Introduction
Sailor Steve Costigan is a fictional character created by American writer Robert E. Howard. He is a merchant sailor on the Sea Girl and is also its champion boxer. His only true companion is a bulldog named Mike (after his brother and fellow boxer, “Iron” Mike Costigan).
Costigan, one of Howard’s humorous boxing pulp heroes, roamed the Asiatic seas with fists of steel, a will of iron, and a head of wood. A striking contrast between Howard’s barbarians and swordsmen, Costigan was a modern-day character, written in a humorous, Texas tall-tale style. The Sailor Steve Costigan stories were very popular in the pages of Fight Stories, Action Stories, and the short-lived Jack Dempsey’s Fight Magazine. In a career that was made up largely from writing short stories about recurring characters, Howard wrote more completed stories about Costigan and his pugilistic ilk than about any of his fantasy heroes except Conan the Barbarian.
Fictional character biography
Steve Costigan is an Irish American from Galveston, Texas (Texas Fists, 1931). He has one brother, Mike, who is also a boxer and has been more successful in this sport than Steve himself (The Bull Dog Breed, 1930). He left Texas to become a sailor, soon becoming an Able Seaman (AB) on the merchant ship Sea Girl (registered in San Francisco, California). While he has worked on other ships, he considers this to be his home.
He has been an amateur boxer since childhood. Steve always likes to be the champion of whichever ship or organization he is part of (Circus Fists, 1931). Subsequently, the only title he really holds is “Champion of the Sea Girl” (which he refers to as “The Fighten’est Ship Afloat”). He found his pet bulldog, Mike, as a stray in Dublin and named him after his brother (The Bull Dog Breed, 1930). Steve is a heavyweight boxer, weighing 190lb and standing 6 ft (1.8 m) tall. He has the “Black Irish” combination of blue eyes and black hair.
Style
Howard used understatement and misdirection to create humor. He established Costigan as a most unreliable narrator, a sailor who can’t admit when he’s had a lot to drink, doesn’t realize he is a terrible judge of character and acts before he thinks.
These character flaws are the heart of the boxing series and make Costigan as sympathetic as he is hilarious. Told in a jaunty first-person style and in the past tense, the Costigan stories are presented in a slang-riddled, colloquial fashion. Howard grew up in the storytelling tradition of the Southwest and the narrative structure of the Costigan stories mirrors this, especially in the endings, with their humorous stings, inappropriate life lessons, and outright punch lines.
Dennis Dorgan
When Magic Carpet Magazine opened up as a companion to Weird Tales, Howard took some of the unsold Costigan stories and submitted them to the potential new market. The editor of both Magic Carpet and Weird Tales, Farnsworth Wright, was already publishing one story by Robert E. Howard and requested the author use a pseudonym for the boxing story. Howard chose “Patrick Ervin” for himself, and then not wanting readers to question why someone named Ervin would write about Robert E. Howard’s Steve Costigan character from Fight Stories, decided to change his main character’s name as well.
Howard resurrected the “Dorgan” surname from an earlier boxing story that was changed to a Costigan yarn, and added the more alliterative first name of “Dennis.” Every other character in the story remained the same; the name of the ship, the crew, and the bulldog. Dorgan was little more than a disguise for Costigan. With the pseudonyms in place, Wright accepted four Dennis Dorgan stories. After the fact, Howard changed the name of the Sea Girl to the Python, and the Mike into Spike. Bill O’Brien, Mushy Hanson, and Sven Larson stayed the same.
Only one Dorgan story, “The Alleys of Singapore”, however, was published (renamed “Alleys of Darkness”) before Magic Carpet ceased publication as well. Jack Dempsey’s Fight Magazine started after that, and Howard managed to place three more Costigan stories before the magazine folded. Fight Stories, after a hiatus of two years, returned as a quarterly magazine in 1934 and continued to reprint the Costigan stories for years after Howard’s death, changing the titles and eventually crediting the authorship to their house pseudonym, “Mark Adam”.
Despite these characters having different names, Costigan and Dorgan are the same character. They act, speak, and fight in exactly the same way, much like how there is no discernible difference between Howard’s humorous western characters Breckenridge Elkins and Pike Bearfield. “Dennis Dorgan” is counted as a separate character only because a number of the unsold Costigan stories were published by Darrell Richardson in the 1970s. Howard himself never really considered that the name Dorgan to be anything other than a pseudonym for Costigan, and went back to Costigan more than once.
