Kerry Drake was clearly created by the Publishers Syndicate, a packager of comic strips and other syndicated features, to be their answer to the enormously popular Dick Tracy. In examining how Kerry Drake and Dick Tracy are alike and yet very different, this author senses the possible impact of a gay male creator. A topic worthy of exploration it seems to me. That is, if we only knew for certain that Kerry Drake’s creator, Alfred Andriola, was gay!

Why does this matter, you may well ask. In a field decidedly heterosexual and male and white, my goal is to explore comic strips and their storylines in a new way that highlights the impact of women, minorities and queer folks, as well as looking at their treatment by male creators.

Alfred Andriola’s Queer Signals

Alfred Andriola received his initial training in doing comic strips working for Milton Caniff on Terry and the Pirates. He then wrote and drew the Charlie Chan comic strip before creating Kerry Drake.

So what’s the evidence that Andriola was gay? The only explicit reference to Andriola being a homosexual was found in a biography of Harvey Kurtzman. The famous Mad Magazine artist met with the older artist who he found to be rather feminine in manner. What’s more, Kurtzman suspected Andriola had ulterior motives for offering help to younger artists.  (Schelly, 55)

This, alone, could be written off as gossip, and rather negative gossip at that. That Andriola criticized Kurtzman’s work likely didn’t help. Yet there is other circumstantial evidence to support the idea that Andriola was gay.

As a gay man myself, I don’t like to traffic in stereotypes, but boy oh boy did Andriola check off all the boxes of the archetypal homosexual of the forties and fifties. He was a “confirmed bachelor” who never married. He lived in NYC’s Greenwich Village, which was a haven for gay men of that era. He was a gourmet who loved doing sketches for and of Hollywood and Broadway divas. And, according to Milton Caniff, he was fastidious fellow who attempted to clean up the slovenly habits of Caniff when he worked for him.

If Andriola was not a gay man, he certainly channeled a queer aesthetic and lifestyle. And it is helpful in this regard to consider the villains he helped co-create with Allen Saunders for his new comic strip, Kerry Drake. While clearly meant to be a Dick Tracy surrogate in the Publishers Syndicate package of comic strips, there were also some striking differences.

While Andriola definitely supplied an ample supply of Gouldian grotesques (e.g., No Face, Bottleneck, Stitches), his villains were often handsome and embodied several gay archetypes of the period.

Some Seemingly “Queer” Rogues

Among the various villains that Kerry Drake faced were ones who readily fit some archetypal queer types. As drawn by Andriola in the first decade of the comic strip, several were far from shy about flashing a little flesh. The muscle man was represented by the scheming gym owner, Torso (1946). 

The pretty boy was embodied by Angel Puss (1945), who Andriola managed to feature in a shower scene that was genuinely a little racy. Profile Preen (1948) captured that element of the gay community who was obsessed with their own appearance. Profile was often seen taking in his own image in a hand held mirror. His excessive use of perfume also suggested a certain effeminacy.

The bear, in gay culture, is a larger man who has a hairy chest. This seemed to be a particular favorite of Andriolas, as two villains—Mossy Green (1945) and Wooly Wilde (1949) were bears. Mossy, in particular, was frequently drawn without his shirt revealing a muscular build and hirsute appearance. Cozy Caresse, who was married to the overweight marijuana trafficker Meatball clearly felt drawn to Mossy’s acute virility. He came to a bad end before anything could happen.

Andriola appeared to enjoy drawing these so-called bears. A few years later, the artist came up with Wooly Wilde. Aggressively masculine, Wooly wore a vest over his bare chest, a look that drew attention to his particularly hairy arms.

While Allen Saunders wrote the plots, I fully believe that Andriola created the villain names and visual representations. In each of these cases, the villain’s moniker emphasized the character’s key attribute.

It must be admitted that none of these characters were portrayed as actually being gay. But Andriola clearly enjoyed drawing them and they were unlike any other comic strip villains currently being portrayed. The only Kerry Drake villain whose sexuality the reader might reasonably wonder about was a woman.

Born Francesca Cicero, “Frisco” (1944) headed up a large criminal enterprise. A large, powerful woman with short hair and cat-like eyes, Frisco wore a tailored jacket, vest and tie with a conservative skirt and appears to be a lesbian. She called Satin, a female member of her gang, “Babe.” Vicious and merciless, Frisco later killed Satin’s boy friend, Pearly. Out of jealousy, in part? And surely her nickname was no coincidence. Next to Greenwich Village, San Francisco was the queerest place around. Andriola’s aging broadway diva, Tennesse Lane (1949, also seems to reflect a gay sensibility.

It must be reiterated that Allen Saunders was the uncredited writer of the comic strip. Yet the two other comic strips Saunders wrote—Mary Worth and Steve Roper, featured none of these queer archetypes.

One wonders how closeted homosexual readers responded to Andriola’s Kerry Drake, which seemed to feature more than a wink and a nod to their community. All of these characters were in forties storylines.

Kerry Drake Objectified

If we are comparing Kerry Drake to its inspiration, Dick Tracy, another difference between the two characters should be noted. Chester Gould’s Tracy, dynamic as he was, could hardly be described as strikingly handsome. His looks were in fact irrelevant to his singular pursuit of justice.

In contrast, Kerry Drake, as drawn by Andriola, was purposely portrayed in the narrative as good-looking. Female criminals were often drawn to him in spite of their clearly different goals. Not only that, in the early years of the comic strip he was often portrayed shirtless. Mimicking the scantily clad heroine that many comic strip artists trafficked in, Drake was shown in parallel situations of relative undress. He is shown shirtless while tied to a chair, for no particular good reason. More than once, his shirt gets torn off in the midst of a fight. A female character is drawn to him as she encounters him undercover on the beach in his swim trunks. Though not unique to this comic strip, Drake is clearly portrayed as a physically desirable male.

Was this portrayal, like those of the villains previously mentioned, a reflection of Andriola’s queer sensibility? I would argue, yes.

Into the Fifties and Sixties

The fifties saw Andriola increasingly rely on “ghosts” to create and draw the characters who populated his comic strip. It is also possible that Alfred Kinsey’s groundbreaking volumes on human sexuality made it harder for him to include “queer” seeming characters without readers catching on. It is also possible that he increasingly allowed Saunders to create villains without as much of his input.

Kerry Drake became increasingly conventional in content and arguably less interesting. Part of this was that Andriola made a decision to have the comic strip be less outlandish and more like the realistic “story strips” like Mary Worth and Rex Morgan that became increasingly popular during this period.

By the sixties, things had loosened up enough for some of the “queer” sensibility to return to the strip. Appearing in 1961, the maniacal Giggles seemed like Saunders and Andriola’s answer to Batman’s arch foe, the Joker. He was described by Drake himself as “a giggly little guy with pink hair who can fell a heavyweight with one right to the jaw.” The pudgy elf’s secret were black gloves with steel buttons sewn in. Giggles had beaten more than one enemy to death, despite his mirthful manner. Any sense of queeniness in his manner was offset by a sexy associate named Sequin.

Madam Adam, Kerry Drake’s only real arch enemy, appeared four different times between 1965 and 1975. Here name was a palindrome (i.e., spelled the same backwards or forwards) and evoked a certain androgyny. And her full name, Eve Adam, was both male and female. Tall and statuette, I always felt there was something about her that suggested a transgender woman. Whether Andriola ever had this in mind, though, is pure speculation.

On the heroic side of the ledger, Drake’s new partner Johnny Colt added a bit of sex appeal. In 1961, married and increasingly domesticated, Drake was no longer quite the fantasy object he once was. In contrast, Colt was darkly handsome, fit, a bit full of himself and a charmer. There are a few beefcake scenes, but nothing of the sort which Andriola put his brainchild through in the forties.

Whatever one thinks of my queer thesis, I do feel think its undeniable that Kerry Drake had something of a subtle camp sensibility throughout its run—before that approach hit the cultural mainstream in the middle sixties.

The Two Loves of Kerry Drake

As fit the more soap opera-esque era of the fifties, tragedy was a big part of Kerry Drake’s love life. In the forties, Kerry’s secretary—Sandy Burns—follows the tired trope of being in love with her boss who barely notices she’s there. But by the early fifties, Drake has begun to actively romance her. Sadly, in 1953, in a rather shocking development for comic strips, Sandy not only dies but is murdered by a pair of villains named Bulldozer and Trinket, a former circus strongman and his midget wife. It takes a year for Drake to bring her killers to justice.

Four years later, Kerry ran into an old high school friend of his named Mindy Malone. Mindy was married to a detective named Frank Malone. Frank became Kerry’s partner at Mindy’s request, an ill advised decision perhaps as Frank was subsequently killed. After Frank’s death, they gradually became closer. The two married in May of 1958 and Mindy gave birth to quadruplets, all girls, in 1967. This turned out to be a gimmick that didn’t really pay off story-wise. While his four daughters are never forgotten, they and Mindy don’t substantially contribute to subsequent drama in the strip.

Kerry Drake’s Increasingly Diverse Partners

After Kerry loses Sandy, he resigned from the district attorney’s office and decided to work on the street as a police detective. The dangers of police work were increasingly emphasized by Saunders. One senses that Andriola’s involvement in making writing decisions is less than what it was as the stories no longer seem to strongly reflect his interests. The cigar-smoking Dude Cravette is his first partner. When Dude is seriously injured in 1955, Drake pairs off with Jack Bryson, who resents him for what he feels was an easy climb up the ladder. Dude recovers, but leaves police work in 1961, explicitly to insure he would be around to raise his children and not leave his wife a widow.

Johnny Colt, a new police recruit who is cocky, handsome and a martial artist, becomes Drakes third partner and adds some youthful energy to the narrative. While not a partner, a similar instinct prompts the introduction of Kerry’s private eye brother, the red-haired Lefty Drake in 1967.

The succession of partners allow writer Allen Saunders to continue to introduce new angles to the comic strip. When Johnny Colt finally settles down and marries in 1971, Kerry is surprised that his new partner is a woman, Happy Stuart. But Happy proves competent and reliable and Kerry soon comes around. Kerry doesn’t bat an eye when his next partner, Willis Sampson, is black. Kerry also pairs up with Latino Joe Barrio for a couple cases in the eighties. These last two partners were the creation of Allen Saunders’son, John, who took over the writing of the comic strip in 1974.

The Other Women of Kerry Drake

Andriola and Saunders seemed to favor bad girls, some with a heart of gold and some bad to the bone. On the sympathetic end of continuum was Cozy Caresse, a burlesque dancer who was the moll of three different criminals: Dr. Prey, Meatball, and unfortunately named Sanitary Sam. GeeGee String, clearly a stage name, assisted the crooked Kid Gloves and Torso before landing the wealthy Algy Wedmore for a husband. Both women were ultimately redeemed.

Other femme fatales were similarly the main squeeze of the villain, though typically more hard-hearted than Cozy and GeeGee. They all had names like Cozy, Sequin, Smoky, Feathers, Roulette, and Calypso. If they weren’t all burlesque dancers, you had reason to wonder if they secretly wanted to be.

That said, there were also a number of formidable females who headed up criminal enterprises all on their own even if their names didn’t necessarily shout out their independent ways. These included Vixen Vargo, who always wore “V” monograms on her outfits (1947), Bonbon Baker, forger and con woman (1956), Charm Jones, blackmailer of wealthy men (1957), and Lady, a murderous health spa owner (1983) And, of course, the apple-eating Madam “Eve” Adam must be acknowledged, an international free agent of nefarious fortune (1965—twice, 1968, and 1975).

Luckily there were some genuinely strong female detectives with admirable traits, like private eye Julep Frost, Saranade Carter, and Happy Stuart to balance the ledger.

And the Supporting Players…

To his credit, writer Allen Saunders populated the comic strip with several interesting characters that he would return to again and again to ensure immediate reader interest. There was innocent ingenue, Cricket McCall—first seen as a star struck teen—who was constantly falling for the wrong guy in her six appearances in the narrative between 1945 and 1971. Algy Wedmore the Third was a great fun, an eccentric millionaire who was married a grand total of 14 times! He appeared three times between 1946 and 1952. Bootsie Belmont was a spoiled heiress who initially was more often the cause of troubles and only later became the more sympathetic victim of them. She appeared four times between 1967 and 1983. Finally, Dooley Jasper was a runaway who was taken in by Kerry and Mindy. Earnest, but prone to misjudgment, Dooley was featured in six stories, four of them clustered in the period of 1968 to 1970. He embodied the restless youth archetype especially common in that era.

Some Final Thoughts

When Alfred Andriola died in 1983, at the age of 70, Publishers Syndicate ended Kerry Drake with him. The comic strip was still moderately successful, carried in over 300 newspapers at the end.

Over the years, Andriola didn’t enjoy the best reputation among some of his fellow cartoonists. Many resented him for not allowing his various ghosts, included Allen Saunders who had been with him from the very beginning, to receive credit for their work. This likely came to a head when—according to comic strip historian Rick Marschall—Andriola received the coveted Reuben Award in 1970 and didn’t acknowledge the contributions of anyone else in his success.

Allen Saunders reportedly quit not long after this incident, though the break may not have been quite as catastrophic as some make out given that his son John promptly took over the writing chores. Sururi Gumen finally received credit for his artistic efforts in 1976. Andriola seemed to enjoy the limelight and hobnobbing with celebrities, perhaps more than the work itself in the end. He enjoyed doing sketches for starlets and talking to reporters.

In an interview with The Pittsburgh Press in March of 1978, Andriola was confident enough to acknowledge the queerness of his Greenwhich Village neighborhood, if not quite himself. “In the Village we have the rich, the poor, the gay community, the hippies, the Italians, everything.” He didn’t explicitly state he himself was both gay and Italian, though the reader was allowed to wonder. But some things never changed. As a bachelor, Andriola claimed to work night and day on the comic strip when in reality his effort at that point was markedly reduced. And Andriola shaved five years off his age when the reporter asked (Pittsburgh Press, 3/8/1978).

