"I think what they liked about Parker was that he had chosen to reject society, rather than the other way around. He was the prowling outsider, but it hadn't been forced on him. Or maybe not."

- Donald Westlake, The Getaway Car: A Donald Westlake Nonfiction Miscellany

Richard Stark's Parker novels were reintroduced to modern audiences with Darwyn Cooke's comic book adaptations and in the process, these seminal classics of crime fiction have reached readers that might have generally found the genre unwelcoming. Parker has always been an outsider though, and his exploits have historically resonated with more than just the stereotypical Stark fan. We offer an eclectic collection of reviews, thoughts, obscure finds and news from a different perspective.

You can reach us at toughbusiness@mail.com -- we welcome inquiries, conversation, and any Parker-related ephemera!

latest updates

"We’re the first people allowed to do an original Parker story" - An Exclusive Interview with Sean Phillips

07/03/2025

Tough Business recently had the amazing opportunity to interview Eisner Award-winning comic book artist Sean Phillips about his contributions to Parker's world. Best-known for his work on the Criminal series with writer Ed Brubaker, Sean stopped by for a short chat on production design, Darwyn Cooke's legacy, and collaborating on the first original Parker story allowed by Donald Westlake's estate.

Sean also kindly shared some of the original never-before-seen artwork for the Alan Grofield story appearing in Richard Stark's Parker: The Martini Edition - Last Call, the second volume collecting Darwyn Cooke's Parker comics, presented below in digital format for the first time.

the novels

The Grofield solo novels are counted as part of the original twenty-book series, as per the back cover blurb on the Butcher's Moon first edition, and appear in the in-universe chronological order.