Darwination

In a not unusual occurrence, I came across some interesting tidbits after digging a little deeper into a paperback upon working with the cover image (painting by Harry Barton)

The confluence across pop culture mediums is once again strong with the author, as I hadn't heard of him as a prolific comic scribe who worked for D.C., Timely-Atlas, Quality, Fawcett, Archie, and other publishers during the golden age.  His wiki links his NYT obit where Lou Fine calls him "The Shakespeare of Comics." 
Alter Ego 158 has a nice lead article on him followed by a checklist article of his comics work.  I'll clip the intro here just to show the breadth of his comics contributions.  Also of interest to myself is the fact he was the publisher (or maybe more properly the editor from what I'm seeing in indicias) of Inside Story, purportedly the #2 competitor to Robert Harrison's all time classic gossip rag Confidential (and later he edited Space World for pal Otto Binder).  The number of existing copies of Inside Story seems to back the claim up, but I'd have to see some hard numbers to believe it (there were A LOT of Confidential clones).  Later there was TV as well, as he was lead writer on The Defenders (a highly respected law show I'm not familiar with) as well as Arrest and Trial an hour and a half show that was a protype of Law & Order where you see cops in the first half and D.A.s in the second.

I couldn't find any pulp entries (which doesn't mean he didn't try his hand under an alias), but working in comics, magazines, paperbacks, and TV shows a lot of flexibility/adaptability to changing markets and tastes (and how contacts in one area can lead to work in another).  Looking forward to reading Way of the Wicked, especially now wondering if he's got any particular insights or experiences he used from his time at Inside Story in the novel.  Opinion of the Court is apparently the book he was proudest of.  I think I'll start with this juicier one, though
 

a few upgrades recently

You're joking right? Have you ever seen a photo of Margaret Brundage? Even her dirty laundry would be classic. 
 
This one was just posted in a Facebook group that I follow and is a good example of why designating classics is difficult in Pulpdom. So much choice material, who can discriminate? I've always said, if a third party has to decide what's classic, how classic is it, really? GOD BLESS ...
-jimbo(a friend of jesus)
Here's another question, to even further muddy the waters ....
Is this a classic? or is THIS a classic?
 

Thanks for the tip here, Pumpkin, I watched it tonight while I was doing some scanning to see the magazine scenes. 
This is the sort of flick I hate to see get termed a noir (I think it's a pretty straight up cop flick), but it was worth watching even if it wasn't great.  It's kind of unique in its rhythm as the police start stumped and stay there for a good while, and you can feel their frustration.  My favorite scene comes early when Dorothy Patrick's reporter for a sleazy true crime mag is waiting for William Lundigan's detective in his apartment after he's been up for days obsessed with getting a break and totally exhausted.  He starts to get undressed and take a shower as if this young lady isn't standing right in front of him, great tension.
The mag stuff is neat.  I'm not sure how accurate Patrick's breakdown of newsboy vs. direct vs newsstand editions is but then they go around to a variety of bookstores.  I took a screencap or few - typically in these things you might find outdated magazines or prop magazines.
The mag that turns out to be the big break in the case (I'd add as what seems a very out of character move by the heretofore smooth criminal, just leaving this thing behind)

Prop.  Not a bad mock-up, though.  Sometimes you can find some inside joke gags on these, but I don't see any here. It's probably front and center in too many shots for gags.

One in a string of book stores they visit.  Maybe a real bookstore I'm thinking, maybe stock footage?.  In the left window, though, a much older mag, March 15th 1941:

In the front on the left an Argosy from April 27 1940:

Another bookstore

I see a number of DFWs, an Adventure -

Mmmkay, all the repeats, this screams prop, and whaddayaknow, there was no Real Detective Stories
Last one *paydirt*, we've got the killer's favored newsstand (and I'm guessing books more in line with the time of production)

Inside Detective 1946-01

Inside Detective 1947-06

Uncensored Detective 1947-08


Real Detective 1946-04

and a number of DFWs - maybe the props department had them around or there was a pulp fan that had some at home to pitch in?  These are way earlier than the true crimes and years before production - one from the badge months from late 40 into early 41 (too hard to tell exactly which one)

Feb 44

Feb 43

Director Richard Fleischer is responsible for such varied fare as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Soylent Green, The Jazz Singer, Red Sonja, and Tora, Tora, Tora.  A recent watch of one of his films which *is* noir and which I enjoyed much more is Violent Saturday.