The Crew
Name | Description |
The Old Man | The Welsh owner and captain of the Sea Girl. He is most familiar with the South Pacific and South China Sea. He frequently makes bad bets whilst drunk, which often adds to Steve's problems. |
Mike | Steve's white bulldog and best friend. He has killed several people, often by ripping their throat out. Steve has trained him not to interfere with fights in the ring and not to attack women. Mike largely mirrors Steve's personality. |
Bill O'Brien | Another Irish-American sailor/boxer aboard the Sea Girl. He is Steve's best (human) friend. |
Mushy Hanson | A Danish sailor/boxer aboard the Sea Girl. Mushy is an amateur poet and keeps a collection of Dime novels. (Over 6 ft (1.8 m), 200 lb) |
Sven Larson | A Swedish sailor/boxer who constantly challenges Steve for the title of Champion of the Sea Girl. (Champ of the Forecastle) - (6 ft 4in, 245 lb) |
Opponents
Name | Description | Size |
Bat Slade | Champion of the Dauntless. (The Pit of the Serpent) | 5 ft 10in, slightly less than 190lb |
Bert Harper | A sailor acting as a stunt-double in Hollywood. (Sailor's Grudge) | 6 ft 1in, 198 lb |
Big John Clancy | Bouncer at Ladeau's American Bar. (The Sign of the Snake) | 6 ft 1¾in, 230 lb |
Biff Leary | Champion of the Bueno Oro mine. (Texas Fists) | 5 ft 10in, 195 lb |
Bill Brand | An English boxer from the King William. (Hard-Fisted Sentiment) | 6 ft, 190 lb |
Bill Cairn | The Ironville Blacksmith. Title contender from Ironville, Nevada. (Circus Fists) | 6 ft 1¼in, 210 lb |
Bill McGlory | A sailor on the Dutchman. (Blow the Chinks Down!) | 6 ft, 190 lb |
Black Jack O'Brien | Sailor/boxer from the Water Snake. Has black hair and blue eyes like Costigan. (Night of Battle) | 6 ft, 190 lb |
Bucko Brent | The brutal, Australian mate of the Nagpur. (The TNT Punch) | 6 ft 1¾in, 189 lb |
Frenchy Ladeau | A French kickboxer from the S.S. de Comte. Specializes in savate. (Hard-Fisted Sentiment) | 6 ft 1in, 180 lb |
Hakon Torkilsen | Danish champion of the Viking and "Pride of Denmark". (Vikings of the Gloves) | 6 ft 1in, 185 lb |
Joel Ballerin | General Ironfist: Australian mercenary who leads a Chinese rebel army under the name General Feng. (General Ironfist) | 6 ft ½in, 200 lb |
Limey Grieson | Fighter at Ace's. (Breed of Battle) | 6 ft, 189 lb |
Panther Cortez | A sailor on the Water Snake. Has a reputation for fighting dirty. (Winner Take All) | 6 ft 1in, 185 lb |
Red McCoy | Fighter from the Whale. (Alleys of Peril) | 5 ft 8in, 185 lb |
Red Roach | Champion of the Ruffian. A redheaded, cross-eyed southpaw. (Waterfront Fists) | 6 ft 3in, 193 lb |
Shark Murken | Smuggler who controls the island of Barricuda. (By the Law of the Shark) | 6 ft 2in, 215 lb |
Tiger Valois | The heavyweight champion of the French navy. (The Bull Dog Breed) | 6 ft 1½in, 205 lb |
Battling Santos | The Borneo Tiger. Once famous Solomon Islander boxer. (Fist and Fang) | 6 ft 1½in, 200 lb |
Other
Iron” Mike Costigan: (5 ft 11in, 195 lb) Steve’s brother. He is mentioned but doesn’t directly appear in the Sailor Steve Costigan stories.
A Complete list of stories where Steve Costigan appears:
| Title | Summary | Featuring | Written | Published | Genre | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alleys of Darkness | Featuring Dennis Dorgan but was originally a Costigan story. Since Howard also had ‘The Shadow of the Vulture’ in the same issue, they used the pseudonym, Patrick Ervin. Alternate title ‘Alleys of Singapore’. First published in Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934. Howard wrote the story in May, 1933. | Steve Costigan, Jed Whithers, Ace Bissett, Glory O'Dale, Diamond Joe Galt, Mike, Kid Leary, The Old Man, Limey Teak, Bill Reynolds, Dutch Steinmann, Red Partland, The Sea Girl, Bill O'Brien | 1934-01-00 | Boxing | $45.90 | |
| Alleys of Darkness (synopsis) | Featuring Dennis Dorgan but was originally a Costigan story. Since Howard also had ‘The Shadow of the Vulture’ in the same issue, they used the pseudonym, Patrick Ervin. Alternate title ‘Alleys of Singapore’. First published in Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934. Howard wrote the story in May, 1933. | The Sea Girl, Kid Leary, Steve Costigan, Jed Whithers, Mike, Ace Bissett, Glory O’Dale, Diamond Joe Galt | Boxing | |||
| Alleys of Peril | Featuring Steve Costigan. Alternate title ‘Leather Lightning’. First published in Fight Stories, volume 3, number 8 January, 1931. | Steve Costigan, Red McCoy, Jack Ridley, The White Tigress, To Yan, Smoky, Squint-Eye, Snake, The Dutchman, Wladek, Mike, Sea Girl, Whale, Castleton | 1931-01-00 | Boxing | $80.00 | |
| The Battling Sailor | An incomplete story featuring Steve Costigan. | Steve Costigan, Kid Allison, Bill O’Brien, Red Darts | Boxing | |||
