Frank Blackwell

Frank Blackwell

Real Name

Frank Blackwell

Employers

Street & Smith

Titles

The Shadow Magazine

Biography:

Gender

Male

First "Shadow" publication

Shadow Magazine #1

Place of Birth

United States of America

Date of Birth

Date of Death

Unknown

Professional History

Frank Blackwell was the editor-in-chief of Detective Story Magazine published by Street & Smith during the early pulp days. In order to capitalize on their radio show, The Detective Story Hour, Street & Smith publisher, Henry W. Ralston, asked Blackwell to create a magazine featuring the mysterious character who narrated the weekly programs. Blackwell was fortunate when writer and newspaper man Walter B. Gibson walked into his office in December of 1930. He hired him on the spot.

Ralston, Gibson and editor John Nanovic discussed their ideas of a pulp-hero cloaked in mystery and magic, and thus a "Living Shadow" was created and published in his own magazine.

The three men became a team, and developed a system of plotting the stories together in a conference, then Gibson would write them from the outline. Soon after the magazine's launch, Blackwell continued editing Detective Story and Ralston took over as editor-in-chief of The Shadow: A Detective Magazine.

Work History

• Publications that were produced while "Frank Blackwell" was Editor-in-Chief

Notes

• The Shadow Magazine's title page (image above) actually featured an illustration of the "sinister" Frank Blackwell as a heading.

Trivia

• No trivia.

See Also

• Gallery of Frank Blackwell's pictures

Official Website

• None.
  

Links and References

• None.