San-Antonio, Certaines  l’aiment chauve, Gart, A.O. Printest, Tallin, 1992

(Thanks to Didier Poiret)

Two of the most successful second generation hardboiled detectives, Mike Hammer and San-Antonio were invented respectively in 1947, by Mickey Spillane, and in 1949 by Frédéric Dard. Both authors were kings of the alluringly, garishly covered paperbacks  (Signet and Fleuve Noir) and both sold tens of millions of copies (with more than 230 Millions usually estimated for Spillane, and a probably wildly exaggerated 220 millions often quoted for San-Antonio). Continue reading →