Created by John H. Knox (1905-83) The son of a preacher man, and probably the most successful pulp writer to ever come out of Abilene, Texas, John H. Knox specialized in both weird menace and crime & detective stories… and sometimes a combination of both. Like “Dead Man’s Shadow,” which appeared in the December 1934 issue … Continue reading Peter Proctor
Tag: Texas
J.J. Starbuck
Created by Stephen J. Cannell (1941-2010) "I reckon a diamond is just a hunk of coal that stuck to the job." Did someone say Texas? Just in case anyone missed the point, TV's cornpone-spouting J.J. (JEROME JEREMIAH) STARBUCK (played by Dale Robertson) wears ten-gallon hats, cowboy boots and fancy western shirts, drives a flashy limo with … Continue reading J.J. Starbuck
Mathew Swain
Created by Mike McQuay Sorry, but this sci-fi/P.I. hybrid works better as spoof, than straight. McQuay dedicated the whole series to to the memory of Raymond Chandler, "because he understood." It's too bad McQuay didn't. Chandler wanted to rise above the pulps, not wallow in them. But a bit of misguided name-dropping aside, the series … Continue reading Mathew Swain
“My Client’s Wife”
By Michael Bracken Featuring "Moe Ron" Boyette Spring 2007 I watched my client's wife through the open French doors leading from their bedroom to the back patio, surprised at my reaction to her half-clothed figure, and I knew that it would be another long, hard night. "Anything?" my client asked the following morning. I shook my … Continue reading “My Client’s Wife”
Colton Parker (Jim Sanderson)
Created by Jim Sanderson It's the 1980s, and there's boom money to be made--one way or another--in the hard-scrabble West Texas oil patches out near Odessa, but COLTON PARKER isn't exactly setting the world on fire. He's a chump-change criminal, trying to stay out of trouble, working as a bouncer for a local gambler, and … Continue reading Colton Parker (Jim Sanderson)
Jack Brady
Created by Robert W. Tinsley "I sat in the oldest cemetery in El Paso, dressed in my Sneaky-Suit, black sneakers, socks, pants, gloves, sweater, and watch cap with every exposed square inch of skin covered in black make up. I was ready for a minstrel show or a commando raid, whichever came along first." -- … Continue reading Jack Brady
Jerri Johnson
Created by Jim Sanderson JERRI JOHNSON scratches out a living as a San Antonio bounty hunter, tracking down bail jumpers, serving subpoenas and occasionally taking a gig that might not exactly pass the smell test--much to the chagrin of her pal Joe Parr, an aging, recently widowed Texas Ranger, in Safe Delivery, a 2000 standalone … Continue reading Jerri Johnson
John Talbot
Created by Joe R. Lansdale (1951--) and Lewis Shiner (1950--) A co-creation by two young, aspiring writers, private eye JOHN TALBOT was only showed up in two short stories penned in the late seventies, and those stories didn't exactly set the world on fire. Except... the two young, aspiring writers were Joe R. Lansdale and Lewis Shiner, … Continue reading John Talbot
Ray Slater
Created by Joe R. Lansdale (1951--) The very first story popular storyteller Joe R. Lansdale ever sold was a private eye story, "The Full Count." It showed up in the June 1978 issue of Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine. It introduced gumshoe big RAY SLATER. According to Lansdale, "the readers liked it," and he managed to sell … Continue reading Ray Slater
Dan Sloane
Created by Lewis Shiner (1950--) DAN SLOANE was a private eye hero created way back in the late seventies by author Lewis Shiner, best known for his award-winning work in the science fiction and cyber-punk fields. A true product of his times, Dan was a disillusioned Vietnam vet, a Marine who came home after the … Continue reading Dan Sloane