Those big-shot writers ... could never dig the fact that there are more salted peanuts consumed than caviar.

The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book.

Victor Saville was bad news because he wanted money just to do one big picture.

I'm actually a softie. Tough guys get killed too early... I've got a full head of hair and don't wear eyeglasses.

Mike Hammer drinks beer because I can't spell Cognac.

Hemingway hated me. I sold 200 million books, and he didn't. Of course most of mine sold for 25 cents, but still... you look at all this stuff with a grain of salt.

I started off at the high level, in the slick magazines, but they didn't use my name, they used house names. Anyway, then I went downhill to the pulps, then downhill further to the comics.