black mask magazine – Page 19

November 1932 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

November 1932 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ Jack Bertin, “Sinful Cibola”, 2^nd of 5 Chip Huard stories, 3^rd of 6 stories in BM

~ Charles E. Cox, Jr., “No Quarter”, “‘Narrowest Escape’ series, supposedly factual”, Italian Front WWI, only story in BM

~ Ramon Decolta (Raoul Whitfield), “The Magician Murder”, 1^st of 2 stories in this issue by RFW, 22nd of 24 Jo Gar stories in BM, reprinted in West of Guam: The Complete Cases of Jo Bar (Altus Press, 2013)

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Honest Money”, ‘1^st appearance [of 6] of Ken Corning, honest, fighting attorney in NYC; prototype for Perry Mason’, 65th of 99 stories in BM

~ Joseph T. Shaw, “Fugitive”, last of 4 parts, ‘Jack Henderson, set in Far East, eg, Rangoon’, last of 9 works of fiction in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “South Wind”, ‘2nd (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; Tracy in North Carolina; see BM, Mar 1933, p. 124 for note on story’, 2nd of 26 stories in BM, reprinted in The Hard-Boiled Omnibus, 1946

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Dead Men Tell Tales”, ‘Jay Cameron, hard-boiled city editor’, 2^nd story in this issue by RW’, 59th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

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[image updated 10/27.25]

October 1925 issue ~ cover art by H.C. Murphy

October 1925 issue

cover art by H.C. Murphy

~John Ayotte, “Hawaiian Driftage”, ‘opium ring in Honolulu: some characters from “The Puzzle of Hook Nam”, JA’s last appearance in BM’

~ Ray(mond King) Cummings, “The Mystery at Cragmoor”, only non-McGuirk story (see Apr 23), 14^th of 15 stories in BM

~ Tom Curry, “The Frame-Up”, author’s 1^st of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Alias Buttercup”, 10^th of 53 with RW, ‘Race Williams in Mexico’, reprinted in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015), 18th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Joseph Gollomb, “A Pass Key to Scotland Yard”, 3rd of 6 articles

~ Donald MacGregor, “The Dancer in the East”, 5th of 10 stories

~ Charles Somerville, “A Weird Detective”, 44th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 46^th of 49 total articles in BM

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September 1935 issue ~ cover art by Rudolph Belarski

September 1935 issue

cover art by Rudolph Belarski

better image than previously posted

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Death Goes Free”, ‘G-man Chuck Thompson’, 2^nd of 7 CT stories, 7^th of 21 stories in BM

~ Paul Cain, “Chinaman’s Chance”, Johnny Gay, Hollywood reporter, reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), 14th of 17 stories in BM

~ James Duncan, “Runaround Murder”, last of 3 with Ivor Small – investigations, “He was fat without being fat enough to gain a livelihood as a professional fat man”, 3rd of 10 stories in BM

~ Big announcement that Erle Stanley Gardner & Ed Jenkins return in the next issue

~ Sinclair Gluck, “Double for Danger”, ‘Ted Murray, reporter in Hollywood, 1^st-person narrator’, only appearance in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Ticketed for Death”, ‘13th (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),14th of 26 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

September 1935 Canadian edition

November 1949 issue ~ cover art by Norman Saunders

November 1949 issue

cover art by Norman Saunders

~ Robert C. Dennis, “The 7^th Pallbearer”, 5th of 6 with ‘William (Willie) Carmody, Confidential Investigations & Margaret O’Leary, writer, Hollywood, WC is first-person narrator’, 5th of 10 stories in BM

~ Graham Goulden, “Moonlight ‘n’ Murder”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ John Krill, “Make with a Wake”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Julius Long, “Her Favorite Alibi”, ‘Daring Crime-Adventure Novelette’, last of 23 appearances in BM

~ E.A. Morris, “Steal Your Own Grave”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Milton K. Ozaki, “The Corpse Didn’t Kick”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Edward van der Rhoer, “Crime Waits for No Man”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[updated 3/1/26]

July 1936 issue ~ cover art by John Drew

July 1936 issue

cover art by John Drew

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Free Ride to Rio”, ‘Chuck Thompson with Kathleen Carnahan’, 5^th of 7 CT stories, 10^th of 21 stories in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Trouble for Two”, 3^rd of 4 Baron stories, 20^th of 31 stories in BM

~ H.H. Stinson, “Nothing Personal”, 3rd of 14 with ‘Ken O’Hara, fighting reporter on Los Angeles Tribune’, 3rd of 27 stories in BM

