A complete issue · 247 pages · 1925
The Black Mask
A complete, restored issue of Pulp Fiction from 1925 — all 247 pages of painted-cover fiction magazines that launched science fiction, horror, and hardboiled crime, free to page through at ComicBooks.com.
A complete issue · 247 pages · 1925
This issue features "The Trail of the Feathered Snake" by Solon K. Stowart, a murder mystery spanning Mexico and London. The lead story is excerpted from what appears to be a Continental Detective Agency case narrative: an insurance investigator examines a robbery at the Toplin residence where an armed intruder escaped with approximately $100,000 in jewelry. The narrative follows the detective's methodical interviews with the victims—Frank Toplin (shot in the leg), his wife, daughter Phyllis, and maid Hilda—as well as Miss Eveleth from apartment 702, janitor McBirney, and building staff. Eyewitness descriptions of the thin, light-complexioned young robber vary regarding age and features. The OCR cuts off mid-sentence, leaving the investigation's resolution unclear.
Each page has its own page — the cartoon, who’s in it, and what the satire means.