peter stevens – SMB Noir

May 1947 issue ~ cover art by Peter Stevens

November 1947 issue

cover art by Peter Stevens

~ D.L. Champion, “Down Payment on Death”, 24^th of 26 stories with Rex Sackler, reprinted in Murder Costs Money: The Complete Black Mask Stories of Rex Sackler (Steeger, 2020), 26^th of 30 stories in BM

~ Bruno Fischer, “Middleman for Murder”, ‘Willie, narrator, is blackmailer, etc.’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 3^rd of 5 stories in BM

~ William Campbell Gault, “The Case of the Sleeping Beauty”, 4^th of 5 with PI Mortimer Jones, reprinted in Hot-House Homicide: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Mortimer Jones (Steeger, 2925), 5^th of 9 stories in BM

~ R.M.F. Joses, “Red Pearls”, 2nd of 3 with ‘Hollywood private snoop Duane, 1^st person narrator’, 2^nd of 4 stories in BM

~ Julius Long, “Call in the Coroner”, last of 17 stories with ‘Ben Corbett, D.A.’s chief investigator, 1^st -person narrator’, 22nd of 23 stories in BM

~ H.H. Stinson, “Please Kill Me Carefully”, “Ned Healey, L.A. private eye’, 25th of 27 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

June 1948 British issue

same cover art but different content

March 1948 issue ~ cover art by Peter Stevens

March 1948 issue

cover art by Peter Stevens

better image than previously posted

July 1948 issue ~ cover art by Peter Stevens

July 1948 issue

cover art by Peter Stevens

better image than previously posted

~ Curtis Cluff, “Leave Killings to the Cops”, last of 3 with Honolulu PI Johnny Ford, 1^st person-narrator, 3^rd of 4 stories in BM

~ Norman A. Daniels, “License to Kill “, Stacy Tucker, PI, last of 4 stories in BM

~ Richard Deming, “A Shot in the Arm”, Manville “Manny” Moon, 1^st-person narrator, 2^nd of 6 stories in BM

~ Paul W. Fairman, “Big-Time Operator”, ‘young guy (1^st-person narrator) getting into the rackets, reprinted, The Hard-Boiled Detective (1977)’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ William Campbell Gault, “Don’t Bet on Death”, ‘Cary Vaughn & Ned Orlow, private eyes’, 7^th of 9 stories in BM

~ W. Lee Herrington, [also published in BM as Alan Farley], “Bury Me Last”, ‘Barney Moffatt, D.A.’s office’, 3rd of 4 stories under this name in BM

~ Victor K. Ray, “Eeeney-Meeny-Money –Murder!”, ‘Bill Baldwin, nightclub bookkeeper, 1^st person-narrator’, author’s only appearance in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[images updated 6/11/25, post updated 1/29/26]]

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

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

January 1949 issue ~ cover art by Peter Stevens

January 1949 issue

cover art by Peter Stevens

better image than previously posted

~ Maurice Beam, “Ear-witness”, ‘Malmin, lawyer’ (thought to be possibly a pseud. of Robert Leslie Bellem), last of 7 stories under this name in BM

~ D.L. Champion, “Extra-Alibi”, ‘Baxter Beamish, ex-con turned private eye; his business card reads “Set a Crook to Catch a Crook”’, 28^th of 30 stories in BM

~ Richard Deming, “No Pockets in a Shroud”, Manville “Manny” Moon, 1^st-person narrator, 3^rd of 6 stories in BM

~ G.T. Fleming-Roberts, “Legitimately Dead”, ‘Fells’, 6th of 8 stories in BM

~ Robert J. McCaig, “Trouble on Circuit 13”, ‘Marty Cullane, telephone lineman’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Robinson MacLean, “Somebody for the Wolves”, ‘Eddie O’Meara, shoestring Hollywood producer’, author’s only appearance in BM

[cover updated 1/29/26]

June 1949 UK issue ~ cover art by Peter Stevens

June 1949 UK

cover art by Peter Stevens

“British edition of the hardboiled detective pulp magazine Black Mask. This issue is a partial reprint of the January 1949 American issue, leaving out the short story “Extra Alibi” by D. L. Champion and the article “Bullets, Ballistics And Bloodshed” by J. E. B. Cole.”

May 1948 issue ~ cover art by Peter Stevens

May 1948

cover art by Peter Stevens

~ Curtis Cliff, “You’ll Never Die Rich”, 2nd of 3 with Honolulu PI Johnny Ford, 1^st person-narrator, 2^nd of 4 stories in BM

~ Richard Deming, “The Man Who Chose the Devil”, Manville “Manny” Moon, 1^st person narrator, private eye with an artificial right leg due to WWII, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 1^st of 6 stories

~ G.T. Fleming-Roberts, “Pattern for Shrouds”, ‘Red Morgan, newspaper editor; politics & murder’, 5^th of 8 stories in BM

~ W. Lee Herrington, [also published in BM as Alan Farley], “Your Funeral – Not Mine”, 2nd of 4 stories under this name in BM

~ Day Keene, “No Match for Murder”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ George F. Kull, “Death Is No Bargain”, Eddie Gates, private eye wearing glasses, 1^st person narrator, 2nd of 2 stories in BM