Created by W.T. Ballard (Willis Todhunter Ballard) Pseudonyms include P. D. Ballard, Harrison Hunt, Neil MacNeil, John Shepherd (1903-80) With Black Mask editor Cap Shaw buying every Bill Lennox story W.T. Ballard submitted, Shaw's boss, Phil Cody, urged him to lay off Lennox for a while. So Shaw suggested Ballard cook up another series character. … Continue reading Red Drake
Tag: Gambling
King Bennett
Created by Dean Davis "Every man has his vice. For some it's alcohol while for others it's gambling. Mine happens to be dames. They cost me enough. Why would I need another addiction draining my wallet?" -- from "Click", Said the Camera There's plenty to love about this legendary long-running series by Dean Davis, "the … Continue reading King Bennett
John J. MacShayne
Created by Michael Gleason Kenny Rogers as a P.I.? Some folks should really know when to fold 'em. In 1994, NBC unleashed the popular country singer as Las Vegas casino head of security guy JOHN J. MacSHAYNE, as part of the mixed bag of rejuvenated characters from the past and a few new ones to … Continue reading John J. MacShayne
Nick Polo
Created by Jerry Kennealy Add Jerry Kennealy to the short list of private eye writers who have also been real-life private eyes. Funny, but Dashiell Hammett, Joe Gores and Kennealy all worked the mean streets of San Francisco. Anyway, back in the day, when everyone else in the shamus game seemed to be either trying to … Continue reading Nick Polo
Tony Valentine
Created by James Swain "Watching surveillance videos," he explains, "is a unique experience. The cameras filtered twice as much light as the human eye, and as a result hairpieces looked like rugs, cheap suits took on zebra stripes, and women wearing red dresses became naked. It was like entering the Twilight Zone." -- Grift Sense … Continue reading Tony Valentine