| Blow the Chinks Down! | BLOW THE CHINKS DOWN! is a Sailor Steve Costigan short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in the October 1931 issue of Action Stories. The original title is THE HOUSE OF PERIL, featuring Mike Dorgan and Bill McGlory. Action stories made the changes to make it into a Costigan story and changed both the title and the names of the characters and the boat. | Steve Costigan | 1931-10-00 | Boxing | $75.00 | |
| Blue River Blues | First published in French in Steve Costigan Le Champion, (Nouvelles Editions Oswald, March 1987). First published in English in The Last of the Trunk Och Brev I Urval (Paradox Enertainment, March 2007). Featuring Steve Costigan. | Steve Costigan, Joey Garfinkle, Hansel Jermstad, Terrible Dmitri, Oslof, John Gower, Abdul the Turk, Gustaf the Hideous Hungarian, Dingan the Zulu Bonecrusher, Abraham Cohn, Mr. Leary | Boxing | |||
| Breed of Battle | ‘Breed of Battle’ is a Sailor Steve Costigan short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in the November 1931 issue of Action Stories. It is now in the public domain. Alternative titles are: ‘The fightin’est pair’ and ‘Samson had a soft spot’. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Porkey Straus, Joe Ritchie, Terror, Philip D’Arcy, Johnnie Blinn, Grieson ("Limey"), Fritz Steinmann, Sea Girl | 1931-11-00 | Boxing | $80.00 | |
| The Bull Dog Breed | ‘The Bull Dog Breed’ is a Sailor Steve Costigan short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in the February 1930 issue of Fight Stories. Alternative titles: ‘You got to kill a bulldog’ published with the pseudonym Mark Adam. | Steve Costigan, Mike, The Old Man, Tom Roche, Bill O’Brien, Mushy Hansen, Olaf Larsen, Penrhyn, Red O’Donnell, Tiger Valois, Sea Girl | 1930-02-00 | Boxing | $90.00 | |
| By the Law of the Shark | “By the Law of the Shark” is a rollicking adventure story set in the South Seas, specifically on the notorious island of Barricuda, a den of iniquity and the backdrop for a tale of fists, honor, and a daring quest for freedom. The protagonist, Steve Costigan, a sailor aboard the merchant ship Sea Girl and a formidable boxer, finds himself stranded in Barricuda after a night of inadvertent revelry. | Steve Costigan, Diane, Shark Murken, Armand, Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| Casonetto’s Last Song | About a Satanic cult and a haunted record. A record is sent to Stephen Gordon after the death of Casonetto. Also featuring his friend Steve Costigan who might or might not be the boxer sailor Steve Costigan. | Stephen Gordon, Steve Costigan | 1928-00-00 | Horror | ||
| Champ of the Forecastle | Featuring Steve Costigan. The alternate titles are ‘The Champion of the forecastle’ and ‘Champ of the seven seas’. First published in Fight Stories, volume 3, number 6 November 1930. Published under the pseudonym Mark Adams in Fight Stories volume 5, number 8. | Steve Costigan, Sven Larson, Bill O’Brien, Mushy Hansen, Mike, Segrida, Olaf Ericson, Knut, Fritz, Sea Girl | 1930-11-00 | Boxing | $65.00 | |
| The Champion of the Forecastle | Featuring Steve Costigan. The alternate titles are ‘Champ of the forecastle’ and ‘Champ of the seven seas’. | Steve Costigan, Sven Larson, Bill O’Brien, Mushy Hansen, Mike, Segrida, Olaf Ericson, Knut, Fritz, Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| Champ of the Seven Seas | Featuring Steve Costigan. The alternate titles are ‘Champ of the forecastle’ and ‘Champ of the seven seas’. | Steve Costigan, Sven Larson, Bill O’Brien, Mushy Hansen, Mike, Segrida, Olaf Ericson, Knut, Fritz, Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| Circus Fists | Featuring Steve Costigan. Alternative title: Slugger Bait. First published in Fight Stories December 1931. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Battling Bingo, Joe Beemer, Flash Larney, Bill Cairn, Ace Brelen, Honest Jim Donovan, The Old Man, Monagan, Oswald, Sultan, Amir, Sea Girl | 1931-12-00 | Boxing | $70.00 | |
| Costigan vs. Kid Camera | First published in Fight Stories volume 2 number 10 March, 1930 as ‘Sailor’s Grudge’. It was published again in Fight Stories volume 5 number 7 in 1938 under the name Mark Adam and with the changed title. | Steve Costigan | Boxing | |||
| Cultured Cauliflowers | ‘Cultured Cauliflowers’ is an unpublished manuscript by Patrick Ervin found after Howard’s death. ‘Cultured Cauliflowers’ was edited and retitled ‘In High Society’. Cross Plains Library has one original draft of this story and a retyped draft by the Otis Adelbert Kline Agency. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Horace J. J. Vander Swiller III, Johnny McGoorty, Gentleman Jack Belding, Billy Dolan, Joe Kerney, Foxy Barlow, Jim Ash | Boxing | |||
