New release: Mike Hammer fans were treated to a new comic book this week based on an unproduced script by Mickey Spillane, as Titan books continues its centennial celebration of the author. From the press release: To celebrate the centenary year of Mickey Spillane, Wednesday 27 June sees the release of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer – a brand-new Hard Case Crime comic book series, based on an all-new Mike Hammer story, developed from a never-before-seen 1950s screenplay by original creator Mickey Spillane, and written by Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition, Quarry). Following his debut novel, I, The Jury in 1947, Mickey Spillane became one of the best-selling novelists of all-time, with more than 225 million copies of his books sold internationally. Spillane is famed for creating Mike Hammer, one of the most famous of all fictional detectives, and even starred as Hammer in one of the many movies made from his books. Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer is part of Titan’s wider year-long celebration of Spillane’s work and legacy which includes the Titan Books publication of Killing Town, the very first Mike Hammer novel, begun by Spillane around 1945 and recently completed by Collins. Killing Town had been set aside by Spillane to write his and Hammer’s famous 1947 debut, I, The Jury; and Hard Case Crime publication The Last Stand — Spillane’s never-before-published final novel — was completed by Spillane just before his death in 2006. Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer #1 comic comes with a fantastic cover by artist Robert McGinnis – poster artist for classic James Bond movies and Breakfast at Tiffany’s – and includes a fantastic serialized short prose story by Spillane!" Check for it at your local comic shops. Enjoy! Below: Robert McGinnis variant cover edition.
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Sale Alert: Spy Vibers might want to take advantage of a current sale over at Bud's Art Books. They have some great warehouse stock at reduced prices. Included in the closeout sale are The Future Was Fab: The Art of Mike Trim (great designer/illustrator famous for Gerry Anderson shows and the cover of the 1970s War of the Worlds rock opera, now $14.99!), Filmed in Supermarionation (first edition of Stephen La Riviere's great illustrated history of Gerry Anderson, now $12.99!), The Adventurous Decade of Comic Strips in the 1930s (classic adventure strips, now $12.50!), plus collections of Buck Rogers dailies, Dark Shadows Gold Key reprints, Brenda Starr, and Mike Hammer Dailies and Sundays. See also: Mike Trim website. Enjoy!
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New release: If hard-hitting detective stories are your vibe, check out the new Blu-ray limited-edition of The Girl Hunters. Released in 1963, the movie was based on the seventh Mike Hammer book by Mickey Spillane. Spillane himself appeared in the film as Hammer! Reviewers have said he was a bit wooden, but that it was fun to see the author (and screenwriter) portray his own character. Maybe that's just a thrill for fans, but wouldn't you love to see Ian Fleming dispatch Professor Dent in that famous scene in Dr No? I can just imagine the dialog whistling through Fleming's cigarette holder, "That's a Smith and Wesson, and you've had your six." The Girl Hunters also starred Bond Girl, Shirley Eaton (Goldfinger), and was filmed by DAP Kenneth Talbot (Hammerhead, Countess Dracula, Tarzan, The Saint, Born Free, New Adventures of Charlie Chan). Spillane adapted some of his early comic book stories to create Mike Hammer for the 1947 novel, I. the Jury. Many Mike Hammer stories followed and the series spawned a number of radio and television shows, movies, and comics. Spillane passed away in 2006 at the age of 88. The new Blu-ray is currently listed at the discount price of $12.69 on Amazon. Link here. They also have the film streaming on-line. Learn more: Thrilling Detective, Spillane IMDB, Amazon author page, New York Times obituary.
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