HAMMETT HERALD-TRIBUNE: "Dead Yellow Women" (1942)

"Dead Yellow Women," a Continental Op adventure from the Nov. 1925 Black Mask, began this serialization on Nov. 29, 1942 in the Albuquerque Journal, with art once again by Stuart Hamilton.

HAMMETT HERALD-TRIBUNE: "A Tale of Two Women" (1942)

"Women, Politics and Murder" appeared in the Sept. 1924 issue of Black Mask. It resurfaced in newspapers as early as 1942, with this new title. This artwork is from a serialization in the El Paso Times, beginning May 10, 1942. 

HAMMETT HERALD-TRIBUNE: The 10th Clue - Deseret News (1942)

The Continental Op adventure "The Tenth Clue" (or "Clew") appeared in the Jan. 1, 1924 issue of Black Mask. But it was one of the many stories later serialized in newspapers. This publication is from the Deseret News, beginning May 4, 1942, with art credited to Stuart Hamilton. 

HAMMETT HERALD-TRIBUNE: "First Aide to Murder" (1939)

This tale first appeared in The Black Mask for February 1926 as "The Assistant Murderer." It featured Alec Rush, "the world's ugliest detective." Why the title was changed for newspaper serialization is anybody's guess. My apologies for failing to find a good depiction of ugly Alec.

Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, April 23, 1939

Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, April 24, 1939

Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, June 18,1939

HAMMETT HERALD-TRIBUNE: Death and Company (1938-54)

"Death and Company," the last Continental Op story to be published, appeared in the November 1930 issue of Black Mask. I believe, however, with absolutely no evidence other than the writing style and story quality, that it was written several years earlier, and likely rejected. You are invited to believe it or don't. 

Camden Morning Post, Dec. 26, 1938

Detroit Free Press, Sept. 24, 1939

Pittsburg Courier, Jan. 30, 1954

HAMMETT HERALD-TRIBUNE: "The Second Story Angel" and "The Judge Laughed Last" (1937-39)

"The Second-Story Angel" made her first appearance in the Nov. 15, 1923 issue of Black Mask. It was a non-Op story, but introduced Angel Grace Cardigan, the stalwart daughter of crookdom who later met the Op in "The Big Knockover" and "$106,000 Blood Money." These days, you'll find an edited version in the 1962  digest A Man Named Thin, and the 1999 collection Nightmare Town.

In 1937, the year after leaving Black Mask, Joe Shaw began editing a series of Mystery Classics for newspapers, and this was one of his selections. Among others in the series were "Parlor Trick" by Peter Ruric (Paul Cain), "South Wind" by Theodore A. Tinsley, and "The Caleso Murders," "The Man from Shanghai," "Murder - West of Guam" and "Diamonds of Death" by Raoul Whitfield. I'll be showing you the artwork from those bye and bye.

The clip below is from the Vancouver Province, Aug. 7, 1937. I also saw it in the Shreveport Times, July 25, 1937. It includes an intro, likely penned by Shaw himself. I blew it up so you can decipher it with a minimum of squinting.

"The Judge Laughed Last" first appeared under the title "The New Racket" in the Feb. 15, 1924 Black Mask. The title was apparently changed for its newspaper debut, and it carried that title into some (but not all) of the various Adventures of Sam Spade collections in the 1940s. Sadly, it does not feature Spade. Along with "The Second Story Angel," I believe it is one of the very few stories that have yet to be reprinted in unedited form. A tragedy.

The clip here is from the El Paso Times of March 28, 1937. I also found it in the Detroit Free Press for Dec. 10, 1939. The artwork, by "Briggs," is probably by Austin Briggs, whom you saw in the Secret Agent X-9 story I ran a while back.

Forgotten Books: THE COMPLETE CASES OF MacBRIDE & KENNEDY by Frederick Nebel

In my estimation, the ten year saga of MacBride & Kennedy was the second most important series ever to appear in the pages of Black Mask. The only thing to top it, you can probably guess, was Hammett's Continental Op.

The reprinting of this series was long time coming. Nebel's agent tried to sell Avon a collection of stories back in 1950, after the publication of the "Tough Dick" Donahue book Six Deadly Dames. But Avon declined. I pitched a volume, to be titled Raw Law, to Dennis McMillan back in the '80s, when he was reprinting stuff by Fredric Brown and Howard Browne, but that failed too.

Thankfully, Keith Allen Deutsch and Matt Moring finally got 'er done in 2013, with this four volume collection of the whole shebang. I was enlisted to write an Intro, allowing me to present all the Nebel info I'd gathered, and thoroughly enjoyed the task. All are still available, totaling thirty-seven slam-bang novelettes. Check 'em out!

BLACK MASK Masks: A Hardboiled Response to Covid-19

New from Altus Press. $16.99. Get yours HERE. 

Pulp Gallery: BLACK MASK

1920

1920

1922

1923

1924

HAMMETT HERALD-TRIBUNE: This 'n' That from 1930

El Paso Times, Mar. 9, 1930

Rock Island Argus, June 7, 1930

El Paso Times, Mar. 23, 1930

Davenport Daily Times, June 21, 1930

L.A. Times, Mar. 16, 1930

 Boston Globe, Apr. 20, 1930

Oklahoma News, Apr. 18, 1930