black mask magazine – Page 14

June 1, 1923 series ~ cover art by L.L. Balcom

June 1, 1923 Special KKK issue

cover art by L.L. Balcom

~ Raymond J. Brown, “Phantom Bullets”, last of 5 parts, only works in BM

~ Richard Connell, “The Color of Honor”, KKK story, ‘see p. 127 for data on RC’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), only story in BM

~ Ray(mond King) Cummings, “T. McGuirk – Klansman”, ‘3rd of 14 McGuirk stories, billed as “the quaintest character in the Underworld” & honest, more of less’, ‘alleged to be a ‘humorous tale’, 3^rd of 15 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Knights of the Open Palm”, ‘Debut of Race Williams…see p. 127 for letter from CJD on story, 1^st of 53 RW stories, reprinted in The Great American Detective (1978)’, in The Arbor House Treasury of Detective & Mystery Stories from the Great Pulps (1983), in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015), 5th of 71 appearances in BM [historically considered to be the first ever ‘hard-boiled’ story]

~ N. Bryllion Fagin, “Mrs. Frye Captures a Highwayman”, author’s sole story in BM

~ Henry Clay Foster, “The Klan As It Was”, article ‘Who started it and Why’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Robert Lee Heiser, “’Devil Dan’ Hewett”, KKK story, ‘see p.128 for Data of RLH & his stories’, numerous appearances but little fiction – 1^st of 3 stories in BM

~ George Jean Nathan, “Remarks on the Klan”, ‘brief article on KKK, reprinted from “Smart Set”, March 1923’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “Call Out the Clan”, ‘KKK yarn’, 8th of 20 stories in BM

~ Harford Powel, Jr., “The Other Immortals”, ‘fantasy short-short featuring Leon F. Czolgosz, John Wilkes Booth & Judas’, 4^th of 6 appearances in BM

~ Christopher Sandstone, “The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan”, ‘article; “the case for”’, writer’s sole appearance in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Ku Klux and Crime”, ‘the case against’, 8th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series

~ Herbert Elisha Stover, “The Guillotine”, ‘not a KKK piece; see p. 128 for letter from HES’, 1^st of 3 pieces in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[This post is in no way supporting the evil and hate of white supremacy. At the time this magazine issue was published, the KKK was in resurgence. It was just as relevant an issue then as now. Plus, due to the Daly story, it’s important in American literature.]

February 15, 1924 ~ cover art by L.L. Balcom & Harry Fisk

February 15, 1924 issue

cover art by Julius Erbit

better image than previously posted

~ Eustace Hale Ball, “A Vengeance of Death”, ‘A Black Mask Fantasy’

~ Harold De Polo, “Salted”, 3rd of 6 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The New Racket”, ‘billed as a ‘tip for judges and lawyers’, 7th of 45 stories in BM

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “The Lady in Handcuffs”, 6^th of 10 with ‘Captain Valentine, that ‘attractive European scalawag’, adventurer and rascal’ 22th of 29 stories in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “That Yellow Devil”, 2nd of 2 parts, ‘Madame Pinar, Eurasian’, 17th of 20 stories in BM

~ Edith Lyle Ragsdale, “The Curse of Indra”, ‘daytime story’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ R.T.M. Scott (Reginald Thomas Maitland), “Esses Pip Seven”, ‘billed as a “novelty for veterans”’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Aeroplane Burglar” 25th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series

~ Herbert Elisha Stover, “Fangs”, last of 3 pieces in BM

~ Merlin Moore Taylor, “Chains That Bind”, ‘billed as “A gripping detective novelette”’, 5th of 8 appearances in BM

~ Edwin Goodenow Wood, “Devil’s Bowl”, ‘Advertised as “A Novelette of Strangeness and Swiftness”’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

December 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

December 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Blood in the Snow”, Beeker (7^thand last Beeker story), DVB’s 21^stand last BM story

~ William R. Cox, “Accounting in Blood”, CCC bookkeeper, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Bayard H(ardwick) Kendrick, “Clear As Crystal”, 12th of 14 stories with Mikes Standish (Stan) Rice, ‘The Hungry’[?], all set in Florida

