The Hardy Boys
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The Hardy Boys is a popular series of detective/adventure books for boys chronicling the fictional adventures of teenage brothers Frank and Joe Hardy. The original Hardy Boys series was produced between 1927 and 1979 under the pen name Franklin W. Dixon.
[edit] Series history
The Hardy Boys is a creation of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the creators of dozens of successful book series such as the Rover Boys, the Bobbsey Twins and Tom Swift, and later, Nancy Drew. Edward Stratemeyer conceived of the Hardy Boys in 1926 with the creation of plot outlines that would become the first volume of the series. Various ghostwriter(s) were employed, under contract of secrecy, to pen the actual stories. The first author was Leslie McFarlane, whose writing defined the literary style of the series, as well as the personalities and nuances of its characters. McFarlane authored volumes 1–16 and 22–24, which are generally regarded as the best works of the series. His 1976 autobiography, Ghost of the Hardy Boys, provides substantial background information on the series, as well as the Stratemeyer Syndicate as a whole.
Substantial revisions to the first 38 titles began in 1959. Over the course of 15 years the series was revised to modernize outdated vernacular, reduce story length, age the characters and remove the ethnic and racial stereotypes prevalent in many of the early books (although the series was unusually inclusive for the era in having two non-WASP Hardy sidekicks who were portrayed as normal, fully assimilated teenagers—Tony Prito and Phil Cohen). The result of this process varied from one book to another. In some cases only minor changes resulted, while in others the entire plot and storyline were thrown out, resulting in an entirely new book bearing no resemblance to the original.
In 1979, after 52 years and 58 titles (plus the didactic Hardy Boys' Detective Handbook), Grosset & Dunlap lost the rights to publish any new Hardy Boys tales in a protracted court battle with the Syndicate. They did retain the right to continue publishing these 58 titles (referred to by some Hardy Boys enthusiasts as the canon) and continue to do so to this day, despite several changes in ownership. In the meantime, Simon & Schuster continued the series in the Hardy Boys Digest series of paperback books. In 2005 the venerable Digest series was ended with volume 190 and a new series, The Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers, was started. The Undercover Brothers series is supplemented by a series of graphic novels and, initially, a now-discontinued series of comic books. Also in 2005 Grosset & Dunlap gained permission to continue publishing more titles in hardcover, starting with Digest volumes 59 to 66.
The Hardy Boys also appeared in several spin-off series: The Casefiles (127 volumes), the Clues Brothers (17 volumes), with Tom Swift in the 2 volume Ultra-Thriller series and with Nancy Drew in the 36 volume Supermystery series & the 6 volume Be Your Own Detective series.
Hardy Boys books have been issued in over 25 languages, including Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, French, German, Sinhala, Japanese, Russian, Malay, and Afrikaans.
[edit] Story background
The Hardy Boys are brother amateur detectives. Frank Hardy is the elder of the two and has dark hair. Joe Hardy is the younger, has blond hair, and blue eyes. The stories are an unageing series as, despite their hundreds of adventures totaling far more than a year, they are always 17 and 18 years old, (originally, they were 15 and 16 years old, but this was changed in the later printings) and using a "floating timeline" it is always, approximately, the present day.
The two boys live in the fictional city of Bayport (on Barmet Bay) with their famous father, Fenton Hardy, a private detective formerly with the New York Police Department, their mother Laura Hardy (erroneously called Mildred in The Flying Express), and their Aunt Gertrude, a character often used for comic relief.
Frank's longtime platonic girlfriend is Callie Shaw, while Joe is often linked with Iola Morton, the sister of the duo's good friend Chet Morton, who is described as being a large boy who loves to eat, another comic relief character. Other friends who assist the brothers include Phil Cohen, Biff Hooper, Jerry Gilroy and Tony Prito.
The Bayport Police Department is represented by Police Chief Ezra Collig (in Flying Express he is called Chief Finch), a close friend of the Hardys who constantly asks their assistance and advice in dealing with crime in Bayport.
Detective Oscar Smuff is sometimes seen in cases as he comically blunders trying to solve a mystery.
