GARY DOBBS AT THE TAINTED ARCHIVE: RIP Warren Murphy co-creator of an American Legend

Sunday 6 September 2015

RIP Warren Murphy co-creator of an American Legend

It is with sadness that I type these words and record the death of yet another legend of the pulp fiction field - Warren Murphy, born in 1933, and best known for the Destroyer series of paperbacks which number more than a 100 titles and was also the basis for the 1985 movie, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.

Warren Murphy co-created the Destroyer series with fellow writer, Richard Sapir. The two men worked together for a great many years on the series but when the relationship strained, Sapir left the series and Murphy continued the series with the aid of a series of co-writers to keep up with the considerable demands of series fiction. Sapir briefly returned to the series in 1980 but after his death in 1987, Murphy once again continued the series on his own. He would continue with the series until the 107'th book in the series.

The series however would be continued by other hands. For in creating Remo Williams the authors had birthed a character that will live on. Indeed Shane Black is currently developing a new movie which will be called, The Destroyer.

"My apparent versatility is really based upon a character flaw: I have the attention span of melting ice cream." Warren Murphy

Warren Murphy died on 4th September and his daughter, Deirdre wrote on her Facebook page -

Yesterday my heart was broken and my tears fell. My father, Warren Murphy passed away. He was loved and loved by family, friends and fans and I have been amazed and humbled to read the tributes from so many people who he touched. I was so lucky to be able to call him Pop, but I wasn't the only one he touched, each of his children had very special relationship with him and he treated each of us in his own unique way. He truly was an amazing man, he spoke his mind and he influenced so many people. If you were lucky enough to have met him then you are truly blessed. I don't know how I'm going to survive the upcoming political season without him to tell it like it is. Pop you are loved and loved and you will always be in my heart.

As well as his novels Warren also wrote for movie and worked on many scripts including The Eiger Sanction ( he was asked to work on the script by Clint Eastwood himself) and Lethal Weapon II, but it is for the Destroyer books that he will be best remembered. The series was incredibly popular and as well as the books, there was the movie and even a comic book adaptation from Marvel comics.

“Murphy…is the professional’s professional, the hallmark of work of consistently high quality produced in spite of the mercenary peccadilloes of a constantly changing publishing scene. A warm, generous man, he is often the victim of ‘ricochet discrimination.’ The sharp, snide cutting one line retorts and highly prejudiced viewpoints of some of his characters are wrongfully taken to reflect the author’s personal feelings. Nothing could be further from the truth but such phenomena characteristically fail to bother Murphy. He simply philosophizes, ‘It goes with the territory.’”
— St. James Guide to Crime and Mystery Writers.

Warren's own website HERE carries the following tribute from his son Brian:

It is with great sadness that we must report the passing of my father, Warren Murphy, on Sept 4, 2015. Murphy passed away peacefully in his Virginia Beach home. The literary world- no, the world in general- has lost a true champion.

One of “The Good Guys,” this loss will be felt by many. Please keep our family, friends and his ever-faithful fans in your thoughts and prayers.

You’re loved and loved, Champ!

Rest in peace, sir - but through your work you will live on.

The Destroyer series: