July 7, 2021—Steeger Books, the leader in vintage pulp reprints, announces six collections taken from the pages of Black Mask magazine. Collecting some of the most-requested and revered novels and series characters to ever appear in that seminal Detective pulp, these six collections feature the works of authors such as Lester Dent, Norvell W. Page, Carroll John Daly, Raoul Whitfield, Norbert Davis, and Theodore A. Tinsely. They also include all of the original interior illustrations by primary Black Mask artist Arthur Rodman Bowker, and each book includes an informative introduction by writers such as Will Murray, James Reasoner, Evan Lewis, Boris Dralyuk, and Bob Byrne.
Also premiering at PulpFest 2021 is the next installment in H. Bedford-Jones’ John Solomon series, featuring two rare novels.
The books premiering at PulpFest 2021 on August 19 include:
Luck: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Oscar Sail
By Lester Dent, illustrations by Arthur Rodman Bowker, cover by John Drew, introduction by Will Murray
On the strength of having sold only two stories to the legendary Black Mask magazine, Doc Savage creator Lester Dent is today hailed as one of the foremost practitioners of the Hardboiled School of detective fiction fostered by Carroll John Daly, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and others.
But what stories they were! Employing his personal experiences treasure hunting in the Caribbean, Lester created Miami’s boat-dwelling private detective Oscar Sail, a clear forerunner to John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee and Miami Vice’s Sonny Crockett.
This definitive collection brings together both much-anthologized Oscar Sail exploits, as well as a variant draft of “Sail” featuring a strikingly different version of the Florida sleuth.
Also included are related stories featuring similar characters and settings.
Collects the following stories: “Sail,” “Angelfish,” “Jungle Impulse,” “Two Kukulcans,” “Luck,” and manuscript fragments of “Cay,” “Angelfish,” and “Deep.”
223 pages | $19.95 softcover | $29.95 hardcover
Laughing Death
By Raoul Whitfield, illustrations by Arthur Rodman Bowker, cover by Jes Schlaikjer, introduction by James Reasoner
Laughing Death is a story of gunfire and airships, of love and revenge. Sanford Greer (S.G.), Prosecuting Attorney of Center City, is put “on the spot” by five men. Gary Greer, who is the pilot in charge of the South Side Airport, starts out to get those five men and avenge his father’s death.
Swift, written in dynamic prose, thrill piled on thrill, this book by Raoul Whitfield has the gusto of an Edgar Wallace, and something of the power of a Dashiell Hammett.
Quite possibly Raoul Whitfield’s best novel, it has achieved legendary status due to its rarity, no doubt due to it appearing in desirable issues of Black Mask which also published serial installments of The Maltese Falcon and The Glass Key. Rarely have readers had the chance to read this superior series in its original form, until now.
“Whitfield was the single most prolific contributor the Black Mask magazine during the Shaw years, and his style varied from medium to hard-boiled. [Laughing Death] was written in his hardest vein, akin to his best known novel Green Ice, with clipped, terse prose and plenty of tough dialogue.”—Evan Lewis
Collects the following stories: “On the Spot,” “Out of the Sky,” “The Pay-Off,” “High Odds,” “Within the Circle,” “The Carnival Kill,” “River Street Death,” “The Squeeze,” and “Sal the Dude.”
248 pages | $24.95 softcover | $34.95 hardcover
Black Harvest: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jules Tremaine
By Norvell W. Page, illustrations by Arthur Rodman Bowker, cover by Jes Schlaikjer, introduction by Will Murray
Collected for the first time: prolific pulp writer Norvell W. Page’s stories of private sleuth Jules Tremaine and his battles with the Catrini crime family from the pages of Black Mask magazine. Witnessing their cruelty first-hand, Tremaine sets out to whittle the Catrini down to size—violently. Over the course of three consecutively published stories, Page built a compelling narrative of gut-wrenching crimes and brutal street justice.
Among the earliest detective stories written by the future author of The Spider magazine, the popularity of the Jules Tremaine series likely helped Page in snagging that prestigious Spider assignment. Also collected in this edition are several other detective stories by Page from the same era, including his backup story from the first issue of The Spider. Includes an all-new introduction by pulp historian Will Murray.
