories in BM

~ J.J. Stagg, “The Man in Box D”, 5th of 11 stories in BM

~ Ward Sterling, “The Passing of Bloody Dan”, 1 of 2 stories in this issue (see Ward), 11th of 16 stories under this name in BM

~ Frederic J. Thorne, “The Multiple Mystery Story”, part 2 of 3, 9th of 10 stories in BM

~ Harold Ward, “The Attorney for the Defense”, ‘short-short’, 2^nd of 2 stories in this issue (with Sterling), 21st of 29 stories under this name in BM [32^nd and 33rd of 46 stories in BM under three different names – Ward Sterling and H.W. Starr]

~ Charles S. Wolfe, “Unlucky Friday”, last of 3 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

January 1, 1924 issue ~ cover art by Jules Erbit

January 1, 1924 issue

cover art by Jules Erbit

~ Eustace Hale Ball, “The Footprints of Doom”, 7^th with ‘the Scarlet Fox, last of the series’, 11^th of 13 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Action! Action!” 2^nd of 2 with Three-Gun Terry Mack, 1^st-person narrator, 8th of 71 appearances in BM. The Price of a Dime: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Ben Shaley (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ Henry W. Fisher, “Executioners I Have Met”, ‘5th^t of 6 ‘true’ articles with various subtitles’

~ Charles M. Green [pseud. of Erle Stanley Gardner], “The Serpent’s Coils”, ‘A Daytime Story’, 2nd of 3 stories under this name

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Tenth Clew”, the Op [5th of 25], ‘see p. 127 for letter from DH on character in story, Creda Dexter‘, [Hammett’s first time appearing on the cover], reprinted in The Return of the Continental Op (Dell mapback, 1947), reprinted in City Sleuths and Tough Guys (Houghton Miflin, 1989), reprinted in City Sleuths and Tough Guys (Houghton Miflin, 1989), 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), 9th of 51 stories in BM

~ Francis James, “The Sand Devil”, Prentice, Harvard-trained criminologist turned policeman with Police Chief Shannon, 3rd of 4 parts, 12th of 20 appearances in BM

~ Harold Freeman Miners, “Topango Catches a Track”, 2^nd of 4 with ‘Topanga John, ancient desert rat’, 2^nd of 5 stories in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “When a Wizard Woos”, ‘short-short; Wamaba, wizard in New Hebrides‘, 15th of 20 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Mole”, 22nd of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 23^rd of 49 total articles in BM

~ Pearce Thorne, “A Jury of His Peers”, ‘brief-brief’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Edward Parrish Ware, “’Gangway!’”, ‘1^st-person narrator; set in Arkansas, complete with dialect; mule skinner’, 2nd of 9 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

clearer image but more worn

[updated 6/2/26]

July 1927 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

July 1927 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

better image than previously posted

~ Tom Curry, “The Peterman”, 10^th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1^st grade dick, ‘peterman’ = high explosives expert’, 15^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Snarl of the Beast”, 19^th of 53 with Race Williams, part 2 of 4 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), 28th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Westmoreland Gray, “Box V’s Night of Mystery”, ‘Western’, 2^nd of 3 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Stud Tactics”, 5th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 7th of 39 stories in BM

~ F.N. Litten, “The Ninth Life”, ‘gangster story’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Carl L. Martin, “Figgerin’ Roughly”, Deputy Lon Havens, Drew County, Bayou country, 1st of 6 in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “A Man with Sand”, ‘see p. 128 for data on FLN with small photo’, reprinted in Street Wolf (Altus Press, 2014), 6 of 67 stories in BM

~ L. King Tichenor, “False Impressions”, ‘Told in prison near execution time’, last of 5 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

August 1924 issue

August 1924 issue

~ Carroll John Daly, “Them That Lives by Their Guns”, 4^th of 53 with Race Williams, reprinted in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015) 12th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Our Own Short Story Course”, letter to editor from DH, in part about BM’s rejection of “Women, Politics and Murder” [not counted as a ‘story’]

~ Irvin Mattick, “The Devil’s Rocket”, ‘closing act of Koerner’s ‘Greatest Show on Earth’, sole appearance in BM

~ Harold Freeman Miners, “Topango Reverses the Decision”, 3^rd of 4 with ‘Topanga John, ancient desert rat’, 4^th of 5 stories in BM

~ J. Fortune Reade, “The Windfall”, last of 3 stories in BM

~ Victor Shea, “Charity”, short-short, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Gun-Girl”, ‘Celia Cooney & 42 stick-ups in 4 ½ months’, 32nd of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 33rd of 49 total articles in BM

~ Edward Parrish Ware, “The Jungle Buzzard”, ‘Western’, 5th of 9 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

