Posts Tagged ‘Mickey Spillane’

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Quarry Up for an Award, Mike Hammer’s Big Announcement

Tuesday, June 17th, 2025

Things have been popping around here. First came news that Quarry’s Return has been nominated for the Best Paperback Novel “Shamus.” The Shamus is an award that means a lot to me, because my late friend Bob Randisi and I, and a few others, were grousing to each other about the Mystery Writers of America ignoring private eye novels in their Edgar awards. Bob was not one to let the grass grow under his feet and very soon he’d created the Private Eye Writers of America and the Shamus awards.

Arguably, the Shamus awards became the second most-prominent and prestigious honor of its kind in mystery fiction. Others have come and gone, and some may lay claim to being more important now; but I know and remember what it meant to me.

In 1983 my novel True Detective was published and got quite a bit of attention in its approach to merging the PI story with historical crime, and for being the longest private eye novel ever written (later my novel Stolen Away would eclipse it). I was, predictably, ignored by the Edgars but got a Shamus nomination. I was a long shot to say the least, because I was up against a Murderer’s Row of mystery writers: James Crumley, Stanley Ellin, Loren Estleman and Robert B. Parker. But my book won, and I was boosted considerably in the business…and both Nate Heller and I are still around. Stolen Away won the Best Novel in 1992. The series went on to be the most-nominated in the history of the organization.

Anyone who says awards don’t matter (like me, when I lose) are full of it. If Bob Randisi hadn’t started up the PWA, I wonder if Heller and I would still be around.

Nate Heller and True Detective are the basis, of course, of True Noir: The Assassination of Anton Cermak, director Robert Meyer Burnett’s ten-episode audio drama from my adaptation. (truenoir.co)

Quarry has been nominated for the Shamus several times (my hitman even got an Edgar nomination last year for Quarry’s Blood) but I don’t recall him ever winning. Kind of makes sense in the PWA, because to make a private eye out of Quarry, you have to squint and look sideways. But the books are very much built on the private eye novel paradigm.

In other private eye news…

Matthew McConaughey is serious talks with Skydance about reuniting with True Detective writer Nic Pizzolatto in the Mike Hammer movie that has been threatening to happen for a decade or so.

Matthew McConaughey and Nic Pizzolatto

The film is based not just on Mickey’s work but draws upon the entire series (including the collaborative novels and short stories that share a Spillane/Collins byline). I have read the script and it’s solid; as an executive producer, I was able to provide notes, to get the characters and concepts in line with Mickey’s and my work.

This news exploded all over the Internet. I lost count at 21 articles. Here’s a typical one from Deadline.

It was everywhere, from Variety to the Hollywood Reporter. I am optimistic but I never believe this kind of thing till I’m on set and the cameras are rolling. But it has a real feel to it.

You will note a certain irony here: the title of my novel True Detective is of course the title of the (later) HBO series that brought together actor McConaughey and writer Pizzolatto – a highly rated and regarded series that I have never seen, since the use of the title irked me. On the other hand, I plucked the title from the vintage true-crime magazines that were on the newsstands when Heller was starting out in the other True Detective.

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Here’s a cool review of The Last Quarry.

My band the Daybreakers has a Wikipedia page! And I didn’t submit it much less write it (a few inaccuracies, but hey).

M.A.C.

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A McGinnis Cover! A Dream Come True…Plus True Noir!

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025

Robert E. McGinnis died recently at 99, and that was still way too damn soon.

Bob McGinnis I spoke to only once, though he paid me a great, generous kindness, which I have talked about here previously but will touch on again, below.

McGinnis was the prime illustrator of mystery/crime paperback covers of the 20th into the 21st Century, and also a major contributor to movie-poster art. There are other contenders to that throne – James Avati, Robert Maguire, Barye Phillips and half a dozen others – but McGinnis was the king. As J. Kingston Pierce said at Crime Reads a few years ago, “McGinnis has turned out well over 1,000 covers, including many for books by John D. MacDonald, Carter Brown, Edward S. Aarons, Erle Stanley Gardner, Brett Halliday, Ed McBain, and Max Allan Collins….(H)e’s also illustrated dozens of movie posters…from the James Bond films to Dean Martin’s Matt Helm flicks.”

