RARA-AVIS: The Newest Black Mask

From: Kevin Burton Smith ( kvnsmith@colba.net)
Date: 03 Nov 2000


James wrote:

>I believe that there were only eight issues of THE NEW BLACK MASK, but after
>that it became a mass-market-sized paperback anthology series called A
>MATTER OF CRIME. My wife and I both sold stories to NBM that wound up being
>published in the second and third issues of A MATTER OF CRIME. Sort of a
>disappointment since I wanted my story in something with "Black Mask" on the
>cover even if it wasn't the real thing.

Well, your wish may yet come true. Black Mask is returning, at least to cyber-space. Keith Deutsch, the owner of the rights to Black Mask
(and a slew of other pulps), intends to unleash a web site in the very near future that will make available a lot of the old stories from Black Mask, Dime Detective, Terror Tales, Dime Mysteries, etc.. Some of the material has been unavailable since it was first published seventy or so years ago! Eventually he'll be printing new stories in the "Black Mask" style, so hang on to that dream, James.

The plan is for the web site to be the first step in a planned multi-media barrage. Also in the works are books, film and television deals, and even the reprinting on the site of the classic Dashiell Hammett-Alex Raymond comic strip SECRET AGENT X-9. Ultimate, pie-in-the-sky goal? The return of Black Mask to the newsstands.

Keith, who's a sometime lurker on this list, was also responsible to the short-lived revival of Black Mask in the seventies.

I guess I should be up front here, and dispel any conflict-of-interest accusations, by mentioning that I'm also involved in this project. Also I hope it's sufficiently of interest to youse guys that it will qualify as much as information as advertisement.

Oh, and for those with less lofty ambitions, like seeing a story in something with "Thrilling Detective" on the cover, my own site is still soliciting short stories. Head to the site at http://www.thrillingdetective.com and check out our submission guidelines...

-- 
Kevin
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 03 Nov 2000 EST