THE THREE INVESTIGATORS
PAPERBACK TRADE
EDITIONS & FORMATS
Over the years, Random House, their subsidiaries, and partners have issued The Three Investigators in a number of different paperback trade editions and formats. In 1971 Scholastic Book Services (SBS) issued "Green Ghost" in a large paperback format. The Hitchcock introduction was revised to make it seem like this was the first book in the series. A month later, SBS published "Terror Castle" in the same large, illustrated format. Then for nearly 15 years, they issued almost half of the original series in haphazard order in a small pocket-sized format with no illustrations. In the early 1970's "Terror Castle" and "Stuttering Parrot" appeared in their First Random House Paperback Editions under the WINDWARD BOOKS name. 1978 was the last year in which Three Investigators hardbound trade editions were manufactured, and it is also the year in which Random House decided to issue the books exclusively in a paperback format. One would think that Random House would begin with book #1 and work its way to the end of the series, re-issuing the books in chronological order. They didn't. Between 1978 and 1985 the first 30 titles were re-issued in an extremely confusing sequence in three different formats. Why? We may never have a complete answer but here are some possible explanations:
First, Random House kept this entire series continuously in print in one form or another over the entire course of its 23+ years. Random House used "soft conversion" practices in the manufacturing of its product. Basically, this means that existing stock or materials is used up or sold before moving on to new materials, a wise and efficient thing to do in business. If one keeps this in mind, then it is fairly simple to make some sense out of the confusion. In 1978 when the decision was made to transition to the paperback trade edition, there was still a plentiful supply of hardbound books left to sell for 16 of the then existing 28 titles. Hardbound stock was either low or depleted on the other 12 titles so those would be the first to be published in the new paperback format in order to keep the entire series available to the public. They were title #'s 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, & 18. These are commonly known as the MARCHESI COVERS because Stephen Marchesi is the artist who created the new cover art for these 12 paperbacks
Second, artist Robert Adragna, was brought in to replace Marchesi and create new cover art just one year later in 1979. The styles of the two artists are vastly different. Adragna has a realistic style while Marchesi's is more abstract. Adragna's job was to produce cover art for the new titles that were being written starting with #29 "Sinister Scarecrow". Later he would create new cover art for the first 28 titles which included redoing the 12 which Marchesi had already created. Because these books with the Adragna cover art have Alfred Hitchcock's silhouette on both the front cover and spine, they are commonly referred to as the HITCHCOCK COVERS - books #1 - #30. In 1979/80, a T3I fan could walk into a bookstore and find a confusing variety of brand-new Three Investigators for sale: original illustrated hardcovers, Marchesi illustrated paperbacks, and unillustrated Hitchcock paperbacks. I know because I lived it first-hand shopping at all of the retail bookstores inside Glenbrook Mall in Fort Wayne, Indiana!
Thirdly, Alfred Hitchcock died in 1980, and Random House decided that all future titles (titles #31 - #43) would have to feature a new mentor to The Three Investigators. It was also a fantastic opportunity to stop paying the licensing fees to Hitchcock for the use of his name. They came up with the fictional Hector Sebastian, a retired private detective who now writes mystery/thriller books. Sebastian employs a Vietnamese man, Hoang Van Don, who cooks and cleans for him and who offers some "comic relief" during the boys' visits. Because Hitchcock isn't featured in these new books his silhouette on the covers wasn't needed and the "keyhole" design was created. In 1981 - 1984 there was still a confusing variety of Three Investigators in the bookstores: a few stray leftover original illustrated hardbacks, the twelve Marchesi illustrated paperbacks, the new Hitchcock paperbacks, some illustrated, some not, and the new unillustrated Keyhole paperbacks featuring a new guy I didn't much care for and his servant sidekick. As a fan who loved Alfred Hitchcock and the internal illustrations, it was a most distressing situation in which to be!
Finally, in 1984 and 1985, Random House revised the texts of the first 30 titles replacing Hitchcock with Sebastian. The Hitchcock silhouette on the covers and spines of these books were replaced with the new "keyhole" silhouette. For the first time in nearly 7 years, it was possible to purchase a matching and uniform set of the series. These are the KEYHOLE COVERS, paperback books #1 - #43 with Adragna cover art.
In 1987, the last title in the original Three Investigators series, #43 "The Mystery of the Cranky Collector", was published. It had only one printing, making it the scarcest title in the original series of 43 books. At the time, M.V. (Mary Virginia) Carey was working on book #44 to be entitled "The Mystery of the Ghost Train" when the series was abruptly cancelled.
In 1991, BULLSEYE BOOKS, a subsidiary of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. (a publishing company owned by Random House), brought out an attractive and well-made new paperback edition of the original Three Investigators series. Again, it was just a confusing smattering of twelve titles from across the series.
In 1998, under threat from Liz Arthur that she would take the series elsewhere, Random House began to re-issue the original Three Investigators series once again but beginning with title #1 "Terror Castle" and working their way in order up to #11 "Talking Skull" before slow sales forced them to stop. This final Random House product is simply referred to as the DODGE ISSUE because they have new cover art created by artist Bill Dodge.
In 2024, Robert Arthur's daughter, Elizabeth Arthur, made her father's ten Three Investigators books available in a paperback format and as e-books through both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. These are known as the HOLLOW TREE PRESS books.
With but a few exceptions, most of The Three Investigators paperback books are not highly sought after by Three Investigators collectors and enthusiasts. Let me assure anyone attempting to collect every title in every format in really nice condition that it is no easy task! Many of the paperbacks are much more difficult to obtain than any of the regular trade edition hardbound books. Please click on the capitalized and highlighted formats above to learn more about each edition or format. Scans of each of the titles in all existing U.S. formats can be found on the Original Series page.
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