I do not take lightly being on a list of noir mystery writers that includes the luminaries on the J. Kingston Pierce list. Nor do I exaggerate when I say I had hoped, as an adolescent wanting to be a mystery writer, that one day I might be lucky enough to have a book of mine with a McGinnis cover.

McGinnis only did a few covers for Mickey Spillane novels. Mickey had just about every top illustrator in the game adorn his books from time to time – Avati, Phillips, Lu Kimmel, James Meese among them. During the heyday of the paperback original, McGinnis was noted for his stunning covers for the Brett Halliday “Mike Shayne” reprints at Dell. Several foreign markets used Shayne covers for various Spillane titles.

Meanwhile, at the movies, McGinnis was doing one stunning poster after another for the James Bond series, particularly the early Sean Connery entries, which were the best of the Bond bunch (McGinnis did other Bond movies, too, including most of Roger Moore’s). But Bond wasn’t McGinnis’ only movie poster work – among other famous films, he did the poster art for Barbarella, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (in addition to many others).

Poster Art for You Only Live Twice

I will repeat myself – I spoke of this not long ago here – but after Charles Ardai published the first two Nolan novels (Bait Money and Blood Money under one cover as Two for the Money), I said I preferred writing new novels for Hard Case Crime. Charles said the advances would have to be the same as the reprint rate, and I said, fine – just put a McGinnis cover on my novel. That was half-joking, because Two for the Money had a weak cover among the usually stellar covers of HCC novels. But Charles called my bluff and got McGinnis to do the cover for The Last Quarry, which initiated the return of that character to a whole new series of novels, a short film, a feature film and a TV series (one season, but that counts).

As I’ve also mentioned here previously, when I called Bob McGinnis (Charles put me in touch) to tell him how thrilled I was with the cover for The Last Quarry – that after a career filled with mostly serviceable covers at best, having a McGinnis cover was a dream come true. He repaid that compliment by gifting me the original art, which hangs on my office wall, just up to my right as I write this.

When the aforementioned Quarry TV show sparked renewed interest in the character, Charles wanted to get the five early novels out as a group; but Hard Case Crime is noted for its strong pulp-flavored covers, which you might reduce to “guns and girls,” a certain cheeky politically incorrectness attached to their retro cover art. Only Charles didn’t have time to assign five artists to get five cover paintings, done all at once, and cover paintings were key. And he preferred to have the same artist do all five for some continuity.

I suggested to Charles that he call Bob McGinnis and see if any paintings might be available – perhaps things he had done for other publishers years ago, the rights to which might have come back to him. Charles did this, and discovered that McGinnis had five appropriate unused paintings in his inventory, all with the flavor of the old Mike Shayne covers. These apparently were the only such unsold paintings that still existed.

Quarry Hard Case Crim cover

Charles snapped them up, and those Quarry novels all sport McGinnis covers as well as an inset image of Quarry plucked from Bob’s cover to The Last Quarry. In addition, three more of my novels (one of them a Spillane collaboration, The Consummata) have been blessed with McGinnis covers. I may have a record for mystery writers of my generation – ten Robert McGinnis covers on Max Allan Collins novels.

Astonishing.

One of the peculiarities of my association with Hard Case Crime is that Charles (and the folks at Titan, the parent company) will say “yes” to just a general idea of the book I have in mind to write. This means cover art gets assigned before the book is written. This happened twice with McGinnis covers – Quarry’s Choice and Quarry’s Climax – which had artwork come in before I’d written a page, and allowed me to write the women and the scenes McGinnis had imagined into the novels themselves.

That was an old pulp tradition that both Charles and I relished – a writer being handed a piece of art and asked to write a story around it. In his later years, McGinnis had a tendency to offer up slender, leggy beauties and that led to me including some women in my novels that varied from my standard blonde, Coke-bottle-waist bombshells (blame my beautiful blonde wife for that). The result was I had to work a little harder and be more creative, both good things.

I was blessed with one last McGinnis cover, when he painted a rather magnificent one for the Mike Hammer graphic novel The Night I Died, based on material written by Spillane and expanded and re-imagined by me. Mike Hammer: The Night I Died not only has two, count ‘em, two long-limbed McGinnis beauties, but a very credible rendition of Hammer himself, who has rarely appeared on book covers. (This graphic novel was also serialized in four issues, also with lovely covers but none by McGinnis).