| Cupid vs. Pollux | Cupid vs. Pollux. First published in the Yellow Jacket volume XIII number 20, Howard Payne College. | Steve Costigan, Spike Moran, Tarantula Soons, Monk Gallranan | 1927-02-10 | Humor, Boxing | ||
| Dark Shanghai | Originally a story featuring Mike Dorgan and Bill McGlory. The story was published in ACTION STORIES as “Dark Shanghai.” and Mike Dorgan was changed to Steve Costigan. REH wrote three stories featuring Mike Dorgan and Bill McGlory. “One Shanghai Night” was the second of the three stories. It was submitted to Fiction House and accepted. | Steve Costigan | 1932-01-00 | Boxing | $75.00 | |
| The Fangs of the Yellow Cobra | Alternate Titles: ‘The Yellow Cobra’, ‘Sailor Dorgan and the Yellow Cobra’, ‘Sailor Costigan and the Yellow Cobra’, ‘A Night Ashore’ and ‘A Korean Night’. Featuring Sailor Steve Costigan. “The Fangs of the Yellow Cobra” is the earliest complete draft of the story “The Yellow Cobra”. | Steve Costigan | Boxing | |||
| The Fightin’est Pair | ‘The Fightin’est Pair’ is a Sailor Steve Costigan short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in the November 1931 issue of Action Stories as ‘Breed of Battle’. It is now in the public domain. Alternative titles are: ‘Breed of Battle’ and ‘Samson had a soft spot’. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Porkey Straus, Joe Ritchie, Terror, Philip D’Arcy, Johnnie Blinn, Grieson ("Limey"), Fritz Steinmann, Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| Fist and Fang | First published in FIGHT STORIES May 1930. Published again in Winter 1938-1939 but under the name of Mark Adam and the title: “Cannibal Fists”. | Steve Costigan, Bill O’Brien, Mike, Battling Santos, Chief Togo, The Old Man, MacGregor, Penrhyn, Sea Girl | 1930-05-00 | Boxing | $100.00 | |
| Flying Knuckles | Alternate Title: untitled story (A sailorman ain’t got no business … ). Featuring Steve Costigan. | Steve Costigan, Don Rafael Fernandez Pizarro, Diego Zorilla, Captain Richard Stark, General Salvador, Mike, Mike, The Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| General Ironfist | “General Ironfist” is a Sailor Steve Costigan short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in the June 1934 issue of Jack Dempsey’s Fight Magazine. Howard earned $35 for the sale of this story which is now in the public domain. | Steve Costigan, Soapy Jackson, General Yun Chei, Joel Ballerin, General Whang Shan, Sea Girl | 1934-06-00 | Boxing | $35.00 | |
| Hard-Fisted Sentiment | “Hard-Fisted Sentiment” is a short story set in the rough and tumble world of seamen and boxers, illustrating the deep bonds that can form in harsh conditions. The story’s protagonist is Steve Costigan, a seaman and boxer, who finds himself in a situation that calls for both his fighting skills and his unexpected capacity for sentimental loyalty. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Shifty Strozza, Jim Barlow, Yat Yao, Frenchy Ladeau, Peter Nogaya, Bill Brand, Terence Murphy | Boxing | |||
| The Honor of the Ship | THE HONOR OF THE SHIP. Featuring Steve Costigan. The title was given by Glenn Lord. One of the last Costigan stories written. Steve Costigan, a respected fighter and crew member aboard the Sea Girl, encounters John Zachary Grimes, a newcomer with a quiet but firm demeanor from Kentucky. Their interaction aboard the ship sets a foundation for conflict and mutual respect, woven through physical confrontations and moral decisions. | Steve Costigan, John Zachary Grimes, Olaf Ericson, Mushy Hansen, Bill O’Brien, McPartland, Slippery Steen, Kid Reynolds, Mike, Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| The House of Peril | THE HOUSE OF PERIL. REH wrote three stories featuring Mike Dorgan and Bill McGlory. THE HOUSE OF PERIL was the first of the three stories. It was submitted to Fiction House and accepted. However, Mike Dorgan was changed to Steve Costigan, his ship China Moon became The Sea Girl, and a line was added referencing Costigan’s bulldog Mike. | Steve Costigan, Bill McGlory, Mike Dorgan | Boxing | |||
| Includin’ the Scandinavian! | Published in FIGHT STORIES Fall 1940. Published under the name of Mark Adam. “Includin’ the Scandinavian” previously appeared in FIGHT STORIES V4N9, February 1932 as “Vikings of the Gloves” | Steve Costigan, Bill O'Brien, Mushy Hansen, Neimann, Hakon Torkilsen, Jon Yarssen (John Jones), The Old Man, Captain Gid Jessup, Mike, Sea Girl, Nigger King | Boxing | |||
| In High Society | ‘Cultured Cauliflowers’ is an unpublished manuscript by Patrick Ervin found after Howard’s death. ‘Cultured Cauliflowers’ was edited and retitled ‘In High Society’. Cross Plains Library has one original draft of this story and a retyped draft by the Otis Adelbert Kline Agency. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Horace J. J. Vander Swiller III, Johnny McGoorty, Gentleman Jack Belding, Billy Dolan, Joe Kerney, Foxy Barlow, Jim Ash | Boxing | |||
