Created by Donna Moore Tired of mysteries that seem to spin out the same old tired clichés, one after another? Bored with the same old-same old private eye schtick? Had enough of books with all the fizz of that half-empty bottle of club soda left over from last Christmas? Then might I humbly suggest going … Continue reading Helena Handbasket
Tag: Parody
Last Night I Shot a Private Eye in My Pajamas…
Groucho Marx, P.I.? Created by Mr. and Mrs. Marx Okay, I'll confess. I'm a big Marx Brothers fan. I remember stumbling into class Monday mornings in high school, all bleary eyed, for what seemed like an entire semester, because CBC-Montreal insisted on running Marx Brothers flicks on the late show every Sunday night. And to … Continue reading Last Night I Shot a Private Eye in My Pajamas…
Fred Fox
Created by James Thurber (1894-1961) A parody of the tough guy P.I. story, in which all the characters are animals in the forest? Seriously? It's a wandering rabbit job, with hard-boiled, rye-drinking FRED FOX called in by old Mrs. Rabbit to find Daphne, one of her descendants. As you might guess, old Mrs. Rabbit has a … Continue reading Fred Fox
“Babes and Bullets” by Lou Rawls
1989, Words and Music by Desiree Goyette and Ed Bogas Performed by Lou Rawls Hardly the most impressive track from Lou Rawls' long and distinguished career, but this little earworm served its purpose. Clocking in at just a minute and change, it was the theme (and only song) in the 1989 animated television special, Garfield's … Continue reading “Babes and Bullets” by Lou Rawls
Sam Spayed (Garfield)
Created by Ron Tuthill, Kevin Campbell and Jim Davis Oh yeah, the dame. She was beautiful. Too beautiful to trust. "Are you Spayed?" she asked. I hate that question. He made his first appearance in 1985, but Garfield the Cat's private eye alter-ego SAM SPAYED was soon parlayed into a well-received book and an Emmy-winning TV … Continue reading Sam Spayed (Garfield)
Meat Hamburg
Created by Walt Kelly (1913-73) "A question was burning a hole in my brain..." Say what? Walt Kelly, one of America's most beloved comic strip artists and writers--not to mention political satirists--wrote not one, but two, parodies of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer? Right in the heart of Hammermania! Hard to believe, eh? But it's true. … Continue reading Meat Hamburg
John Hunchman & David Purefoy (Dicktown)
Created by John Hodgman & David Rees Who says cartoons are for kids? In the clever and decidedly adult cartoon Dicktown (2000, FXX), maladjusted, socially awkward middle-aged private eye JOHN HUNCHMAN and his slacker sidekick DAVID PUREFOY (voiced by series creators and co-writers John Hodgman and David Rees) aren't going anywhere. They're still living in small North Carolina town … Continue reading John Hunchman & David Purefoy (Dicktown)
Nancy Clue, Cherry Aimless & The Hardly Boys
Created by Mabel Maney I'm not even sure how to fit this series in. The heroes of it are not private eyes. They're not even parodies of private eyes. What they are are shrewd, dead-on lampoons of some of the most popular mystery series ever to be marketed to kids. Except these parodies are … Continue reading Nancy Clue, Cherry Aimless & The Hardly Boys
Claudius Lyon & Arnie Woodbine
Created by Loren D. Estleman(1952--) "Are you familiar with the work of Rex Stout?" A great series of short stories by P.I. master Estleman, creator of Amos Walker, Valentino et al, is both homage and gentle parody of Rex Stout's beloved Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. ARNIE WOODBINE is an ex-con who boasts that he's a … Continue reading Claudius Lyon & Arnie Woodbine
My Scrapbook: King Bennett Forever!
My Scrapbook A Tribute to Dean Davis' Legendary Detective, The Greatest Private Eye Series That Never Existed! Back when this site and I were young, someone clued me into a web site about a writer, Dean Davis, and his greatest creation, private eye King Bennett. In over fifty books, from "Bang", Said the Gun … Continue reading My Scrapbook: King Bennett Forever!