Origins & Early Life

Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918 – July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, called the "king of pulp fiction". He was best known for stories featuring his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. Spillane's total sales rank him among the most successful fiction authors of the modern era, with industry estimates exceeding 200 million copies of his 26 books sold. Spillane was also an occasional actor, once even playing Hammer himself in the 1963 film The Girl Hunters.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Frank Morrison Spillane was born in Brooklyn, New York, and primarily raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was the only child of his Irish bartender father, John Joseph Spillane, and his Scottish mother, Catherine Anne. During his late adolescence, his family returned to Brooklyn, where he graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1936. He started writing while in high school, briefly attended Fort Hays State College in Kansas, and worked a variety of jobs, including summers as a lifeguard at Breezy Point, Queens, and a period as a trampoline artist for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

During World War II, Spillane enlisted in the Army Air...

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