From 1939 to 1944, Headline Detective was published by MacFadden Publications. It was one of the many pulp magazine to focus on stories of true crime, thievery, murder, and femme fatales. Here’s a sampling of the cover of Headline Detective. Where known, the artist has been credited.
Artist Unknown
Artist Unknown
by A. L. Hicks
by Griffith Foxley
by Harwood Forsgen
by Harwood Forsgen
by Harwood Forsgen
by Peter Driben
Unknown Artist
Unknown Artist
One of the most popular and financially successful pulp magazines, Adventure Magazine ran from 1910 t0 1971, for a total of 881 issues! That’s 881 covers, all done by some of the best illustrators and artists in the pulp field. I can’t share all 881 of those covers but I can still offer a small but representative sampling of the adventurous covers of Adventure Magazine! As you can see Adventure featured adventures that took place everywhere, including underwater, in the jungle, in war, and during the era of the Old West.
By Charles Dye
by Griffith Foxley
by Herb Mott
by Mel Crair
by Mort Kunstler
by Peter Stevens
by Rico Tomaso
by Roger Kastel
by Shannon Stirnweis
by Sydney Shores
by Victor Prezio
by Walter Baumhofer
This is from 1950 and I really hope that it’s not a story about what’s about to happen down here over the next few days. It’s supposed to snow today. Last year, it snowed at this time and there were people who had to go days without power. That was not a fun snowslide.
This cover was done by Griffith Foxley.
by Griffith Foxley
This wonderful cover, from 1963, was done by Griffith Foxley.
by Griffith Foxley
They’re not lost, they’re just floating in front of that skyscraper. It’s a strange cover but I like it. The artist behind this striking imagery was Griffith Foxley.
Artist Unknown
Master Detective was one of the many true crime magazines that was published during the pulp era. What sets Master Detective apart is that it continued to be published long after the pulp era ended. The first issue came out in September of 1929 and Master Detective continued to be published all the way through September of 1995! That’s nearly 70 years of sex and murder!
That’s also nearly 70 years of memorable and sordid covers. Below are just a few examples. When known, the artist has been credited.
Artist Unknown
Artist Unknown
Artist Unknown
by Barye Phillips
by Bud Parke
by Edward Dalton Stevens
by Griffith Foxley
Unknown Artist
Unknown Artist
Unknown Artist
by Unknown Artist
Unknown Artist
Snakes!
Unknown Artist
Are you scared of snakes? If so, you’re not alone. According to 2001 Gallup Poll, 56% of Americans said they were scared of snakes. By comparison, only 45% of Americans said they were scared of public speaking while 41% said heights. Only 36% said they were scared of spiders and only 7% were frightened by the prospect of going to the doctor.
There are nearly 3,000 different species of snakes in the world and only 25% of them are poisonous. Most snakes are harmless and even the poisonous ones usually won’t strike as long as they’re left alone. But people will always be scared of snakes. The sound of a hiss is enough to send most people into a panic.
Back in the pulp era, snakes used to regularly appear on the covers of magazines and paperbacks, often being held by a cultist or threatening a bound victim. When it comes to pulp art, snakes are never good news. Take a look:
Artist Unknown
Artist Unknown
by Ed Valigursky
by Hans Wesselowski
Unknown Artist
Unknown Artist
Unknown Artist
by Rudolph Belarski
by Griffith Foxley
by John Pedersen
Long before it lent its name to HBO, True Detective was one of the most popular of all the pulp magazines. Founded in 1924, the American version of True Detective was published for 71 years, while the British version is still going! True Detective started out publishing a mix of crime fiction and nonfiction. Eventually, fiction was phased out and True Detective became the first “true crime” magazine.
Over 71 years, there were many covers that were painted by many different artists, some well-known and others forgotten. Below is a small sampling of the True Detective covers:
by Onzi Brown
Unknown Artist
Unknown Artist
Unknown Artst
Unknown Artist
By Brendon Lynch
By Brendon Lynch
By Brendon Lynch
By Griffith Foxley
By Joe Little
Artist Unknown
Artist Unknown
Artist Unknown
Through the Shattered Lens 