That said, Andriola’s imprint on Kerry Drake during the forties and early fifties is unmistakable. And Allen Saunders and his son John created a consistent narrative throughout the life of Kerry Drake that few comic strips enjoyed. Kerry Drake also featured the best villains this side of Dick Tracy. It sported top notch stories, attractive art and, for a time, decidedly queer narratives. In my humble opinion, it deserves more attention than it currently receives.

For readers interested in reading some of Kerry Drake’s adventures during his prime, they are available in the Harvey comic book reprints of the same name, available for free viewing at the websites, Digital Comic Museum and Comic Books Plus. In the individual character entries below, I do my best to list some of issues of the Harvey comic books reprints of the comic strip appeared in.

Kerry Drake’s Friends and Allies

Sandy Burns. Kerry’s secretary who is devoted to his work and secretly in love with him. Kerry finally begins to romance Sandy in the late forties. Her shocking murder by Bulldozer and Trinket profoundly impacts Kerry. 10/43-x/53.

Firetop. Red-haired copy boy at Kerry’s office, especially involved in the Mother Whistler case. 10/43-10/44.

Barr Mallory. The district attorney, Kerry’s boss. 10/43-10/53.    .

Gabby O’Toole. A talented, if stout and short in stature investigator called in to assist Kerry in his cases. 12/44-10/7/50.

Cricket  McCall. Crickett is first seen innocently harboring the fugitive Angel Puss, thinking he is a famous actor. In 1955, Cricket enjoys a brief romance with soda jerk, Rocky Mount, a young punk Kerry realized was homeless and befriended (x/55-8/55).

Later, complication ensue when her boy friend starts smoking marijuana and dies from a hold-up he attempts while under the influence. Crickett appears occasionally thereafter. Kerry Drake #9. 10/45-1/46, 2/49-5/49, x/55-x/56, 12/56-x/57,  8/66-10/66, 2/71-x/71.

Messy Bessy. Dissheveled woman in a wheelchair who wins the lottery, thus putting her life at risk at the hands of her scheming husband, Jackpot Jones. Kerry Drake #27-28. 12/45-2/46.

GeeGee String. Burlesque dancer who first runs afoul of the law by harboring the criminal Kid Gloves and later becomes involved with Algy Wedmore, at the same time two-timing him with Torso Steele. Nonetheless it is Wedmore whom she ultimately marries.  Kerry Drake #13, 24. 3/27/46-8/46, 4/48.

Algernon “Algy” Wedmore, III. Eccentric millionaire with a history of 13 wives and an equal number of divorces. He falls for GeeGee String, a dancer, who unbeknownst to him has been seduced by his personal trainer, Torso. When Wedmore reappears in 1948 he is separated from GeeGee and being driven insane by Highbrow. In his final appearance in 1952, Wedmore…  Kerry Drake #13, 23-24. 5/46-8/46, 1/48-4/48, 3/52-5/52.

Julep Frost. A Southern belle turned private detective, Julip goes undercover as a hatcheck girl who spies on her boss, “Keys” West, a dope smuggler. She follows Kerry to New York and declares her intentions to nab him romantically to an anything but pleased Sandy Burns. In the meantime, she assists Kerry in his struggle with the disc jockey known as D.D.T. Julep returns in 1949 to help Drake bring down Deadpan. Kerry Drake #20-22, 31-32. 7/47-1/48, 5/49-8/49.

Tennessee Lane. A moody and aging star of Broadway whom Kerry assists on two occasions, first saving her from Bearface and later the sinister ventoloquist, Danny Dolltalk. 8/49-11/49, 2/51-5/51.

Lucious Lucius. Bald aide to Kerry during a period when he was blind. A retired professional wrestler who went straight after a run in with the law, Lucius stayed on as an aide in an informal capacity, Lucius was instrumental in getting Kerry sober after he falls into drunkenness after Sandy is murdered. Once Kerry is sobered up, Lucius disappears from the narrative. He is not to be confused with a wrestler who appears with the same name a few decades later. 10/8/50-10/27/53.

Chief Shields. Kerry’s new boss once he leaves the D.A.’s office. 10/53-x/xx.

Dude Cravette. Kerry’s cigar-smoking first partner as a newly appointed police detective,  Dude is seriously injured in 1955 when shot in duty. Married, his wife kept a vigil at his bedside. Dude decides to leave police work in 1961 to become an insurance investigator, explicitly to insure he would be around to raise his children and not leave his wife a widow. 11/7/53-1/61.

Cay Sharp. First appears in the narrative as an attractive young woman with amnesia. Drake helps her recover her identity, a promising pianist who had a scholarship to the American Institute of Music. Kerry and Cay date for a time, but Cay is wary of his dangerous profession and she falls out of the narrative once Drake meets Mindy Malone. 4/11/54-9/54, x/xx.

Jack Bryson. Kerry’s temporary new partner who has a bad attitude, believing Kerry climbed the ladder without difficulty. He grows as a professional when he has to arrest Bonbon Baker, the woman he loves. 2/55-5/55, 9/56-12/56.

Mindy Malone. Old high school friends, Kerry and Mindy run into each other after many years. Mindy is married to a detective named Frank Malone. Frank becomes Kerry’s partner at Mindy’s request, an ill advised decision perhaps as Frank is killed on a stake-out in July while Kerry is making a phone call. After Frank’s death, they become close. Kerry asks her to marry him in January 1958, but she turns him down never wanting to marry another detective. He asks again in April and she is agrees.  They marry in May of 1958 and Mindy gives birth to quadruplets on 9/7/67, two boys and two girls. 6/2/57-x/83.

Johnny Colt. New police recruit, Johnny Colt is handsome, fit, a bit full of himself and a charmer. Yet Drake sees his substance, an Army vet who served in Okinawa and has the discipline to hone his body and master karate. As a result, Drake asks for him as his new partner to replace the departing Dude Cravette. Colt proves worthy of Drake’s faith in him. Before long, Johnny settles into a steady relationship with the equally attractive and charismatic Saranade Carter. Ultimately, though, Colt falls for and marries the down-to-earth Judy Clinton. 1/22/61-8/71.

Saranade Carter. Attractive blonde detective who works under Drake and is romantically involved with Johnny Colt. Carter is courageous, competent and very “with it.” 11/63-5/67…

Skinny McKinney. Solidly built young singer who is no longer “skinny”. Romantically involved with a girl named Jill. 7/64-12/64.

Asia. Beautiful daughter of Arab sheik Saylim Bey, Asia has fallen in love with Blake Moore, an employee of an American oil company. Her father calls upon Drake to protect her during a visit to America, but the real reason for her visit and her subsequent kidnapping only gradually emerge. Asia returns for the wedding of Wanda van Allen and Barrio. 4/6/65-6/27/65, 1982.

Bootsie Belmont. Extremely spoiled, selfish and nasty young heiress who lives with her millionaire grandfather ever since the death of her parents. Bootsie’s irresponsible behavior created a violent romantic triangle with a popular singer named Shiek Valentine and his flamenco dancer lover. Lefty takes her over his knee and spanks her in 1970, but also later rescues her from a sinister kidnap plot. In 1973, Bootsie accidentally causes the death of her unfaithful fiancé, television producer Brian Tanner.  Yummy, his mistress, tries to kill her, but for money not revenge. After an eight year absence, Left must once again rescue Bootsie, this time from the clutches of Lady, an unscrupulous and dangerous spa owner. 2/6/67-5/2/67, 11/20/70-2/26/71, 10/3/73-12/27/73, 3/83-6/26/83.

