The Sexton Blake Library

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The Sexton Blake Library
Sexton Blake Library-1.jpg
Cover The Sexton Blake Library #1 from 1915
Categories Story paper
FrequencyWeekly
First issue1915;108 years ago (1915)
Final issue1968 (1968)
Company Amalgamated Press
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based inLondon
LanguageEnglish

The Sexton Blake Library was a story paper of the first two-thirds of the 20th century, published by Amalgamated Press. It featured the adventures of private detective Sexton Blake, his boy assistant Tinker and their dog Pedro.

Contents

Overview

By the end of the first decade of the 20th century Sexton Blake was arguably the most popular detective in the boy story papers, featuring in weekly tales in the Union Jack. [1] [2] Wih the success of longer Blake tales in The Boys' Friend Library the Amalgamated Press decided to give him his own story paper. [3] The Sexton Blake Library debuted in 1915. The digest-sized publication specialized in longer tales, and at the height of its popularity was published 5 times a month. [3] The Sexton Blake Library was published in five "series" over the next fifty years. Publication ranged from 2–4 issues per month until the end of series 4 in 1964. Series 5, starting in 1965, was a sporadic series of paperbacks. The last edition, "Down Among The Ad Men" written by W. A Ballinger (Wilfred McNeilly), was published in October 1968. [4]

Series 1 ran from September 1915 until May 1925, a total of 382 issues. The first title in the series was The Yellow Tiger [5] and was written by George Hamilton Teed.

Series 2 ran from May 1925 until June 1941, a total of 744 issues. The first title in the series was The Secret of the Coconut Grove [6] and was written by George Hamilton Teed.

Series 3 ran from June 1941 until April 1956, a total of 358 issues.
The first title in the series was Raiders Passed [7] written by John Hunter.

Series 4 ran from June 1956 until June 1963, a total of 168 issues.
The first title in the series was Frightened Lady [8] by Howard Baker.

Series 5 ran from February 1965 until 12 October 1968, a total of 45 issues. The first title in the series was Murderer at Large written by W. A. Ballinger. [9]

Writers who worked on Sexton Blake stories throughout this 53-year span included Charles Henry St. John Cooper, [10] George Hamilton Teed, Edwy Searles Brooks, William Murray Graydon, Robert Murray Graydon, John Creasey, Jack Trevor Story, John G. Brandon, Michael Moorcock, and many many others. [11]

The majority of Sexton Blake Library covers (prior to editor William Howard Baker's 1956 revamp of the character) were painted by master Sexton Blake illustrator Eric Parker. [12]

A few issues of note

Issue # 1 (1915) of The Sexton Blake Library was published on 20 September 1915, entitled "The Yellow Tiger" and written by George Hamilton Teed. This issue featured popular Blake villains Wu Ling and Baron de Beauremon in an eleven chapter story, costing 3d (1.25p). The story is 107 pages; a second story, "The Great Cup-Tie!" (not featuring Blake) completes the remainder of the issue's 120 pages. [13]

Issues #2 and #4 (1915) Ill-Gotten Gains [14] and The Rajah's Revenge [15] were written by Andrew Murray and featured master criminals Professor Kew and Count Ivor Carlac in their first team ups. The first four issues of the Sexton Blake Library were collected and re-issued in The Sexton Blake Detective Library in 1989 by Hawk Books. [16]
Issue # 41 1st series (1917) The Mysterious Mr. Reece [17] written by Robert Murray Graydon marked the debut of Mr. Reece, a criminal mastermind that would play a prominent role in the landmark Criminals' Confederation epic that spanned close to 70 tales over the next 10 years. [18]

Issue #501 4th SeriesCaribbean Crisis (1962) is Michael Moorcock's first published novel. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexton Blake</span> Fictional British detective who appeared in numerous publications

Sexton Blake is a fictional character, a detective who has been featured in many British comic strips, novels and dramatic productions since 1893. Sexton Blake adventures were featured in a wide variety of British and international publications from 1893 to 1978, comprising more than 4,000 stories by some 200 different authors. Blake was also the hero of numerous silent and sound films, radio serials, and a 1960s ITV television series.

