With the first of a whole new series of Parker graphic novel adaptations just around the corner, Tough Business had the distinct pleasure of conducting an exclusive interview with Doug Headline, Kieran, and Olivier Jalabert – the passionate and talented creative team behind Parker 1969 - La Proie.

You'll find below an extensive look at the hard work going on behind the scenes of the upcoming book, its origins and a surprising connection to Donald Westlake himself.

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.

Tough Business recently had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Levi Stahl, marketing director of the University of Chicago Press and the editor of The Getaway Car: A Donald E. Westlake Nonfiction Miscellany. To longtime Parker fans, Levi's name is a familiar one, both as a constant champion of Richard Stark's legacy and as the man who effectively got the novels back in print.

Levi revealed the story behind the University of Chicago Press editions, his thoughts on Parker's enduring appeal, his interpretation of the character, and much more!

If you're familiar with crime fiction, odds are you're familiar with Hard Case Crime. The imprint has been absolutely vital in preserving Donald Westlake's work for modern audiences for over twenty years now, with titles ranging from Lemons Never Lie to the never-before-published Memory appearing in their catalogue. Tough Business recently had the honor of interviewing Charles Ardai, co-founder and editor of Hard Case, and longtime Parker enthusiast.

Charles shared some of his memories of Mr. Westlake, a behind-the-scenes look at the reprinting process over at Hard Case, his thoughts on the incomparable Richard Stark novels, and much more!

Some pretty prestigious writers, critics, and well-known figures in the world of crime fiction have been involved with the University of Chicago Press editions of Parker, and Tough Business has been lucky enough to interview a good number of them. It's our pleasure to announce that our next guest is Dennis Lehane, award-winning author of more than a dozen novels, including Mystic River and Shutter Island, which have been adapted to film by Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese respectively.

Dennis talked about Richard Stark's influence on his writing, his first time meeting Donald Westlake, and much more!

Tough Business recently had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Weinman, journalist, author and crime fiction authority. Sarah wrote the foreword for the University of Chicago Press editions of the four spin-off Grofield novels, and she kindly took the time to chat with us and dig a little deeper into Parker's most memorable partner-in-crime, her introduction to Donald Westlake's work, and the low-down on what makes Stark stand out from his contemporaries.

A week after the highly-anticipated release of Play Dirty, Tough Business had the pleasure of sitting down for a chat on all things Parker with acclaimed director Shane Black. Best known for neo-noir hits like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys, Shane spoke about his new film, his thoughts on Parker and Grofield's dynamic, and a glimpse behind-the-scenes of this latest Richard Stark adaptation.

Tough Business recently had the distinct pleasure of interviewing crime fiction author, screenwriter and comic book creator Max Allan Collins – best known for his long-running series characters such as Quarry, Nolan, and P.I. Nate Heller, although the comic aficionados among us may prefer Ms. Tree and Road to Perdition.

Max considered Donald Westlake a friend and mentor, and he kindly stopped by for a chat on their decades-long friendship, Nolan's origin story, and the infamous murder mystery weekends the Westlakes used to host.

For our first interview of the year, the team at Tough Business had the distinct pleasure of chatting with Eisner Award-winning comic book writer Ed Brubaker about crime fiction, his friendship with Darwyn Cooke, and all things Parker.

We spoke to Ed's frequent collaborator, Sean Phillips, a while back about their Alan Grofield story appearing in Richard Stark's Parker: The Martini Edition - Last Call — and Ed kindly filled in some of the blanks for us. Check out the full interview below for a look behind the scenes of the first original Parker story, as well as a hint at what's in store in Five Gears in Reverse, the latest installment of the acclaimed Criminal comic book series.

Tough Business recently had the great pleasure of interviewing actor, director, and audiobook narrator Stephen R. Thorne. Stephen has narrated several of the audiobook versions of the Parker novels published by the University of Chicago Press, and he kindly joined us for an insightful chat about his acting choices, the process behind the recordings, and his thoughts on the characters.