Collects the following stories: “Those Catrini,” “The Confessional,” “Black Harvest,” “The Murder in the Tunnel,” “The Green Death,” “Murder Undercover,” “Just Pals,” and “Copper’s Cross.”
271 pages | $24.95 softcover | $34.95 hardcover
The Price of a Dime: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Ben Shaley
By Norbert Davis, illustrations by Arthur Rodman Bowker, cover by Jes Schlaikjer, introduction by Bob Byrne
The Black Mask writings of one of the great detective pulp writers are finally collected in book form. Author Norbert Davis broke in to the pages of the prestigious Black Mask magazine while still in college: sales which launched his influential pulp writing career. So influential that Davis’ Black Mask story, “Red Goose,” so impressed Raymond Chandler that he decided to submit his work to that magazine upon reading it.
Known best for his Max Latin series of screwball detective stories, these earlier efforts for Black Mask in the mid-1930s were among those which editor Cap Shaw proudly purchased for that magazine. In addition to both stories of his series character, Ben Shaley, this collection also includes three other early Davis stories from Black Mask. Includes an all-new introduction by Norbert Davis aficionado Bob Byrne.
Collects the following stories: “Red Goose,” “The Price of a Dime,” “Reform Racket,” “Kansas City Flash,” and “Hit and Run.”
152 pages | $19.95 softcover | $29.95 hardcover
The Man in the Shadows: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Terry Mack
By Carroll John Daly, cover by Fred Craft, introduction by Evan Lewis
The first hard-boiled detective character, “Three-Gun” Terry Mack is collected for the first time. This groundbreaking series from the pages of Black Mask magazine set the template for all Black Mask authors to follow. Written by Carroll John Daly, Terry Mack debuted just two months prior to Daly’s most famous creation, Race Williams. Williams’ popularity with Black Mask readers doomed Terry Mack after just two stories, but Daly revisited the character a few years later for a full-length novel, The Man in the Shadows.
This edition contains both Terry Mack short stories, along with The Man in the Shadows, which has never before been reprinted. Includes an all-new introduction by Evan Lewis.
Collects the following stories: “Three Gun Terry,” “Action! Action!,” and “The Man in the Shadows.”
414 pages | $29.95 softcover | $39.95 hardcover
South Wind: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy
By Theodore A. Tinsley, illustrations by Arthur Rodman Bowker, cover by Fred Craft, introduction by Boris Dralyuk
Premiering in the pages of Black Mask magazine during the speak of editor Joseph T. Shaw’s era, author Theodore A. Tinsley penned one of the longest-running and most popular series to see print in the pages of that historic Detective magazine. Celebrity gossip reporter for The Daily Planet, Jerry Tracy was a cynical, wisecracking columnist. Though a bit of a muckraker, Tracy had a sense of justice when it came to his friends and his fellow New York City residents.
Written by one of the authors of The Shadow magazine, these tough-written stories are a fast-paced and action-packed read. Featuring an introduction by Boris Dralyuk.
Collects the following stories: “Party from Detroit,” “South Wind,” “Park Avenue Item,” “Beyond All Light,” “Ball and Chain,” “Help Wanted,” “He Asked for It,” “Somebody Stole My Pal,” “Smoke,” “Keep on Asking,” and “Murderer’s Guest.”
389 pages | $29.95 softcover | $39.95 hardcover
Solomon’s Carpet and Solomon’s Submarine: The Adventures of John Solomon, Volume 6
By H. Bedford-Jones Library, cover by John A. Coughlin
John Solomon, the mysterious ship’s chandler and secret agent, returns in two more rare adventures from early in prolific pulp author H. Bedford-Jones’ career: “Solomon’s Carpet” and “Solomon’s Submarine.” Continue the story of John Solomon with this next book in the series, complete & uncut from the pages of People’s magazine. Includes the original illustrations.
Collects the following stories: “Solomon’s Carpet” and “Solomon’s Submarine.”
300 pages | $24.95 softcover | $34.95 hardcover