JIM DOHERTY wrote:
> Second, while the Executioner is the father of
the
> "Men's Action" genre, a transitional figure who
could
> be called the "grandfather" is Nick Carter.
Nick's
> been evertyhting from a Victorian Holmes wanna-be,
to
> a Depression-era hardboiled PI, but in his most
recent
> incarnation, he was a deliberately imitative
James
> Bond clone who starred in nearly 200 espionage
novels.
> Some of the writers who've contributed to Nick's
saga
> include Michael Avallone (who actually wrote the
first
> "Nick Carter - Killmaster" novel RUN SPY RUN, and
so,
> in a sense, may be termed Nick's creator, or at
least
> re-booter), PWA founder Bob Randisi,
Edgar-winner
> Michael Collins, techno-thriller ace David
Hagberg,
> and our own Bill Crider whose first published book
was
> a collaborative Nick novel.
In fairness, Carter debuted in 1886, only five years after
Holmes, and was really modelled on other dime novel
detectives, like Old Cap Collier and Old King Brady. He did
take on Holmesian attributes, to be sure, but he was always
more than just a Holmes imitator, just as Sexton Blake (who
also took on Holmesian attributes) was always more than just
a Holmes imitator.
Actually, the Blake comparison is apposite, since he, too,
underwent similar changes, reflecting contemporary societal
attitudes, finally becoming a Bond-like character.
jess The Nick Carter Page http://www.geocities.com/jessnevins/carter.html
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