A fourth edition of The Best of Manhunt arrived as a complete surprise. Instead of the variety of the previous three, this one features only short stories by Jack Ritchie; mostly from Manhunt, with the added bonus of five more from ancillary titles. As laid out in editor Jeff Vorzimmer’s introduction, Ritchie was a consummate short story scribe. His openings grab, his prose sizzles, his characters jump off the page into your mind, and his stories transport you into a world of gamblers, crooks, killers, fatales, wiseguys, and all seven sins.
So authentic, Ritchie’s stories could be dramatized versions of true crimes. The prose is terse, at times brutal; the voice is street savvy, hard-hearted, and true to his downtrodden cast of deeply flawed misfits. Whether you’re a reader or writer of crime fiction, this volume is exemplary.
Don’t miss Peter Enfantino’s conclusion to his three-part review of Manhunt 1955 with his pick of the top ten tales of that year. It’s all part of The Digest Enthusiast No 15, now available in four editions: 15C—print with color interior from lulu.com and amazon 15BW—print with b&w interior from amazon 15—Kindle color print replica 15— Magzter color print replica
Digest Magazine News & Authors In case you missed it on FB, John Linwood Grant announced Occult Detective Magazine’s recent acquisitions: “The Nature of Panic”—a substantial Folk Horror novelette by Simon Avery, featuring the same character as “Songs for Dwindled Gods” (ODM/Q#4), “The Voice on the Moor”—a tale by Melanie Atherton Allen featuring her repeat character Simon Wake (ODM#6), “Angel Scales”—another story by Brandon Barrows featuring his Japanese priest/investigator Azuma Kuromori (ODM#7), and “The Memory Funes”—a most intriguing and weird tale by Rhys Hughes.
Filip Wiltgrens advocates: Dream Big in Science Fiction (His story “Ennui” appears in Analog Jul/Aug 2020.) at The Astounding Analog Companion.
Robert Lopresti writes about his story “Worse Than Death” from Black Cat Mystery Magazine No. 6 at SleuthSayers.
James Patterson and Conde Nast plan to revive The Shadow in a new series per Deadline.com. (Thanks, Bill Thom.)
The next issue of Pulp Literature releases on Sunday, July 19. Tune into the virtual launch party and catch up the latest Pulp Lit news via their July 2020 e-news.
TDE Contributors’ Corner Michael Neno reviews Naruto 11 at Eventized. Michael also released his new mini comic Horse Crime Comics, a riveting tale told in the new genre of #EquineNoir and created remixing ancient comic book art in the public domain. It’s 24 pages in full color, signed on request for $4.00 from the S.P.A.C.E. virtual comics marketplace. (Scroll down to Michael Neno’s listing!)
Jack Seabrook and Peter Enfantino review Batman No. 324, The Brave and the Bold No. 163, and Detective Comics No. 491 at bare•bones e-zine.
Cimarron Street books announced the release of David J. Schow’s groundbreaking cinema horror anthology, Silver Scream, back in print for the first time in 32 years. Details to follow.
Steve Carper investigates the Interplanetary Development Corporation of New York at Flying Cars and Food Pills.
Jack Seabrook presents The Hitchcock Project—Harold Swanton Part Three: Coyote Moon at bare•bones e-zine.
Marc Myers was released two new collage art zines Mulmig No. 3 and Elephant Vol. 2 No. 4. Shown from left to right are the front and back covers. Send email for prices and ordering information.
Readin’ and Writing’ Finished reading the final issue of Verdict, and writing the first draft of my article about the series’ first run. Another excellent issue. This title was the perfect companion to Manhunt back in that golden year of 1953, but apparently the newsstands were overrun with crime fiction digests at the time, hence it didn’t survive, along with most of its competition. Really unfortunate. This issue’s highlights include most of its contents: stories by William Irish (Cornell Woolrich), James M. Cain, Fredric Brown, George Harmon Coxe, and Rex Stout. Although Verdict is more difficult to find than issues of Manhunt, it’s worth the effort.
