The depression, back in 1932, made writing sink-or-swim proposition for Robert C. Blackmon. Cast out on his own after losing a comfortable clerical position with the Atlantic Coast Line rail road, Blackmon swam and today he blesses the day his work terminated with the railroad. Today, eight years later, Blackmon is recognized as one of… Continue reading The Thrilling World of Robert C. Blackmon: Man of Mystery
Category: Detective
Mastering Mystery: The Intriguing World of G. T. Fleming-Roberts
THE EDITORS of Better Homes and Gardens magazine unwittingly played right into the hands of G. T. Fleming-Roberts of Brown County, Indiana, when they printed a piece of advice on picking lilies a few months ago. Pull off the stamens, the magazine suggested, and the lilies won’t stain themselves—surely as innocent a tip on gardening… Continue reading Mastering Mystery: The Intriguing World of G. T. Fleming-Roberts
Harriette Ashbrook and the psychology of murder
Harriette Ashbrook, a lesser known detective writer, was born in Manhattan, Kansas in 1898 and came to Nebraska in the early 1900s. She studied at Vassar and Nebraska State University, then worked as a reporter for papers in Canada and the USA. Later she became a founding employee of the publisher Coward McCann, where she… Continue reading Harriette Ashbrook and the psychology of murder
Explore Australia with Arthur Upfield’s Boney, the First Australian Detective
In 1929, British-born Australian Arthur Upfield(1890-1964) wrote and published his second book, The Barrakee Mystery. Published first in England by Hutchinson, the book was originally written in the 1920s, when Upfield was working as a cook in the Australian Outback. Twice rewritten and substantially altered, the book had good reviews in London, Manchester and in… Continue reading Explore Australia with Arthur Upfield’s Boney, the First Australian Detective
The Female of the Species: Gunslinging Gerta
Back in the early days of the American film industry, movies starring women in leading roles weren’t uncommon. Helen Holmes (Hazards of Helen, 1914-1917) and Pearl White (Perils of Pauline. 1914) showed that women could do action movies whether set on the ground, sky and water. Till the early 1920s, when movies transitioned from serials… Continue reading The Female of the Species: Gunslinging Gerta
New Detective Magazine, May 1935 – Vicious villains
This is not the Popular Publications pulp you might be familiar with. It’s an earlier magazine published by Two Books Magazines. Two Books Magazines was a publishing venture of Roy S. de Horn, former editor at Doubleday. Along with New Detective Magazine, Two Books also put out New Western and Big-Book Western. If those names… Continue reading New Detective Magazine, May 1935 – Vicious villains
The mysterious life of Robert Reeves – Storyteller, Soldier
Robert Reeves, the author of the Cellini Smith stories in Black Mask, is a mysterious character. The veil of mystery around Reeves starts with his life. He seems to appear out of nowhere in the magazines, showing no evidence of newspaper work or other professions connected to the publishing business. Who was he? Where did… Continue reading The mysterious life of Robert Reeves – Storyteller, Soldier
Secrets of the Mask, part 21: Greatest Hits
We’ve come to the end of this series of posts on Black Mask. When I started, I had no idea they were going to take up months of my time. No regrets on my side, and I hope none on yours if you’ve read them. And if you haven’t, go here to catch up. I… Continue reading Secrets of the Mask, part 21: Greatest Hits
Secrets of the Mask, part 20: The latest Avatar
Now we come to the latest avatar of Black Mask, as a magazine this time. Published by Steeger Books, the first issue came out in 2016 and the latest, the fifth, in 2019. Put out by Matt Moring at what was then Altus Press and has now become Steeger Books, it came in a very… Continue reading Secrets of the Mask, part 20: The latest Avatar
Secrets of the Mask, part 19: By the Book
Last week, we read about Keith Alan Deutsch’s attempt to revive Black Mask in 1974. That failed after one issue. The 1985 revival, as an anthology book, was much better. Let’s find out how that happened. The Unusual Suspects Bear with me while I make the introductions. I promise they’ll connect later. William I. Jovanovich(1920-2001)… Continue reading Secrets of the Mask, part 19: By the Book