black mask magazine

August 1936 issue ~ cover art by John Drew

August 1936 issue

cover art by John Drew

~ W.T. Ballard, “Fugitive for Justice”, 4^th of 7 with ‘Red Drake, undercover investigator for the State Racing Commission, 1^st-person narrator’, 20^th of 43 stories in BM

~ John K. Butler, “You Can’t Bribe Bullets”, ‘Marty Lewis, 1^st person-narrator, & shady local politics’, 4^th of 11 stories in BM

~ James Duncan, “Heir to Murder”, ‘Jerry Blaze’, 4^th of 10 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Homicide Cue”, 27th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 34th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Deep Red”, last of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.4 (Altus, 2013), last of 66 original stories in BM (plus reprints from outside BM)

~ Roger Torrey, “Border Blockade”, ‘4th (of 5) of George Killeen, private ‘tec in L.A., & 1^st-person narrator; with Lieutenant McFee, Homicide’, ‘California, i.e., Mexican border’, 20th of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

June 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

June 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Reward Chaser”, 5^th of 7, Beeker at SF World’s Fair, 19^th of 21 stories in BM

~ Tiah Devitt, “For a Million Dollars”, ‘Joey narrates a crime to the Warden’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Baynard H(ardwick) Kendrick, “Death Plays Seventeen”, 10th of 14 stories with Mikes Standish (Stan) Rice, ‘The Hungry’[?], all set in Florida

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Guide to Murder”, ‘24th (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’, ‘murder at the World’s Fair’, reprinted in Station K-I-L-L: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy, vol.3 (Steeger, 2024), 25th of 26 stories in BM

~ Lawrence Treat, “Sing a Song of Murder”, ‘G-man’, 3rd of 5 stories in BM

~ Ralph Winnett, “Poison Gloves”, ‘boxing’, author’s only appearance in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

August 1921 issue

August 1921 issue

~ John Baer, “Circumstantial Evidence and Guilt”, 7^th of 24 stories in BM

~ Walter Deffenbaugh, “Glass Jade”, 4^th of 14 stories in BM

~ Ford Douglas, “The ‘Plant’”, 3^rd of 4 stories in BM

~ Arthur S. Garbett, “The Wax Witness”, 1st of 4 stories in BM

~ J.B. Harris-Burland, “Barbour’s New Book”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ J.B. Hawley, “Footprints”, 5^th of 12 stories in BM

~ J.L. Martin, “The Tip on the Market”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Vincent Starrett, “The Case of the Shoeless Man”, last of 4 stories in BM

~ Ward Sterling, “The Mystery of the Chessmen”, 1 of 2 stories in this issue (see Ward), 8th of 16 stories under this name in BM

~ Harold Ward, “The Ship on Dunbar’s Breast”, 2^nd story in this issue, 16th of 29 stories under this name in BM [23^rd and 24^th of 46 stories in BM under three different names – Ward Sterling and H.W. Starr]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

November 22, 2014

March 1, 1924 issue ~ cover art by Henry C. Murphy

March 1, 1924 issue

cover art by Henry C. Murphy

~ H.G. Addison, “The Pain Thermometer”, ‘Daytime story’, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Harry Adler, “The Impossible Murder”, ‘A Complete Novelette’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Marjory Stoneman Douglas, “White Midnight”, 1^st of 4 parts, ‘South Seas setting’, author’s only story in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Afraid of a Gun”, ‘Set in Kootenai River country (Montana)‘, 1^st of 2 stories in this same issue, which also includes 2 letters from the author, reprinted in Nightmare Town (Knopf, 1999)

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Zigzags of Treachery”, the Op [7^th of 25], 2nd of 2 stories in this same issue, reprinted in Nightmare Town (Knopf, 1999), 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), 12^th and 13th of 51 stories in BM

~ Harford Powel, Jr., “What Did She See?”, ‘billed as ‘A Real Black Mask Mystery’, author’s 6^th and final appearance in BM, ‘for HP, see also under Albert LEE”