Another good read this week was Black Cat Mystery Magazine No. 6. Quality throughout, but my favorite this time was “The Loser” by Robert Guffey. Also a pleasure to read the latest stories from author’s I’ve interviewed for TDE, Michael Bracken and Robert Lopresti; along with new work from Trey R. Barker, John Hegenberger, Patricia Dusenbury, and Laird Long. The issue wraps with a reprint from AHMM Jan. 1966, “The Contagious Killer” by Bryce Walton (1918–1988). Wildside is working to reprint all of his short fiction.
Fans of Brian Buniak, whose painting graces the cover of TDE6, are in for a treat next issue. Brian is back with another rare painting of a barbarian hero up to his muscular elbows in peril. It’s a beautiful image worthy of an action-packed story. I just might have to write one.
Vince Nowell, Sr. wrote this week. He’s cooking up a two-part piece on Robert A.W. Lowndes’ pulps and digests. One to look forward to.
While you’re waiting for the next TDE, I should mention the print edition of TDE12 has been ported over to amazon, so now you can choose print or digital without switching sites. Part of what’s in store is a piece I wrote on Ray Palmer’sScience Stories. If you collect or read Other Worlds, you’ll want to add the four-issue run of Science Stories to your collection. The Digest Enthusiast No. 12 is also available in print from Lulu.com, and digital for Kindle and Magzter.
Vintage Crime Digest Manhunt October 1960 Contents Page Glenn Canary “Too Much to Prove” Hayden Howard “Dead Beat” David Maurer “White Lightning” Sheila S. Thompson “Name: Unknown, Subject: Murder” Dan Brennan “The Trouble Shooters” Jack Ritchie “Shatter Proof” Marc Penry Winters “The Fugitives” Hal Ellson “Protection” Philip Freund “To Catch a Spy”
Manhunt Vol. 8 No. 5 October 1960 Publisher: Michael St. John Editor: John Underwood Assoc. Editor: J. Proske Art Director: Gerald Adams 5.5” x 7.75” 128 pages 35¢
Sam S. Taylor (1903–1994) wrote five stories for Manhunt and four novels in the 1940s and 1950s, three originally in hardcover for Dutton: Sleep No More (1949); No Head For Her Pillow (1952); and So Cold, My Bed (1953); and one in paperback for Gold Medal: Brenda (1952) under the pseudonym Lehi Zane.
Contents Page David Goodis “Black Pudding” art by Ray Houlihan Richard Marsten “Switch Ending” Charles Beckman, Jr. “Killing on Seventh Street” Craig Rice “Murder Marches On!” (John J. Malone) Hunt Collins “Sucker” Dan Sontup’s Portrait of a Killer No. 7: Tillie Gburek Evan Hunter “The Wife of Riley” art by Tom O’Sullivan Harold Q. Masur “Richest Man in the Morgue” (Scott Jordan) Jonathan Craig “The Quiet Room” David Chandler “The Coyote” Roy Carroll “Wife Beater” art by Tom O’Sullivan Frank Kane “The Icepick Artists” (Johnny Liddell) Vincent H. Gaddis’ Crime Cavalcade R. Van Taylor “The Insecure” art by Ray Houlihan Coming Up Next Month Mugged and Printed: Frank Kane, Harold Q. Masur, David Goodis, David Chandler
Manhunt Detective Story Monthly Vol. 1 No. 12 Dec. 1953 Flying Eagle Publications, Inc, Editor: John McCloud Managing Editor: Hal Walker Art Director: Chas. W. Adams Business Manager: R.E. Decker Cover: Frank Uppwall 144 pages, 35¢
“When money runs out, you have no choice. You need the nickels and dimes you can grub for the warm, mellow stuff, and you can’t afford to waste them for a pad.” “The Death of Me” by Evan HunterManhunt Detective Story Monthly Sept. 1953