| Iron-Clad Fists | Join Steve Costigan and Bill Stark in “Iron-Clad Fists” as they navigate a hilariously misguided attempt to leave their boxing careers behind, only to find themselves in even more absurd adventures. Howard used Patrick Ervin as a pseudonym. Alternative title: “A Knight of the Round Table”. | Steve Costigan, Bill Stark, Professor Gallipoli Antipodes Jeppard, Mike, Jack Pendleton, Sir Galahad of Oakland: | Boxing | |||
| A Korean Night | “A Korean Night” is a slightly different, earlier original draft of the Costigan version. | Steve Costigan | Boxing | |||
| Leather Lightning | Published with the name Mark Adam. The alternate title is ‘Alleys of Peril’. First published in Fight Stories, volume 3, number 8 January 1931. Originally this was a Mike O’Brien story. It was rewritten as a Costigan after a rejection. | Steve Costigan, Red McCoy, Jack Ridley, To Yan, Smoky, Squint-Eye, Snake, The Dutchman, Wladek, Sea Girl, Whale, Castleton | Boxing | |||
| Manila Manslaughter | Published with the name Mark Adam. The alternate title is ‘The Pit of the Serpent’. First published in Fight Stories volume 5, number 5, Fall 1937. | Steve Costigan, Bat Slade, Raquel La Costa, The Oily Bird (Promoter), The Dip, Don Jose y Balsa Santa Maria Gonzales, Juan, Sea Girl, Dauntless | Boxing | |||
| A New Game for Costigan | A New Game for Costigan. The original typescript lists the author as “Patrick Ervin”, a pseudonym REH used in connection with his Dennis Dorgan stories. Otis Adelbert Kline and later agents retained the original typescript (titled “A New Game for Dorgan”), and it was eventually donated to Cross Plains Library. In OAK’s logs the title is originally “A New Game for Costigan”, then “Costigan” is struck out and “Dorgan” is written above it, along with “Patrick Ervin”. | Steve Costigan, Bill O'Brien, Mushy Hansen, Jim Rogers, Sven Larson, Hard-cash Clemants, Horace Clemants, Billy Ash, Bull Clanton, Flash Reynolds, Terry Hoolihan, Mike | Boxing | |||
| A New Game for Costigan (synopsis) | A New Game for Costigan. The original typescript lists the author as “Patrick Ervin”, a pseudonym REH used in connection with his Dennis Dorgan stories. Otis Adelbert Kline and later agents retained the original typescript (titled “A New Game for Dorgan”), and it was eventually donated to Cross Plains Library. In OAK’s logs the title is originally “A New Game for Costigan”, then “Costigan” is struck out and “Dorgan” is written above it, along with “Patrick Ervin”. | Steve Costigan, Mr. Clemants, Bill O’Brien, Mushy Hansen, Jim Rogers, Sven Larson, Horace Clemants, Billy Ash, Bull Clanton, Flash Reynolds, Shifty Steinmann, Bill Hoolihan, Panther Gomez | Boxing | |||
| A Night Ashore | A Night Ashore. Alternate Title #1: SAILOR COSTIGAN AND THE YELLOW COBRA – Alternate Title #2: THE YELLOW COBRA | Steve Costigan | Boxing | |||
| Night of Battle | “Night of Battle,” also published as “Shore Leave for a Slugger,” thrusts Steve Costigan into a whirlwind of adventure and misadventure in Singapore. First published in Fight Stories in March 1932. Howard earned $60.00 for the story. Published again with the byline Mark Adam in the same magazine in the Fall 1942 issue and the title was changed to “Shore Leave for a Slugger”. | Steve Costigan, Black Jack O’Brien, Johnny Kyelan, Bad Bill Kerney, Mike, Old Bunger, Ace Larnigan, The Sea Girl:, The Water Snake | 1932-03-00 | Boxing | $60.00 | |
| Night of Battle (synopsis) | “Night of Battle” the synopsis. See “Night of Battle”, the full story for more details. | Steve Costigan, Black Mike O'Brien, Johnny, Bad Bill Kerney | 1932-03-00 | Boxing | $60.00 | |
| The Paradox | “The Paradox” by Robert E. Howard is a short story that delves into the gritty realities of life in the oil fields of West Texas during the early 20th century. The Paradox. 1700 words, unfinished. | Steve Costigan, Mr. Eben, Leary | ||||
| The Pit of the Serpent | The Pit of the Serpent. The alternate title is ‘Manila Manslaughter’. First published in Fight Stories volume 5, number 5, Fall 1937. | Steve Costigan, Bat Slade, Raquel La Costa, The Oily Bird (Promoter), The Dip, Don Jose y Balsa Santa Maria Gonzales, Juan, Sea Girl, Dauntless, Mushy Hansen | 1929-07-00 | Boxing | $90.00 | |
| Sailor Costigan and the Destiny Gorilla | Sailor Costigan and the Destiny Gorilla. Featuring Steve Costigan. Alternate titles: SAILOR DORGAN AND THE DESTINY GORILLA and THE DESTINY GORILLA. | Steve Costigan, Teddy Blaine, Bill Elkins, Waspy Shaw, Bully Klisson, Ned Brock, Tony Spagalli, Mike, One-Round Egan, Ahmed, Jimmy Richards | Boxing | |||