Heh heh, I think waaaghboss gave you a nice heads up on the need to send that message
I don't send the proactive note every time, but I sure will on a particularly pricey or even just a prized book.  Unfolded tabloids get that message every time.  The first time I got one that had been unfolded for 80 or 90 years and it showed up folded into a flimsy envelope that was then squeezed in my mailbox was the last, but I did get burned on a slick last year I wasn't proactive on.   I'm even happy to help out a seller with some extra shipping/packaging monies if I'm asking for more than they were expecting.  I don't care if it's on a slow boat from China, just pack it right.  I'm not a high end collector, and sometimes a ten dollar purchase will be of literally a one of a kind object.  It getting to me in the condition I found it can be worth ten times more to me than monetary value.
Most of the time on the cheap common stuffs I buy, though, I just roll with it.  The way paperbacks often arrive is crazy, but at least they have their size going for them. 
I sent a Charlton today with my usual method for comics or mags - a stiff mailer where the book is fixed to the center of a not too tight cardboard sandwich that's an inch wider than the comic on all sides.  The shipping materials were worth more than the comic, but I dare the mailman to mess it up (no I don't, jinx jinx jinx).  *makes offering to the gods of parcel safety*
 

Heh heh, I think waaaghboss gave you a nice heads up on the need to send that message
I don't send the proactive note every time, but I sure will on a particularly pricey or even just a prized book.  Unfolded tabloids get that message every time.  The first time I got one that had been unfolded for 80 or 90 years and it showed up folded into a flimsy envelope that was then squeezed in my mailbox was the last, but I did get burned on a slick last year I wasn't proactive on.   I'm even happy to help out a seller with some extra shipping/packaging monies if I'm asking for more than they were expecting.  I don't care if it's on a slow boat from China, just pack it right.  I'm not a high end collector, and sometimes a ten dollar purchase will be of literally a one of a kind object.  It getting to me in the condition I found it can be worth ten times more to me than monetary value.
Most of the time on the cheap common stuffs I buy, though, I just roll with it.  The way paperbacks often arrive is crazy, but at least they have their size going for them. 
I sent a Charlton today with my usual method for comics or mags - a stiff mailer where the book is fixed to the center of a not too tight cardboard sandwich that's an inch wider than the comic on all sides.  The shipping materials were worth more than the comic, but I dare the mailman to mess it up (no I don't, jinx jinx jinx).  *makes offering to the gods of parcel safety*
 

I know I need help. Take.

Nobody gave me a heads up about anything so I'm not sure what you were referring to.  I've been in contact with this seller weeks before he was listing anything on eBay (never bought anything off of him because I didn't pressure him to sell things ahead of time, but talked with him extensively).
 
As far as shipping goes, I've done this for the last 20 years, where I send out "packing instructions , pictures and sometimes even a video on shipping."
I find if you don't do this, you can be playing Russian roulette with shipping and peoples knowledge about how to ship things out properly
 

Glad to get the book safely.   The seller has more faith in the usps than I do, however, with this thin cardboard envelope 😆 

What do you need to do is be proactive.
I sent the same seller pictures of how I want the books packed.  He sent them with between two thick pieces of cardboard that were larger than the pulps and saran wrapped to keep them tight instead of taped.  He then double boxed them ....perfect packing, but I sent pictures and explanation.
I then sent him my FedEx account number and had it sent Fedex.
 
 

I'm with PK in that this is a fave as far as BEM goes (and I think very distinctive style-wise). 

Ok, and one not Dave Stevens
Death Hawk #2 CGC 9.4 $75 SOLD!!
 

STRANGE DETECTIVE MYSTERIES   May 1940
GD+ cream pages
Insane prepare for head swap cover. This cover was originally used on the Sept. 1935 issue of Terror Tales, but was reworked for this pulp to show more cleavage, and a torn dress exposing the slip and more flesh. 
$300

Is that Gene Tierney? 
Nevermind, I see the small print! Hi "Laura!"