When speaking of noteworthy pulp magazines, there are a small number. One of those that is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2021 is Black Mask, best known as a top-tier pulp for detective stories, especially the hard-boiled detective. It lasted from 1920 to 1951, and like other pulps, had its good times and bad.
It was launched by literary critic H.L. Menchen as a means to pay off the costs for his literary magazine, The Smart Set, which it did. After eight issues, he sold it to its publishers, Pro-Distributors Publishing. I have no idea what other magazines they pubished. During this early phase, Black Mask published all genres of stories, not just detective fiction.
It was successful in this early phase, then Joseph “Cap” Shaw took over as editor in 1926. Under his tenure we get what is considered the classic period of the magazine.
During this time, it published works by Carroll John Daly (writing stories featuring Race Williams and others), Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Erle Stanley Gardner (who created several series characters, some of which have been reprinted), Frederick Nebel, Norvell Page, Frederick C. Davis, Theodore Tinsley, Cornell Woolrich, Frank Gruber, Max Brand, Steve Fisher, and John D. MacDonald.
Sadly, due to a dispute with the publishers over writer’s pay, Shaw left in 1936, and the pulp started to decline, but still had good works into the ’40s. In 1940, the magazine was sold to Popular Publications, and it ended in 1951.
It was later revived in the 1980s as New Black Mask for eight quarterly issues. When Steeger Properties obtained the rights in 2016, it was launced and appeared twice a year, but it seem to go to an annual in 2019. However, no new issue has yet to appear. But I wish they had continued that, as an annual issue to highlight the works and series.
Steeger Properties has launced a separate website for Black Mask. And after reprinting several Black Mask authors, Steeger Books has created the Black Mask Library, similar to its Argosy and H. Bedford-Jones Libraries. The Black Mask Library separates the works into the early phase (until 1926), the Shaw phase (1926-36), and the later phase.
While there is no book-length work on it, Murania Press’ recent Blood ‘n’ Thunder 2021 Annual devoted a good bit to it, taken from the Blood ‘n’ Thunder Guide to Pulps. Steeger Books has published a bio of “Cap” Shaw: Joseph T. Shaw: The Man Behind Black Mask written by his son.