David “Lefty” Drake. Kerry’s  red-haired younger, private detective brother, “Lefty” is single, something of a ladies man and considerably more hip than Kerry. 6/18/67-7/83.

Hana Pony. Lefty’s attractive Asian secretary. First appears 6/22/67 and occasionaly thereafter, usually at the beginning of one of Lefty’s cases.

Dooley Jasper. Runaway and orphan caught by Lefty trying to rob his apartment. Dooley turns out to have some artistic talent and is informally adopted by Steve and Mindy. Not long after he butts heads with Rhymer. In 1970 Dooley enjoys an infatuation with an attractive art model named Tory Tiffin. In 1974, Dooley is hitchhiking cross country and encounters Moms and Pops house for homeless boys. Dooley finally finds happiness in 1982 as a guitarist for a female rocker named Goldie. 10/68-1/69, 6/69-9/69, 12/69-2/70, 5/70-8/70, (referenced 2/27/71), 8/74-12/74, 12/81-3/82.

Jimmy Ellis. Mindy’s brother, romantically involved with Jo K. Jones. 3/69-6/69.

Judy Clinton. Daughter of a wealthy father who was once a major underworld figure, Judy is a college student and physical education teacher who falls in love with and ultimately marries Johnny Colt. 5/71-8/71.

Happy Stuart. An attractive blonde-haired woman in her twenties, Happy becomes Kerry’s partner after Johnny Colt leaves the force and marries Judy Clinton. Drake is initially skeptical of having a female partner but soon gains respect for Stuart. 8/71-5/77.

The Baroness. AKA Rorie, mysterious blonde European beauty who Lefty falls for, but leaves him, due to her belief in an ancient curse of her family. x/75-7/3/75.

Willis Sampson. African American detective and Drake’s final partner. Sampson’s wife’s name is Cara. Sampson is shot in the line of duty at the end of 1982. …10/76-11/76, 10/77-3/83.

Homer Hooper. Hapless and somewhat meek bespectacled figure who still manages to score the affection of the beautiful Luv. Luv and Lefty discover that Homer harbors two alter egos, macho Honcho and the boylike Howie, of whom he is entirely unaware. 3/79-6/79.

Joe Barrio. Latino cop who sometimes works with Drake. He falls in love and ultimately marries wealthy heiress Wanda Van Allen. 3/80, 5/80, 10/80-1/81, 11/81-12/81.

Wanda Van Allen. Attractive heiress who travels with her pet ocelot. Wanda falls for Joe Barrio, while under the care of crooked plastic surgeon, Dr. Goody. After getting engaged, Joe and Wanda decide to create an instant family by adopting B. B. Barker, the orphaned daughter of criminals Brant and and Juba-Lee Barker. 9/80-1/81, 12/81.

Kerry Drake’s Villains

Angel-Puss. Handsome head of a slot machine/protection racket, Angel-Puss’ associates are a bald man named Dice and the bespectacled Specs. Once on the run, his remarkable resemblance to movie star Alan Radd allows Angel-Puss to trick naïve teen Cricket McCall into helping him. Kerry Drake 8-9 or 10?, 8/1/45-10/28/45.

Babytalk. Last name, Miller, the baby-talking head of a jukebox racket. Babytalk has been described as “a man with the face of an evil child.” 10/30/54-2/21/55.

Bearface. Last name Brown, this theatrical painter turned murderer has a large and fuzzy brown beard, hence his moniker. 8/49-11/49.

Big Mama and Termite. A beautiful blonde criminal well over six feet tall, Big Mama heads an all female gang that seeks to pass counterfeit bills for profit. Part of her plan involves using a mute little person nicknamed Termite disguised as a baby in a baby carriage. Termite enjoys smoking cigars, is greedy and has a quick temper. He ultimately tries to kill Big Mama after suffering one too many of her taunts. 4/24/59-8/10/59.

The Birds. Gang of thieves who sometimes wear bird masks and who go by bird nicknames. The gang is headed by Hawk, but a guitar playing blond named Warbler vies for control. The gang has an African American member known only as Raven who always wears his shirt open to reveal a muscled chest. Two female members are Cuckoo and Raven’s girlfriend, Dove. Their hideout is called “the Nest.” 11/78-3/79.

Bonbon Baker. An elegantly beautiful brunette, Bonbon is a check forger and con woman with whom Drake’s occasional partner, Jack Bryson has the misfortune of falling in love. 9/56-12/7/56.

Bottleneck. Long necked son of Mother Whistler, Bottleneck has a clever scam. He has his musically talented associate, Moe Zart, paint new names on the side of his truck in order to fool various businesses into allowing him to load their product into the truck for deliveries that will never happen. Kerry Drake # 5, 10/44-1/45.

Bugeye. Bulging-eyed hitman who was given his affectionate nickname by his wife, Feathers Batz. Bugeye’s boss is the paraplegic organizer of a national coalition of ganglords, “the Stiff.” He gained his nickname due to being strapped flat to an upright board. He purposely enrages Bugeye by asking for kisses on the lips by Feathers. The Stiff ultimately arranges for Bugeye to be killed, but is captured by Drake before he came claim Feathers for his own. Bugeye 11/59-1/60. The Stiff 1/60-2/60.

Bugg Skaler. Human fly who can scale walls. Robs extragavent wigs from “Mrs. Wiggs” disguised in a gorilla suit. The bald Skaler has a little monkey named Peppo as a companion. 3/64-6/64.

Bulldozer and Trinket. Bulldozer and Trinket Brown, A former circus strongman and his midget wife with whom he can hide in his large valise. An attractive woman, Midget enjoys an occasional evening dress when not posing as a child and becomes frustrated when Bulldozer treats her as one. Bulldozer and Trinket are most notable for killing Sandy Burns, whom they tie up in a car and then roll the car into heavy traffic. Drake is only able to obtain satisfaction in a second encounter with the villains. 5/20/53-8/53, 8/1/54-10/29/54.

Bullseye. Crooked owner of a novelty company, Bullseye killed an inventor and business partner. Gamin, the deadman’s daughter, seeks Kerry’s help. Bullseye earns his nickname from the circles beneath his beedy eyes, which create the impression of half bullseyes. Kerry Drake 14, 8/46-11/46.

Captain Peeper. Bushy-eyed pet shop owner involved in a scheme to steal television sets. 5/5/51-8/19/51

Charm Jones. Beautiful platinum blonde who blackmails wealthy men when her toothy brother Bunny busts in posing as her husband. She romances Caleb Sylvester hoping to secretly tape him revealing useful information. Once apprehended, Caleb refuses to press charges even though Charm tried to kill him, the concurrent death of her brother seemingly punishment enough. 2/26/57-5/29/57.

Chrome-Dome. High-explosives expert who has a chrome plated skull due to an earlier accident that leaves him with recurrent headaches that only aspirin or the promise of big money can cure. 12/55-2/56.