Manhunt Detective Story Magazine Vol. 1 No. 11 Nov. 1953 Contents Henry Kane “The Big Touch” (Peter Chambers) Peter Paige “The Watcher” Craig Rice “The Bells Are Ringing” (John J. Malone) Charles Beckman, Jr. “Case History” Evan Hunter “The Right Hand of Garth” Vincent H. Gaddis’ Crime Cavalcade Raymond J. Dyer “Six Stories Up” Richard Marsten “Classification: Dead” Fletcher Flora “A Long Way to KC” Dan Sontup’s Portrait of a Killer: Pat Mahon Bruno Fischer “Coney Island Incident” Jonathan Craig “Kid Stuff” Mugged and Printed: Henry Kane, Evan Hunter, Bruno Fischer, Craig Rice
Flying Eagle Publications, Inc, Editor: John McCloud Managing Editor: Hal Walker Art Director: Chas. W. Adams Business Manager: R.E. Decker 144 pages, 35¢
Manhunt Detective Story Magazine Vol. 1 No. 10 Oct. 1953 Contents Mickey Spillane “The Girl Behind the Hedge” Richard S. Prather “Squeeze Play” (Shell Scott) Richard Deming “Balanced Account” Robert Turner “Dead Heat” Harold Cantor “The Idiot” Dan Sontup’s Portrait of a Killer: Louise Peete David Goodis “Professional Man” Sam S. Taylor “Summer is a Bad Time” Arnold Marmor “Response” Vincent H. Gaddis’ Crime Cavalcade Floyd Mahannah “Where’s the Money?” art by Don Rico John Ross Macdonald “The Beat-Up Sister” (Lew Archer) Jonathan Craig “The Bobby-Soxer” Mugged and Printed: Mickey Spillane, John Ross Macdonald, David Goodis, Richard S. Prather
Flying Eagle Publications, Inc, Editor: John McCloud Managing Editor: Hal Walker Art Director: Chas. W. Adams Business Manager: R.E. Decker 144 pages, 35¢
Manhunt Detective Story Magazine Vol. 1 No. 9 Sept. 1953 Contents Evan Hunter “The Death of Me” (A Matt Cordell Novelette) Fletcher Flora “Fair Game” William Vance “What Am I Doing?” Richard Marsten “Accident Report” Richard Deming “Bonus Cop” Dan Sontup’s Portrait of a Killer: Chester Jordan Erskine Caldwell “The Motive” Jack M. Bagby “Chase By Night” Ray Bradbury “The Millionth Murder” art by Don Rico Vincent H. Gaddis’ Crime Cavalcade Hunt Collins “The Molested” Craig Rice “Life Can Be Horrible” (John J. Malone) Jonathan Craig “The Scrapbook” Mugged and Printed: Erskine Caldwell, Ray Bradbury, Evan Hunter, Richard Deming, etc.
Flying Eagle Publications, Inc, Editor: John McCloud Managing Editor: E.A. Tulman Assoc. Editor: Hal Walker Art Director: Chas. W. Adams Business Manager: R.E. Decker 144 pages, 35¢
Manhunt Detective Story Monthly Vol. 1 No. 8 August 1953 Contents Fletcher Flora “The Collector Comes After Payday” Evan Hunter “Still Life” Fredric Brown “The Little Lamb” Frank Kane “Slay Belle” (Johnny Liddell) Robert Turner “The Crime of My Wife” Dan Sontup’s Portrait of a Killer: Robert W. Buchanan, M.D. Craig Rice “The End of Fear” (John J. Malone) Vincent H. Gaddis’ Crime Cavalcade Frances Carfi Matranga “Less Perfect” James M. Cain “Two O’Clock Blonde” Richard Ellington “The Ripper” (Steve Drake) Roy Carroll “Kayo” Harold Q. Masur “Rhapsody in Blood” (Scott Jordan) Donald Hamilton “Throwback” Richard Marsten “The Innocent One” Mugged and Printed: James M. Cain, Fredric Brown, Richard Ellington, Harold Q. Masur
Flying Eagle Publications, Inc, Editor: John McCloud Managing Editor: E.A. Tulman Art Director: Chas. W. Adams Business Manager: R.E. Decker 144 pages, 35¢
A fourth edition of The Best of Manhunt arrived as a complete surprise. Instead of the variety of the previous three, this one features only short stories by Jack Ritchie; mostly from Manhunt, with the added bonus of five more from ancillary titles. As laid out in editor Jeff Vorzimmer’s introduction, Ritchie was a consummate short story scribe. His openings grab, his prose sizzles, his characters jump off the page into your mind, and his stories transport you into a world of gamblers, crooks, killers, fatales, wiseguys, and all seven sins.
