Tuesday, June 23, 2015

6/23/1934 Dwight V. Babcock scores a Dime

June 23, 1934.  Dwight V. Babcock sold his first story in 1933, to Black Mask (it was published in January 1934).  But on this date he cracked the main competitor as well, selling "Pearls Without Publicity" to Dime Detective Weekly.  It appeared in the August 15, 1934 issue.  The story was 5,500 words long and he was paid $55, a penny a word.

Babcock is thought of one of Captain Shaw's "Black Mask Boys," but he also appeared in Private Detective Stories, Double Detective, Super Detective, and other journals with equally unimaginative titles.    His greatest success was three novels about Hannah van Doren and Joe Kirby, beginning with A Homicide For Hannah.

Source:
Traylor, James L. "Murder Up His Sleeve."  The Armchair Detective.  Winter 1990.

1 comment:

  1. Good gosh! I just remembered! "Dwight Babcock" is the name of Mame's adversary in the "Auntie Mame" books!

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