Lizzie Borden Society Forum

-- Mystery writer Mickey Spillane dies after a long illness, a nursing home spokesman says. He was 87.

Well, that's sad. I remember an interview with Mickey many years ago when a hurricane took his house by the beach. He mentioned that his manuscript for his next book was lost in the house when it went. When the news man asked if he remembered any of it he pointed to his head and said, "it's all up here page for page," or something to that effect. He was an interesting guy. Old Gum-shoe writer. A style of writing hard to duplicate and make convincing. Bless you Mickey

I've never read any of his books. They were considered scandalous back in the 1950s. Hammett or Chandler were better writers, if only because of their bacground materials. Erle Stanley Gardner would often bring in municipal corruption that was downplayed by Hammett & Chandler.
All three were alumni of the Black Mask magazine.

I'm afraid I never read any of Mickey Spillane's books either. But I was a big fan of the Mike Hammer TV series starring Stacy Keach, based on the character Mr. Spillane created.

The stylized, tough-guy gumshoe is a special genre.
Mickey Spillane left his mark.

His obituary says he joined up after Pearl Harbor, trained as a fighter pilot but was kept on as a trainer. He never saw action.
He was never a private detective either. His writings certainly attracted attention. I will try to read "I, the Jury" and "My Gun is Quick".
Like "Mike Hammer" he was never without his Colt 1911, the regulation sidearm for officers. Raymond Chandler noted its effect.

For whatever it's worth, I find his tough guy gumshoes a whole lot sexier that the male as "lacker forever" portraits Hollywood is so fond of today. Mike Hammer was HOT!