Max Allan Collins Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
Max Allan Collins (born March 3, 1948) is an American mystery writer. He has written novels, screenplays, comic books, comic strips, trading cards, short stories, movie novelizations and historical fiction. He wrote the graphic novel Road to Perdition (which was developed into a film in 2002), created the comic book private eye Ms. Tree, and took over writing the Dick Tracy comic strip from creator Chester Gould and one of the Batman comic books for a time. He wrote books to expand on the Dark Angel TV series. He has also written books and comics based on the TV series franchise CSI. In 2006 he wrote Buried Deep (also released as "Bones Buried Deep"), based on the TV series Bones.He has also written two sequel novels to Road to Perdition: Road to Purgatory and Road to Paradise. He also wrote three more graphic novels starring the characters from Road to Perdition. These graphic novels, called collectively On the Road to Perdition, form the basis of the film.He also co-founded the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers with Lee Goldberg. The IAMTW is an organization for writers of tie-ins and novelizations.Collins studied in the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa.Collins is a fan of the mystery writer Mickey Spillane from childhood and later became friends with him. The two collaborated on a comic book series in the 1990s called Mike Danger. Upon Spillane's death in 2006, Collins was entrusted to finish several uncompleted works by Spillane including Dead Street, The Goliath Bone, and The Big Bang. Several other uncompleted works may be finished by Collins and published in the future.
City of Angels is the best private eye series, ever, and is probably the biggest single influence on Nate Heller. The show did several historically based stories, that prefigure what I did, and Wayne Rogers was a great wiseguy private eye, very much a nontraditional, selfish, sometimes cowardly, sometimes reckless hero in the Roy Huggins Maverick/Rockford Files vein.
2
I have been chastised for making this claim, but I do feel I invented the historical hard-boiled detective novel. Not the period private eye novel ([Stuart] Kaminsky and [Andrew] Bergman and Robert Towne and maybe a couple others pre-date me), but using a fictional noirish protagonist in a story that is otherwise solidly based on fact. That's my contribution.
3
On his Nathan Heller detective novels: The books are conceived as memoirs, with Nate himself writing these in geezerhood retirement - which is why certain anachronisms creep in (the old boy is not perfect, nor is his memory). It's also possible Heller is not a reliable narrator -- like [George MacDonald Fraser's] Flashman, he may be bullshitting us to some extent. But who cares? I wanted the events of the various novels to impact later novels -- I hate the way series characters experience earth-shattering events in one story and any ramifications disappear by the next story. The violent, world-weary postwar Heller is a very different guy from the brash, world-beating younger Heller.
4
Spillane was a primitive, a natural talent who brought to the tough mystery the concerns and traumas of the World War II generation of men, the returning soldiers and sailors and marines who found the American dream they'd been fighting for was frequently a nightmare. The loss of innocence these vets brought with them led Spillane to his more explicit violence and daring (for its time) sexual content. The vivid scenes Spillane paints -- including scenes of violence that remain unsurpassed -- indicate a natural artist of considerable talent and power. The craftsmanship of his surprise endings, the abrupt, startling conclusions he's famous for, are unmatched in the field.
5
Jack Webb is the forgotten genius of the genre, condemned by his own inferior later work that is all anybody knows of him, these days: the color, later Harry Morgan Dragnet episodes. Webb was the Orson Welles of early TV. He transformed the medium into something adult and sophisticated, and he was a genuine noir auteur. It's a crime that so few of the early black-and-white Dragnet shows are available.
6
It's my hope to relaunch [Mike] Hammer... In addition to the two books in progress I mentioned, there are two Hammer novels from the '60s where Mickey stopped at about the halfway point, which I hope to complete. Beyond that, Mickey left an unusual number (and this sounds like B.S., but I swear it's true) of first chapters of Hammer books, often with notes and endings--meaning another five or six Hammer novels could be done with substantial Spillane content. I hope some publisher out there will understand what an incredible opportunity this is. And I am thrilled and honored that Mickey and Jane selected me to be their literary point man.
7
On finishing the Mike Hammer series by Mickey Spillane: "Mickey's file of unpublished material was extensive - another trio of Hammers can follow, if these three do well. This is a very big deal - there are only 13 Mike Hammer novels, and adding another three (or six) to the canon is unheard of for so famous a mystery series."