What can I say about this incredible artist and genuinely nice man, who has entertained me for years and who provided some truly memorable covers to eleven works of mine?

How about – thank you.

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Barb and I listened to the complete True Noir: The Assassination of Anton Cermak this past weekend. It’s four and a half hours long, so we divided it into two evenings.

Okay, I’m biased. But I think it’s terrific, thanks to director Robert Meyer Burnett, composer Alexander Bornstein, a stellar cast led by a fine Nate Heller in Michael Rosenbaum, casting director/producer Christine Sheaks, producer Mike Bawden, co-producer Phil Dingeldein, and a raft of talented professionals skilled in audio production.

If you are even a casual fan of my work – and in particular if, like me, Nate Heller seems to you to be my signature character (no offense, Quarry) – you will want to hear this production. The toughest critic I know – Barbara Collins – said, “I thought it would be good. But it blew me away. Wow!”

I mentioned Alexander Bornstein above, and he has provided True Noir with a full, memorable score. So memorable is it that not only will there be a soundtrack album, but it will be a 2-CD set. Our Blu-ray of the production, which will include the ten episodes of The History Behind the Mystery and a lot more, will likely include the soundtrack CD’s.

This is not a talking book or a radio show – it’s a movie for the ears and the mind.

Go to truenoir.co and hear for yourself.

M.A.C.

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An Irish-American Legend: Mickey Spillane

Tuesday, March 18th, 2025

I am in the midst of a project (the nature of which I’ll share here soon), so this will be a short update, at least on the news side.

It’s St. Patrick’s Day 2025 as I write this, and how better to celebrate that (sort of) holiday than to share with you this nice article on Mickey Spillane from Casa Carlini. I rate a single mention – not exactly accurate – but that doesn’t take away from what a nice piece this is…even I do wish there’d been mention of the current Baby, It’s Murder, the final Hammer novel of the fifteen books I’ve fashioned from partial manuscripts and synopses entrusted to me by Mickey himself in his final days.

Mickey Spillane in 2001
Hard-Boiled and Unforgettable:
The Legacy of Mickey Spillane

Mickey Spillane, the literary titan of hard-boiled crime fiction, left an indelible mark on the world of detective stories. His name is synonymous with gritty narratives, tough-as-nails protagonists, and a writing style that punches you in the gut. But Spillane’s legacy is more than just a collection of thrilling tales—it’s a testament to the enduring appeal of raw, unfiltered storytelling. In this deep dive, we’ll explore the man behind the typewriter, the cultural impact of his work, and why his stories continue to captivate readers decades later.

The Man Behind the Mike Hammer Mysteries

Mickey Spillane, born Frank Morrison Spillane in 1918, was a man who lived as boldly as the characters he created. Before he became a literary sensation, Spillane dabbled in various careers, including as a circus performer and a fighter pilot trainee during World War II. But it was his foray into writing that cemented his place in history.

Spillane’s breakout character, Mike Hammer, debuted in I, the Jury (1947), a novel that set the tone for his signature style. Hammer wasn’t your typical detective—he was a vengeful, no-nonsense antihero who operated by his own moral code. Spillane’s writing was fast-paced, visceral, and unapologetically violent, a stark contrast to the more polished detective fiction of the time.

The Hard-Boiled Revolution

Spillane didn’t just write crime novels; he revolutionized the genre. His work was a departure from the cerebral whodunits of Agatha Christie or the suave sophistication of Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. Instead, Spillane’s stories were raw, emotional, and often controversial. He didn’t shy away from depicting the darker side of human nature, and his protagonists were flawed, complex, and deeply relatable.

The term “hard-boiled” perfectly encapsulates Spillane’s approach. His stories were tough, gritty, and unflinching, much like the detectives who populated them. Mike Hammer wasn’t just solving crimes—he was navigating a world of corruption, betrayal, and moral ambiguity. This realism resonated with readers, making Spillane one of the best-selling authors of the 20th century.

