October 1929 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

October 1929 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

~ Tom Curry, “The Web”, John Flahertie, the lone wolf, Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, a secondary character. 34th of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Silver Eagle”, 32nd of 53,‘Pt. 1, Race Williams & The Flame; serial dropped after Pt.2’, 44th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Straight from the Shoulder”, 28th of 73 with Ed Jenkins, with Helen Chadwick and Arthur Hemington, “here & elsewhere; cf. ‘Triple Treachery’” [12/1929 issue], 45th of 99 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Maltese Falcon”, part 2 of 5 serialized parts before hardcover publication (1931), reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 36th of 45 stories in BM

~ Horace McCoy, “Hell’s Stepsons”, 2nd of 14 Frost stories with ‘Capt. Jerry Frost, Texas (Air) Ranger’, 3rd of 17 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Sal the Dude”, Gary Greer, last (9th) in the Laughing Dead series, ‘presented as separate stories rather than conventional serial; pub. As Five (1931) under the pseudonym of Temple Field’, 34th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta], reprinted in The Black Mask Boys (1985, Morrow)

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better image than previously posted

May 1929 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

May 1929 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

better image than previously posted

~ Tom Curry, “The Terror”, 18th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, 32nd of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Get Race Williams”, 30th of 53 with RW, ‘The Flame’ aka Florence Drummond, ‘The Girl with the Criminal Mind’, 3rd of a loosely organized 4-pt. serial; pub. as The Tag Murders (1930)’, reprinted in The Snarl of the Beast: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.2 (Altus, 2016), 42nd of 71 appearances in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Gambling in Yellow”, 10th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 14th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Graft”, 5th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, 5th and last of the ‘Crimes of Richmond City’ sub-series, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (Vintage, 2007), reprinted in Raw Law: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.1 (Altus, 2013), 17 of 67 stories in BM

~ Earl and Marion Scott, “Gat Grabs the Shadows”, ‘Gat Wilson, gangster’, 5th of 17 stories in BM as a couple

~ Victor Shaw, “Pack Rats”, mining, 4th of 5 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “High Odds”, Gary Greer, 4th (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’, 29th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]. Reprinted in Laughing Death (Steeger Books, 2021).

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July 1931 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

July 1931 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

better image than previously posted

~ Carroll John Daly, “’The Flame’ and Race Williams”, 40th of 53 with RW, part 2 of 3, ‘pub.as The Third Murderer (1931)’, 52nd of 71 appearances in BM

~ Ramon Decolta (Raoul Whitfield), “Blue Glass”, 5th of 6 parts in the ‘Rainbow Diamonds’ sequence that take Jo Gar from Manila to San Francisco, 14th of 24 Gar stories in BM, reprinted in West of Guam: The Complete Cases of Jo Bar (Altus Press, 2013)

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Tommy Talk”, 35th of 73 Ed Jenkins, returns after the death of his wife Helen, out of hospital and in Chinatown with Soo Hoo Duck, Ngat T’oy, 1st of 3 connected stories (9/1931 and 12/1931), 52nd of 99 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Death for a Dago”, 15th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Winter Kill: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kenney, v.2 (Altus, 2013), 32 of 67 stories in BM

~ Bertrand W(illiam) Sinclair, “Ananias and the Sapphires”, ‘Western; Andy Nason’, 2nd of 3 stories in BM

~ Stewart Stirling, (possible pseud. of Stewart Sterling?), “Cold Blood”, 3rd of 8 stories with ‘Johnny Hi Gear, a.k.a. K-5, Undercover Agent’

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

June 1, 1923 Special KKK issue

cover art by L.L. Balcom

better image than previously posted

~ 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’, 3rd of 15 stories in BM

~ 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 – 1st 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’, 4th 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’, 1st of 3 pieces in BM

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[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.]

September 1931 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

September 1931 issue

cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

~ Carroll John Daly, “Death for Two”, 42nd of 53 with RW, Race ‘Williams pinch-hits for his friend, Sergeant O’Rourke’, reprinted in Shooting out of Turn: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.3 (Altus, 2017), 54th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Promise to Pay”, 37th of 73 Ed Jenkins, with Lui Sing Fong, patriarchal master of Chinatown, 2nd of 3 connected stories (7/1931 and 12/1931), 54th of 99 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “The Sound of Guns”, 16th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, ‘set in NYC’, 22nd of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Pearls are Tears”, 6th of 15 stories with ‘tough dick Donahue of Interstate’, reprinted in Tough as Nails (2012, Altus), 34 of 67 stories in BM

~ Stewart Stirling, (‘possible pseud. of Stewart Sterling?’), “Pushover”, 4th of 8 stories with ‘Johnny Hi Gear, a.k.a. K-5, Undercover Agent’, ‘…& boxing fix’ [Sterling and Stirling were pen names of Nathaniel Prentice Winchell, 20 total stories in BM]. Reprinted in Boomerang Dice: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Johnny Hi Gear (Steeger Books, 2020).

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Red Terrace”, ‘Alan Van Cleve, wealthy sportsman, man-about-town, 2nd (of 6) segment in The Skyline Murders series; printed as separate stories rather than conventional serial’; pub. as Killer’s Carnival (1932) under pseudonym of Temple Field’,  50th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

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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), 14th of 15 stories in BM

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

~ Carroll John Daly, “Alias Buttercup”, 10th 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, 46th of 49 total articles in BM

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