Raymond, Alex - SECRET AGENT X-9 02-11-1935

I purchased this original Raymond from the collection of Cori & Al Williamson in December 2013. Cori had told me that she would let me know when she was feeling like selling some Alex Raymond artwork from their collection "because of your love of Raymond art (and that you like Al's work). Al so enjoyed when someone liked the art in his collection as much as he did." - Cori Williamson. A lovely addition to my collection which originally resided in the collection of the world`s #1 Alex Raymond fan -- Al Williamson.

The blue pencil shading is an indicator for the printers by Raymond, and that is his printing for the title of the strip and his name also in blue pencil. On the back of the strip, Raymond also wrote the title of the daily, "Calling a Bluff" -- again in blue pencil.

The strip is an interesting demonstration of the women's styles in 1935. Raymond managed to lavish special attention on the females in all of his strips, and that is evident here. 1935 is a landmark period for Raymond -- his last year on X-9, but also one of his best years for all three strips that he drew, FLASH GORDON, JUNGLE JIM and SECRET AGENT X-9 designed to compete directly with BUCK ROGERS, TARZAN and DICK TRACY.

The original is 24 3/4" x 5 1/4" on a slightly larger board.

Bill Blackbeard has written that this story-line, "The Martyn Case" is likely the last one with any contribution whatsoever from famed writer Dashiell Hammett, and that at least one Hearst paper credited Hammett through the end of February 1935 (SECRET AGENT X-9 by Dashiell Hammett and Alex Raymond, Kitchen Sink Press, 1990, introduction, page 15).

Additional images show details of all four panels.