Controversy and Criticism: Love Him or Hate Him

Spillane’s work wasn’t without its detractors. Critics often dismissed his novels as overly violent, misogynistic, or sensationalistic. Some accused him of prioritizing shock value over literary merit. But Spillane didn’t care. He famously quipped, “I don’t have fans. I have customers.” His focus was on entertaining his readers, not winning over the literary elite.

Despite the criticism, Spillane’s influence on the crime fiction genre is undeniable. His work paved the way for later authors like Elmore Leonard, James Ellroy, and even modern-day thriller writers. He proved that crime fiction could be both commercially successful and culturally significant.

Mike Hammer: The Antihero We Can’t Forget

At the heart of Spillane’s success was Mike Hammer, the quintessential hard-boiled detective. Hammer was a man of contradictions—brutal yet compassionate, cynical yet idealistic. He wasn’t afraid to bend the rules (or break them) to achieve justice, and his relentless pursuit of the truth made him a compelling character.

Hammer’s popularity extended beyond the pages of Spillane’s novels. He became a cultural icon, appearing in films, television shows, and comic strips. Actors like Darren McGavin and Stacy Keach brought Hammer to life on screen, each adding their own interpretation to the character. Even today, Mike Hammer remains a symbol of the hard-boiled detective archetype.

Spillane’s Writing Style: Punchy, Provocative, and Unforgettable

One of the hallmarks of Spillane’s writing was his ability to grab readers from the very first sentence. His openings were often explosive, setting the tone for the rest of the story. For example, the first line of I, the Jury is iconic: “I shook hands with the man whose brother I’d killed.” It’s a masterclass in hooking the reader and establishing the stakes.

Spillane’s prose was lean and mean, with no room for unnecessary flourishes. He had a knack for dialogue that crackled with tension and descriptions that painted vivid pictures with just a few words. This economy of language made his stories fast-paced and immersive, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

The Cultural Impact of Mickey Spillane

Spillane’s influence extends far beyond the world of literature. His work helped shape the cultural landscape of mid-20th century America, reflecting the anxieties and complexities of the post-war era. The themes of his novels—corruption, justice, and the struggle between good and evil—resonated with a society grappling with rapid change.

Moreover, Spillane’s success demonstrated the power of genre fiction. At a time when literary snobbery often dismissed popular fiction as inferior, Spillane proved that genre writing could be both commercially viable and artistically significant. His legacy paved the way for future generations of genre authors to be taken seriously.

Spillane’s Later Years and Enduring Legacy

Even in his later years, Spillane remained a prolific writer. He continued to produce novels, short stories, and even comic books, proving that his creative spark never dimmed. In the 1990s, he collaborated with Max Allan Collins to complete several unfinished manuscripts, ensuring that his work would continue to reach new audiences.

NOTE FROM M.A.C.: Mickey and I did projects during his later years, from the Mike Danger comic book to numerous co-edited anthologies. The unfinished manuscripts were addressed after his passing, and represent posthumous works with considerable Spillane content.

Spillane passed away in 2006, but his legacy lives on. His novels are still widely read, and his influence can be seen in everything from modern crime fiction to film and television. The hard-boiled detective archetype he helped popularize remains a staple of popular culture, a testament to the enduring power of his storytelling.

Why Mickey Spillane Still Matters Today
In an age of complex antiheroes and morally ambiguous narratives, Mickey Spillane’s work feels more relevant than ever. His stories remind us that the line between right and wrong isn’t always clear, and that justice often comes at a cost. Mike Hammer may not be a traditional hero, but his unwavering commitment to his own code of ethics makes him a compelling figure.

Spillane’s writing also serves as a reminder of the power of storytelling. In a world saturated with content, his novels stand out for their raw emotion, gripping plots, and unforgettable characters. They remind us why we fell in live with crime fiction in the first place.

A Hard-Boiled Legend
Mickey Spillane was more than just a writer—he was a cultural force. His work redefined the crime fiction genre, introduced us to one of literature’s most iconic detectives, and proved that storytelling doesn’t need to be polished to be powerful. Whether you love him or hate him, there’s no denying the impact of Mickey Spillane.

So, the next time you pick up a gritty crime novel or watch a noir film, take a moment to appreciate the man who helped make it all possible. Mickey Spillane may have been hard-boiled, but his legacy is anything but forgettable.

