Editing Sexton Blake (section)

==Publication history==
[[File:Missing millionaire.jpg|thumb|left|Cover of the first Sexton Blake tale]]

The first Sexton Blake story was "The Missing Millionaire". Written by [[Harry Blyth]] (using the pseudonym Hal Meredeth), it was published in The [[Halfpenny Marvel]] number 6, on 20 December 1893, a story paper owned by the [[Amalgamated Press]].<ref name="Wright 1989 p7">Wright, Norman. The Adventures of Sexton Blake Detective. Introduction to The Sexton Blake Detective Library, Hawk Books, 1989 p. 7. {{ISBN|9780948248962}}</ref> Blyth wrote six more Sexton Blake tales, three for the Marvel and three for [[Union Jack (magazine)|The Union Jack]] a story paper launched in April 1894.<ref name="Wright 1989 p7"/>

The Amalgamated Press purchased the copyright to Blake along with the first story Blyth had submitted and from 1895 onwards several authors began to pen Blake tales.<ref name="Wright 1989 p7"/> From August 1905 Blake became the resident character in [[Union Jack (magazine)|Union Jack]], appearing in every issue until its transformation into the Detective Weekly in 1933.<ref name="Wright 1989 p7"/> Blake continued as the main feature until Detective Weekly ended in 1940.

Blake's popularity began to grow during the Edwardian era, and he appeared in a number of different story papers. These appearances included serials in the tabloid sized ''[[Boys' Friend]]'' (1905), complete tales in the pocket-sized ''Penny Pictorial'' (from 1907 to 1913 (when that magazine ended), and short stories in ''Answers'', (1908–1911) one of the Amalgamated Press' most popular papers.<ref>Wright, Norman. The Adventures of Sexton Blake Detective. Introduction to The Sexton Blake Detective Library, Hawk Books, 1989 p. 9. {{ISBN|9780948248962}}</ref> Writers from this era include: [[William Murray Graydon]], [[John William Staniforth|Maxwell Scott]], Norman Goddard, Cecil Hayter, D. H. Parry, E. W. Alais, W. J Lomax, and Michael Storm.

In the second decade of the 20th century, new writers joined the ranks and created the formidable master criminals that matched wits with Blake. These include [[Andrew Nicholas Murray|Andrew Murray]], Anthony Skene, [[Robert Murray Graydon]], [[Edwy Searles Brooks]] and [[George Hamilton Teed]].

===Blake gets his own title===

Longer tales of 60,000 words or so appeared in ''The Boys' Friend Library'' and the success of these led to the creation of ''[[The Sexton Blake Library]]'' in 1915.<ref name="Wright 1989 p11">Wright, Norman. The Adventures of Sexton Blake Detective. Introduction to The Sexton Blake Detective Library, Hawk Books, 1989 p. 11. {{ISBN|9780948248962}}</ref> This digest-sized publication specialized in longer tales, and at the height of its popularity was published 5 times a month.<ref name="Wright 1989 p11"/> It ran for just under 50 years.

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 (illustrator)|Eric Parker]]

Writers who worked on Sexton Blake stories throughout this 53-year span included Charles Henry St. John Cooper,<ref>{{cite book|author=Marshall, H. |title= Memories of a Private Detective|location= London| publisher= Hutchinson|date= 1924|page=236}}</ref> [[John Creasey]], [[Jack Trevor Story]], [[John G. Brandon]]<ref>{{cite journal |last=Arnold |first=John |title=John G. Brandon and 'Coutts Brisbane': Two Australian Contributors to Sexton Blake and Inter-War Popular Fiction |journal=Australasian Journal of Popular Culture |volume=6 |issue=1 |date= March 2017 |pages=117–33|doi=10.1386/ajpc.6.1.117_1 }}</ref> [[Michael Moorcock]], and (allegedly) [[Brian O'Nolan]] (aka Flann O'Brien and Myles Coppaleen.)

In 1959 Fleetway Publications acquired the rights to Sexton Blake adventures and published [[The Sexton Blake Library]] until the title's demise. The final tale, The Last Tiger, was published in June 1963.<ref name="Wright 1989 p16">Wright, Norman. The Adventures of Sexton Blake Detective. Introduction to The Sexton Blake Detective Library, Hawk Books, 1989 p. 16. {{ISBN|9780948248962}}</ref>

In 1965, Blake editor William Howard Baker licensed the rights of the Sexton Blake character. He published the fifth series of [[The Sexton Blake Library]] independently via Mayflower-Dell Books, which ran until 1968. He then issued a final series of four Sexton Blake novels, using his Howard Baker Books imprint, in 1969.<ref name="Wright 1989 p16"/> From 1968 to 1971 Valiant published new comic strips in the style of the Knockout strips from decades earlier.<ref name="Wright 1989 p16"/> Blake's last original appearance was in ''Sexton Blake and the Demon God'' “a period thriller with ancient curses and cliff-hanger endings” in 1978.<ref name="Wright 1989 p16"/>

===Comic strips: 1939–1979===

Blake comic strips featured in ''The Knock-Out Comic'' (later ''Knock-Out Comic & Magnet'' and, finally, simply ''[[Knockout (UK comics)|Knockout]]'') from 1939 to 1960. The Blake strip was illustrated originally by artist [[Jos Walker]] and then by [[Alfred Taylor (comics)|Alfred Taylor]], who illustrated Blake's adventures for ten years. The undoubted highlight of Blake's 21-year run in ''Knockout'' was a 14-part 1949 strip drawn by Blake's greatest illustrator [[Eric Parker (illustrator)|Eric Parker]], entitled ''The Secret of Monte Cristo''. This was Parker's only contribution to Blake's comic strip adventures.