~ Peter Paige, “Swastika Scourge”, ’Nazi spies on the high seas; see p. 111 for letter from PP’, 2^nd of 12 stories in BM

~ Stewart Sterling (pseud. of Prentice Winchell), “Straight Across the Board”, last of 3 stories with Vince Mallie, ‘at the races’, 3rd of 12 stories

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Through a Dead Man’s Eye”, ‘boy vs. murderer’, 15th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

November 1928 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

February 1928 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

~ Tom Curry, “Under Cover”, DeVrite, NYPD undercover ‘secret agent’, 1^st of 7, subtitled ‘The Receiver’, 20^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Yellow Shadows, 19th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, in Chinatown with Helen Chadwick and Ngat T’oy; “headnote to story provides valuable data (background)”, 29th of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The 19^th Murder”, last of 4 Continental Op stories that will go together to make up Red Harvest (Knopf hc, 1929), reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), 35th of 51 stories in BM

~ Charles T. Hickey, “Left Helps the Cops”, ‘Lefty McRae, crook’, author’s only story in BM

~ Victor Shaw, “The Tommy-Knocker”, Dan Craig & hard rock mining, 2^nd with Craig, 3rd of 5 stories in BM

~ David Thibault, “The Contract”, ‘Louisiana lumber swamps in Mississippi Delta, Irish dialect’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Everett H. Tipton, “Leather Mask and Cowhide Vest”, ‘Western’, 2nd of 7 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Soft Goods”, ‘Little Bennie, a hood, & Charlie Harmer, detective, in Center City’, 18th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[cover updated 1/22/26]

December 1937 issue ~ cover art by J. George Janes

December 1937 issue

cover art by J. George Janes

~ W.T. Ballard, “Only Proof Counts”, last of 7 with ‘Red Drake, undercover investigator for the State Racing Commission, 1^st-person narrator’, 29^th of 43 stories in BM

~ Norbert Davis, “Murder in Two Parts”, ‘Brent’, 7^th of 13 stories in BM

~ Frank Gruber, “Death on Eagle’s Craig”, 3^rd of 10 with ‘Oliver Quade, The Human Encyclopedia’, reprinted in The Hardboiled Dicks (1965), reprinted in The Hardboiled Dicks (1965), 4th of 14 stories in BM

~ Eric Howard, “Copper, Have a Heart”, 4^th of 6 story in BM

~ John Lawrence, “Club Fighter”, 1^st of 2 stories with ‘Barron Hargraft & boxing in Detroit & NYC‘, 3^rd of 14 stories in BM

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Dusk to Dawn”, ‘Lew Stahl’, 8^th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

December 1937 UK edition

[updated 1/26/26]

January 1977 Vintage paperback original, 1st printing

January 1977 Vintage paperback original, 1st printing

edited and with an introduction by Herbert Ruhm

Carroll John Daly, “The False Burton Combs” (Dec, 1922)

Peter Collinson, “The Road Home” (Dashiell Hammettt, Dec, 1922)

Dashiell Hammett, “The Gutting of Couffignal” (Dec, 1925)

Norbert Davis, “Kansas City Flash” (Mar, 1933)

Frederick Nebel, “Take It and Like It” (June, 1934)

Raymond Chandler, “Goldfish” (June, 1936)

Lester Dent, “Angelfish” (Dec, 1936)

Erle Stanley Gardner, “Leg Man” (Feb, 1938)

George Harmon Coxe, “Once Around the Clock” (May, 1941)

Merle Constiner, “The Turkey Buzzard Blues” (July, 1943)

William Brandon, “It’s So Peaceful in the Country” (Nov, 1943)

Curt Hamlin, “Killer Come Home” (his only Black Mask story, July, 1948)

Paul W. Fairman, “Big-Time Operator” (his only Black Mask story, July, 1948)

Bruno Fischer, “Five O’Clock Menace” (May, 1949)

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

November 1948 issue ~ cover art by Peter Stevens

November 1948 issue

cover art by Peter Stevens

better image than previously posted

~ Fredric Brown, “Cry Silence” – his only appearance in BM, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010)