| Sailor Costigan and the Destiny Gorilla (synopsis) | Sailor Costigan and the Destiny Gorilla. Featuring Steve Costigan. Alternate titles: SAILOR DORGAN AND THE DESTINY GORILLA and THE DESTINY GORILLA. | Steve Costigan, One-round Egan, Waspy Shaw, Bully Klisson, Ned Brock, Ned Brock, Tony Spagalli, Ahmed the Malay, Teddy Richards, Big Bill Elkins, The Sea Girl, Mike | Boxing | |||
| Sailor Costigan and the Jade Monkey | Sailor Costigan and the Jade Monkey. Patrick Ervin was used as a pseudonym. Three drafts exist for this story; One early shorter untitled draft; A draft in final form told in the 3rd person; A draft in final form told in the 1st person. The 3rd party draft was prepared a couple of years before the 1st. person version. The 1st. person version is the one sent to Otis Adelbert Kline, who proceeded to mark it up with changes to try to make it a Dennis Dorgan story. Kline then sold the story to THE MAGIC CARPET MAGAZINE and it was announced in the last issue (January 1934). THE MAGIC CARPET MAGAZINE then went under and it was never published. OAK listed the story in his records as “Sailor Costigan and the Jade Monkey.” | Steve Costigan, Jim Rogers, Betty Chisom, Swordfish Connolly, Spagoni, The Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| Sailor Costigan and the Swami | Sailor Costigan and the Swami. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Swami Ditta Baksh, Gubbetts, Joe Barlow, Bristol Rainey, Johnny Wicketts, Hopkins, Kid Jackson, Joey Gagnon, Bill Harrison, Jim Brent, Battling Brock, Bristol Rainey, Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| Sailor Costigan and the Turkish Menace | Step into the mysterious Shanghai waterfront where Sailor Steve Costigan finds himself unwittingly entangled in a violent robbery, a gritty underground fight, and a dangerous mix-up with the law in “Sailor Costigan and the Turkish Menace.” The story was received by Howard’s agent, Kline, on April 29, 1933. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Black Mike O’Brien, Johnny, Goslin, Mike Dorgan, Bill McGlory, Abdullah the Terrible Turk, The Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| Sailor Costigan and the Turkish Menace (synopsis) | In the synopsis for “Sailor Costigan and the Turkish Menace,” Steve Costigan lands in the bustling city of Singapore and inadvertently gets entangled in a case of mistaken identity and crime. As Steve walks down a back street at night, he witnesses a robbery where a bulky man assaults another man and steals his briefcase. Steve chases the assailant but loses him in the maze of dark alleys. | Steve Costigan, Bill McGlory | Boxing | |||
| Sailor Costigan and the Yellow Cobra | Howard sent Otis Adelbert Kline a finished typescript entitled “Sailor Costigan and the Yellow Cobra.” This typescript was first corrected, and then later changed into the Dennis Dorgan story “Sailor Dorgan and the Yellow Cobra” by Patrick Ervin. It was sold to MAGIC CARPET MAGAZINE, but never published by them. The typescript at the Cross Plains Library is Howard’s, but correction tape has been used to change Howard to Ervin, Costigan to Dorgan, Mike to Spike, The Sea Girl to The Python, etc.) Still, later, a “clean copy” was produced that incorporated all the changes and corrections. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Bill O’Brien, Jack Randal, Dutchy Grober, Tao Tsang, Sea Girl, Ashanti | Boxing | |||
| Sailor’s Grudge | Sailor’s Grudge. Featuring Steve Costigan. First published in Fight Stories volume 2 number 10 march 1930 as ‘Sailor’s Grudge’. It was published again in Fight Stories volume 5 number 7 in 1938 under the name Mark Adam and with the changed title. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Marjory Harper, Bert, Tommy Marks, Reginald Van Veer, Terry O’Rourke, Spike Monahan:, Sea Girl | 1930-03-00 | Boxing | $75.00 | |
| Sailors’ Grudge (outline) | Outline of Sailor’s Grudge. | Steve Costigan, Reginald Van Veer | Boxing | |||
| Samson had a soft spot | Samson had a soft spot is a Sailor Steve Costigan short story by Robert E. Howard posted under the name Mark Adam. Alternative titles are: ‘THE FIGHTIN’EST PAIR’ and BREED OF BATTLE. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Porkey Straus, Joe Ritchie, Terror, Philip D’Arcy, Johnnie Blinn, Grieson ("Limey"), Fritz Steinmann, Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| Shanghied Mitts | Shanghied Mitts is a Sailor Steve Costigan short story by Robert E. Howard. Published under the name Mark Adam. Should probably have been ‘Shanghaied Mitts’. | Steve Costigan, Snoots (Biff) Leary, Slim, Joan Dornley, Lopez the Terrible, Menly, Bill Dornley, Mike, Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| Shore Leave for a Slugger | SHORE LEAVE FOR A SLUGGER. First published in Fight Stories in March 1932 as NIGHT OF BATTLE. Published again with the byline Mark Adam in the same magazine in the Fall 1942 issue and the title was changed to SHORE LEAVE FOR A SLUGGER. | Steve Costigan, Black Jack O’Brien, Johnny Kyelan, Bad Bill Kerney, Mike, Old Bunger, Ace Larnigan, The Water Snake, The Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| The Sign of the Snake | The Sign of the Snake. Featuring Steve Costigan. First published in Action Stories, volume 10, number 10 June 1931. | Steve Costigan | 1931-06-00 | Boxing | $75.00 | |
