Domino Lady
Encyclopedia
The Domino Lady was a masked pulp
heroine who first appeared in the May 1936 issue of Saucy Romantic Adventures. All of her stories were published under the house name "Lars Anderson" owned by the publisher, Fiction House
. The author's real identity is unknown.
Saucy Romantic Adventures was a "spicy pulp" magazine, a genre that typically featured semi-pornographic short stories. Though writers for these were paid less, the cover price was higher than that of a typical pulp magazine. This was due to a combination of smaller print runs and what the traffic would bear. Such magazines were usually sold "under the counter" upon request.
New short stories and a comic book featuring The Domino Lady are currently being published by Moonstone Books
.
-educated socialite Ellen Patrick. When her father, District Attorney
Owen Patrick, is murdered she puts on a domino mask
and a backless white dress to avenge him. She would arm herself with a .45 pistol and a syringe full of knockout serum, but often her best weapon was her beauty, which often distracted and entranced opponents, or at the very least led them to underestimate her, allowing her to outwit them. Such wiles rarely worked upon her female adversaries, however.
She steals from her targets, donating most of the profits to charity after deducting her cut, and leaves a calling card with the words "Compliments of the Domino Lady".
The Domino Lady stories have been reprinted in one volume, Compliments of the Domino Lady by Bold Venture Press, with cover artwork by Jim Steranko
(ISBN 1-887591-70-2).
have published a series of Domino Lady and Domino Lady's Jungle Adventure comics written by Ron Wilber. They were collected and reprinted in 1995 as Eros Graphic Album Series No. 19: Domino Lady (ISBN 978-1560972174).
In 2009 Moonstone Books
published Domino Lady: Sex as a Weapon, a collection of eight new stories set in the 1930s and edited by Lori Gentile. Many stories involve the Domino Lady teaming up with other fictional characters like the Phantom
and Sherlock Holmes
.
In 2009 Moonstone also launched a comic book by Nancy Holder with art by Steve Bryant.
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
heroine who first appeared in the May 1936 issue of Saucy Romantic Adventures. All of her stories were published under the house name "Lars Anderson" owned by the publisher, Fiction House
Fiction House
Fiction House is an American publisher of pulp magazines and comic books that existed from the 1920s to the 1950s. Its comics division was best known for its pinup-style good girl art, as epitomized by the company's most popular character, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.-History:-Jumbo and Jack...
. The author's real identity is unknown.
Saucy Romantic Adventures was a "spicy pulp" magazine, a genre that typically featured semi-pornographic short stories. Though writers for these were paid less, the cover price was higher than that of a typical pulp magazine. This was due to a combination of smaller print runs and what the traffic would bear. Such magazines were usually sold "under the counter" upon request.
New short stories and a comic book featuring The Domino Lady are currently being published by Moonstone Books
Moonstone Books
Moonstone Books is an American comic book, graphic novel, and prose fiction publisher based in Chicago focused on pulp fiction comic books and prose anthologies as well as horror and western tales....
.
Character
The Domino Lady is really University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
-educated socialite Ellen Patrick. When her father, District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Owen Patrick, is murdered she puts on a domino mask
Domino mask
A domino mask is a small, rounded mask covering only the eyes and the space between them. Since the 18th century, the domino mask is worn during carnival. Venetian Carnival masks were known as domini because they resembled French priests' winter hoods, being black on the outside and white on the...
and a backless white dress to avenge him. She would arm herself with a .45 pistol and a syringe full of knockout serum, but often her best weapon was her beauty, which often distracted and entranced opponents, or at the very least led them to underestimate her, allowing her to outwit them. Such wiles rarely worked upon her female adversaries, however.
She steals from her targets, donating most of the profits to charity after deducting her cut, and leaves a calling card with the words "Compliments of the Domino Lady".
Stories
- The Domino Lady Collects (Saucy Romantic Adventures, May 1936)
- The Domino Lady Doubles Back (Saucy Romantic Adventures, June 1936)
- The Domino Lady's Handicap (Saucy Romantic Adventures, July 1936)
- Emeralds Aboard (Saucy Romantic Adventures, August 1936)
- Black Legion (Saucy Romantic Adventures, October 1936)
- The Domino Lady's Double (Mystery Adventure Magazine, November 1936)
Reprints
Reprints of the original pulp magazines and individual stories have been made, such as in Pulp Collector Press' Pulp Review in 1992.The Domino Lady stories have been reprinted in one volume, Compliments of the Domino Lady by Bold Venture Press, with cover artwork by Jim Steranko
Jim Steranko
James F. Steranko is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator....
(ISBN 1-887591-70-2).
Modern Adventures
Eros ComixEros Comix
Eros Comix is an adult-oriented imprint of Fantagraphics Books, established in 1990 to publish pornographic comic books. Eros Comix sells anime videos, DVDs, adult comic books, and books of erotic art and photography...
have published a series of Domino Lady and Domino Lady's Jungle Adventure comics written by Ron Wilber. They were collected and reprinted in 1995 as Eros Graphic Album Series No. 19: Domino Lady (ISBN 978-1560972174).
In 2009 Moonstone Books
Moonstone Books
Moonstone Books is an American comic book, graphic novel, and prose fiction publisher based in Chicago focused on pulp fiction comic books and prose anthologies as well as horror and western tales....
published Domino Lady: Sex as a Weapon, a collection of eight new stories set in the 1930s and edited by Lori Gentile. Many stories involve the Domino Lady teaming up with other fictional characters like the Phantom
The Phantom
The Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
and Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
.
In 2009 Moonstone also launched a comic book by Nancy Holder with art by Steve Bryant.