Michael Howard

Saul Bellow said, 'A writer is a reader moved to emulation,' and that explains perfectly why I've written the books you see here. While I enjoy works from every genre, my favorite type of story remains the hero pulps of the inter-war period. 'Manhattan Masquerade' is intended as a homage to the action-packed adventures of Walter Gibson and Lester Dent where colorful, larger-than-life men and women confront threats far beyond the power of the Law. At the same time however, this is also an historical novel where my protagonists interact with real people in a very specific time and place. Twentieth Century Pulp Fiction but with Twenty-First Century sensibilities. A delicate balancing act to be sure but I hope I've succeeded because there are many other entries from the case files of the Greater Gotham Detective Agency still to be revealed.

And a similar attention to historical detail can be found in 'Jimmie Dale, Alias The Gray Seal.' Although almost completely forgotten now, Frank Packard's Gray Seal character had a huge impact on the action heroes of the Nineteen-Thirties. The Shadow, the Green Hornet, and the Spider were all directly influenced by the Gray Seal stories. Of much greater significance today though, is the fact that the Gray Seal was America's first true superhero. Decades before Batman appeared on the scene, bored society millionaire Jimmie Dale put on a mask and an equipment belt holding special gadgets he designed himself to combat big-city criminals beyond the power of the police. That basic premise was adopted by dozens of other characters throughout the Twentieth Century, and today the concept is more popular and more a part of mainstream culture than ever before.

But it all started with Packard's Gray Seal and this pastiche of mine is intended as a tribute to and reminder of that legacy.

Please note that the entire Jimmie Dale saga is currently being reprinted in a set of annotated volumes edited by myself. The personal papers of Gray Seal creator Frank Packard have been consulted for this project, along with various unpublished works of fiction by him that add further insight to the series. Also, a detailed chronology has been established for the novels so they can be considered in their proper historical setting.

Below you will find links to Volumes One and Two of the definitive Gray Seal collection:

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Jimmie-Dale-Annotated-Compilation/dp/198684899X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=complete+jimmie+dale+volume+one&qid=1599863163&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1676843949/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=complete+jimmie+dale+volume+two&qid=1599863174&sr=8-1

And you can find the Gray Seal's Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/JimmieDaleGraySeal/

Michael Howard has more than thirty years of service as a Corrections Department Field Agent. He lives in Michigan with one wife, two daughters, five cats, and several thousand books.

More information about his writings can be found at:

https://www.facebook.com/Michael-Howard-1327182680637604/