~ Charles Somerville, “The False Clue”, 26^th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 27^th of 49 total articles in BM

~ Richard Hoadley Tingley, “The Sultan’s Diamond”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Edward Parrish Ware, “The Hay-Bag”, ‘Headnote: “Another mule skinner story, written in breezy slang.”’, 4th of 9 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

July 1922 issue ~ cover art by William Grotz

July 1922 issue ~ cover art by William Grotz

~ John Baer, “Have A Smoke?”, 20^th of 24 stories in BM

~ George Briggs, “By His Own Hand –“, 2^nd of 2 BM stories

~ T.B. Burt, “Red Hot”, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Frederick Ames Coates, “The Accident”, 4^th of 5 stories in BM

~ J.S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher, “Exterior to the Evidence”, 4th of 5 parts, ‘serial re-run of novel 1^st pub in London (1920) with same title’, 4^th of 6 appearances in BM

~ Jack J. Gottlieb, “Crimsoned Baubles”, 4^th of 8 stories in BM

~ Harry C. Hervey, Jr., “The Devil at the Helm”, ‘A Complete Novelette’, last of 8 appearances in BM

~ George B. Jenkins, Jr., “Two Faultless Crimes”, 4th of 5 stories in BM

~ Lloyd Lonergan, “In the Grip of the Everglades”, 8^th and final story in BM

~ Fred B. Mann, “An Affair of Honor”, ‘short-short’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Howard P. Rockey, “When Lightning Strikes”, 2nd of 5 stories in BM

~ J.J. Stagg, “Post-Mortem Murder”, 9th of 11 stories in BM

~ Harold Ward, “The Mystery of the Mary Ann”, 24th of 29 stories under this name in BM [39^th of 46 stories in BM under three different names – Ward Sterling and H.W. Starr]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

May 1935 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

May 1935 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

better image than previously posted

~ William Donald Bray, “A Call for Honor”, 2nd of 4 Britt Hardsley stories, of the Carneal Construction Co., ‘man of murder and mystery’, 1^st person narrator, 9th of 12 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “A Chance to Cheat”, 60th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, 85^th of 99 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Salon Piece”, 22nd of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, with his wife Vivian, ‘they do not cohabitate’, 29th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “That’s Kennedy”, 30^th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.4 (Altus, 2013), 59 of 67 stories in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Keep on Asking”, ‘10th (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’, 11th of 26 stories in BM. Reprinted in South Wind: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ Roger Torrey, “Win – Place – and Show”, ‘2nd of 4 stories starring 1^st-person narrator Mike O’Dell, ex-wrestler, now bodyguard’, 15th of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

July 1929 issue ~ cover art by H.C. Murphy

July 1929 issue

cover art by H.C. Murphy

~ Katherine Brocklebank, “Silver Horseshoe”, last of 4 with ‘Tex of Border Service in Tia Juana; Tex is a woman!’, reprinted in White Talons: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Tex of the Border Service (Steeger, 2023), last of 7 stories in BM

~ Tom Curry, “The Water Rats”, 19^th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1^st grade dick, 33rd of 39 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “All the Way”, 7th of 10 Bob Larkin stories, 42nd of 99 stories in BM

~ Heydorn Schleh, “The Whitest Man That Ever Lived”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Earl and Marion Scott, “Regards to the Chief”, 2nd of 6 stories with ‘Cameo Kirby, reformed jewel thief’, 7th of 17 stories in BM as a couple

~ Oliver Swett, “Crossed Lead”, ‘Western’, sole appearance in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “The Carnival Kill”, Gary Greer, 6^th (of 9) in the Laughing Dead series, ‘presented as separate stories rather than conventional serial; pub. As Five (1931) under the pseudonym of Temple Field’, 32nd of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]. Reprinted in Laughing Death (Steeger Books, 2021).