Story Paper Collectors' Digest was a journal published from November 1946 until May 2005, and with special intermittent issues continuing on until late 2007. It was created by Herbert Leckenby. With articles on story papers, it heavily featured the work of Charles Hamilton, Edwy Searles Brooks and the tales of detectives Sexton Blake and Nelson Lee. It was published monthly until 2004. The editors were Herbert Leckenby until his death in October 1959, then Eric Fayne until January 1987 when he retired as editor, then Mary Cadogan.

<i>The Boys Friend</i>

The Boys' Friend was a British story paper of the early 20th century, published by Amalgamated Press from 1895 to 1927.

Mark Hodder is an English author, since 2008 living in Spain. His six-part series of 'Burton & Swinburne' steampunk novels opened with The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack, which went on to win the 2010 Philip K. Dick Award. The following two novels, The Curious Case of the Clockwork-Man and Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon, were released in 2011 and 2012 respectively to wide acclaim from fans of the genre, with the latter nominated for a Sidewise Award. His fourth novel in the Burton & Swinburne series, The Secret of Abdu El Yezdi, was also nominated for a Sidewise Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Parker (illustrator)</span> British illustrator and comics artist (1898–1974)

Eric Robert Parker was a prolific British illustrator and comics artist best known for illustrating the adventures of Sexton Blake in various periodicals.

Sexton Blake is a 1928 six-part silent film serial produced by British Filmcraft. The serial stars Langhorne Burton as the fictional detective Sexton Blake, and Mickey Brantford as his assistant Tinker.

Sexton Blake and the Demon God is a 1978 six-part British BBC miniseries starring Jeremy Clyde as the fictional detective Sexton Blake. It was scripted by Simon Raven, directed by Roger Tucker and produced by Barry Letts. The serial was broadcast by BBC One at tea-time from Sunday, 10 September 1978, until Sunday, 15 October 1978. Like the 1967–1971 Sexton Blake series, it is set in the 1920s.

Francis (Frank) Howel Evans (1867–1931) was a Welsh author who wrote for many British story papers such as Chums, The Boy's Own Paper, and The Boys' Friend during the first few decades of the 20th century. He also wrote under the pen names Atherley Daunt and Crutchley Payne. Many of his stories take place in the theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Hamilton Teed</span> Canadian author

George Hamilton Teed was a Canadian author who also wrote under the pen-names G. H. Teed, Hamilton Teed, Peter Kingsland, and Desmond Reid. Teed was born in Woodstock, New Brunswick. He specialized in adventure fiction and detective stories starring Sexton Blake, but also wrote a few science fiction tales and several stories starring detectives Nelson Lee and Dixon Hawke. He penned over 400 tales and is considered to be one of the best Sexton Blake authors of all time. He created the longest list and the most varied gallery of characters in the Blake canon, his most unique contribution perhaps being the many strong female adversaries he pitted against Blake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelson Lee (detective)</span> Fictional detective in numerous boys story papers

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">John William Staniforth</span> British adventure and mystery author (1863–1927)

John William Staniforth was a British writer who wrote under the pen-names Stain Cortley, John Andrews and Maxwell Scott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Blyth</span> English writer

Henry Thomas (Harry) Blyth (1852–1898) was a British writer who also wrote under the pen-name Hal Meredith. Blyth was born in Greenwich, London. He wrote for many of Alfred Harmsworth's papers of the 1890s, and is mostly remembered for creating detective Sexton Blake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Murray Graydon</span> British writer

Robert Murray Graydon was a British novelist who also wrote under the pen-names Robert Murray, Murray Hamilton, and Murray Roberts. He is best remembered for his Sexton Blake stories featuring the Criminals' Confederation, a global criminal organisation that featured prominently in the Blake magazines from 1916 to the 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Murray Graydon</span> American writer

William Murray Graydon was an extremely prolific American writer who also wrote under the pen-names Alfred Armitage, William Murray, and Tom Olliver. He wrote adventure, historical fiction and Sexton Blake detective stories for boy's story papers.

