Mickey Spillane's Second MIKE DANGER Story (1954)

Some time back I posted Mickey Spillane's first Mike Danger story (HERE), preceded by the earlier Mike Lancer adventre (HERE). Legend has it that Spillane wrote the two Danger stories back in 1946, and when they failed to see print, changed his hero's name to Hammer and wrote I, the Jury. Long after he'd hit the big time, the comic book publisher decided to run the Danger tales. This one appeared in Crime Detector #4, from July 1954, and was scanned for comicbookplus by the JVJ Archive, for which we are duly grateful. The guys who posted it wonder if the art may be by Sam Burlockoff. 

MICKEY SPILLANE's "Meet Mike Danger" (1954)

A few weeks back I posted Spillane's first Mike Hammer wannabe - Mike Lancer - from a 1942 issue of Green Hornet comics (that's HERE). We now behold the first of two Mike Danger stories, written in 1946, but unpublished until 1954, after Mickey had hit the Big Time. 

This first tale is from Crime Detector #3, uploaded to comicbookplus by a gent known as JVJ Archive. On comicbookplus the art is credited to Sam Burlockoff, based on an interview with the artist, while  Thrillingdetective.com credits Mike Roy.  Whether it was illustrated in '46 or '54 is unclear. At any rate, unable to get Mike Danger into print, Spillane sat down and wrote I, the Jury, changing the hero's name to Hammer, and the book was published in 1947. The second Mike Danger adventure, from Crime Detector #4, will appear here soon.

MICKEY SPILLANE's protoHammer, "Mike Lancer" (1942)

You've probably heard of Mike Danger, the comic book private eye Spillane tried to market in 1946, just before introducing Mike Hammer in I, the Jury. But Hammer's first incarnation saw print way back in 1942, in the tenth issue of Green Hornet comics. Spillane wrote the script, and the art is by Harry Sahle. My thanks to "freddyfly" for scanning this issue and posting it on comicbookplus.

Watch this space. Spillane's two Mike Danger stories, which finally saw print in 1954, will be coming PDQ.

YouTube Theater: Stacy Keach as MIKE HAMMER: Episode 1 "The Prodigal Son"

YouTube Theater: Darren McGavin as MIKE HAMMER in "Letter Edged in Blackmail" (1953)

MICKEY SPILLANE as MIKE HAMMER in The Girl Hunters (1963)

Overlooked Films: Darren McGavin as Mike Hammer in "The High Cost of Dying"

A couple of weeks ago we looked at Hammer's screen debut in I, the Jury. Today we present the first episode of the 1958 TV series starring Darren McGavin. Did Spillane like the show? I don't know. Do you?

Overlooked Films: I, THE JURY (1953)

 

 

One of these days I'd like to see this movie in SHATTERING, SENSATIONAL, SEARING 3-D. Until then, I guess plain old 2-D will have to do.





Overlooked Films: Mike Hammer in MY GUN IS QUICK (Watch it here!)

Here, from 1957, is the third of Mike's six big screen outings. Star Robert Bray was later a regular on the TV series Stagecoach West and guest-starred on a passel of western and other shows before finishing his career as a regular on Lassie. Co-writer credit on the screenplay went to Richard Powell, author of the hardboiled novels A Shot in the Dark and Say It With Bullets.