Michael Hammer is a fictional character created by the American authorMickey Spillane. Hammer debuted in the 1947 bookI, the Jury. Hammer is a no-holds-barredprivate investigator whose love for his secretary Velda is outweighed only by his willingness to kill a killer. Hammer's best friend is Pat Chambers, Captain of NYPD Homicide. Hammer was aWorld War II army veteran who spent two years fighting jungle warfare in thePacific Ocean theater of World War II against Japan.
In 1942, when he was a comic book writer, Spillane created the private detective Mike Lancer published inGreen Hornet Comics #10 (December, 1942) byHarvey Comics.[1]
In 1946, Spillane worked with illustratorMike Roy and Edwin Robbins to create the private-eye character Mike Danger for proposed comic-book or comic-strip publication. Unable to sell the project as a comic, he reworked the story as the novelI, the Jury, converting Mike Danger to Mike Hammer and supporting character Holly to Velda.[2] "Mike Hammer originally started out to be a comic book. I was gonna have a Mike Danger comic book," Spillane said in a 1984 interview.[3] Two Mike Danger comic-book stories were published in 1954 without Spillane's knowledge, as well as one featuring Mike Lancer (1942). These were published with other material in "Byline: Mickey Spillane," edited byMax Allan Collins and Lynn F. Myers, Jr. (Crippen & Landru publishers, 2004).
Whilepulp detectives such asSam Spade andPhilip Marlowe are hard-boiled and cynical, Hammer is in many ways thearchetypal "hard man": brutally violent, and fueled by a genuine rage against violent crime that never afflictsRaymond Chandler's orDashiell Hammett's heroes. InThe Big Kill, Hammer describes himself to abargirl as amisanthrope. Spillane admitted to pulp writerCarroll John Daly, generally regarded as the inventor of the hard-boiled private eye figure, that Hammer was also loosely modeled on Race Williams, Daly's most frequently used detective character.
While other hardboiled heroes bend and manipulate the law, Hammer often views it as an impediment to justice, the one virtue he holds in absolute esteem. Hammer nevertheless has a strong respect for the majority ofpolice, realizing they have a difficult job and their hands are frequently tied by the law when trying to stop criminals.
Hammer is alsopatriotic andanti-communist. The novels are peppered with remarks by Hammer supporting American troops inKorea, and inSurvival...ZeroVietnam. InOne Lonely Night, where Hammer attends acommunist meeting in a park, his reaction to the speaker'spropaganda is a sarcastic "Yeah."
So far as violence is concerned, the Hammer novels leave little to the imagination. Written in thefirst person, Hammer describes his violent encounters with relish. In all but a few novels, Hammer's victims are often left vomiting after a blow to the stomach or groin.
Hammer is anageless character. Spillane said of his character: "See, heroes never die.John Wayne isn't dead,Elvis isn't dead. Otherwise you don't have a hero. You can't kill a hero. That's why I never let him get older."
TheWashington Times obituary of Spillane said of Hammer, "In a manner similar toClint Eastwood'sDirty Harry, Hammer was a cynical loner contemptuous of the 'tedious process' of the legal system, choosing instead to enforce the law on his own terms."[4]
The Night I Died (published in the anthologyPrivate Eyes first published in 1998, although short story was written in 1953)
The Duke Alexander (published in the bookByline: Mickey Spillane first published in 2004, although it was originally written circa 1956)
The Killing Man (short story later turned into a full-length Mike Hammer novel published inPlayboy magazine December 1989, later republished in the bookByline: Mickey Spillane in 2004)
Black Alley (short story later turned into a full-length Mike Hammer novel published inPlayboy magazine December 1996, later republished in the bookByline: Mickey Spillane in 2004)
The Big Switch (published inThe Strand Magazine, 2008, reprinted in paperback inThe Mammoth Book of the World's Best Crime Stories, 2009)
A Long Time Dead (published inThe Strand Magazine 2010)
Grave Matter (published inCrimes By Moonlight, ed. Charlaine Harris, 2010)
Skin (e-book short story 2012)
So Long, Chief (published inThe Strand Magazine, Issue XXXIX, Feb. - May 2013)
It's In The Book (e-book short story 2014)
Fallout (published inThe Strand Magazine 2015)
A Dangerous Cat (published inThe Strand Magazine, Issue XLVIII, Feb. - May 2016)
A Long Time Dead: A Mike Hammer Casebook (A collection of short stories byMickey Spillane andMax Allan Collins 2016 - published by Mysteriouspress.com/Open Road. This collection reprints the storiesThe Big Switch,A Long Time Dead,Grave Matter,So Long, Chief,Fallout,A Dangerous Cat,Skin (first time in print format), andIt's In The Book (first time in print format))
Tonight My Love (published inThe Strand Magazine, Issue LVI, Oct. 2018 - Jan. 2019 -Max Allan Collins developed this short story from aMickey Spillane radio-style playlet that was part of a Mike Hammer jazz LP - Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Story - produced in 1954 byMickey Spillane. This is the story of how Mike Hammer met Velda.)
Kill Me If You Can: Mike Hammer 75 1947-2022 (This first edition of the 2022 novelKill Me If You Can - published by Titan Books - is accompanied by fiveHammerverse short stories byMickey Spillane andMax Allan Collins:The Big Run,A Killer Is Loose!,Killer's Alley (featuring Mike Hammer),The Punk, andTonight My Love (featuring Mike Hammer).