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

December 1921 issue

December 1921 issue

better image than previously posted

~ Meredith Beyers, “The Dark Brown Dress”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Walter Deffenbaugh, “Hear Not, See Not. Speak Not Evil”, 1^st story in this issue

~ Walter Deffenbaugh, “Fit for a King”, 2^nd story in this issue, 7^th and 8^th stories in BM

~ Elizabeth (Bessie) Dudley, “Ananias Ltd”, ‘A Chinese among the characters’, 3rd of 4 stories in BM

~ John B. Hart, “In Full Payment”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ J.B. Hawley, “The Mystery of the One-Legged Man”, 8^th of 12 stories in BM

~ Pettersen Marzoni, “Fear”, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ David Morrison, “Thornton Smiled Significantly”, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Harry M. Sutherland, “The Weeping Killer”, short-short, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ John D. Swain, “The Man Who Knew Too Much”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Frederic J. Thorne, “The Prisoner Speaks”, ‘A Complete Mystery Novelette’, 7th of 10 stories in BM

~ Harold Ward, “The Woman Who Cursed a Man”, 19th of 29 stories under this name in BM [29th of 46 stories in BM under three different names – Ward Sterling and H.W. Starr]

~ Henry S. Watson and Asa Steele, “The Trap Thief”, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Charles S. Wolfe, “The Finishing Touch”, 1^st of 3 stories in BM

May 1938 issue ~ cover art by Raymond S. Pease

May 1938 issue

cover art by Raymond S. Pease

~ William R. Cox, “Half a Crook”, murder & politics, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “I Am the Law”, ‘Meet that implacable, coldly reckless manhunter, Satan Hall’, 1^st of 2 stories (he mostly appeared in Dime Detective Magazine), 67th of 71 appearances in BM

~ James Duncan, “A Deal in Coconuts”, 4 of 5 stories with The Parson, who lives on a ‘mythical’ (fictional?) isle, Cariba, reprinted in Murder for Pennies: The Complete Black Mask Cases of the Parson (Steeger, 2024), 9^th of 10 stories in BM

~ Steve Fisher, “Wait for Me”, ‘murder & intrigue in Shanghai’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 5^th of 9 stories in BM

~ Frank Gruber, “Death Sits Down”, 5th of 10 with ‘Oliver Quade, The Human Encyclopedia’, 7th of 14 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Murder Link”, ‘7th (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’, 34th of 50 appearances in BM

~ Donald Wandrei, “Game of Legs”, ‘wrestler’, 2nd of 6 stories in BM

April 1922 issue ~ cover art by William Grotz

April 1922 issue

cover art by William Grotz

~ John Baer, “The Campaign for Vengeance”, ‘A Complete mystery novelette’, 16^th of 24 stories in BM

~ George Briggs, “The Too-Easy Alibi”, 1^st of 2 BM stories

~ Walter Deffenbaugh, “A Track-and-a-Half”, 12^th of 14 stories in BM

~ J.S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher, “Exterior to the Evidence”, 1^st of 5 parts, ‘serial re-run of novel 1^st pub in London (1920) with same title’, 1^st of 6 appearances in BM

~ J.B. Hawley, “The Extra Dozen Eggs”, author’s last of 12 stories in BM

~ George B. Jenkins, Jr., “Appearances Are Deceiving”, 1^st of 5 stories in BM

~ Murray Leinster (pseud. of Will F. Jenkins), “Pink Ears”, and 2^nd of 7 stories under this name

~ Pettersen Marzoni, “The Light That Lies”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ R.T.M. Scott (Reginald Thomas Maitland), “The Trap”, ‘Secret Service Smith’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ J.J. Stagg, “The Finger of Guilt”, 6th of 11 stories in BM

~ Ward Sterling, “The Brand of Cain”, 1st of 3 stories in this issue (see Ward), 12th of 16 stories under this name in BM

~ Ward Sterling, “Hankenson’s Perfect Crime”, 2nd of 3 stories in this issue (see Ward), 13th of 16 stories under this name in BM

~ Harold Ward, “The Man Who Was Two”, 3^rd story in this issue, 23rd of 29 stories under this name in BM [35^th, 36^th and 37th of 46 stories in BM under three different names – Ward Sterling and H.W. Starr]