May 1920 issue ~ cover art by William Grotz

May 1920 issue – second issue published

cover art by William Grotz

~ Frank Blighton, “The Hop on Hyperspace”, ‘Hyperspace is a dog’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Hamilton Craigie, “Receipted in Full”, ‘Headnote is worth (partially) quoting from: “ …Another typical Black Mask complete novelette…which represent[s] the very best mystery fiction…printed in America today. Novelty of plot, nervous suspense and ingenious solutions are the keynotes…; 1st of 3 stories in issue in which he figures’, 1st of 7 solo stories in BM

~ Hamilton Craigie & Walter Grahame, “According to Specifications” and “The Jest Ironic” (2 stories by this pair)

~ Ashton Crowell, “The Prison Clock Strikes Nine”, ‘prison setting’, only appearance in BM

~ Captain Frank Cunningham, “The Best New Books”, ‘Regular column which reviewed new mystery & detective novels; also called “The New Mystery Books”; not indexed beyond this point.’

~ Schuyler Hamilton, “The Silvered Sentinel”, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Clinton [aka Charles] Harcourt, “The Necklace of the Pharaohs”, 1st of 6 stories in BM

~ Greye La Spina, “The Seventh Step”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Maurice Level, “In the Light of the Red Lamp”, ‘short-short‘, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “Looking Out for Orchid”, ‘narrated by vaudevillian in dialect’, debut, 1st of 29 stories in BM

~ John Irving Pearce, Jr. and Joseph Faus, “The Belled Boomerang”, only joint appearance by these authors in BM, for JIP, see Oursler

~ Merlin Moore Taylor, “The Wheel Within the Wheel”, author’s debut in BM, 1st of 8 appearances in BM

~ Harold Ward, “The ‘Tail’ of a Cat”, 2nd of 29 stories under this name in BM [2nd of 46 stories in BM under three different names– Ward Sterling and H.W. Starr]

~ Valentine Williams, “The Mystery of the Missing Finger”, ‘Desmond Okewood, British Secret Service’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

December 1932 issue ~ cover art by William Reusswig

December 1932 issue

cover art by William Reusswig

better image than previously posted

T.T. Flynn, “The Black Doctor” (Val Easton, Secret Service)

Frederick Nebel, “A Truck Load of Diamonds” (Cardigan)

Erle Stanley Gardner, “Marked Money” (Dane Skarle)

Richard J. Credicott, “The Three Horrible Heads” (Anthony Fletcher)

Joseph Mulvaney, “Smart Like a Fox” (Oscar Fox)

October 1, 1931 issue ~ cover art by Dominic Cammerota

October 1, 1931

cover art by Dominic Cammerota