Cozy Caresse. Originally a burlesque dancer at the Gaiety Theater and the moll of Dr. Zero, Cozy later shows up as the money hungry wife of Meatball, though finds herself attracted to his ruggedly virile henchman, Mossy. She survives the deaths of all three men to find love with another criminal, “Sanitary Sam” Hill. When she discovers he is in the marijuana trade like Meatball, she ends up promising to provide evidence to convict him. She regrets what she must do and Hill forgives her, asking only that she wait for him. Kerry Drake #4, 9-10. 8/6/44-10/16/44, 11/18/46-2/10/47, 6/55-9/55.

Cueball. A bald hitman who takes out rival criminals for a fee. Cueball favors cigarillos and has a beautiful associate named Calypso. 7/72-10/72.

Dainty Delmar and Polka Dotts. Delmar is a nervous bank robber with a “phobia against any exposure to germs.” Taking dancing lessons with the lovely “Polka” Dotts is the only thing that seems to calm him. Dotts, for her part, favors dresses with dot patterns. She ultimately becomes his moll and both suffer violent deaths. 5/3/62-8/1/62.

Dazzle Devorce. A middle-aged thief who is willing to kill, Dazzle always wears “dazzling” earrings. She shoplifts valuable clothes by hiding them under other clothing. 12/51-2/52.

D. T. Crooked disc jockey, D.D.T.’s full name is Darryl D. Turner. He is investigated by undercover private detective, Julep Frost. Kerry Drake #21-22. 9/47-1/48.

Deadpan. Villain with a deadpan expression, brought down by Drake and Julep Frost. Kerry Drake #31-32. 5/49-8/49.

Dr. Prey. Owl-faced villain who poses as a psychic to con unsuspecting wealthy clients. Like an owl, Dr. Prey is sensitive to light. Kerry Drake #15-16, 11/46-2/47.

Dr. Zero. Owner of Avon Bookstore, Dr. Zero has a hobby of collecting deadly poisons. Dr. Zero is short and plumb with a round face and thick, round glasses. He sports a beret and a perennial scarf around his neck and uses a cigarette holder. Dr. Zero is assisted by his moll, a good-hearted burlesque dancer named Cozy Caresse. After killing the Squirrel, Dr. Zero seeks shelter in Mother Whistler’s criminal safe house. Kerry Drake #4, 6/23/44-10/8/44.

Egghead. Bald blackmailer and gun runner. 9/61-11/61.

Feedbag. Short and bald, with puffy lips, Feedbag Foster’s interest in crime is only exceeded by his preoccupation with excellent cuisine. His gang consists of his attractive sister, Georgie, and the criminal chef he met in prison, Pierre. When Pierre, screws up badly, Feedbag was torn over whether to kill him, lamenting: “I hate to rub out a swell chef! “ Kerry Drake #28-29?. 11/48-1/49.

“Fingers” Nelson. Strangler with notably crazed, beady eyes. Kerry Drake #1, 10/43-12/43.

Frisco. Born Francesca Cicero, Frisco is the sister of the late Tony Cicero, bootleg king of the twenties. She distributes liquor illegally to a thriving black market. A large, powerful woman with short hair and cat-like eyes, Frisco wears a tailored jacket, vest and tie with a conservative skirt and appears to be a lesbian. She calls Satin, a female member of her gang, “Babe.” Vicious and merciless, Frisco later kills Satin’s boy friend, Pearly. Kerry Drake #3, 3/8/44-6/11/44.

Gamble Billyuns. Killed her husband with the help of a muscular lover and pro wrestler, Lucious Lucius. 9/67-11/67.

Giggles. As described by Drake, Giggles is “a giggly little guy with pink hair who can fell a heavyweight with one right to the jaw.” The pudgy elf’s secret are black gloves with steel buttons sewn in. Giggles has beaten more than one enemy to death, despite his mirthful manner. He has has a sexy associate named Sequin. 4/61-7/61.

The Goat. Aka Gus, a counterfeiter with a cast iron skull that he can use as a battering ram. Two protruding front teeth, and horn-like streaks of white hair to either side of his head give him a goatlike appearance. 12/63-2/64.

Headlights. Eerie-appearing criminal with thick round and opaque glasses, a thin nose and emotionless mouth, made only more sinister by the trenchcoat and hat he always wears. Headlights speciality is betting on sporting events he fixes. He offers a bribe to a high school basketball star who just happens to be Cricket’s current boy friend. 12/56-2/22/57.

Highbrow. A short man with an abnormally large forehead, Highbrow attempts to gaslight Algie Wedmore in an effort to get his riches. Highbrow is assisted by a lovely con-woman named Smoky. Highbrow is killed, but Smoky survives. Kerry Drake #23-24. 1/48-4/48.

Hippo Hyde. The crime boss of the Syndicate, a “billion-dollar-a-year dope, graft and gambling empire. Hippo is significantly overweight and his face and forehead are dotted with moles. He comes to Drake’s attention when he hires an efficient yet trembling hitman named Shivers. 12/27/61-4/27/62.

“Ice” Bergh. Plump jewel thief who creates major problems for troubled television cowboy, Colt Sadler. 9/58-11/58.

Jackpot Jones. Jackpot is the ne’er do well husband of the crippled Messie Bessie. When Messie wins the lottery, Jackpot attempts to kill her for the money, assisted by his paramour, Patty Larceny. Kerry Drake #27-28. 7/48-11/48.

“Keys” West/ Horseshoe. This key chain twirling drug dealer is the rare criminal to square off against Drake more than once. West first crosses paths with Drake in Coral City where he is a drug dealer. His female associate, Julep Frost is actually a private detective investigating him. His sloping forehead and well-trimmed small mustache are in evidence when he appears to return under a new alias, Horseshoe Stone. He once again is dealing narcotics as well as running an illegal gambling operation. Kerry Drake #19-20. 6/47-8/47, 10/1/52-1/24/53.

Kid Gloves. “Stick-up man de luxe,”Gloves attempst to kidnap a diamond salesman with the help of his female associate, Ecstasy Martin. Kerry Drake #11-12. 2/46-5/46.

Lady. Murderous health spa owner with a hunky henchman named Dieter. 3/83-7/83.

Lucious Lucias. Born Luke Loretto, this powerfully built wrestler puts his hair up in curlers and wrestles under the effeminate guise of Lucious Lucias. Lucious is having an affair with Gamble Billyuns, and the pair covet her husband’s wealth and see to his death. 9/67-11/67.

Macho. Cocky loan shark who knows karate and uses it to enforce payment. In a fight with Kerry, he succeeds in breaking the police sergeant’s wrist but that still doesn’t stop Drake from bringing him in. 2/76-5/76.