8
On completing Mickey Spillane's unpublished Mike Hammer novels: "I am working from substantial partial manuscripts - at least half of each book already written by Mickey. That I will be collaborating with Mickey on at least three Hammer novels is thrilling to me beyond words. This is highly unusual, because I am working not only with his wife Jane's blessing, but Mickey's own: he asked me to complete these novels. First up: "The Goliath Bone," the final Hammer chronologically.'
9
I don't really consider 'The Expert' a "bad" experience. Frustrating, yes, but overall constructive, and I still consider Bill Lustig a friend, and a talented filmmaker. We'll probably work together again. It was in the midst of the constant rewrites of 'The Expert'...did you know it was a Dirty Dozen script, for most of its life, until Speakman was cast?
10
On the making of The Expert (1995): "Lustig and I wanted a cast of character actors - somebody like Ed Ward or Lance Henriksen in the lead, backed up by Fred Williamson and Charles Napier and Robert Forster. Ex-Green Berets on a final mission, invading Death Row after the death penalty is repealed, to perform the executions the state had reneged on. I had this great bit where Williamson was to be the guy who went in to execute everybody; he goes in laden down with weaponry - and promptly gets killed. Then, thanks to him, everybody on Death Row is suddenly armed, and the shit hits the fan."
11
Eliot Ness is the most famous real-life detective in American history, but probably no historical figure has been more misunderstood or misrepresented... Surprisingly the real story is more exciting and colorful than the Hollywood version -- Ness fought gangsters, corrupt cops and even America's first serial killer.
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Fact
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Lists his five favorite private eye television shows as: 'Veronica Mars (2004-2007)', 'City of Angels (1976)', 'Mike Hammer (1956-1959)'(starring Darren McGavin), 'A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2000- )', and 'The Rockford Files (1974-1980)'. The runner-up is 'Peter Gunn (1958-1961)'.
2
His one man play, "Eliot Ness: An Untouchable Life" ran at the Des Moines Playhouse from August 18-27. The show starred Michael Cornelison, who appears in the filmed version. [August 2005]
3
Signed with Otto Penzler's Harcourt line to complete three Mike Hammer novels begun by Mickey Spillane. Collins is working from substantial partial manuscripts, as Spillane had already completed half of each book before his death. [July 2007]
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The lead character in his "Nolan" series--a professional thief--was inspired by actor Steve McQueen.
5
Acquired the rights to hard-boiled 1950s comic book detective 'Johnny Dynamite' (created by writer Ken Fitch and and artist Pete Morisi) in 1987, and incorporated the character into his 'Ms. Tree' comic book. As of 2007, both 'Ms. Tree' and 'Johnny Dynamite (2008)' are being developed as television shows.
6
His novel "Stolen Away" is the longest first-person private eye novel ever written.
7
Provides the commentary track for the DVD release of Columbia's The Phantom (1943).
Biography/bibliography in: "Contemporary Authors". New Revision Series, vol. 138, pages 96-101. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005.
12
Creator of several series characters who have appeared in his novels: Nolan (a professional thief), Quarry (a hit man), and Mallory (a novelist who solves crimes). Perhaps his most famous character, however, is Nathan Heller, a Chicago private detective who has taken part in a number of true-crime adventures (playing the role of real life participants). Collins has won multiple awards for the Heller series, which continues to be published to this day.
13
Filmmaker William Lustig (director of Maniac Cop (1988)) once owned an option on Collins' novel "Spree". The story centered on a former thief named Nolan who is blackmailed into carrying out a heist in a Midwestern mall where he now owns a restaurant. Collins has written seven novels featuring this character.
14
Has been contracted by DC Comics (the original publisher) to write three tie-ins to his critically aclaimed graphic novel "The Road to Perdition", which was adapted into the feature film. Collins is also writing two prose sequels for William Morrow publishers.
15
Made his first independent feature film, Mommy (1995), following a nightmarish experience as screenwriter on the cable movie The Expert (1995).
16
Wrote the Dick Tracy comic strip begining in 1977 and ending in the early 1990s. he has contributed to a number of other comics as well, including Batman.
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Is known primarily as a novelist and critic. His most famous series is the "Nathan Heller" series of historical detective novels. He has also written a critical work praising Mickey Spillane.
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Quarry
TV Series based on the book series by - 8 episodes, 2016 written by - 1 episode, 2016
$9 Million
