A millionaire playboy with a yen for excitement, young Ken McNally disguises himself as the gray-haired, gold-toothed, jaundiced-looking proprietor of a seedy tattoo parlor in the "tenderloin" district of St. Louis. His unusual occupation frequently brings him into contact with underworld denizens who, willingly or accidentally, embroil him in criminal activities. Written by William E. Barrett, Needle Mike found himself embroiled in nearly 20 hard-boiled mysteries originally published between 1935 and 1938 in the pages of Dime Detective, the prestigious crime pulp second only to the legendary Black Mask in its impact on the genre.