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SMB Noir

For the Fans of Hardboiled, Pulp & Gumshoe Art

Back in 2013, our tumblr site was started and ran until 2018, when they decided it was too "adult" - too lurid, supposedly. We followed the exodus to newtumbl and four years of dedication vanished in June of 2023. That work was not only new posts but upgrades of hundreds of old tumblr posts as well. So far, there has been no way to rescue those posts, so this will be the third version of this project. And, I'll warn you in advance, I may slip in covers that are not crime or mystery but just because I like the artwork. Enjoy!

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Tag: pulp illustration

March 1938 issue

March 1938

Posted on February 17, 2026February 2, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, magazine, mystery, pulpTags art mystery, crime busters magazine, harold a. davis, lester dent, maxwell grant, norvell page, pulp illustration, steve fisher, stockings, theodore a. tinsleyLeave a comment on March 1938 issue

February 1951 issue

February 1951

Posted on February 5, 2026February 2, 2026Categories magazine, true crimeTags inside detective magazine, pulp illustrationLeave a comment on February 1951 issue

February 1948 issue

cover photo repurposed for 1949 Dell paperback original

Posted on February 5, 2026February 2, 2026Categories magazine, paperback, pulp, true crimeTags dell paperback, fact detective mysteries, front page detective, inside detective magazine, pearl necklace, pulp illustrationLeave a comment on February 1948 issue

April 1962 issue

April 1962

Posted on January 22, 2026January 15, 2026Categories magazine, true crimeTags gambling, inside detective magazine, pulp illustration, rouletteLeave a comment on April 1962 issue

March 1948 issue

March 1948

cover repurposed and reversed from Fall 1954 issue of Complete Police Cases

Posted on January 12, 2026January 6, 2026Categories Hardboiled, magazine, true crimeTags cocktail, dame, expose detective magazine, pulp illustrationLeave a comment on March 1948 issue

Fall 1953 – debut issue

Fall 1953 – debut issue

Posted on January 12, 2026January 6, 2026Categories Hardboiled, magazine, true crimeTags cocktail, complete police cases, dame, pulp illustrationLeave a comment on Fall 1953 – debut issue

July 1943 issue

July 1940

Posted on January 10, 2026January 5, 2026Categories crime fiction, Hardboiled, magazine, mysteryTags detective story magazine, fredric brown, george armin shaftel, pulp illustrationLeave a comment on July 1943 issue

March 1942 issue

March 1942

better image than previously posted

Posted on January 10, 2026January 5, 2026Categories Hardboiled, magazine, true crimeTags asta, nick charles, pulp illustration, raffles, true detective magazine, william powellLeave a comment on March 1942 issue

If you don’t like fresh air…

November 1963

Samson Pollen illustrating The Blonde Heller, by Carter Brown

December 10, 2013

Posted on December 30, 2025December 9, 2025Categories Hardboiled, pulpTags carter brown, pulp illustration, samson pollenLeave a comment on If you don’t like fresh air…

September 1941 issue

September 1941

cover art by Pat Lamar

Posted on December 27, 2025December 9, 2025Categories Hardboiled, magazine, true crimeTags pulp illustration, sensational detective cases, woman with a gunLeave a comment on September 1941 issue

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