<i>The Nelson Lee Library</i>

The Nelson Lee Library was a story paper of the first third of the 20th century, published by Amalgamated Press. It featured the adventures of private detective Nelson Lee and his boy assistant Nipper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexton Blake bibliography</span> List of cases featuring Fictional British detective Sexton Blake

Sexton Blake is a fictional detective who has been featured in many British comic strips, novels, and dramatic productions since 1893. He was featured in various British publications from 1893 to 1978 in a variety of formats: single-issue adventures, short stories, serials, and comic strips. In total, Blake appeared in more than 4,000 stories by over 200 different authors. During its golden age (1920s-1940s), Blake's adventures were widely read and translated into at least twenty different languages, including Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, French, Arabic, Hindi, and Afrikaans.

Sexton Blake is a fictional detective who has been featured in many British comic strips, novels, and dramatic productions since 1893. He was featured in various British publications from 1893 to 1978 in a variety of formats: single-issue adventures, short stories, serials, and comic strips. In total, Blake appeared in more than 4,000 stories by over 200 different authors.

During its golden age (1920s-1940s), Blake's adventures were widely read and translated into at least twenty different languages, including Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, French, Arabic, Hindi, and Afrikaans.

Sexton Blake is a fictional detective who has been featured in many British comic strips, novels, and dramatic productions since 1893. He was featured in various British publications from 1893 to 1978 in a variety of formats: single-issue adventures, short stories, serials, and comic strips. In total, Blake appeared in more than 4,000 stories by over 200 different authors.

Sexton Blake is a fictional detective who has been featured in many British comic strips, novels, and dramatic productions since 1893. He was featured in various British publications from 1893 to 1978 in a variety of formats: single-issue adventures, short stories, serials, and comic strips. In total, Blake appeared in more than 4,000 stories by over 200 different authors.

Dixon Hawke was a fictional detective who was featured in the DC Thomson publications from 1912 to 2000. Created in 1912 by an Unknown author for D C Thompson he appeared in various publications including The Saturday Post, The Sunday Post, The Sporting Post, Topical Times, The Evening Telegraph and The Dixon Hawke Library.

References

  1. Nevins, Jess (2005). Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana p. 76. Monkey rain Books. ISBN   9781932265156.
  2. Turner, E.S. (1976). Boys Will Be Boys, Chapter 9. Penguin. ISBN   9780140041163.
  3. 1 2 Wright, Norman (1989). "The Adventures of Sexton Blake, Detective". In Higgs, Mike (ed.). The Sexton Blake Detective Library. Hawk Books. ISBN   9780948248962.
  4. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1968.html#sbl5_45
  5. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1915.html#sbl1_1
  6. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1925.html#sbl2_1
  7. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1941.html#sbl3_1
  8. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1956.html#sbl4_359
  9. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1965.html#sbl5_1
  10. Marshall, H. (1924). Memories of a Private Detective. London: Hutchinson. p. 236.
  11. Holland, Steve. The Case of the Perplexing Pen-names. An Index to the 3rd and 4th Series of the Sexton Blake Library and a Guide to Their Authors CADS, 1994. ISBN: B008FODRCG https://www.blackpawbooks.com/pages/books/150904020/steve-holland/the-case-of-the-perplexing-pen-names-an-index-to-the-3rd-and-4th-series-of-the-sexton-blake-library-and
  12. W. O. G. Lofts, The Eric Parker Story, Collectors Digest Vol. 37 issues 437-440, 1983
  13. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1915.html#sbl1_1
  14. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1915.html#sbl1_2
  15. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1915.html#sbl1_4
  16. The Sexton Blake Detective Library 978-0948248962.
  17. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1917.html#sbl1_41
  18. Homer, Harry. (December 1950). "Monograph on the Criminals' Confederation". Collectors Digest Christmas Edition. p. 76-77 https://www.friardale.co.uk/Collectors%20Digest/1950-Xmas-CollectorsDigest-ChristmasAnnual-04.pdf.
  19. http://mark-hodder.com/blakiana/blakebibliography_1962.html#sbl4_501

Further reading