EXCITING DETECTIVE – Fall 1940 (First Issue) recently sold on eBay for $41.00
This cover has everything going for it: Man in Electric Chair with black hood over his face; Red dressed babe trying to unstrap him as another guy blast away with his gun protecting them; a Black Robed, Masked, Pale faced fiend climbing down rungs in the wall grabbing the babe, and still another snarling fiend behind an iron door preparing to pull the level.
Authors: “Murder Limited” by Johnston McCulley;
“He Gave Him a Gun” by Laurence Donovan;
“The Secret of the Tong” by Hugh Clevely (reprint from The THRILLER – May 11, 1929)
“Handling indicators, including light hairlines; front and back covers firmly attached. Brushed discoloration visible upon the light areas of the covers. Binding fully readable; paper supple; cover retains some gloss. Slight spinal edge staining, minor edge nicking, and a rub through at the upper left cover price area. Wax pencil distribution marking upon the back cover.
Pulp fiction referred to cheaply made, often risqué, publications to drive newsstand visits. The stories were lurid, provocative, imaginative …. the art simply jaw dropping …. but the magazines were printed on low grade pulp paper, the covers were often over-sized …. edge nicking, bumps, discoloration and other imperfections are evident characteristics of the pulp age. Many distributors would stamp dates on the covers.”
Bookery: “Uncommon to Somewhat Common” $18.00 – $45.00 – $90.00
EXCITING DETECTIVE – Winter 1941 (Second Issue) sold for $49.06
Authors: “Yellow Death” (1ST “Unofficial Jones” appearance of 4) by Lee Fredericks (who also wrote the 22 “Mr. Richard Wong” stores in G-MEN (DETECTIVE) 1935-1946; Nelson S. Bond; Fredric Brown.
“Front cover has owners name stamp under title bar (Perley Wicks), small pieces missing along right edge, heavy edge wear along the bottom with a piece missing and multiple short nicks, tears and folds.
Spine is slanted with a ½” missing at the bottom.
Back cover has store stamp and moisture stains (which do not affect interior pages).
Interior is tight and clean with light tan, supple pages.”
Bookery: $8.00 – $20.00 – $40.00
EXCITING DETECTIVE – Winter 1941 sold for $34.04
Authors: “The Night of Murder” (2ND appearance of 4 of “The Purple Scar” by John S. Endicott (in-house pseudonym, but written by George A. McDonald),
“The Thing in the Marsh” by Ray Cummings.
…containing a complete Purple Scar novel entitled THE NIGHT OF MURDER by John S. Endicott, detailing how the Purple Scar follows a ghastly pattern of slaughter to find the key to justice when death directs a grim scenario and a killer stalks a motion picture studio….
With that said, this issue is in average (-) condition… complete interior text. Supple paper, cover retains some gloss, edge binding completely readable, some edge and corner bumps/edge wear and bottom right front cover tear; some edge chips/nicks. Some brush discoloration noted upon the back cover. Some pencil writing on the logo “D” and a wa pencil price notation.
Collectible copy. Hard to find on the secondary market. These will only appreciate in value.”
EXCITING DETECTIVE – Winter 1942 sold for $29.03
Authors: “The Chain of Murders” is the 4TH and final “Purple Scar” appearance by John S. Endicott (George A. McDonald),
3RD “Unofficial Jones” appearance of 4 by Lee Fredericks (better known for his “Mr. Wong” series in G-MEN DETECTIVE),
“Twenty-Four Hours to Leave Town” by C. S. Montanye
With that said, this issue is in average (-) condition… complete interior text. No writing, supple paper, cover retains some gloss, edge binding mostly readable (upper and lower fractional spinal nicks), some edge and corner bumps/edge wear; some edge chips/nicks, although the paper is supple.
Collectible copy. Hard to find on the secondary market. These will only appreciate in value.”
Bookery: Scarcer (of the EXCITING DETECTIVE’s) $15.00 – $35.00 – $75.00
This is really a brutal cover with some guy, who appears deceased, strung up in a back closet in some kind of Oriental (1900’s – 1940’s “Yellow Peril” era) knotting and fixed so that he shoots however opens the door that he contained in. The stereotypical round glasses, big toothed, white shirted Oriental (‘Emperor Hirohito/PM Hideki Tojo’-type ) chap is doing the nicety of opening said door so the corpse (?), who was probably either a friend or fellow agent/detective, can shoot our hero.
If you owned any of the original 15 cover paintings this title you’d be hard-pressed to find a mate that would allow them to be hung in the house,
other than the basement or attic.
EXCITING DETECTIVE – April 1943 sold for
“Best Offer” from “Buy It Now” of $50.00; so probably $30.00 – $40.00
Authors: “The Navy Yard Murders” by Laurence Donovan; “Bloody Flood Tide” by C. K. M. Scanlon
“Mild wear with few small tears, lite tan supple paper. VG”
ENJOY PULPS – David Lee Smith