There was one ''[[Super Detective Library]]'' story about Blake: issue 68 (published November 1955), featuring a comic strip entitled ''Sexton Blake's Diamond Hunt''.

A final Sexton Blake comic strip (initiated to tie in with the 1967–1971 television show) featured in [[IPC Media|IPC]]'s weekly boys' anthology [[Valiant (comic)|''Valiant'']], from January 1968 to May 1970.

A seven-part Blake comic strip featured in [[IPC Media|IPC]]'s comic ''[[Tornado (comic)|Tornado]]'' from March 1979 to May 1979. A contract dispute (subsequently resolved in [[IPC Media|IPC]]'s favour) caused the ''Tornado'' editorial team to rename Blake "Victor Drago" (and Tinker & Pedro "Spencer & Brutus") for the duration of this strip.

===Other publications ===

A series of 160-page Sexton Blake annuals, featuring old stories and new material, began in 1938 and lasted till 1941.

Four hardbacks designed for the younger market were published by Dean & Son Ltd during 1968.<ref>[https://www.publishinghistory.com/sexton-blake-books-dean-and-son.html Sexton Blake Books (Dean and Son)], publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 23 March 2025.</ref> The third of these, ''Raffles' Crime in Gibraltar'', portrayed Blake contending with [[A. J. Raffles]], [[Ernest William Hornung|E.W. Hornung]]'s amateur cracksman.

There were a few anthologies and reprints in the 80s and 90s.

In 2009, [[IPC Media|IPC]]'s information manager, David Abbott, signed licenses to publish two Blake omnibus archive editions: ''The Casebook of Sexton Blake'', published by Wordsworth Editions, and ''Sexton Blake, Detective'' published by Snowbooks.

In 2009 Wordsworth Books published the casebook of Sexton Blake and Snowbooks published Sexton Blake Detective.

In 2013, [[Obverse Books]] licensed the character and published ''The Silent Thunder Caper'' by [[Mark Hodder]], the first book in a proposed sixth series of the Sexton Blake Library,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2013/05/sffh-link-post-for-2013-05-17/|title=SF/F/H Link Post |author=DeNardo, John|date=17 May 2013|website=SF Signal|access-date=2013-05-18}}</ref><ref name=ScotsmanSextonBlake>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/sexton-blake-back-in-print-1-2936166|title=Sexton Blake back in print|date=13 May 2013|website=[[The Scotsman]]|access-date=2013-05-18}}</ref> The imprint had previously published a collection of short stories featuring Blake villain [[Monsieur Zenith|Zenith the Albino]].<ref name=ZenithLives>{{cite web|url=http://obversebooks.co.uk/product/1-4-zenith-lives/|title=Zenith Lives|website=Obverse Books|access-date=2013-07-20}}</ref>

2018 saw an uptick in Sexton Blake reprints, with the first print novels published by Stillwoods Publishing, a Canadian publisher out of Nova Scotia.

In 2020 ROH Press began publishing Sexton Blake tales with ''Sexton Blake The Early Years'',<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.amazon.com/Sexton-Blake-Collection-Victorian-Detectives-ebook/dp/B088KWW8NG |title= Sexton Blake: The Early Years |website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] |date= 12 May 2020 |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref> a collection of Blake's first cases.

That same year British publishers [[Rebellion Developments]] released a Sexton Blake special under its Treasury of British Comics imprint.<ref>[https://2000ad.com/news/sexton-blake-is-back-pre-order-now/ 2000ad.com]</ref> They also produced four anthologies in 2020-21, each introduced by Blakeologist [[Mark Hodder]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://rebellionpublishing.com/product_series/sexton-blake/ |title=Sexton Blake |website=[[Rebellion Developments|Rebellion Publishing]] |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref>

===Sexton Blake bibliography===

The Sexton Blake bibliography is so extensive it has been divided into four sections. For a list of titles from the different Blake eras check out the links below.

'''1893–1911: The Victorian/Edwardian Era''' [[Sexton Blake bibliography]]<br />
In this era Blake works solo and with a variety of partners and detectives. In 1904 he acquires a sidekick, a young boy named Tinker. The following year he moved to Baker Street and acquired a dog named Pedro and a landlady named Mrs Bardell.

'''1912–1945: The Master Criminals Era''' [[Sexton Blake bibliography part 2: 1912–1945]]<br />
From 1913 onwards the master criminals reigned supreme, regularly matching with Blake.

'''1946–1978: The Post War Era''' [[Sexton Blake bibliography part 3: 1946–1978]]<br />
The era of the New Order saw Blake become more of a James Bond type. It also saw the end of the Sexton Blake Library in 1963. There were a few attempts at bringing him back, but the last original Sexton Blake story was published in 1978.

'''1979–present: Revivals and Republications''' [[Sexton Blake bibliography part 4: 1979–present]]<br />
Various publishers issued Blake novels and anthologies, collections of some of his most popular adventures.