Madam Adam. Eve Adam, the widow of Karlo Adam—a well known European scientist, this deadly brunette deals in international crime. The sexy brunette is often seen eating an apple. Madam Adam is trying to abscond with two million dollars from a bank heist when Drake first meets her and suffers a tranquilizer dart to the chest for his trouble. In her second encounter with Drake she disguises herself with a platinum blonde wig and goes by the name Taboo. As Taboo, she is assisted by a henchman named Tick and a dwarf named Pony in engineering a massive jewel heist. Unlike any other criminal in the narrative, Madam Adam escapes capture in both instances, though not with the loot. In her third appearance, Madam Adam crosses the path of Lefty Drake in her kidnapping plot involving popular singer, Tommy Legato. In her fourth and final appearance, Madam Adam encounters Kerry Drake one last time, in a caper involving her seduction of a Russian, Colonel Zarov. For the first time captured, Madam Adam tells Drake, “I was just thinking, Drake, it’s too bad you’re a cop! Because you’re my type of guy, smart, strong and, frankly sexy. We could have made a good team if you played a different game! … If only you weren’t on the dumb side of the fence.” Drake replies, “Lady, I won’t be in a jail cell tonight. I’ll be home with my wife and kids, happy , loved and free—and that’s the only side to be on!” Madam Adam has killed before in the commission of her crimes, three times in just her first encounter with Drake. 1/1/65-4/5/65, 6/27/65-9/16/65, 4/14/68-6/12/68, 7/4/75-10/10/75.

Meatball. In the business of raising and selling marijuana, Meatball is extremely overweight. He has a handsome, if extremely hirsute henchman named Mossy and a moll named Cozy Caresse. Kerry Drake #9-10. 10/31/45-2/6/46.

Mr. Gimmick. Lives in a mansion wired with many of his electronic innovations. 3/52-5/52.

Mister Goliath. Stocky, goateed stage performer and mentalist who possesses actual extra sensory powers. Assisted by an attractive blonde-haired woman named Pussycat. 9/65-12/65.

Moms. Sinister grandmotherly housemother of rootless teen-age boys who she uses for criminal ends. Moms appears to be assisted by her brother, Pappy. It turns out, however, that Moms is only Pappy in drag. 9/74-12/74.

Mossy Green. The muscular, hirsuite and often bare-chested henchman of the obese Meatball at his marijuana farm. Meatball’s wife, Cozy Caresse, is attracted to Mossy, but he doesn’t survive their entanglement. Kerry Drake #9-10. 10/31/45-12/17/45.

Mother Whistler. Old crone who makes her chicken ranch a safehouse for criminals on the run. She frequently whistles and has four equally corrupt sons, the most successful of whom is named Bottleneck. Another is named Sparrow. Whistler later goes after Vixen Vargo, when she kills another of her sons named  Punky after he attempts to blackmail her on behalf of his mother.Still later, Mother Whister shows up as an ally of Yo-Yo. One of his underlings, Birdlegs, may have been yet another of her sons. Kerry Drake 16-18, 33. 8/44-12/44, 2/47-5/47, 1/50-2/50.

Nick Domino. Safe cracking thief who has convinced his girlfriend, Honey Bunny, that he’s gone straight. 2/80-x/80.

Nicotine. Chain-smoking head of a protection racket. 10/50-1/51.

“Nine Lives” Katt. Handsome criminal with a hook for one hand . Nine Lives calls his female associates “kittens.” 2/68-4/68.

No Face. Actor Victor Apollo, his face covered by bandages and sun-glasses that glow, as Sandy put it, “Two burning eyes! A slit of a mouth! And nothing else!” He sustained his injuries in a car wreck after catching his wife and another actor in an embrace. He comes back as No Face seeking revenge. Kerry Drake #2. 12/23/43-3/6/44.

Pop Art and Mom Art. Wealthy pop art collectors hire Lefty Drake to find their “nephew,” actually a blackmailer who knows they arranged the heist of a priceless painting by Recasso. Mr. and Mrs. Art are willing to kill to keep their treasure. The Arts have a daughter named Sweet Art who helps Lefty survive the encounter. 6/22/67-8/23/67.

Profile Preen. Extremely vain criminal who is always looking at himself in the mirror and dosing himself in perfume. His thuggish associate is nicknamed Hardtack. Kerry Drake #25-26. 4/17/48-7/48.

Rebel Smith. Attractive, dark-haired owner of an employment agency for ex-cons, Rebel sports an eye patch and often is seen smoking a cigarette. Rebel’s innovative business is to match criminal customers’ needs with willing ex-cons who have the requisiste skills. Rebel is capable of violence, though, if one of her workers declines a job. 1/26/53-5/20/53.

Rymer. Macho would-be rocker who sports shaggy black hair and eyebrows as well as a bushy Fu Machu mustache. Dooley Jasper is key to undoing Rymer and his wife’s scheme. 7/69-9/69.

Scratchy Grimes. Unkempt, scraggly bearded hippie interested in fostering leftist demonstrations, all in the service of his Red Chinese masters. 4/66-7/20/66.

Shuteye. “The Silk Hat Safecracker,” the dapper Shuteye has an extremely heavy lidded appearance. His associate is the beautiful Roulette. Kerry Drake #7-8. 4/45-7/30/45.

“Spider” Webb. Ruthless head of a pickpocket ring, who rigged a gas stove explosion to silence a ventriloquist dummy’s voice.

Squirrel. Born Frankie Cicero, Frisco’s brother, “a punch drunk palooka” whose buck teeth and cauliflower ears make him resemble his namesake. He is killed by Dr. Zero. Kerry Drake #4, 6/23/44-7/22/44.

Stitches. When escaping from Drake five years earlier, the racketeer had to jump through a glass window, permanently scarring his face with stitches. He is bald with a black goatee, but little of his nose remains and his eyes bulge from their sockets without eyelids, giving his face a skull-like appearance—albeit a skull with ears, a goatee and prominent stitches. Kerry Drake #6-7. 1/45-4/45.

Storm Diebold and Ermine Lynx. “The one-eyed monster from West Berlin,” Diebold is a bald headed macho spy who is handsome in spite of the scar running across his face over one eye—often seen with a sky mask over his face in the wintry setting. His lover is Ermine, a platinum “bottle blonde” (per Seranade) who is fond of spotted animal print-wearing associate, Ermine. They wrapped Drake up like a mummy and left him to die. Later, when their scheme goes awry they run afoul of the Apparatus, the secret organization they’ve been working for. 1/66-4/66.

“Tattoo” Wilson. King of car thieves who murdered his sweethear in an almost perfect crime. He has “I love you” tattoed on his fingers.

Toni Tanner. Beautiful blonde daughter of crime boss, Big Mack Tanner, Toni is enraged after her father grooms her brother to succeed him. She enlists the Latin-appearing JoJo to assist her in getting her brother out of the way. 7/79-10/79.

Torso. Owner of the Torso Steel gym, the muscular physical trainer got into debt with a gangster. He sees training the wealthy Algernon Wedmore as a way to repay his debt and kills Wedmore’s valey, Friday, when he gets in the way of his plans. Torso also seduces Wedmore’s fiancée, GeeGee String. Kerry Drake #13, 5/26/46-8/8/46.

True Blue. Handsome master of disguise who poses as an aspiring rock star romantically involved with a wealthy woman named Darling Smith. Blue then arranges his own kidnapping to score a sizable ransom. 1/22/77-5/20/77.

Vince Joliette. By Kerry’s own description, “the cleverest stick-up man this department has been up against in years. As cool and crafty as a snake… and just as dangerous.” Coldly handsome, his intense gaze vaguely suggests that of a snake. Vince tries to use his gun moll, Tory, to seduce Dooley Jasper and use him to his advantage. 5/70-8/50.