~ Eric Taylor, “The Calloused Hand”, ‘Hastings (‘Hasty’) Sparks, a dick with the World Detective Agency’, last of 7 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Too Much Action”, ‘last of 4 stories starring 1^st-person narrator Mike O’Dell, ex-wrestler, now bodyguard’, 19th of 50 appearances in BM

better image than previously posted

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[image updated 10/29/24]

April 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

April 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Frederick C. Davis, “Hide the Evidence”, ‘Johnny Holland; politics & murder’, 8^th of 16 stories in BM

~ Steve Fisher, “Latitude Unknown”, ‘treachery on the high seas’, last of 9 stories in BM

~ B.B. Fowler, “A Sucker Has to Learn”, ‘Rick Sadler, lawyer, born on the wrong side of the tracks’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Fred Hodgkins, “Crime at the Crossing”, ‘death of a little girl’, 1st of 3 stories in BM

~ Baynard H(ardwick) Kendrick, “The Gorgon’s Head”, 9th of 14 stories with Mikes Standish (Stan) Rice, ‘The Hungry’[?], all set in Florida

~ Emile C. Tepperman, “Death – to the Highest Bidder”, ‘Broadway auction house; see p.57 for note by ECT on story’, 2nd of 3 stories in BM

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January 1936 issue ~ cover art by Rudolph Belarski

January 1936 issue

cover art by John Drew

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “G-man Chuck Thompson”, 3^rd of 7 CT stories, 8^th of 21 stories in BM

~ W.T. Ballard, “Numbers with Lead”, 13th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 17th of 43 stories in BM

~ Paul Cain, “Death Song”, ‘Pat Nolan, film studio trouble-shooter’, reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), 15^th of 17 stories in BM

~ Raymond Chandler, “Guns at Cyrano’s”, Ted Malvern, included in the collection The Simple Art of Murder (1950), then Pickup on Noon Street, 7^th of 11 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Fan Dance”, 33rd of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.4 (Altus, 2013), 62 of 67 stories in BM

better image than previously posted

[cover updated 1/25/26]

December 1936 issue ~ cover art by John Drew

December 1936 issue

cover art by John Drew

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Murder on the Side”, ‘unemployed reporter, 1^st-person narrator’, 12^th of 21 stories in BM

~ W.T. Ballard, “Whipsawed”, 17th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, 23rd of 43 stories in BM

~ James Francis Bonnell, “Address Unknown”, short-short, only appearance in BM

~ Paul Cain, “Dutch Treat”, ‘emeralds’, reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), last of 17 stories in BM

~ Lester Dent, “Angelfish”, 2^nd Oscar Sale story, last story in BM, reprinted in The Hardboiled Dicks (1965), and The Hard-Boiled Detective (1977), last of 2 stories in BM. Reprinted in Luck: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Oscar Sail (Steeger Books, 2021).

~ James Duncan, “Thoroughbred”, ‘Jerry Breton 1^st-grade dick, & Florida Racing Commission’, 5^th of 10 stories in BM

~ E.G. Morris, “Panic”, ‘petty crook’s panic’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “The Irish Have It”, ‘2nd (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’, 23rd of 50 appearances in BM

better image than previously posted

[image updated 6/2/24]

1939 Knopf hardcover – cover art by Hawkins

First Edition. Hawkins dustjacket art. Rare hard-boiled mystery by this author who died young in 1945.

first novel with private eye Cellini Smith

there had been seven Smith short stories published in Black Mask Magazine by the time of the author’s death.

September 1936 issue ~ cover art by John Drew

September 1936 issue

cover art by John Drew

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Men of the FBI”, 6^th of 7 with LA FBI agent Chuck Thompson, 11^th of 21 stories in BM

~ W.T. Ballard, “There’s No Excuses for Murder”, 15th of 27 stories with ‘Bill Lennox, troubleshooter for Consolidated Films’, ‘LaBrea Tar Pits figure into the story’, 21st of 43 stories in BM

~ Raymond Chandler, “The Curtain”, PI Carmody #3 of 4, reprinted in the anthology Killer in the Rain, 1963 Hamish Hamilton UK hardcover, first book appearance, 10^th of 11 stories in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Too Many Women”, 18^th of 27 with Flashgun Casey, 21st of 31 stories in BM

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Murder Maze”, ‘17th (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’, ‘Tracy meets a Coney Island “Hindu”, reprinted in Murder Maze: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy, vol.2 (Steeger 2022), 18th of 26 stories in BM

[cover updated 11/8/25]