Weird Tales May 1937 — 'The Mark of the Monster' by Jack Williamson
Appearing on the May 1937 cover of Weird Tales — 'The Unique Magazine' — this lurid pulp painting depicts a snarling, ape-like monster crouching over a bound, scantily-clad woman lying prostrate amid leaping orange flames. The creature clutches a blade, its grotesque face twisted with menace. The composition is a quintessential 'damsel in peril' scene, showcasing the sensationalist visual formula that made Weird Tales infamous. The cover promotes Jack Williamson's story 'The Mark of the Monster,' alongside contributors Hazel Heald, Henry Kuttner, August W. Derleth, and Thomas P. Kelley.
This cover is closer to an exploding space station than a quiet library — a snarling monster, a near-nude captive woman, and a floor of open flames all crammed into one maximally lurid composition. It is pure, unapologetic Weird Tales excess at its most brazen.
“Weird Tales / The Unique Magazine / MAY / 25c / Thrills! Mystery! Excitement! / THE MARK of the MONSTER / by JACK WILLIAMSON / a powerful tale of weird horror / HAZEL HEALD / HENRY KUTTNER / AUGUST W. DERLETH / THOMAS P. KELLEY”