Vixen Vargo. Obsessed with wearing “V” monograms on her outfits. Kerry Drake #16-18. 2/19/47-5/47.

Whitey Snow. Sporting a curly mop of white hair and glasses, the youthful entrepreneur Whitey Snow is the drug-dealing owner of three roller discos. He has gotten a girl named Glorious hooked on his product, not to mention in love with him. 11/79-2/80.

Wooly Wilde. Extremely hirsuite brute who threatens western star Skipalong Hotspurs, and Cricket McCall. Kerry Drake #30. 2/49-5/49.

YoYo. Stocky, wavy-haired villain inordinately fond of yo-yos, which he can use to choke out a foe. He is aided in his criminal entriprises by the lovely Folly and a very skinny young thug named Birdlegs. Kerry Drake #33. 12/49-3/9/50.

Kerry Drake’s 1940s Storylines

Fingers 10/4/43-12/22/43, No Face 12/23/43-3/6/44, Frisco 3/7/44-6/44, Dr. Zero and Cozy Caresse 6/44-10/44, Bottleneck and Mother Whistler  8/44-1/45, Stiches 1/45-4/45, Shuteye 4/45-8/45, Angel-Puss and Cricket McCall 8/45-10/30/45, Meatball, Mossy and Cozy’s Marijuana Farm 10/31/45-2/10/46, Kid Gloves, Ecstacy and Gee Gee String 2/11/46-5/5/46, Torso, GeeGee and Algie Wedmore 5/6/46-8/8/46, Bullseye 8/46-11/46, Dr. Prey 11/46-2/47, Vixen Vargo and Mother Whistler 2/19/47-5/47, Keys West and Julep Frost 6/47-8/47, D.D.T. and Julep Frost 9/47-1/3/48, Highbrow 1/48-4/48, Profile Preen 4/17/48-7/48, Jackpot Jones, Patty Larseny, and Messy Bessie 7/26/48-11/11/48, Feedbag 11/48-1/30/49, Wooly Wilde, Skipalong Hotspurs, and Cricket McCall 1/31/49-5/7/49, Deadpan 5/9/49-8/6/49, Tennessee Lane and Bearface 8/49-11/49, YoYo, Folly and Mother Whistler 12/49-3/9/50.

Kerry Drake’s 1950s Storylines

Canasta Black, Queenie and Frosty Winters 3/50-6/29/50, Monk Mennis, Babydoll, and Bing Crosby (!) 6/30/50-9/30/50, Kerry’s Blind (plus Nicotine) 10/1/50-1/51, Danny Dolltalk, Tennessee Lane, and Spider Webb 1/51-5/51, Captain Peeper’s Petshop 5/5/51-8/19/51, Tattoo and Fluffy Ruffles 8/20/51-11/24/51, Dazzle Devorce 11/24/51-2/29/52, Mr. Gimmick and Algee Wedmore 3/1/52-5/31/52, Kerry’s Hospital Adventure 6/1/52-7/4/52, Pushface and Cricket McCall 7/5/52-9/28/52, Horseshoe Stone, aka Keys West, and Minx 10/1/52-1/25/53, Rebel Smith 1/26/53-5/20/53, Bulldozer and Trinket’s Deadly Deed 5/20/53-8/53, The Death of Sandy Burns 8/53-10/53, Kingsize 10/31/53-4/11/54, “Taps” Taylor and the Amnesiac Girl 4/11/54-7/31/54, Bulldozer and Trinket Face Justice 8/1/54-10/29/54, Babytalk 10/30/54-2/21/55, J. Oscar “Pop” Fastbuck, “world’s lousiest conman” 2/22/55-6/2/55, “Sanitary Sam” Hill and Cozy Caresse 6/55-9/55, Rocky Mount, alcoholic father (Big Louie) 9/4/55-12/55, Chrome-Dome 12/55-2/56, Five-Spot 3/56-6/3/56, “Chips”, gambling czar 6/56-9/56, Bonbon Baker 9/56-12/7/56,  Headlights 12/56-2/22/57, Charm and Bunny Jones 2/26/57-5/29/57, The Widowing of Mindy Malone 6/57-8/21/57, Poodle “by the Book” 8/22/57-10/26/57, The Blackmailed Kleptomaniac (“Ditto”) 10/27/57-1/26/58, Kerry Drake—Murder Suspect (Dewey Girth) 1/27/58-4/12/58, Kerry and Mindy Marry 4/13/58-5/28/58, Honeymoon Murder Mystery (Kane Kerr) 5/29/58-8/18/58, Ice Bergh 8/19/58-11/5/58, New House Trauma (Hotsock) 11/6/58-1/18/59, Hack Plotter, paranoid novelist 1/19/59-4/23/59, Big Mama and Termite 4/24/59-8/10/59; Cha-Cha Cordova and Yogi Yogurt 8/10/59-10/28/59, Bugeye, Feathers, and the Stiff 11/59-2/60.

Kerry Drake’s 1960s Storylines

Suntan and Cowboy 2/20/60-4/9/60, Trump Ace, unhinged jazz musician 4/60-8/5/60, “Gentle Joe” Jaxon and Truly Deere 8/5/60-10/29/60, The Drake’s New Neighbor (Sweetshirt) 10/30/60-12/60, Enter Johnny Colt 1/61-4/61, Giggles 4/61-7/61, Bush-Eyes and Specs 7/61-9/61, Egghead 9/61-11/61, Hippo Hyde and Shivers 11/27/61-4/29/62, Dainty Delmar and Polka Dotts 4/30/62-8/1/62, The Misadventure of “Tiptoe” Toomey 8/2/62-11/5/62, The Death of Patrolman Walt Hanson 11/5/62-1/7/63, The Trials of Pert Clouter (“No Thumbs”) 1/7/63-4/20/63,  The Fading Star of Lova Moore 4/20/63-6/30/63, Toy Fan 6/30/63-10/4/63, The 3 Ex-husbands of Sable Black 10/4/63-12/6/63, The Goat and Saranade Carter 12/6/63-3/64, Bugg Skaler and Mrs. Wiggs, 3/64-6/64, Skinny McKinney 6/64-9/64, Wolf Lobocito and Governor Calhoun 9/64-12/27/64, Madam Adam 12/27/64-4/5/65, Asia 4/6/65-6/27/65, Madam Adam 6/27/65-9/16/65, Mr. Goliath 9/17/65-12/65, Ermine Lynx and Storm Diebold 1/66-4/66, Scratchy Grimes 4/66-7/19/66, Cricket at Risk (Silk Scarf Sammy, then Nifty) 7/20/66-10/10/66, The Murder of Sidney Pryer 10/10/66-12/10/66, Mindy’s “Malady” 12/10/66-2/10/67, Bootsie Belmont and Sheik Valentine 2/10/67-5/2/67, Enter Lefty Drake (Pop Art) 6/7/67-8/23/67, Mindy Gives Birth x Four 8/23/67-9/67, Gamble Billyuns and Lucious Luciius 9/67-11/67, Sloppy Poppy, drug dealer 11/67-1/68, “9 Lives” Katt 2/68-4/11/68, Madam Adam and Tommy Legato 4/11/68-6/16/68, The Temptation of Kerry Drake (Lash Tavares) 6/17/68-8/22/68, The Blackmailing of Guthrie Ames, senate nominee 8/23/68-10/23/68, Dooley Jasper Finds Refuge 10/23/68-1/6/69, The Redemption of Tilton Fowler, con artist 1/7/69-3/21/69, Mindy’s Brother Plays the Horses (Clocker) 3/21/69-6/69, Dooley vs. Rymer 6/69-9/69,  Kunrat, Commie Hatchet Man 8/30/69-12/11/69, “Tidy Tom” and Candy 12/11/69-2/15/70.

