The Shocking Covers of Super-Detective

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Dazzling Erin

by Hugh Joseph Ward

From 1940 to 1943, Super-Detective Magazine kept the world up-to-date on the adventures of Jim Anthony. Anthony was a crime fighter, described as being “half-Irish, half-Indian, and all-American.” Much like contemporary pulp heroes like Doc Savage, Phantom Detective, and the Shadow, Jim Anthony fought gangsters, saved damsels in distress, and even thwarted a few spies.

As you might be able to guess by looking at the covers below, the adventures of Super-Detective were, for the time, considered to be very racy. There was a greater emphasis on both sex and violence. As opposed to chaste and stoic heroes like Doc Savage, Jim Anthony was frequently very emotional and very flirtatious with his clients. Still, Jim Anthony did what had to be done to fight crime and keep America safe.

Here are a few of the covers of Super-Detective! Where known, the artist has been credited.

Artist Unknown

by Harry Lemon Parkhurst

by Hugh Joseph Ward

by Robert Maguire

The Covers of Private Detective Stories

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Dazzling Erin

by Harry Lemon Parkhurst

Private Detective Stories ran from 1937 to 1950 and, over the course of 134 issues, it shared stories of betrayal, murder, and detectives. The content was no different than what could be found in countless other pulp magazines of the era but, as you can tell by looking below, the covers were surprisingly violent even by the standards of the pulps.

Here’s just a covers from Private Detective Stories. As always, the artist has been credited when known.

by Allen Gustav Anderson

by Harry Lemon Parkhurst

by Hugh Joseph Ward

Unknown Artist

Artist Profile: Harry Lemon Parkhurst (1876 — 1962)

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Dazzling Erin

Often credited as either “H.L. Parkhurst” or “H.L.V. Parkhurst,” the Minnesota-born Harry Lemon Parkhurst studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and worked as an illustrator for 52 years. No matter which name he used, his work and style is always easy to spot. Parkhurst is perhaps best remembered for the covers that he painted for Spicy Adventure Stories. Sadly, this talented artist eventually lost his eyesight and spent his final years in the Burrwood Home For The Blind.

A small sampling of his work can be found below: