'True Detective' gets a Hardy Boys makeover
Detectives Rust and Marty have fun finding clues and getting into trouble in these retro book covers inspired by The Hardy Boys. Artist Todd Spence reveals why his homage works so well.
In the hit HBO crime drama "True Detective," it's the unusual chemistry between lead actors Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson that's already made the show a fan favorite.
So it's no surprise that the duo of Detective Rustin Spencer "Rust" Cohle and Detective Martin Eric "Marty" Hart could easily replace anther beloved American crime fighting duo -- The Hardy Boys -- with this hilarious mashup created by artist Todd Spence.
"I was binging on the show about a week after the finale and I realized that these two are just an updated version of The Hardy Boys, solving various little mysteries along the greater plot of the show," Spence told Crave. "After looking for different Hardy Boys covers that could work for the different plotlines from True Detective, the titling was the hardest part of the punchline. I didn't want to go to jokey, so I stuck with the more straightforward titles that had that Hardy Boys feel."
Some of the books that effectively pay homage to The Hardy Boys mystery novels for young adults include "The Yellow King's Clue," "Trouble at the Wellsprings Foundation," "The Mystery of Lisa's New Boyfriend," "The Secret at Cohle's Storage Facility," "The Hillbilly's Hangout," and "To Your Right, Little Priests."
"People seem to like it because there hasn't been a duo, especially detectives, as similar as they are to each other," Spence said. "The Hardy Boys exists in our world, so to speak, and so do the detectives from the show. But the humor really comes from the contrast in entertainment between the two brands -- young adult vs. adult-themed mysteries."
While Rust and Marty may solve crimes grittier than Frank and Joe Hardy, this mashup almost makes us wish there really were "True Detective" books for teens.
Just imagine the Nancy Drew crossover mystery.
