Created by David Dodge (1910-74) David Dodge's second series character, AL COLBY, is a private eye based in, of all places, Mexico City. Even more notable, perhaps, is that this tough guy's adventures also took him throughout Central and South America--pretty much uncharted teritory for hard-boiled detective fiction at the time. He is a norteamericano, … Continue reading Al Colby
Category: Radio
Nero Wolfe & Archie Goodwin
Created by Rex Stout (1886-1975) "Compose yourself, Archie. Why taunt me? Why upbraid me? I am merely a genius, not a god." --Nero Wolfe humbly confesses, in Fer-de-Lance "Go to hell, I'm reading." -- Archie has other things on his mind. Also in Fer-de-Lance At first glance, Rex Stout's NERO WOLFE might seem out of … Continue reading Nero Wolfe & Archie Goodwin
Jeff Regan
Created by Jack Webb "I get ten a day and expenses...they call me the Lyon's Eye. The last of the three detective shows Jack Webb did before Dragnet made him a superstar was Jeff Regan, Investigator followed the adventures of JEFF REGAN. Regan (played by Webb, of course) was a rough-and-tumble private eye working for the International Detective … Continue reading Jeff Regan
They Also Served: Owen Smith
Artist & Illustrator  Who says they don't do 'em like they used to? Long before Hard Case Crime made it safe for pulp cover art again, San Francisco fine artist OWEN SMITH was keeping the flame alive, through his paintings, illustrations and sculpture. I've been a fan of Smith ever since 1996 or so, … Continue reading They Also Served: Owen Smith
Mathew Slade
Created by Robert Frederick & Brian Adams How can we miss you if you don't go away? It's hard to believe, but Mathew Slade, Private Investigator, which initially aired in 1964, was billed as a sort of revival of the glory days of Old Time Radio detectives right from the get-go. Despite the fact that … Continue reading Mathew Slade
Feluda (Pradosh Chandra Mitra)
Created by Satyajit Ray (1921-92) PRADOSH CHANDRA MITTER, more commonly known as FELUDA, is a thirty-something private eye created by the well known Indian filmmaker, cartoonist, musician and novelist Satyajit Ray. The character made his debut in 1965 in the popular Bengali children’s magazine Sandesh that Ray edited (and which his grandfather had founded), appearing regularly in … Continue reading Feluda (Pradosh Chandra Mitra)
Johnny Madero (Johnny Madero, Pier 23)
Created by Jack Webb (1920-82) Richard L. Breen (1918-67) and William P. Rousseau (1915-72) Johnny Madero, Pier 23 was the second of three short-lived detective radio shows that Jack Webb starred in before he launched the Dragnet on radio in 1949 (see also Jeff Regan, Investigator and Pat Novak For Hire). It's essentially a rip-off, in fact, of the latter, … Continue reading Johnny Madero (Johnny Madero, Pier 23)
Boston Blackie
Created by Jack Boyle (1881-1928) "Enemy to those who make him an enemy. Friend to those who have no friend." --from the intro to the Boston Blackie radio show (1945) BOSTON BLACKIE is a rather peculiar character to include here as he wasn't a P.I. in his original incarntation at all, but a jewel thief … Continue reading Boston Blackie
Martin Kane (Private Eye)
Created by J. Walter Thompson & Co., on behalf of The U.S. Tobacco Company  MARTIN KANE was television's first private eye, so there! And just to rub it in, his show was called Private Eye. No muss, no fuss--just the straight goods. Talk about putting your mark on something. Featuring an easy-going but determined Big … Continue reading Martin Kane (Private Eye)
They Also Served: William Gargan
ACTOR, and TELEVISION'S FIRST PRIVATE EYE If WILLIAM GARGANÂ (1905-79) brought a certain air of authenticity--if not grit--to his numerous roles as a detective, there was a good reason--he'd actually worked as a one at one point in his life. In fact, much of his pre-acting life may have been a contributing factor to whatever verisimilitude … Continue reading They Also Served: William Gargan