Men's Adventure Quarterly #12

The Men's Adventure Quarterly Magazine are highlights of my year. Thankfully, the boys behind this amazing publication put in the hard work and are dedicated to keep these books coming. This is the quarterly magazine edited by both Robert Deis and Bill Cunningham that focuses on vintage men's action-adventure magazines, but delves into other media like paperbacks, comics, films, and books about books. Guest contributors in this issue are James Reasoner, David Avallone, John Harrison, David Spencer, and Paul Bishop. Every MAM Quarterly has a theme. Prior issues were dedicated to themes like juvenile delinquents, spy, vigilante, Vietnam War, and western. This one is right up my alley. It is the Private Eye Issue. At 160 pages this thing is stuffed with content. I'll hit the surface just to give you an idea of what you get with this amazing issue. 

In the opening pages, Bob Deis gives a thoughtful and mournful farewell to his friend and MAM inspiration, artist Mort Kunstler. The famed artist passed away in February, 2025. Back in 2019, Bob, alongside his editing partner Wyatt Doyle, put together a fantastic book about Kunstler and his career. Bob's message is endearing and one that solidifies the enormous legacy Kunstler leaves behind. He was a talent like no other and he will be sorely missed. 

Bob also rolls into the issue's first short story with an introduction about a real life private-eye named Raymond C. Schindler. Bob delves into the sleuth's life and his appearance in a short story titled "The Case of the Murdering Detective", penned by writer Alan Hynd and originally published in Cavalier in September 1956. Bob and Bill publish that entire story in this issue complete with the amazing original artwork by Norm Saunders. 

I was thrilled to see that Bob included yours truly in an article about popular crime-fiction author Frank Kane. Bob gives a nod to Tom and I and our Podcast Episode about Kane's iconic private-eye Johnny Liddell. Bob gives a little backstory on Kane and the character and even digs into an old Manhunt story featuring the character titled "Party Girl". That story, originally appearing in Manhunt's August 1954 issue was reprinted in Ken for Men in May 1957. Thankfully, Bob turns the favor and reprints the entire story in this issue as well. Of course it is accompanied by amazing artwork by Rudy Nappi featuring men's adventure supermodel Eva Lynd. 

Bob has an article about a rare two-issue men's adventure magazine titled Private Eye. The issues were November 1959 and April 1960. Bob writes about the magazine and features a story from it titled "Sing a Song of Sex Mail" by an unknown author. 

What I consider the main event of the issue is a book bonus of Michael Avallone's The Tall Dolores. This book bonus is titled "Make Out Mob Girl". The story is introduced by David Spencer and features an excerpt from Spencer's non-fiction work about paperback novelizations aptly titled The Novelizers. The gatefold artwork for the story is by Frank Soltesz. Accompanying this story is an article by Michael Avallone's son David titled "A Little Something About My Father". 

If you are a fan of the Honey West franchise then this issue's MAQ Gallery is a must. There's tons of paperback cover art from books like Dig a Dead Doll and Girl on the Prowl. There's art from TV Guide, an episode guide from the show, and a short story titled "The Red Hairing" which was originally published in the June 1965 issue of Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine with art by Leo Morey. 

James Reasoner's article is titled "The Top Ten Western Detectives" and it looks at characters created by the likes of Loren Estleman, Steve Hockensmith, John Reese, Craig Johnson, and A.G. Guthrie Jr just to name a few. Paul Bishop has a detailed article titled "Sherlockian: The Game is Still Afoot!" that examines Sherlock Holmes short story collection Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories, The Fight Card Sherlock Holmes Omnibus, and his own edited book out now titled 52 Weeks 52 Sherlock Holmes Novels. John Harrison's article looks at specific examples of futuristic private eyes, so that adds a little something unique and different to round out the issue. 

As always, with these issues of Men's Adventure Quarterly, high-quality is the absolute goal and every single issue delivers it in spades. I don't know how they do it but Bob and Bill are a terrific duo that put in a ton of hard work to get this to print four times per year. I'm impressed. Again, this is Men's Adventure Quarterly #12 and it's out now. Get it HERE.