Mickey Spillane, R.I.P.

The creator of Mike Hammer has died at the age of 88. It’s sad to think that an entire generation best knows him from those “tastes great, less filling” beer commercials he did a few years back. The man should be remembered for the ending of I, The Jury alone. In terms of pure effectiveness, it’s among the greatest ever written in any genre and in any language.

Spillane didn’t rank among my favorite novelists, but he knew how to get the job done. His books – in style, content, and politics – are very much products of the Cold War. Some might even say relics. Coincidentally, a recent topic on the hardboiled list Rara Avis was whether Spillane’s work has stood the test of the time. I think the fact that the question was asked gives you the answer.

Besides, he inspired Kiss Me Deadly and starred as his own creation in The Girl Hunters. The latter’s not much of a movie, but still. What a legacy.

Miscellaneous: Link

Via GreenCine Daily, check out The Amazing Screw-On Head, a new animated Sci-Fi series from Hellboy creator Mike Mignola starring Paul Giamatti.