In the older stories, the Hardy Boys' cases often are linked to the confidential cases their detective father is currently working on. He sometimes asks them for help, while at other times they stumble upon villains and incidents that are connected to his cases.
The Hardys have a motorboat named the Sleuth and a yellow convertible (In volumes 1–6, they use motorcycles, but this changes when Joe's is destroyed in "The Shore Road Mystery"). Mr. Hardy has an airplane, which is described in some books as being twin-engined, single-engined in others. Chet Morton has a jalopy called the Queen, which is at times described as being tomato red, other times being bright yellow. Biff Hooper has a jalopy, Tony Prito has a motorboat called the Napoli and drives his father's pick-up truck.
In 1987, a spin-off series, the Hardy Boy Casefiles, targeted at older readers, was introduced. Consisting of 127 volumes, these stories were much darker in tone and featured plots involving bioterrorism and other kinds of terrorism, espionage, government conspiracies, cults, militia groups, and organized crime. They also featured a level of violence unseen in previous Hardy Boys stories, a fact that became evident to readers in the opening pages of the first "Hardy Boys Casefile" novel as longtime supporting cast member Iola Morton was murdered by a bomb planted in the Hardys' car.
[edit] The original series (1927–1979)
The first 58 stories and the 38 revisions, along with the Detective Handbook and its revision, are considered by many collectors to form the Hardy Boys canon.
[edit] The Hardy Boys Mysteries ("Digests") (1979–2005)
This now-discontinued series of paperbacks started in 1979 as a continuation of the hardcover books, hence the volume numbers start as #59 and ended in 2005 with volume 190.
Volumes 59 through 85 were also released in hardcover with a dustjacket.
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[edit] The Clues Brothers (1997–2000)
The Clues Brothers books were aimed at younger readers, particularly in third and fourth grades. The series was introduced in 1997 and was cancelled in 2000 for lack of popularity.
This book had some big differences from the other Hardy Boys books, such as:
- The Hardy Boys don't solve major crimes as they do in the others.
- In these books, Frank and Joe are only 8 and 9, unlike the other books where they are 17 and 18.
- They go to Bayport Elementary School, in the others, they go to Bayport High School.
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[edit] The Hardy Boys Casefiles (1987–1998)
The Casefiles series, aimed at older readers, was published by Archway Paperbacks (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) between 1987 and 1998. The Casefiles were a drastic change from the established Hardy Boys world. Some of their major features:
- Iola Morton is killed by a terrorist car bomb in the first volume. She remained alive in the concurrent Hardy Boys digest stories, thereby creating 2 Hardy Boys universes.
- The books become more grisly. Frank and Joe use firearms and investigate murders.
- The glamourous aspects of international intrigue are played up.
- Frank and Joe take a more serious interest in girls.
- The boys embrace high-tech gadgetry, and Frank becomes a computer whiz.
- Chapters no longer have titles, and there are no illustrations.
- The boys collaborate with the Grey Man, who represents a cloak-and-dagger crime fighting unit.
- Joe curses (mildly), so does Frank occasionally. (Though no objectionable words are used.)
The list of Casefiles is below:
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[edit] The Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers (2005-Date)
"The Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers" is a series of paperback books which replaced the Digest paperbacks in early 2005.
The Hardy Boys are now agents of A.T.A.C. (American Teens Against Crime) and are solving more realistic and/or violent crimes.
This series is written in first-person narrative style with Frank and Joe alternating chapters.
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Spy Set - Box set of volumes 1–4 (2005)
[edit] Undercover Brothers Super Mystery (2006-Date)
- Wanted - Super Mystery #1 - 2006
- Kidnapped At The Casino - Super Mystery #2 - 2007
[edit] Undercover Brothers Graphic Novels (2005-Date)
The Undercover Brothers also appear in a series of graphic novels by Papercutz.
