Created by Charley Memminger It says something about the ongoing appeal of Travis McGee that so many writers have been inspired to create Travis-like heroes themselves. But Charley Memminger's STRYKER McBRIDE may be one of the most obvious yet. I mean, look at that cover over there! This Hawaiian-bound sleuth, a beer-swigging former crime reporter, … Continue reading Stryker McBride
Tag: Travis McGee
Brad Dolan
Created by William Fuller "The name's Dolan...I like to eat to live, drink to relax and sleep because I'm a sackhound. Somehow, though, something always seems to go wrong." Hard-boiled adventurer, smuggler and wanderer BRAD DOLAN is a sort of pre-Travis McGee Travis McGee and certainly no stranger to trouble. Or violence. Or babes. He … Continue reading Brad Dolan
Mike Travis
Created by M.E. Knerr (1936-99) Travis, a 1962 paperback original, marks the debut and probably only appearance in print of MIKE TRAVIS, a “sailor of fortune, who loves life, and woman, especially women.” It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what other reasonably well-known character was the inspiration for him. As we are … Continue reading Mike Travis
Logan
Created by Alan Joseph Pseudonym of Jon Messman Other pseudonyms include Jon Sharpe, Claude Nicole, Nick Carter & Paul Richards (1920-2004) In the early 1970s, Belmont-Tower contracted an author named Jon Messman to write a pair of novels under the pen name Alan Joseph, about a character named LOGAN. Logan and his boat, The Sea … Continue reading Logan
My Scrapbook: The Winking Brown Eye
My Scrapbook The National Lampoon ReviewsJohn D. MacDonald's "New" Travis McGee Book In the July 1981 issue of the National Lampoon (the special “Endless, Mindless Summer Sex” issue), they ran “Would You Like Something to Read?,” a spoof of a regular book column,by Sean Kelly and Ted Mann. Yes, it's cheeky, politically incorrect and embarrassingly juvenile. You should probably … Continue reading My Scrapbook: The Winking Brown Eye
My Scrapbook: Hey, this McGee guy sounds interesting. Anyone read him?
My Scrapbook An ad from the June 1964 issue of Cavalier
The Children of Travis McGee
The Literary Descendants of Our Man Trav... I guess it says something about the ongoing appeal of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee that so many writers have been inspired to create Travis-like heroes themselves. Some are more obvious than others, and of course anyone who lives on a boat, shows any concern for the environment or … Continue reading The Children of Travis McGee
McGee’s Little Black Book
Let's Face It--The Dude Got Around... Salvage consultant, beach bum, tarnished knight errant...and slut! It's no secret that John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee got around. But someone actually took the time to sit down and compile a list. According to Jay Pearsall, in his delightful book, Mystery & Crime: The New York Public Library Book … Continue reading McGee’s Little Black Book
Travis McGee
Created by John D. MacDonald (1916-86) "Travis McGee is the last of the great knights-errant: honorable, sensual, skillful, and tough. I can't think of anyone who has replaced him. I can't think of anyone who would dare" -- Donald Westlake Beach bum. Salvage consultant. Recoverer of misplaced goods. Ladies' man. Mender of broken hearts. Environmentalist. … Continue reading Travis McGee
John D. MacDonald
Pseudonyms included John Wade Farrel, Robert Henry, John Lane, Scott O'Hara, Peter Reed & Henry Reiser (1916-1986) "If any two people could ever really get inside each other's head, it would scare the pee out of both of them." -- Travis McGee in Dress Her in Indigo "(He was) the great entertainer of our age, … Continue reading John D. MacDonald