Saturday's random pulp cover: Clues Detective Stories "The Painted Nudes": April, 1939

Why, you ask, is this cover being featured?  Well, other than the fact that I am a figurative artist so the title appeals to me, but the illustrator of this cover is none other than the man who (by no effort of his own) painted the first cover to The Shadow.  Yep, Modest Stein did the Thrill Book art that was repurposed for the April 1931 issue of The Shadow Magazine featuring the first tale of The Dark Eagle, "The Living Shadow".

  "His impressionistic-styled covers for The Shadow began appearing in 1943. It was during his run that the magazine became digest size. Stein was able to provide a very surrealistic, and modern, look for the new smaller-sized magazine, which was indicative to the ones appearing on paperback books at the time. Most of his covers didn't even depict The Shadow on them." The Shadow Wiki
 

94 and counting

Happy Birthday, Dark Eagle!  We could all use a little justice about now!
 

"The Living Shadow" by Steranko

 Let's wind down the pulps with the James Steranko covers for Pyramid and then H B Jove.  The top one is obviously an homage to George Rozen's "Black Hush" cover.  The bottom image seems to be a call back to the Modest Stein recycled painting for the very first issue of The Shadow.

"Seven Deadly Arts"

 "A mysterious cult murmuring eerie incantations... death occurring in the wake of an ancient curse. It was more than black magic and superstition, it was the clever plot of mortal men, and only The Shadow sensed the danger." - The Shadow Wiki

At least the cover is a step up from the previous issue.  Hmmm, that's all I got to say 'bout this one.

"Malmordo"

 Bad cover, good story.  At least there's a shadow in the background.  This is the last of Gibson for awhile.  The next 15 tales are the dreaded Bruce Elliott "adventures". 

"Crime Over Casco"

 "This story has one major fault, that made me cry aloud in frustration. It's when, at the story's end, The Shadow reveals himself to strangers as being Kent Allard, and all with no good reason. He just casually reveals his most closely guarded secret. That brought an incredulous "WHAT!!!" from my gaping jaw. If we could somehow erase that one scene, which, by the way, would have no affect upon the story whatsoever, I think I could recommend this story as a fun romp with The Shadow." - The Shadow in Review

This story also appeared with last month's story in a Doubleday Crime Club edition.  Not sure why Doubleday kept picking later stories rather than the great ones from the 1930s but there you have it.

"Mother Goose Murders"

In a series of startling robberies, murderous men hold a beautiful hostage, and a clever code of nursery rhymes spells gun play instead of child's play! Can The Shadow smash the intricate web and bring a halt to terror? 

"Mother Goose Murders" was also reprinted as a Doubleday Crime Club selection.

"Crime Out of Mind"

 I like this cover.  Sure, it ain't a classic Shadow cover but it's well done and I always appreciate good artwork.  John, my go-to Shadow Magazine expert, says that this is the best story of 1946 and thinks it may have been written with particular care as it marks the 300th issue of this pulp powerhouse.

"The Banshee Murders"

 I like this cover from an art standpoint.  If it weren't for the title and the masthead this could almost be a woman's magazine cover.  Not a strong way to start 1946, according to The Shadow in Review, a year that will see Walter B. Gibson depart the series and leave it in the hands of Bruce Elliott.  A death sentence for this once proud publication.

"The Stars Promise Death"

 One of the better tales of 1945.  A very different cover for The Shadow Magazine.  Eh, seems a little out of place but then I haven't read it yet so, it may be very appropriate. 

"The White Skulls"

 "A gang of mysterious ex-Nazis who dress in tight fitting costumes of black, painted with the white ribs of skeletons. On their black hoods are painted ghastly white skulls. They control a strange and amazing power to control the shape of matter; they inhabit a hidden domed underground city, far beneath New York City. And it will take all the cunning and power of The Shadow to defeat their sinister evil!" -  J. Olsen

"A Quarter of Eight"

 "There were four interesting-looking pieces of an old Spanish coin - representing undreamed-of riches and undreamed-of danger! Only The Shadow could cope with the fearful legacy to which a couple of innocent victims fell heir." - The Shadow Wiki 

Another mid 40's tale that just doesn't measure up to the tremendous heights that The Shadow Magazine attained in the 1930s.  I read this many years ago when I picked it up at my local library as part of the Doubleday Crime Club hardcover edition that also featured "The Freakshow Murders."  