Kerry Drakes’s 1970s Storylines

The Hollywood Murders (Alger Crafton) 2/15/70-5/17/70, Dooley, Tory and Vince Joliette 5/17/70–8/17/70,  The Murder of “Midas” Gellt (Paloma Gellt) 8/17/70-11/18/70, The Bootsie Belmont Kidnap Plot 11/20/70-2/26/71, Cricket McCall, Commie Dupe 2/27/71-5/19/71, Johnny Colt Falls in Love 5/20/71-8/29/71, Happy Stuart’s Tragic Past 8/29/71-11/29/71, Ted Webster, Neighbor/Con Man 11/29/71-3/4/72, Happy Stuart Falls in Love 3/4/72-7/22/72, Cue Ball 7/22/72-10/2/72, Bootsie’s Deadly Love Triange (Yummy) 10/3/73-12/29/73, Deadly Custody Struggle (Perch) 12/29/73-4/13/74, Lefty in Love with Luv 4/13/74-7/31/74, Dooley Jasper Lands in “Moms’ Place” 7/31/74-11/24/74, Sunny Day, Zipper and Mr. Big 11/24/74-3/15/74, Lefty and the Countess 3/15/75-7/3/75, Madam Adam and Colonel Zarkov 7/4/75-10/75, Abel Caine, small town innocent 10/75-2/16/76, Macho 2/16/76-6/3/76, Lefty, Countess Ulla & Simon Wolfe 6/3/76-9/26/76, —– , True Blue 1/22/77-5/20/77,  Gemma Dumont 5/21/77-x, —– , The Birds 11/78-3/79, Homer Hooper’s Alter Egos 3/79-6/79, “Big Mack” Tanner 7/79-10/79.                 .

Kerry Drake’s 1980s Storylines

Whitey Snow 11/79-2/80, Nick Domino 2/80-5/31/80, Tayo Dare, arms dealer 6/1/80-9/22/80, Wanda Van Allen and Dr. Roger Goody, corrupt plastic surgeon 9/22/80-1/12/81, Kuki, her jeans, and Wheels Diamond 1/12/81-5/21/81, Shandar, cult leader 5/21/81-8/24/81, Brent and Juba-Lee Barker 8/24/81-12/14/81, Dooley Falls for a Rock Star 12/14/81-3/82,  —– , Bootsie and Lady 3/83-6/26/83.

Kerry Drake Timeline by Year

Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola (and later ghost artists)

1943  Fingers and No Face are the first of Kerry Drake’s rogues gallery.

1944  Intro Frisco, Dr. Zero, Cozy Caresse, Mother Whistler, and Bottleneck.

1945  Stiches, Shuteye, and Angel-Puss are the next three rogues to challenge Drake.

1946  Cozy, Meatball & Mossy clash. Intro Kid Gloves, Algee Wedmore and Torso.

1947  Drake takes down Dr. Prey & Vixen Vargo. Mother Whistler hides another crook.

1948  Highbrow, Profile Preen, Feedbag all skirmish with Drake.

1949  Wooly Wilde and Deadpan tangle with the detective.

1950  YoYo hides out at Mother Whistler’s. Bing Crosby (!) plays golf with Kerry.

1951  Tennessee Lane returns, accompanied by sinister ventriloquist, Danny Dolltalk.

1952  Enter Mr. Gimmick and his deadly home. Keys West returns for a second tussle.

1953  Bulldozer and Trinket murder Kerry’s fiancé, Sandy Burns.

1954  Bulldozer returns and Kerry clashes with the sinister Babytalk.

1955  Cozy returns with husband #2, germophobe Sanitary Sam. Cay Sharp rejects Kerry.

Allen Saunders, Sururi Gumen and Hy Eisman

1956  Chrome-Dome vexes Drake. Det. Jack Bryson falls in love with BonBon Baker.

1957  Intro Headlights and Charm. Frank Malone is killed and Kerry falls for his widow.

1958  Drake is a murder suspect, marries Mindy Malone, and tangles with “Ice” Bergh.

1959  Enter Big Mama and Termite. Bugeye, Feathers and the Stiff triangulate.

Allen Saunders and Sururi Gumen

1960  “Gentle Joe” Jaxon’s not so gentle. A perfumed Sweetshirt helps hide a Nazi.

1961  Johnny Colt is Drake’s new partner. Giggles is no laughing matter.

1962  Hippo Hyde, head of the Syndicate, hires a trembling hitman named Shivers.

1963  Enter Saranade Carter and the Goat, a counterfeiter with an iron skull.

1964  Johnny and Saranade have chemistry. Bugg Skaler climbs walls in a gorilla suit.

1965  Kerry tangles with Madam Adam twice. Also has cases with Asia and Goliath.

1966  Ermine Lynx and Storm Diebold hit the slopes. Enter Scratchy Grimes.

1967  Bootsie Belmont is trouble. So is Kerry’s brother, Lefty. Mindy gives birth x4.

1968  Madam Adam returns. Orphan Dooley Jasper is taken in by the Drakes.

1969  Dooley attempts to investigate crooked would-be rocker Rymer on his own.

1970  Bootsie Belmont returns. Plus Vince Joliette, “cleverest stick-up man in years.”

1971  Johnny Colt marries & moves on. Kerry’s assigned a female partner, Happy Stuart.

1972  Cue Ball, a bald hitman, and the lovely Calypso make the scene.

1973  Bootsie Belmont is involved in a dealy triangle.

John Saunders and Sururi Gumen

1974  Dooley Jasper returns, only to fall under the influence of the sinister “Moms.”

1975  The Baroness breaks Lefty’s heart. Madam Adam takes on Drake one last time.

1976  Macho, a loan shark who knows karate, breaks Kerry’s wrist but still goes down.

1977  Enter True Blue, master of disguise. Kerry’s final partner is Willis Sampson.

1978  The Birds (Hawk, Warbler, Raven, Cuckoo and Dove) hide out in “the Nest.”

1979  Whitey Snow owns roller discos and deals drugs.

1980  Dashing jewel thief Nick Domino breaks a heart. Enter Latino cop, Joe Barrio.

1981  Lefty exposes Shandar, a cult leader. Barrio and Wanda Van Allen marry.

1982  Dooley Jasper finds his happy ending as a guitarist for a rock star named Goldie.

1983  Bootsie appears one last time as Lefty frees her from the clutches of “Lady”.

Sightings: Kerry Drake 1-4 (Magazine Enterprises, 5-33 (Harvey), and 1-2 (Argo)

Original Chroniclers: Allen Saunders and Alfred Andriola

Active: 10/4/43-6/26/83

Mark Carlson-Ghost