From Ned Pines’ publishing house, this is another of the famous “thrilling” group's fine publications. There were 74 issues published from October 1935 through May 1947, going from a monthly publication to a bi-monthly, finally to a quarter publication before its demise after the World War II period. Many pulps were on the way out, although some would stick around through the early to mid 1950s.

Although Thrilling Mystery published the same authors as did Thrilling Detective, it was not as popular as the longer running magazine, thus its life was cut short in 1947, while its sister publication, Thrilling Detective continued through 1953 and 213 issues. This was the way of the pulp magazine. The new pocket sized novels were more trendy than the larger pulp magazine. Plus, the paperback author was bringing a more hardboiled writing style to genre fiction. Basically, America was growing up after World War II, and the pulps just could not grow up fast enough.

But they tried. Ned Pines fired his old time editor, Leo Margulies, and brought in newer, and younger talent, hoping to give the readers what they wanted. More adult entertainment. Private eyes got tougher. Ladies started cussing. Sex entered the stories. But it was too late. Ned Pines shut his pulp empire down in 1953 or shortly thereafter, and started Popular Library, a paperback publishing house. Unfortunately, the “thrilling” was gone.

Leo Margulies had spent his life in the production of pulps. After college, he had been hired by Robert Davis, an editor at Argosy, and eventually became head editor for Ned Pines. He ruled the “thrilling” groups editorial staff, directing the path that led to success for the magazines that he controlled. When Ned Pines let him go, he wasn’t ready to retire. Although the pulps were dead, their descendants, the digest magazines, were alive. Leo and his wife, Cylvia started their own chain of pulps: Satellite SF, Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, Zane Grey Western Magazine, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Shell Scott Mystery Magazine, and Charlie Chan Mystery Magazine.

No matter how hard he fought, the pulps were gone. The glory days of Thrilling Mystery and Thrilling Detective had died.

Copyright 2005 by Virginia E. Johnson

Pulp historian Virginia Johnson has selected seven stories for Tales of Masks & Mayhem, featuring neo-pulp stories in the super-hero tradition by a variety of authors. Characters include Doc Atlas, The Tarantula, The Black Ghost, Secret Agent X, The Moon Man, The Black Bat, The Grey Monk, and The Scarecrow.

Tales of Masks & Mayhem (ISBN 0-975-254-235) is published by Mystic Toad Press.