Master of Flame

Graves Gladney may not have created the iconic images that Rozen gave us but he made our hero a little more realistic, for better or for worse is up to the individual fan. I appreciate both although I lean towards a more mysterious and less human version, personally. For a review, go here.

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Buried Evidence

Check out the third to the last interior drawing, The Shadow is engaging in a drive by shooting. For a review, click here.

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Young Men of Death

I'm not a fan of the digest form of The Shadow, but I found these interiors and felt that I should put up the whole shebang, at least as much as I have. Enjoy! For a review, click here.

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The Guarantee

As I stated before when I posted the signature, this little touch made it all real for me. I can "see" The Shadow moving through the dark alleyways of New York City or hunched over a file in a blackened room with only a blue light to illuminate the clews. This was a great idea that further fueled the imagination of a public in desperate need of a hero during the depression. Come to think about it, perhaps the man in black is just what we need today...

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The Book of Death original painting

This is the original painting for the cover found here.

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The Five Chameleons

Harkens to the 1800's. The feather pen being use to record the evil deeds that have been thwarted by the original Dark Knight. Almost like Santa Claus recording who's naughty and who's nice. The eye staring the viewer directly into their own eyes, possibly declaring "Crime does not pay". The Shadow knows! For a review, click here.

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The Mysterious Wu Fang

Beautiful cover by Jerome Rozen.  It may not be a Shadow cover but it sure it purty.

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The Thunder King

I really like the dominant red background and lack of red lining and scarf, giving The Shadow a very accurate look as depicted by Mr. Gibson. I really don't care for the yellow stripe at the bottom of the cover, but that is part and parcel of the times.

Also included are some of the interior illustrations from this issue. Some nice layouts for these. Very underrated artwork, the interiors seem to be. For a review, click here.

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The House on the Ledge

Tenth Anniversary issue. Seems as though the previous issue should have been the 10th as this has a cover date of April 15 rather than April 1. Lots going on here with three figures crowding the frame, The Shadow cracking the goons hand with one of his .45s and a knife flying out of his hand. The Master is controlling the other thugs gun with his left hand. This almost seems like The Shadow is acting as a referee rather than a denizen of the night. I will point out, however, that Graves Gladney liked to keep our hero gloved, more in keeping with the written word. This is typical pulp magazine cover action. I would have thought the such a momentous occasion have warranted a painting that was a bit more iconic. For a review, go here.

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Dead Man's Chest

Gotta love the detail Rozen put into his paintings.  I only wish he had put gloves on The Shadow more often.  The ring would pop better.  Oh well, I still love this stuff.

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"The Kingdom of the Cobra"

A daily extra. I'll post the whole story over the next few weeks. Enjoy!

Castle of Crime

This is one of those covers that let's you feel that you are able to solve the crime alongside our hero. I'm sure that when this hit the stands fans scoured the cover for clews and would regularly check it as the story unfolded. Great fun. For a review, click here.

Not The Shadow but pretty cool

Pretty nice example of hard boiled art. Salacious and vicious. Damsel in distress. Disfigured villain. Just don't know if the hero will arrive in time.

Vengeance Bay original

More uncluttered artwork from the glory days of The Shadow Magazine. The colors just pop off of this piece. Wonderful.

Room of Doom

A classic painting as seen without the logo and copy.  I'm sure it inspired the climactic scene in the film from 1994.

Definitive comic version

For me, this image is how I think of the Shadow in comic book form. Heck, maybe in any form. The heavy, flowing cloak. The ring, prominent on the left hand. The solidity of the mass, as if he truly is a shadow detaching itself and becoming something solid. As much as I appreciate all that Kaluta did for the Shadow in the 70's and beyond, he never looked better than when he was inked by Bernie Wrightson. Simply perfect.

Another cool poster

Another poster I wish I had purchased back in the 70's. I cleaned this one up a bit and added a small touch.

Front and back

What a time. I've never smoked but I remember the ads. Well, not this ad but ones from the 70's and early 80's. Haven't paid much attention to them since. Don't get me started on Big Brother... For a review, click here.

I always loved this poster

As a kid I wished I had ordered this when I saw it advertised in MediaScene magazine. Gotta love the net, you can find facsimiles of so many things that made one's childhood so magical. You can often find the real thing as well.

I Want You!

Not an authentic membership form. I found this elsewhere and reset it. However, if I find an actual one I'll post it. In the meantime I think this conveys the era pretty well. A lost age, for sure.

A Different Look

This cover has a Doc Savage feel to it for me. Instead of the "looming .45's" the Master of Darkness is brandishing a syringe. I'm sure there is good reason for it but still it harkens to The Man of Bronze's Crime College. For a review, click here.