January 1950 issue ~ cover art by Norman Saunders

January 1950 issue

cover art by Norman Saunders

better image than previously posted

~ D.L. Champion, “Death for a Dollar”, last of 26 Rex Sackler stories, same title as 3/44, also a Sackler, reprinted in Murder Costs Money: The Complete Black Mask Stories of Rex Sackler (Steeger, 2020), last of 30 stories in BM

~ Robert C. Dennis, “Stop, You’re Killing Me!”, ‘Rhodes, shamus’, 6th of 10 stories in BM

~ Bruno Fischer, “The Lady Grooms a Corpse”, last of 5 stories in BM

~ Philip Ketchum, “One Sunk Punk”, last of 3 stories in BM

~ Roy Lopez, “The Murder’s All Mine”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Robert Martin, “Dirge in Bolero Time”, 4th of 6 stories with ‘Dr. Clint Colby, medical detective, 6th of 8 stories in BM

~ Marian O’Hearn, “Swansong for an Ugly Duckling”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Herb Schneiderman, “Homicide – According to Hoyle”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Tedd Thomey, “Come Hell or Hot Water”, 1st of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

July 1951 issue ~ cover art by Harry Barton

July 1951

cover art by Harry Barton

~ Francis K. Allan, “Model for Death”, ‘reprint, not originally BM’, 2nd appearance in BM

~ Agatha Christie, “The Face of Helen”, reprint, not originally in BM

~ George Harmon Coxe, “Once Around the Clock”, Flashgun Casey, reprinted from May ‘41, reprinted in The Hard-Boiled Detective (1977)

~ Robert C. Dennis, “Ride a Green Hearse”, last of 10 stories in BM, has the honor of being the last original story published in BM

~ G.T. Fleming-Roberts, “The Paper Doll”, last of 8 stories in BM [Hagemann does not note if this is original or a reprint]

~ Richard Sale, “Nail Down the Lid”, ‘reprint; not from BM’

LAST ISSUE OF THE ORIGINAL MAGAZINE

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

cover art by Norman Saunders

Oil on board, 20.75 x 13.75 in. (sight) – not signed

 May 1950 issue

better image than previously posted

~ Rufe Bakai, “The Random Kee-Whango”, sole appearance in BM

~ John Bender, “The High Cost of Lying”, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Robert C. Dennis, “Glitter Street Nightmare”, ‘set in Hollywood’, 7th of 10 stories in BM

~ Dorothy Dunn, “Dead-End Darling”, ‘double-crosser’s comedown’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Jim T. Pearce, “Always Leave Them Dying…”, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Albert Simmons, “Murder Is the Best Policy”, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Tedd Thomey, “Homicide Honeymoon”, ‘Mario Giovani, rookie cop’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Robert P. Toombs, “A Kill for the Bride”, ‘Billed as a “Suspense-Packed Crime-Adventure Novelette”’, last of 3 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

November 1949 issue ~ cover art by Norman Saunders

November 1949 issue

cover art by Norman Saunders

~ Robert C. Dennis, “The 7th 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

cover art by Norman Saunders

oil on board, 16″ X 21″

unidentified 1950s pulp magazine cover, similar composition to a September 1950 Black Mask issue, so perhaps this was an earlier version of the idea?

Oil on board, 21-1/4 x 14-3/8 inches (54.0 x 36.5 cm) (sight)
Not signed