Several films and radio and television series have been based on the books in the Hammer series. The actor most closely identified with the character has beenStacy Keach, who portrayed Hammer in aCBS television series,Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, which ran from 1984–1987 and had a syndicated revival in 1997–1998. (An earlier syndicated version, originally aired in 1957–1958, starredDarren McGavin as Hammer.) Spillane himself played Hammer in a 1963 motion picture adaptation ofThe Girl Hunters. Spillane himself favoured ex-Marine and formerNewburgh, New York police officerJack Stang, on whom he based the character, to play him. Stang appeared with Spillane in the 1954 filmRing of Fear and in the film adaptation ofI, the Jury.
My Gun Is Quick (United Artists, 1957),Robert Bray was cast as Hammer, with more of the violence originating from the villain than the detective. The film grossed $308,000 with a total of $602 overseas.
The Girl Hunters (Colorama Features, 1963),Mickey Spillane was given the rare opportunity to portray his own creation in this film. This is one of the few occasions in film history in which the creator of a literary character was later hired to portray that character in a film. ProducerRobert Fellows and Spillane planned to follow the film withThe Snake but it never materialised.
Margin For Murder (1981 TV movie),Kevin Dobson plays Hammer in this made-for-TV movie.
Murder Me, Murder You (1983 TV movie),Stacy Keach played Hammer in this TV pilot for the TV series that ran in the 1980s. This update featured a traitor to the U.S. and a daughter Hammer does not know he has.
More Than Murder (1984 TV movie),Stacy Keach again played Hammer as a high-stakes poker game is robbed and police Captain Pat Chambers intervenes as the thieves make their getaway. He is shot in the back and then framed as a drug dealer. Hammer makes it his job to clear Pat and find out who nearly killed him.
The Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1986 TV movie),Stacy Keach reprises his role as Hammer in this pilot for the third season of his Hammer TV show AKAThe New Mike Hammer. In this April 1986 TV movie, a young girl is kidnapped and there is an attempt on the daughter of a well-known actress, after which the kidnapper then turns up dead. Hammer is hired to protect the girl and travels to Los Angeles.
Come Die with Me: A Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Mystery (1994 TV movie),Rob Estes plays Hammer in this TV movie, oppositePamela Anderson as his secretary, Velda.
Mickey Spillane, Ed Robbins and Joe Gill'sFrom the Files of... Mike Hammer (January 31, 1954).
A short-livedcomic strip starring Mike Hammer was distributed by Phoenix Features Syndicate from 1953 to 1954. It was entitledFrom the Files of... Mike Hammer and written by Spillane, Ed Robbins and Joe Gill, with art by Ed Robbins. Collections of the strip were published in the 1980s.[7]
In 1956 the Turkish comics artistOğuz Aral created a parody of Mike Hammer titledHayk Mammer.[8]
Walt Kelly wrote two parodies of Mike Hammer first published in collections of original work of hisPogo comic strip. They were: "The Bloody Drip - by Mucky Spleen" (Uncle Pogo So-so Stories, 1953) and "Gore Blimey - The Bloody Drip Writhes Again " (Pogo Peek-A-Book, 1955).
In 2013Hermes Press reprinted the complete "Mike Hammer" comic strip, with a special introduction by Max Collins.[9]
In 2018,Titan Comics published a four part "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer" comic series, written byMax Allan Collins with artwork by Marcelo Salaza and Marcio Freire. Later that same year, these four issues were collected as the graphic novelMickey Spillane's Mike Hammer: The Night I Died.
Radio Series - A December 1952 to October 1954Mutual Broadcasting System radio series titledThat Hammer Guy starredLarry Haines then George Petrie and Ted DeCorsia as Mike Hammer andJan Miner as Hammer's secretary Velda and the voice of other female characters on the show. It was written by Ed Adamson and was directed by Richard Lewis.
Audiobooks - An array of Spillane's novels have been produced as audiobooks. Several of these are performed byMickey Spillane's Mike Hammer veteran Stacy Keach. Examples includeBlack Alley (Penguin Audio, 1996),The Big Kill (Simon & Schuster, 2010) andThe Killing Man (Simon & Schuster, 2010). Also, in 2015, Simon & Schuster released the unabridged version ofI, The Jury, narrated by Mike Dennis.
Blackstone Audio Productions - In 2008,Stacy Keach reprised the role of Mike Hammer in the first of a series of radio-style dramas entitledThe New Adventures of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. Keach refers to the production style, that is somewhere between an audiobook and radio drama, as a "radio novel."[10]Article title[usurped]Audie-nominated inaugural production features the episodes,Dangerous Days andOil and Water. Both were written exclusively for audio by M.J. Elliott and produced with a full cast, music and sound effects in radio drama style by Carl Amari of Falcon Picture Group, who personally selected Elliott to script the Audie Award-nominated dramas. Volume 2 of the series was released in 2009, featuring a 2.5 hour story entitledThe Little Death. The story was written exclusively for audio byMax Allan Collins from a story byMickey Spillane andMax Allan Collins. Volume 3,Encore for Murder, was released in March 2011. All three volumes have been released byBlackstone Audio and star Keach in the title role. Keach also arranges and performs the music featured in the productions[10] and his wife,Malgosia Tomassi, portrays yoga instructor Maya Ricci.
The Swedish musicianMagnus Uggla wrote a song calledIQ, in which a stereotypical violent and simple-minded nightclub bouncer is sarcastically described as being "dangerous like Mike Hammer".
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