~ Curtis Cluff, “Overdose of Lead”, NYC PI Chuck Conrad, last of 4 stories in BM

~ Mel Colton, “Dead Men Can’t Welsh”, ‘Jimmy Rock, p.i.’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ William Campbell Gault, “The Bloody Bokhara”, ‘the carpet business!’, 8^th of 9 stories in BM

~ Don M. Mankiewicz, “Odd on Death”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Tom Marvin, “Harm’s Way”, last of 3 stories in BM

~ Coleman Meyer, “Gun in His Back”, ‘cop story’, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

March 1933 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

March 1933 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ Norbert Davis, “Kansas City Flash”, ‘Mark Hull, ex-stunt man, in Hollywood & L.A; reprinted in The Hard-Boiled Detective (1977)’, 2^nd of 13 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Red Jade”, 48th of 73 Ed Jenkins in Chinatown with Soo Hoo Duck, Ngat T’oy; ‘see p.5 for a letter from ESG to JTS’ [Joseph T. Shaw, ed.], 69th of 99 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Rough Reform”, 20th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Too Young to Die: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.3 (Altus, 2013), 45 of 67 stories in BM

~ Norvell Page, “The Confessional”, ‘2nd of 3 Jules Tremaine stories; Manhattan and Little Italy; (ed. note) a projected & potentially important series that never developed’ [Hagemann doesn’t explain his editor’s note], only these 3 stories in BM. Reprinted in Black Harvest: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jules Tremaine (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ William Rollins, Jr., “K.O. Carries On”, 2nd of 4 stories with ‘Kenneth Osborne from ‘No’th Cah’lina’; 1^st person narrator’, 19th of 23 stories in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley “Help Wanted”, ‘6th (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’, 6th of 26 stories in BM. Reprinted in South Wind: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ Roger Torrey, “A Night in Menlo”, ‘Western; Deputy Marshall Henry Corbin in town of Menlo’, 2nd of 50 appearances in BM

November 1935 issue ~ cover art by Tom Drew

November 1935 issue

cover art by John Drew

better image than previously posted

~ William Donald Bray, “A Keg of Muscatel”, ‘murder at a winery’, last of 12 stories in BM

~ John K. Butler, “’G” – Heat”, ‘‘Brick’ Hammond, G-man’, 1^st of 11 stories in BM

~ Raymond Chandler, “Spanish Blood”, LAPD Delaguerra, first book reprint in the anthology Five Murderers (Avon digest, 1944), first hardcover appearance, The Simple Art of Murder (Houghton Mifflin, 1950), 5^th of 11 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Winter Kill”, 32nd of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, 61 of 67 stories in BM, reprinted in The Hardboiled Dicks (1965), reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kenney, v.4 (Altus, 2013)

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Five Spot”, ‘14th (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’, 15th of 26 stories in BM

[cover updated 11/8/25]

November 1930 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

November 1930 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

better image than previously posted

~ Eugene Cunningham, “Border Guns”, ‘Western; Johnny Hearne, Border patrolman’, 4^th of 14 stories in BM

~ Tom Curry, “The Man from Headquarters”, 20^th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1^st grade dick, 35^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Death and Company”, ‘last Op [22^nd] story and DH’s final appearance in BM’, last of 45 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Lone Hand Tactics”, 2nd of 3 with Rio Kennedy of the Customs Service in Santo Domingo, 20^th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Rough Justice”, 1^st of 15 stories with ‘tough dick Donahue of Interstate’, 26 of 67 stories in BM, reprinted in The Black Mask Boys (1985, Morrow), reprinted in Tough as Nails (2012, Altus)

~ James P. Olsen, “Horror Hacienda”, ’Wolf Cazell in New Mexico’, 2nd of 6 Western stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Death in a Bowl”, last of 3 serialized parts, ‘Ben Jardinn, Hollywood eye, & murder in Hollywood Bowl’, ‘(originally titled The Maestro Murder)’, published in hardcover in 1931 by Knopf, 43rd of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]