Picasso Smith, Jr.
Created by Hugh Lessig

Now here's a chip off the old block. Reporter PICASSO SMITH, JR., like his old man, Picasso Smith, Sr., is a newshawk, but for The River City Blade, not The Frisco Foil.

Author Hugh Lessig, besides being a contributor to this site, is a newspaper reporter himself in the Richmond, Virginia area. Many of his stories honor the spirit of the hardboiled newspaperman, including his hero Kennedy, the hard-drinking reporter created by Frederick Nebel. He writes about another ace reporter, Alamo Barnes, whose adventures take place right about now -- and of course, Picasso Jr. He's now at work on a Picasso Smith Jr. novel, and has written several short stories that have nothing to do with newspapers or reporters or even drinking. They're just stories.

SHORT STORIES

• "Ready For Retirement" (Fall 1999, Plots With Guns)
• "The Listener" (February/March 2000, Plots With Guns)
• "False Front" September 2000, Blue Murder)
• "Purple Politics" (October 3, 2000, HandHeldCrime)
• "Tough Love" (December 1, 2000, HandHeldCrime)
• "Oasis" (January/February 2001, Plots With Guns)
• "Debate" (January 30, 2001, HandHeldCrime)
• "Following Her" (April/May 2001, Blue Murder)
• "The Big Knockout" (June 3, 2001, HandHeldCrime)
• "Millstone" (Summer 2001, Thrilling Detective Web Site)
• "The Big Something" Upcoming, Blue Murder)
• "You Dirty Rat" (Jan. 30, 2003, HandHeldCrime)
• "Four-Day Rental" (Nov/Dec., 2002, Plots With Guns)
• "Trophy Kill" (June 2002, Judas)
• "Good For Me" (March 18, 2002, HandHeldCrime)
• "My Destiny" (Jan/Feb. 2002, Plots With Guns)
• "Whacking Scrooge" (Holidays 2003, Thrilling Detective Web Site)

RELATED LINKS

• The River City Blade
  Home of The Frisco Foil, a newspaper that dedicated to "Truth and Mayhem and not always in that order." Here you'll find all of Picasso Smith, Jr.'s adventures, as well as those of Alamo Barnes, Picasso Smith, Sr., and others. A well-done, affectionate tribute to the hardboiled newshawks of the pulps. A site definitely worth bookmarking.