- 1. The Ocean of Osyria - 2005
- 2. Identity Theft
- 3. Mad House
- 4. Malled - 2006
- 5. Sea You, Sea Me
- 6. Hyde & Shriek
- 7. The Opposite Numbers
- 8. Board To Death - 2007
- 9. To Die Or Not To Die
- 10. A Hardy's Days Night
[edit] Crossovers
The Hardy Boys teamed up with two other series book protagonists; Nancy Drew and Tom Swift.
[edit] The Ultra-Thriller Series (1992–1993)
The two volume Ultra-Thriller series was a short-lived Hardy Boys spin off that joined boy inventor Tom Swift with the crime-solving Hardy Boys, Frank & Joe. Although the Franklin W. Dixon pseudonym was used, the series was more akin to the then-current Tom Swift IV series.
- Alien Factor
- Time Bomb
[edit] The Super Mystery Series (1988–1998)
The Hardy Boys teamed up with Nancy Drew in this 36 volume series of paperbacks.
The Carolyn Keene house name was used for this series and the stories are more geared toward Nancy Drew fans.
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[edit] TV appearances
The Hardy Boys have appeared five times on television, including programs on The Mickey Mouse Club in 1956 and 1957 starring Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk. In 1967, NBC aired a pilot called "The Mystery Of The Chinese Junk" starring Tim Matthieson (later Matheson) as Joe Hardy and Rick Gates as Frank. Two years later, in 1969, ABC ran a Saturday Morning cartoon series (produced by Filmation) and later an ABC prime time series starring Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy from 1977–1979. There was also a syndicated 13 episode Canadian series in 1995 with Paul Popowich produced by Nelvana.
The Mickey Mouse Club series, the animated series and the 1970s ABC-TV series were responsible for the creation of many items of Hardy Boys memorabilia such as board games, comic books, jigsaw puzzles, dolls and other items. The teen heartthrob Shaun Cassidy was featured on many of the 1970s items of memorabilia. Cassidy starred opposite Parker Stevenson in the popular Hardy Boys television series, which ran for several seasons on ABC-TV, starting in 1978.
The animated series produced two bubblegum music albums released by RCA: 'Here Come The Hardys' and 'Wheels'. Several singles from the albums were also released.
[edit] Other
- Christopher Durang wrote a 10 minute play parody entitled, "The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From."
- In 2002–3, Random House issued the first seven volumes on audio cassette.
- September 2005 saw the release of the first ever Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew PC Game.
- In 2005 the first season of the ABC-TV The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries was released on DVD.
- In 2006, the 1995 Canadian Hardy Boys show was released on DVD in Canada.
- Also in 2006, "The Secret Of The Applegate Treasure", a Mickey Mouse Club serial based on "The Tower Treasure", was released on DVD.
- On June 12, 2007, Season 2 of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries show will be released on DVD.
- The stories have inspired some authors to create their own Hardy Boys fan fiction.
- In October 2006 the Hardy Boys were parodied in an episode of South Park.
- Tom Cruise has been talking with Ben Stiller about starring in an updated version of "The Hardy Boys" at Twentieth Century Fox, Tentatively titled "The Hardy Men" where it would have them finally grown up. The Hardy Men is primed to go into production come October.
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
- Billman, Carol; The Secret Of The Stratemeyer Syndicate
- Carpentieri, Tony; Frank & Joe Turn Blue
- Carpentieri, Tony & Mular, Paul; Hardy & Hardy Investigations
- Garis, Roger; My Father Was Uncle Wiggily
- Greenwald, Marilyn S.; The Secret Of The Hardy Boys
- Johnson, Diedre; Stratemeyer Pseudonyms and Series Books
- Johnson, Diedre; Edward Stratemeyer and the Stratemeyer Syndicate
- McFarlane, Leslie; Ghost of the Hardy boys; an autobiography
- Prager, Arthur; Rascals At Large
[edit] External links
- The Hardy Boys Casefiles - website with current series information and cover art.
- Hardy Detective Agency Fanfiction - fan site with series information and fan art.
- The Hardy Boys Unofficial Home Page - website with information on series, TV and memorabilia.
- Hardy-Boys.Com Homepage - website with information on series and TV series information.