| Slugger Bait | Slugger Bait. Published under the name Mark Adam. Featuring Steve Costigan. First published in Fight Stories in December 1931 as ‘Circus Fists’. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Battling Bingo, Joe Beemer, Flash Larney, Bill Cairn, Ace Brelen, Honest Jim Donovan, The Old Man, Monagan, Oswald, Sultan, Amir, Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| The Slugger’s Game | The Slugger’s Game is a Sailor Steve Costigan short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in the May 1934 issue of Jack Dempsey’s Fight Magazine. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Smoky Jones, Li Yun, Wells, Torpedo Willoughby (Slash Jackson), Bisly | 1934-05-00 | Boxing | $35.00 | |
| Sluggers of the Beach | “Sluggers of the Beach” is a high-octane tale featuring Sailor Steve Costigan and a cast of colorful characters embroiled in a quest for a hidden treasure. The story is marked by a mix of action, humor, and a twist that upends expectations. It was originally published in the August 1934 issue of Jack Dempsey’s Fight Magazine. The story was sold for $35.00. | Steve Costigan, Red Hoolihan, Laura Hopkins, Suez Kit, Slip Harper, Chin Yat, Smoky Harrigan, Bat Schimmerling, Joe Donovan, Tom Storley | 1934-08-00 | Boxing | $35.00 | |
| Spanish Gold on Devil Horse (early draft) | An early draft of Spanish Gold on Devil Horse. | Steve Costigan, Marylin la Valon, Skinny, Gomez, El Culebra, Leary | Adventure | |||
| Stand up and Slug! | Stand up and Slug! First published in Fight Stories volume 6 number Summer 1940. | Steve Costigan, Bill O’Brien, Sven Larsen, Gloria Flynn, Red Roach, Mike, Tony Andrada, Salana, Abe Gold, Joe Cromwell, Billy Flynn, Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| A Student of Sockology | “A Student of Sockology” is a lively tale of courage, wit, and the unexpected intersections between academia and the rough-and-tumble world of professional boxing. The story follows Sailor Steve Costigan, a formidable figure known for his prowess in both seamanship and fisticuffs, as he inadvertently becomes entangled in the affairs of Camberton University. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Professor Horace Clements M.A, Harry Richards, Peggy Stanton, Spike Cleary | Boxing | |||
| Sucker! | Sucker! First published in Fight Stories volume 6 number 2 Winter 1939-1940. Published under the name Mark Adam. Alternate title: WINNER TAKE ALL. | Steve Costigan | ||||
| Texas Fists | Alternative title: SHANGHIED MITTS. | Steve Costigan, Snoots (Biff) Leary, Slim, Joan Dornley, Lopez the Terrible, Menly, Bill Dornley, Mike, Sea Girl | 1931-05-00 | Boxing | $75.00 | |
| Three Perils of Sailor Costigan | Three Perils of Sailor Costigan consists of three untitled stories: untitled story (“I had just hung …”), untitled story (“It was the end …”), and untitled story (“The night Sailor Steve …”). | Steve Costigan | Boxing | |||
| The TNT Punch | The TNT Punch. Featuring Steve Costigan. First published in Action Stories, volume 10, number 5 January 1931. Alternate titles: WATERFRONT LAW and THE WATERFRONT WALLOP | Steve Costigan | 1931-01-00 | Boxing | $75.00 | |
| The Trail of the Snake | “The Trail of the Snake” by Robert E. Howard is a humorous and ironic tale centered around a character named Snake Wamberson, a boxer with an imposing physique but lacking the courage to match his appearance. The story is set in the vibrant and competitive world of boxing, with a focus on the African American community’s interest in the sport. Howard’s story explores themes of reputation, bravery, and the impact of lies, all woven into the fabric of early 20th-century boxing culture. | Snake Wamberson, The Promoter (Harger), Steve Costigan, Tommy Wicks, Sammy Gupson, Astoria Bassums, Panther Horton, Dirk Knife Bill | Boxing | |||
| A Two-Fisted Santa Claus | “A Two-Fisted Santa Claus” by Robert E. Howard features Steve Costigan, the rough and tumble sailor, unexpectedly thrust into the role of Santa Claus. On a journey that mixes humor with action, Costigan finds himself in a series of misadventures involving bandits, mistaken identities, and a mission to bring joy to children at a mountain mission during Christmas. This tale combines Howard’s signature style of robust storytelling with a festive theme, showcasing his ability to weave humor into his action-packed narratives. | Steve Costigan, Dr. Ebenezer Twilliger, Kwang Tzu, Mike | Boxing | |||