November 15, 1923 issue ~ cover art by L.L. Balcom

November 15, 1923 issue

cover art by L.L. Balcom

better image than previously posted

~ Royce Brier, “Hundred Thousand Cache”, 3^rd of 5 stories in BM

~ H.B. Davenport, “Triggers of Justice”, ‘set in Kentucky mountains’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Henry W. Fisher, “Executioners I Have Met”, ‘2nd of 6 ‘true’ articles with various subtitles’

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Second-Story Angel”, reprinted in Nightmare Town (Knopf, 1999), 7th of 51 stories in BM

~ Robert Lee Heiser, “Where the Road Ends”, “A Complete Novelette”, numerous appearances but little fiction – last of 3 stories in BM

~ Clif Hill, “Water”, ‘Western’, author’s only story in BM

~ Vance Hoyt, “The Silent Law”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Charles T. Jordan, “Felton Celebrates Egg-Day”, 2^ndof 2 stories in BM

~ Elwin J. Owens, “Lupsika of the Forest”, ‘North Woods’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “One Dried Head”, 2nd of 3 parts, ‘South Seas‘, 13th of 20 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The ‘Cigar Box’ Mystery”, 19th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 20^th of 49 total articles in BM

UK edition of same issue

July 1945 issue ~ cover art by Rafael DeSoto

cover art by Rafael DeSoto

July 1945 issue

~ Frances Beck, “Dig Down Deep”, only story in BM

~ Anthony Boucher [pseud. of William Anthony Parker White], “The Catalyst”, only story by Boucher in BM

~ D.L. Champion, “Spend, Killer, Spend”, 18^th of 26 with Rex Sackler, reprinted in Murder Costs Money: The Complete Black Mask Stories of Rex Sackler (Steeger, 2020), 20^th of 30 stories in BM

~ Dale Clark, “Open and Shut”, 21st of 28 with house dick Mike O’Hanna story, at San Alpa Resort hotel, 24th of 32 stories in BM

~ Julius Long, “The Witch of Endor County”, 6th of 17 stories with ‘Ben Corbett, D.A.’s chief investigator, 1^st -person narrator’, 11th of 23 stories in BM

~ Henry Norton, “Here’s Homicide”, ‘Barney & Brownie, writers of a smash-hit radio whodunnit show with same name’, 5th of 6 stories in BM

~ Michael Sutton, “Jail Will Be Lonely”, Steve Duncan, hotel bouncer, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Fergus Truslow, “Death on Ice”, ‘Hendricks, rookie cop in L.A’, 1^st of 6 stories in BM

September 1945 Canadian issue

[updated and corrected 1/29/26]

April 1927 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

May 1927 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

~ J. Edgar Ambler, “The Buzzard”, ‘The Buzzard & the Cracker, criminals’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Tom Curry, “The Stick-Up Club”, 8^th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1^st grade dick, 13^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “In Full Account”, 16th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, last of 3 with ‘The Girl with the Mole’, reprinted in Dead Men’s Letters (1990, Carroll & Graf anthology of Jenkins stories), 25th of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “$106,000 Blood Money” Continental Op [21st of 25], sequel to “The Big Knock-Over”, in the 2/1927 issue, reprinted with its prequel as Blood Money (Tower, 1943), reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), 30^th of 51 stories in BM

~ (Charles John) Cutcliffe Hyne, “The Liner and the Iceberg”, 7th of 8 yarns with Captain Kettle

~ Don Livingston, “No Grandstand Play”, Western, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Riblew Reelhew, “Eyes of the Night”, ‘Dandy Dan, nimble & nimble-witted crook’, 2nd of 2 stories under this pseudonym, Wilber Wheeler reversed

~ Victor Shaw, “For a Girl Like That”, ‘Western detective’, 1st of 5 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “South of Savannah”, 4th of 7 ‘Chuck Reddington story; airplanes & machineguns’, 12th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

August 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

August 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Frederick C. Davis, “All Roads Closed”, ‘kidnapping & amnesia’, 9^th of 16 stories in BM

~ Mindret Lord, “The Tattooed Tramp”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Hay Time”, ‘11th (of 14) in Pat McCarthy series, with Marge Chalmers often his “sidekick”; he is ex-NYC cop, ex-agency man (Chicago & St. Louis) who dislikes cops’, 38th of 50 appearances in BM

~ Lawrence Treat, “Swampers’ Gold”, ‘pirate treasure’, 4th of 5 stories in BM

~ Edward S. Williams, “Bloody Answers”, ‘Corporal John Harmon, State Trooper, narrator’, 5th of 8 appearances in BM

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Men Must Die”, 12th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM