Editing Sexton Blake (section)

{{Short description|Fictional British detective who appeared in numerous publications}}
{{About|the fictional detective|the musical group|Sexton Blake (band)|the TV series|Sexton Blake (TV series)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Sexton Blake
| series =
| image = Sexton Blake.jpg
| caption =
| first = ''The Missing Millionaire'' (20 December 1893)
| last = ''Sexton Blake and The Demon God'' (1978)
| creator = [[Harry Blyth]] (as Hal Meredeth)
| portrayer = {{ubli|[[Langhorn Burton]]|[[George Curzon (actor)|George Curzon]]|[[David Farrar (actor)|David Farrar]]|[[Geoffrey Toone]]|[[William Franklyn]]|[[Laurence Payne]]|[[Jeremy Clyde]]|[[Simon Jones (actor)|Simon Jones]]}}
| gender = Male
| occupation = Detective
| nationality = British
| family = {{ubli|Henry Blake (brother)|Nigel Blake (brother)}}
}}

'''Sexton Blake''' is a fictional British detective, whose adventures captivated readers for over eight decades from 1893 to 1978.<ref name="ox">{{cite book |title=Oxford Companion to Children's Literature |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=9780199695140}}</ref> Blake featured in more than 4,000 stories by approximately 200 different authors, making him one of the most prolifically chronicled characters in English literature.<ref name="ox">{{cite book |title=Oxford Companion to Children's Literature |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=9780199695140}}</ref> The detective's adventures spanned multiple formats including comic strips, novels, radio serials, silent films, and a [[Sexton Blake (TV series)|1960s ITV television series]], reaching audiences across Britain and internationally in various languages.

Initially conceived as a Victorian gentleman detective, Blake evolved significantly over time, acquiring now-iconic elements like his Baker Street residence, his young assistant Tinker, his bloodhound Pedro, and his housekeeper Mrs. Bardell. While often compared to Sherlock Holmes, Blake's adventures typically featured more action-oriented plots and colourful adversaries, including memorable villains like [[Zenith the Albino]], George Marsden Plummer, Dr. Huxton Rymer, Leon Kestrel, Waldo the Wonderman and the Criminals' Confederation. The character reached his peak popularity during the 1920s and early 1930s, particularly through publications like [[Union Jack (magazine)|The Union Jack]] and [[The Sexton Blake Library]], which at its height published five times monthly.