Happy Halloween

A truly iconic image for a perfect holiday for The Shadow.  Here's hoping all the agents and junior agents have a safe and fun evening.

The Shadow Volume 3 Issue 3

The only thing decent about this issue is the cover.  I really wish The Shadow would visit the offices of Dynamite and scare them into writing and illustrating better stuff.  This cover doesn't even pertain to the story inside!  This stuff is maddening!!!

Murder For Sale is the answer

What a bang up cover... literally!  This was part of "The Hand" story arc (such as it was) and it looks like Shrevvy had a crack up.  I haven't read this so I can't be sure if that's the case or if the wreck is something entirely different.  Aside from that I like this cover.  Well rendered and action packed.  So let's wander over to "The Shadow in Review" and check out John's take on this tale.

Up for sale

Wow, $2200 at Heritage Auctions.  I can only think how many original pulps I could buy with $2200!  Still, nice to see The Shadow being valued.

Wish I had bought this when I had the chance

Wasn't sure how I felt about this particular piece of  history since it wasn't part of the Pulp (or true) mythos.  Over time I've become quite enamored of it and get the bug to find and buy one.  It was a fun way to show our hero finally come into total control of his abilities.

Let's try another cover mystery

Ah, this is pretty easy.

The answers are...

Lot's of views, no attempts.  Here are the seven changes:

1:  Twice is now Thrice  (would've been nice)
2:  House became Mouse
3:  West changed to East
4:  The Shadow's eyes are now recalling his adventure "Green Eyes"
5:  Bottom of wood has gotten shorter
6:  That ring!
7:  The Eagle in NRA CODE logo is upside down

Who knew...

...that I'd still be doing this after eight years.  Happy anniversary to "Under the Blue Light".  Thank you to everyone who keeps visiting this little corner of The Shadow's long and enduring sanctum.  It all started with a post...

A new puzzle

Find the seven (7) differences between the two covers.

Burbank

Possibly The Shadow's most important agent.  A man who lives in the shadows perhaps more than his boss.  Let's take a look at a few different takes on the man in the headset.

This is how I see him when I read the pulps.  Maybe not in a suit but a faceless agent keeping the vast network connected.  I never felt that he should have a visage but I guess the editors felt differently because...

with the publication of "The Lone Tiger" many of The Shadow's key agents made the cover.  In a way, Burbank has the most generic face so that helps but I still didn't think he should have made an appearance.

Fast forward to the mid 70's and the resurgence of The Shadow thanks to M W Kaluta and Denny O'Neil.  This is when the popular version of Burbank emerged, a look I never understood in context of the character from the pulps but somehow made Burbank more interesting.

And then in 1994 I think they got it right for the most part with Andre Gregory as Burbank.  I loved the tube system and even got on board with the video.  I think this is pretty much a perfect compromise between the pulp and the comic.

Interior art

As much as I love the covers I think I am more drawn toward the interior art of The Shadow Magazine.  As the years passed the art just kept getting stronger.  My favorites are Tom Lovell & Edd Cartier.  I know I've posted a lot of the coming images before but they deserve all the attention they can garner.  This is one of my favorites...

Simply stunning.

Check out this blog

I came across this blog site through "That's Pulp!" recently.  It's fun to see fans of this great character weighing in with their opinions and passion for all things pertaining to The Shadow.  I hope anyone who follows me here will check this site out.  I have the link posted with the other sites but will direct you from here. 

Happy Birthday to Agent T

Super agent and champion of not only The Shadow but the pulps, happy birthday.  Now get off of the net and eat some cake.

The blue light dims just a bit...

  John Olsen is putting his wonderful site "That's Pulp!" on hiatus.  John is not only a super fan of The Shadow but a torchbearer for all of pulpdom.  He created one of my all time favorite sites "The Shadow in Review" which also was home to

which gave me a reason to put up with dial up internet for quite some time.  When he shut that down I felt a bit of a hole open up.  He then finally shut down "The Shadow in Review", which made sense since he had already reviewed every story from the original run as well as the 60's "Return of The Shadow" not to mention the two short stories and the Columbia serial.  He did publish all of his reviews in the aptly named "The Shadow in Review" from Lulu.


  This is just a little doff of the slouch hat to a true champion of the good old days and I wish him well in whatever he chooses to do.

The answer

Let's start at the top:

  1) 1942 changed to 1952
  2) The back of the slouch hat modified
  3) The eye has been changed
  4) White bow tie is now black
  5) Trigger
  6) Carnation is now red
  7) Cigarette has burned a bit more
  8) Ribbon is gold

A little Steampunk

A nifty little drawing, in my opinion.  Hate the red hat and huge scarf but as an illustration it's pretty nicely done.

Time for a new puzzle clew

Find the eight (8) differences between the two covers.  This is pretty easy this time.

Death From Nowhere

Thought I'd try and make this a bit more interesting in a simple manner.  An improvement but I think there could've been more done for this.  Oh well, a quickie solution.  Hope y'all agree.

The Yellow Door

Classic cover ruined by the inclusion of that stupid book just sitting in the corner of the cover.  I know our hero is in peril but there is no way he won't survive the hail of bullets peppering him.  Perhaps he'll pluck the book after he rids himself of his .45 and toss it at the thugs trying to scrag the scourge of the underworld.  What were the art directors thinking?

The Shadow / Batman #1 from Dynamite

I don't know where this is going but I'll give it a chance.  The Shadow didn't have much to do and I've never been a fan of the whole "mind reading" ability of our hero but that is something I can do nothing about.  With the inclusion of Damian "Robin" Wayne it seems there may be a new wrinkle that could work or go terribly awry.  Sigh, I fear awry may be the direction we are led.  I hope I'm wrong, truly.

Another clew for the agents out there

A bit more color to help youse guys out.

Finally this is over

Immortal?  Really?!  Cripes, why can't these "creative" teams work around the existing history.  I'm choosing to believe this is just an elseworlds version of all characters involved.  And yet is was better than what Dynamite is putting out in the new "The Shadow" series.  This just all makes me so sad.  And mad.  And now they are serving up this team again, this time with Dynamite in the lead.  I hope it at least takes place in the 30's...

Don't be afraid to open this clew

Another Tuesday another Clewsday.  Walk through this one.

The big reveal!

Let's start at the top with

  1) Tower is now Power
  2) The half circle and full circle  glyphs are switched
  3) The Shadow is now showing another finger
  4) Green guy is sporting an extra button on his suit sleeve
  5) An extra feather-like glyph has been added
  6) An extra football glyph has magically shown up

Thanks for playing.