| A Two-Fisted Santa Claus (synopsis) | “A Two-Fisted Santa Claus” by Robert E. Howard features Steve Costigan, the rough and tumble sailor, unexpectedly thrust into the role of Santa Claus. On a journey that mixes humor with action, Costigan finds himself in a series of misadventures involving bandits, mistaken identities, and a mission to bring joy to children at a mountain mission during Christmas. This tale combines Howard’s signature style of robust storytelling with a festive theme, showcasing his ability to weave humor into his action-packed narratives. | Mike, Steve Costigan, Reverend Ebenezer Twilliger, Fang Yang, Yuen Shang | Boxing | |||
| Vikings of the Gloves | VIKINGS OF THE GLOVES. Published in FIGHT STORIES Fall 1940. Published under the name of Mark Adam. “Includin’ the Scandinavian” previously appeared in FIGHT STORIES V4N9, February 1932 as “Vikings of the Gloves” | Steve Costigan, Mushy Hansen, Hakon Torkilsen, Bill O'Brien, Sven Larson, The Old Man, Mike, Neimann, Captain Gid Jessup, Sea Girl, Nigger King | 1932-02-00 | Boxing | $65.00 | |
| Waterfront Fists | In “Waterfront Fists,” Steve Costigan finds himself in Honolulu, where Bill O’Brien, a fellow crew member of the Sea Girl, announces that Steve has been matched to fight a formidable opponent from the ship Ruffian that very night. First published in Fight Stories September 1930. Featuring Steve Costigan. It was published again in Fight Stories volume 6 number Summer 1940 but then under the name, Mark Adam, and the title STAND UP AND SLUG! | Steve Costigan, Bill O'Brien, Gloria Flynn, Sven Larsen, Sven Larsen, Red Roach, Mike, Tony Andrada, Salana, Abe Gold, Joe Cromwell, Billy Flynn, Sea Girl | 1930-09-00 | Boxing | $90.00 | |
| Waterfront Law | WATERFRONT LAW. First published as THE TNT PUNCH in Action Stories, volume 10, number 5 January 1931. Featuring Steve Costigan. | Steve Costigan, Mike, Kid Delrano, Bulawayo Hurley, Bucko Brent, Bill Slane, Boarding-house Kate, The Sea Girl, The Elinor, The Nagpur | Boxing | |||
| The Waterfront Wallop | THE WATERFRONT WALLOP. Published in Fight Stories Fall 1941 under the name Mark Adam. First published as THE TNT PUNCH in Action Stories, volume 10, number 5 January 1931. Featuring Steve Costigan. | Steve Costigan | Boxing | |||
| Winner Take All | WINNER TAKE ALL The story was accepted around April 1930 by Fight Stories and published in volume 3 number 2, July 1930. Featuring Steve Costigan. | Steve Costigan, Bill O’Brien, Joan Wells, Mike, Jerry Rourke, Panther Cortez, Heinie Steinman, No Sen Tong, Sea Girl | 1930-07-00 | Boxing | $80.00 | |
| You Got to Kill a Bulldog | YOU GOT TO KILL A BULLDOG. Published under the name Mark Adam. Originally titled ‘The Bull Dog Breed’. It is a Sailor Steve Costigan short story by Robert E. Howard. It was first published in the February 1930 issue of Fight Stories. | Steve Costigan | Boxing | |||
| Untitled story (It was the end of the fourth round.) | UNTITLED STORY Untitled story (It was the end of the fourth round.). 700 word unfinished. Appeared as THREE PERILS OF SAILOR COSTIGAN which consists of this story and two others: | Steve Costigan, Flathead Richards, One-Round McGarley, Mike, Clement Fitzmalley | Boxing | |||
| Untitled story (The night Sailor Steve Costigan fought Battling O’Rourke . . .) | UNTITLED STORY (The night Sailor Steve Costigan fought Battling O’Rourke . . .). 700 words fragment Appeared as THREE PERILS OF SAILOR COSTIGAN which consists of this story and two others: | Steve Costigan, Battling O’Rourke, Bill O’Brien, Bull Larsen, Jim (Narrator) | Boxing | |||
| Untitled story (A sailorman ain’t got no business … ) | UNTITLED STORY (A sailorman ain’t got no business … ). Featuring Steve Costigan. In a thrilling, whirlwind tale, Steve Costigan finds himself inadvertently wreaking havoc in the South American republic of Puerto Grenada. What starts as an innocent trip to catch up with his ship, the Sea Girl, escalates into a series of unexpected events involving a damaged airplane, a bullfight gone awry, and an impromptu boxing match. | Steve Costigan, Johnny Plunkett, Don Rafael Fernandez Pizarro, Diego Zorilla, Captain Richard Stark, General Salvador, Mike, The Sea Girl | Boxing | |||
| Untitled synopsis (General Ironfist) | UNTITLED SYNOPSIS (General Ironfist). | Steve Costigan, Soapy Jackson, Yellow Typhoon, General Yun Chei, General Feng, Joel Ballerin, General Ironfist, General Whang Shan | Boxing | |||
| Untitled synopsis (The Slugger’s Game) | UNTITLED SYNOPSIS (The Slugger’s Game) | Steve Costigan, Smoky Jones, Mike | ||||
| Untitled synopsis (Slugger’s on the Beach) | UNTITLED SYNOPSIS (Slugger’s on the Beach) | Steve Costigan, Hoolihan |
