SECRET AGENT X-9
Created as King Features answer to Dick Tracy, Secret Agent
X-9 premiered in newspapers on January 22, 1934. Originally
written by Dashiell Hammett and drawn by legendary artist
Alex Raymond, a number of artists have illustrated the
feature over the years. Most notably, Austin Briggs, Al Williamson
and George Evans.
It was during Williamson's tenure, with Archie Goodman at
the helm writing, that the strip was officially changed from
Secret Agent X-9 to Secret Agent Corrigan. This
was done for promotional reasons in order to sell the strip as
a "new" feature to newspaper clients.
Discouraged by the modest returns payed by King Features, Williamson
called it quits after thirteen years on the strip. He referred friend
and colleague, George Evans for the position. Evans first daily hit
newspapers on February 4, 1980. Evans continued on the strip for the
next sixteen years. Maurice Horn lamented on King Feature's apathy
in promoting the strip in his book, "100 Years of American
Newpaper Comics":
"It is unfortunate that because of (Secret Agent Corrigan's)
limited circulation, few people are able to read and appreciate
one of the genuinely interesting action strips still extant,
a strip carried on in dashing style by Evans."
Upon Evans' retirement from the strip in 1996, King Features
discontinued the strip. The last daily saw print on February 10, 1996.
Back to George
Evans' Home Page