Dick Hammer

Hot-tempered, foul-mouthed, crotch-scratching DICK HAMMER is a private skulk working the web comic mean streets of Crude Bay, Southern California.

Yeah, Crude Bay.

But just because artist/writer/creator Chris Wisnia apparently has his tongue wedged firmly in his cheek most of the time doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

In fact, he betrays a great feel and obvious affection for the Shamus Game; a sort of gritty, 1970s-era down-and-dirty urban vibe (complete with suspicious men in Ford Torinos). Sure, Dick was defiantly (and perhaps, predictably) politically incorrect (he was billed originally as “Dick Hammer: Conservative Republican Private Investigator”). And sometimes the gags seemed decidedly juvenile, but trust me: this was the real deal.

There was a spareness to the cityscapes, and the occasionally rough, sketchy vibe of the art suggested nothing so much as yesterday’s litter blowing down the sidewalk, adding to the brooding, world-weary sense of cynicism and regret at play here.

Dick first popped in 2004 in Dick Hammer: Conservative Republican Private Investigator, a back-up feature in Tabloia Weekly Magazine (which only ran from issues #572-576). It was Chris’ personal anthology of pulpy goodness, which featured “The Lump,” his tribute to film noir, mad scientists, and the classic horror films of the 1930’s and 1940’s.  Other  back-up features included Doris Danger and Dr. DeBunko.

Dick returned in 2007 as a web comic, featured in Chris Wisnia’s Tabloia, as well as on Webcomics Nation and, ahem, The Thrilling Detective Web Site (and we were glad to have him).

In the first sprawling story arc (done in daily strip format, albeit posted only weekly), Dick goes to the aid of a good (ie: “wealthy”) client who’s just had the crap beat out of him by his mistress. But the client wants her back–preferably without his wife finding out. Toss in (like the blurbs say) “Hard-boiled Suspense! Crime and Murder! Amnesia!” and season with “Mystery! Unlikely Coincidence! Lurid Romance! Brutal Action!” and you’ve got all the pulpy goodness that private eye dreams are made of.

It ran sporadically both here and elsewhere for about a year before it was “web-cancelled” in November 2008, leaving readers to wonder how the hell things wrapped up.

“Apologies to all of you who have kindly been following Dick’s adventures.  As much as I hate the thought of quitting (even temporarily) before the story is completed, I’ve been offered the opportunity to receive payment by a publisher for another of my works, to be released in 2009, and that means dedicating my time in that direction.   Thanks for reading, and rest assured that Dick will be back, some day, not only to complete his current case, but on other adventures as well.”

So far, Hammer hasn’t returned, but if he ever does,  I hope Chris knows he can always crash here. In the meantime, you can see the last three strips we ran, back in November 2008.

UNDER OATH

• “When it comes to detective noir, Hammer nails it.”
  — A Comic a Day