Mike Hammer

The Mike Hammer series is a novel series based on the life of the fictional character named Micheal Hammer, developed by the famous American author Mickey Spillane. There is a total of 20 novels in the series which are published from 1947 to 2014. Author Mickey Spillane has written the latter half of the series in collaboration with Max Allen Collins. The series is based on the crime-fiction and mystery genres in a plot set in New York. U.S.A where Mike Hammer works as a private Investigator. Author Spillane used the plot of the post World War I era to develop the first novel of the series. The series has been successful enough to be made into several movies as well as television series’. The first television series based on the novels was made in the year 1958 with the title ‘Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer’ starring actor Darren McGavin. Another television series based on the novels was made again in the year 1984, this time with actor Stacy Keach in the lead role. Stacy Keach continued to play the role of Mike Hammer in the next installments of the television series’ ‘The New Mike Hammer’ and ‘Mike Hammer, Private Eye’ from 1984 to 1998. A comic strip and several Audio-books and Radio series were also developed based on the novels of the series. The first few novels were also made into movies from 1953 to 2003 with noted actors of that time. The first novel of the series ‘I, The Jury’ was adapted into a movie twice, first time in 1953 with actor Biff Elliot as Mike Hammer and again in 1982 with actor Armand Assante in the lead role as private investigator Mike Hammer. Author Mickey Spillane had developed the character of Mike Hammer based on the life of a former New York police officer and ex-Marine, Jack Stang, and also wanted him to play the lead role in the movie adaptation of one of the novels of the series in 1963. However, he turned down the offer and author Mickey Spillane went on to play Mike Hammer himself. Even though, a number of actors have played the role of Mike Hammer in various films and television series’, actor Stacy Keach was the only who resembled the character closely. The character description of Mike Hammer as is given by author Mickey Spillane in the novels of the series is as follows: