Happy Birthday

At 9:40 on the evening of July 31, 1930, James La Curto first intoned the eerie voice of The Shadow on the radio.  It's too bad there is no remaining recordings of that most important broadcast but we do have all of the writings of Walter B. Gibson and a lot of the recordings of the radio programmes.  I hope one day we may be lucky enough to hear that first broadcast.  

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The Pooltex Tangle

Looks like the Shadow became a hobo for this tale. However, what is it with the massive swatch of yellow again?! Sheesh. I actually like the cover for it's action and it seems well rendered but that yellow... Anyhow, click here is you want to read the fourth story written by Tinsley.

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The Crystal Buddha

January 1, 1938 brings us the 141st "The Shadow Magazine" and the 137th tale penned by Mr. Walter B. Gibson. This story makes no mention of Lamont Cranston, rather using the newly revealed persona of Kent Allard. I look forward to reading this one as soon as I can, but for the time being here is a review to tide us over.

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Boo

No problem, I'm sure.

Crime County

This is the first pulp I bought and it still sits on my sanctum's bookshelves. I've never read it but I plan to when I get around to the pdf texts that my pal, Agent K, got to me. I really would like to know what's been hidden in those pages all of these years. If you can't wait to find out what this tale is about then go here to read a brief review.

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For Agent Thinnes

One is 9x12 the other is 12x9.

Only Fair

Since I inadvertently clewed Bill into the very first Shadow pulp he bought I'll use the cover of the first pulp I ever bought. It's an easy one.

Kings of Crime

Love this cover! So pulp! So blatant! The garish colours and the basic layout make it absolutely irresistible to the person standing at the newsstand. Some people yearn for the good old days of the Old West but give me the excitement of the pulp era. Heroes and villains at your fingertips, in a much more simple and black & white era. No television but the "theatre of the mind" that was radio and the wide acceptance of the "funny papers". Baseball was America's game when sports were still considered games. I'm sure it wasn't all fun and games but it seems that it is our right to believe that the past was better than the present and the future would turn out different than it truly has.

Anyhow, I've gotten off track. If you would like to read a review of this early tale, submitted with the title of "The Crime Syndicate" then this is where you click.

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Monday's clew

Well? I'm sure this is an easy one, but you know how I feel about the "hand" covers.

King of the Black Market

You're right, of course, Bill. I'll try to be a bit less stressful on your eyeballs with the next one.

As to the story, it was originally submitted under the title "Trail of Death" and written over a year earlier. "This story reflects America during World War II. The industrial might of the United States was in full swing, but profiteers were out to reap millions on the black market. Only The Shadow could bring the King of the Black Market to his knees. This is the exciting story that recounts that adventure." so says the review that can be found here.

As for the cover itself, it is so generic that if it didn't have The Shadow masthead on it one would be unable to identify it as an adventure of The Shadow. Such a sad time for the magazine as far as covers go.

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Last clew for this week

Answer Monday.

Doom on the Hill

The answer to yesterday's puzzle piece. After reading the review of this story I'm very anxious to read it. It was written at the end of '33 but wasn't published for nearly a year. This puts the story as one of the early tales, my personal favorites. Perhaps it will be published soon by Anthony Tollin's Sanctum Books.

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What cover, sir?

The Romanoff Jewels

Since I have yet to read "The Shadow Unmasks" this story has served to give me the most insight into The Shadow. I haven't read this story in twenty years but it was a total revelation when I read it in the 70's. The Russian back story of our hero's past has superseded the Ying Ko storyline, in my mind, and is much more interesting. The Czarist aspect and the ties to pre Communist Russia intrigue me to no end. Being a James Bond (more the Fleming novels than many of the films) makes me very aware of the Cold War and going back to the same continent but from a totally different era seems to connect the dots in my mind. Click here for a review of this tale.

Bill, since this was too easy I must find a more challenging cover next. Stay tuned.

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Who knows...

what cover this is from. A clew; I'm currently re-reading this one (as well as reading another).

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The North Woods Mystery

The answer to the clew. This story was originally titled "The Shadow in Canada" and starts out in, of all places, Chinatown. A review of this tale can be found here.

Sorry Bill, but I had to rise to the challenge. I didn't realize you were trying to check the covers with thumbnails. Hope you had a good magnifying glass. I'll try and be a bit less obtuse next time.

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Another challenge from the shadows

Agent Thinnes? Should be easy for you.

The Robot Master

Again, Bill, you are correct.  From May of 1943, a cover I don't even know how to address.  Nothing "Shadow-ish" about it.  Could be an Ellery Queen digest if not for the masthead.  And what misguided art director thought that losing the iconic logo was a good idea?  Change for change sake is rarely a good thing.  And we all know what the changes to our favorite character brought about.  For those interested in a review of this story, go here.  

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What cover might this be?

I'm trying to not be insane and just choosing a color swatch, but you did lay down the challenge, Bill. What cover, sir.

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Well, I'm going to have to try harder

"Shadowed Millions" January 1, 1933. Bill, the gauntlet has been thrown down. Let's see what can be done to stump you. For the rest of you, here is the review of this early tale of The Shadow.

For Bill

What cover is this from, Agent Thinnes? Answer tomorrow.

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Murder Town

I'm guessing that this cover is by Rozen although I'm not sure. For some reason this cover reminds me of Highlights Magazine (if there were no sinister Shadow covering the hamlet). But ya gotta love the title of the story in relation to the imagery. As usual, click here for a review of this 1936 tale.

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The Better Little Book...

The Shadow and the Living Death. Kinda gruesome for the audience that these little books were aimed for. I'm sure that the story and interior art were very tame but the title seems a bit lurid. However, I'm stating that from the viewpoint of a politically correct citizen of this namby pamby world we live in. Back then, a time when common sense seems to have been more in vogue than this new century embraces, I'm guessing that people didn't have such low tolerances for the salacious and sensational. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into a simple title from 1940.

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Frank Robbins debut as The Shadow's latest artist. The Shad0w #5.

The London Crimes

Not my favorite cover. Why, then, am I posting it? Well, since you asked, it's because I am reading it at the moment (and probably many more moments since I read at a glacial pace) and thought it fit with what was on my mind. Why don't I like this cover? Well, the main character, the Bobby, is boring and not particularly well done. Oh, the hands and face are serviceable but the clothing is oddly rendered. Even if the heavier cloth wouldn't create the interesting wrinkles and folds, take some artistic license. I do love the mane character (heh heh) of the lion. What I don't like is the rather poor manner in which the Shadow's shadow fails to lay correctly on the statue and how crammed all of the elements seem. Also, it is London and the story does repeatedly mention a "pea souper" so why not use the swirling fog to create mystery and atmosphere rather than just having it muddy up the background?! A lost opportunity for sure. As always, click here for a review of this tale, originally titled "London Crime", from September 1935.

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The end of issue #4.

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The Crimson Phoenix

This was originally titled "The Green Phoenix" and it turns out that the villain is known simply as "the Phoenix". According to the review this story touches on many very interesting things. Tinsley has the Shadow changing his countenance simply by using his facial muscles rather than the gauze like structure. This may be where the '94 film got the idea. He also presaged the bombing of Pearl Harbor by about 4 years. Interesting. Lots of fun stuff in this one. I can't wait to read it myself.

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Just a pulp

A break from the Shadow and a look at other pulp stuff. I kind of thought of Myra Reldon when I ran across this cover this morning. What do you think?

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