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J. Kingston Pierce at the indispensable Rap Sheet recommends Baby, It’s Murder as one of the most interesting of recent mystery novels. He also provides a link to Borg’s splendid review of the book, if you missed it.

A very good look at Road to Perdition (primarily the film version) is here.

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True Noir banner

Director Robert Meyer Burnett’s eighth episode of True Noir: The Assassination of Mayor Cermak has just dropped, and it’s a banger, as Rob himself might say. Probably the most impressive episode in terms of sound design if nothing else. And we’re in the home stretch now! Two episodes to go….

M.A.C.

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New Nathan Heller and Mike Hammer…and Blue Xmas on Tubi!

Tuesday, March 11th, 2025

There’s a new Nathan Heller book you may not have heard about. The title in fact is Nathan Heller, and it’s an 85-page novel-by-novel account of me interviewing Mr. Heller. Anyone interested in the Heller novels will want to read this, and will surely get a kick out of it.

It’s available in three forms – a paperback at $8.95 (such a deal!) and signed/numbered at $50 and signed/lettered at $100. Nathan Heller is the latest in a series of profiles of mystery fiction detectives selected by Otto Penzler and published by Mysterious Press. Among the others in this series are Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, Michael Connelly’s Hieronymous Bosch, Jeff Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme and Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse, among many other celebrated authors and sleuths in this unique series.

The format varies among these profiles, but I chose to interview Nate Heller, the conceit being these are excerpts of interviews with him I recorded over the years to help me ghost-write his memoirs.

I’m grateful to Otto Penzler for giving Nate Heller and me a place on this impressive list. Otto is a key figure in the mystery trade – he’s an editor, publisher and a pioneer in the mystery book store field. He edited and published the first three Mike Hammer novels by me working from Mickey’s material-in-progress (The Goliath Bone, The Big Bang and Kiss Her Goodbye), as well as the Spillane/Collins Mike Hammer short story collection, A Long Time Dead.

You can get Nathan Heller by Max Allan Collins right here.

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Hardcover:
E-Book: Amazon Google Play Nook Kobo iTunes

Digital Audiobook: Google PlayNook Kobo iTunes
Audio MP3 CD:
Audio CD:

And as far as Mike Hammer is concerned, the final novel in the series was just published by Titan Books. Baby, It’s Murder can be ordered from the usual suspects, and the audio book read by the great Stefan Rudnicki is available at Audible and other venues for audio books.

Stefan, who also reads the Quarry novels (and does a bang-up job of it) took over after Stacy Keach stepped down after a long run.

For those of you who prefer a physical media version of Baby, It’s Murder, and not an audio download, there’s always the book itself using the audio book option at Amazon.

Speaking of Baby, It’s Murder – the concluding Mike Hammer novel – Borg has reviewed it very generously here.

And in case you missed it, here’s the splendid Kirkus review of Baby, It’s Murder.

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By the time you read this, the eighth episode of True Noir: The Assassination of Anton Cermak should have dropped. We are closing in on the finish. Director Rob Burnett has edited chapters nine and ten, with only the final mix ahead.

Rob has done an incredible job on this project, serving as director, editor, and producer. We are discussing other projects in the True Noir series including more of our fully immersive adaptations of the Heller novels, with True Crime and The Million-Dollar Wound the likely candidates. We are discussing a Nate Heller movie, as well. Early days on that, but I’ll be scripting it very soon, which is the first step.

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Many thanks to all of you who left birthday wishes either here at F.O.M.A.C. or at the various Facebook sites where I post my weekly update/blog. I tried to answer or at least “like” all of those kind wishes, but frankly the number was too great. I ran out of steam before all of you did.

But my thanks are no less sincere. I seem to have lost only one reader (at least one who was vocal) after I posted a mildly political meme last time. I have no intention of getting political here, but sometimes enough is just enough.

Still, I want to keep this a politics-free zone. Early on I got vocal on Facebook and lost some friends or at least damaged some friendships. Social media has not improved our lives, and certainly has damaged our civility.

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With my buddy Heath Holland of Cereal at Midnight I’ve done a show about some of my favorite comedy movies. It’s right here.

Finally, if you never got around to watching Blue Christmas last year, or buying the DVD or Blu-ray, it’s free on Tubi starting today, March 10. Check it out here.

M.A.C.

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