For anyone like me who was curious about these titles:
Sure Fire Detective Stories was typical of the action-packed, violent, crime-adventure fiction of the mid-1950s which not only continued the tradition of the pulp magazines, but added to it by inserting a large measure of brutal sex. It ran for 9 issues from January 1957 to July 1958, and was then replaced by/renamed to Off Beat Detective Stories under which title it ran for a further 26 issues (at least). It is mainly remembered today for its graphic cover art, and for the occasional contributions from authors such as Robert Silverberg and Harlan Ellison.
[http://www.philsp.com/mags/off_beat_detective.html]
OK, this publication is proud to offer “All New Sock Stories” every issue. What’s a sock story?
I am told by Twitter that a sock story is one so hard-hitting it’s like a sock to the jaw. No strong evidence of that, though.
For anyone like me who was curious about these titles:
Sure Fire Detective Stories was typical of the action-packed, violent, crime-adventure fiction of the mid-1950s which not only continued the tradition of the pulp magazines, but added to it by inserting a large measure of brutal sex. It ran for 9 issues from January 1957 to July 1958, and was then replaced by/renamed to Off Beat Detective Stories under which title it ran for a further 26 issues (at least). It is mainly remembered today for its graphic cover art, and for the occasional contributions from authors such as Robert Silverberg and Harlan Ellison.
[http://www.philsp.com/mags/off_beat_detective.html]
Also contains “You Are Evil!”, by Harlan Ellison.