"The Taiwan Joss"

 Nope.  Not into this cover.  Hey, John... is the story any better?  Middle of the road, eh?  Well, it is 1945.  But, c'mon!  This is The Shadow!  Let's have some respect.  The man in black deserves better than this, right?  Sigh, we still have the Bruce Elliott run to endure.  By comparison this is probably a masterpiece.

Do I complain too much lately?  Yes, yes I do.  It comes from being spoiled by all of the great tales of the decade before.  The wonderful covers when the magazine had an actual logo and wasn't this little digest size.  When the darkness of the pulp page was actually darker than the evil that had enveloped the world with the Axis attempt at world domination.  Yep, the world changed and continues to do so.  I just wish this great character hadn't had to change as well.

"Murder By Magic"

 Another pretty sweet cover that just doesn't sell The Shadow for me.  Even the masthead is lost in the upper left.  And the story is just okay.  I'm sure Gibson really got into it because it dealt with magic but I remember being disappointed when I read this in the Doubleday Crime Club edition, paired with "The Mask of Mephisto".  It's all coming to an end and it really hurts to see how far this publication and, in turn, this character have fallen.  Lucky for us there are so many really top tier adventures to return to and we have to say that America's tastes were changing.  The inevitability of time...

"The Mask of Mephisto"

 This is a fun enough cover.  The only thing fun about this novel.  I was introduced to this via the public library with the Doubleday Crime Club edition.  I remember checking it out a few times but it never got any better.

 I could get behind this cover (love the skull ink stamps) if Stein has just dropped the silhouette  of The Shadow across the letters.  Oh well, the story comes in at just 30,000 words so there really ain't that much time to fixate on the little things.

"Tear-Drops of Buddha"

 "Come, commissioner, you can't really believe I murdered Grenshaw and Naseby? Talk to Dorgan again, and that chap who operated the cloak room at the Argonne. You'll find them both reliable." - The Shadow

A fantastic smuggling scheme involves The Shadow in his most dangerous assignment - to solve the secret of twelve, glowing tears! 

A bit of foreshadowing from Gibson in this one. 

'Author Walter Gibson inserted a little "inside" joke into this novel. A minor character - the cloak room attendant that Lamont Cranston is accused of binding and gagging - is named Elliott Bruce. This name is a reversal of one of Gibson's closest friends, and fellow magician, Bruce Elliott.

Little did Gibson realize at the time that slightly more than a year hence, he would leave Street & Smith, publishers of The Shadow, and be replaced by Bruce Elliott. Elliott would be the sole author of The Shadow pulps for the two years between 1946 and 1948. How competent a replacement Elliott turned out to be, is a matter for discussion elsewhere. Let's just say his work was uninspired.' - John Olsen

"Death Has Grey Eyes"

 This cover always reminds me of  "Eyes of The Shadow". 

It appears (heh) that this is a pretty fast moving and satisfying tale from 1945.  It must have been since it was reprinted in Britain in 1955.  A slightly modified and amateurish version of the American cover.

"Five Keys to Crime"

 A definite favorite cover of mine.  It may not scream "The Shadow" to anyone but it is such a well rendered and intriguing illustration that I have to give it a star for every key!  Even the story gets a thumbs up.

"Merry Mrs. MacBeth"

 No indication of The Shadow on this cover.  As John points out in his review there is a microphone that just kinda is there.  Not mentioned in the story so is it standing in for The Shadow as a nod to his radio program?  Who know, probably even The Shadow himself doesn't even know.  An average murder mystery but a below average tale of The Shadow.