Happy Halloween

boo

Well, no guesses

So I guess I'll have to publish the answers to "The Sledge-Hammer Crimes".

1) The cloak on The Shadow's right arm shows a bit more crimson lining
2) V. in place of A.
3) A purple tie in place of a green tie
4) Barrel of .45 is longer
5) the top of the sledge-hammer's handle is longer

Until next time, Shadowphiles, be good.

It's Friday so it must be time for...

Drum roll please...

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE: EPISODE 82

Five (5) changes to this smashing cover.  Find them all and avoid The Shadow's apparent amped up version of the classic nun punishment of using a ruler to crack a students knuckles.  Ouch.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I just returned from my comics shop, The Splash Page, crushed to my core!  I had so looked forward to picking up issue #145 of The Shadow reprint only to find that Diamond Distributing had shipped my copy so poorly that they had to order another.  I'm very depressed as I must wait another week to throw myself into the pulpilisious world of The Dark Eagle.  If only I could get in touch with Burbank I could set one of the agents, or even the master himself, on the trail of those villains who could defile a copy of The Shadow's adventures. 

What I hope to be reading tonight

I've been waiting for quite some time to have this arrive and I think today's the day my comic shop, The Splash Page, will have it for me.  Very excited to get to this.  Love the early stuff!  Love this cover!

Agent J strikes again

... and got them all correct!  Well done.

"Agent J reports: Extra tooth, one star in W, purple and green pieces changed places, Crime Master's tie (extra stripe near top), Crime Master's left eye."

I really thought I had you with the extra stripe.  I must try harder.

What's wrong with this cover?

Five (5) differences between these covers.  Find them all and feel superior to The Crime Master!

Sad update to Ron Ely tragedy

It turns out that the woman stabbed to death in "Doc Savage" actor Ron Ely's home was his wife, Valerie,  and the killer was none other than their son Cameron.  He was later found on the property and shot to death by deputies.  Here is a link to the story.

Okay, not quite done with Doc...

It looks as though something unfortunate has touched Doc Savage actor Ron Ely.  Here is a link to the story.  Appears to be a breaking story with little actual information.  I'll update as I run across more.

Update:

The incident took place after 10 p.m. in the 4100 block of Mariposa Drive in Hope Ranch.

Deputies with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office shot and killed a homicide suspect in the home of Tarzan actor Ron Ely on Tuesday night.
Authorities received a call for help after 10 p.m. in the 4100 block of Mariposa Drive in Hope Ranch, according to Lt. Erik Raney, spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
When they arrived, deputies located an elderly woman who had been stabbed to death, Raney said.
Neighbors were told to stay in their homes and lock doors while authorities searched for the suspect.
Shortly thereafter, the suspect was found hiding in the same home as the victim. And when deputies approached the unidentified man, he allegedly threatened them with a weapon and was fatally shot, Raney said.
Ely, who played the lead character in the 1960s television series Tarzan, was not injured, Raney noted.
The homicide victim was not identified. The investigation is ongoing.

Finally calling it a day on Doc Savage

The infamous unpublished Cold War novel.  Can't say I enjoyed it but the post script by Will Murray sure shined a light on how this tale reflected the editorial influences that shaped these pulp characters.  The same can be said about any character that isn't controlled by a single creative mind.  Take Batman.  In the comics he is nigh unto unrecognizable as the hero I grew up idolizing.  Even Star Trek has "evolved" away, in some cases, from the world (or universe) I let consume me for 50 or so years.
So this marks the end of my journey with Doc Savage and his Fabulous Five.  I'm glad I took the trek if only to say I gave it the old college try.  The Shadow is easily the better fit for me.  So I now delve back into the massive backlog of pulp adventures that await me, to transport me to the back alleys of 1930's NYC, or perhaps the hop houses of Chinatown in either San Francisco or NYC.  Not the crazed, vengeance fueled killer that the recent comics have turned him into (again with the editorial influence) but the brilliant detective with the unerring aim and fierce loyalty to those that share his mission.  To once again find out what evil lurks in the hearts of men!

Answers from Agent J

"Agent J reports: Cents, Oct, Door of Crime, The Shadow's ring, lady's hat, man no longer has hat, The Shadow's eyes."

Almost right. The lady and the man actually changed heads completely, and rather than just a ring being moved the hands changed positions. Also, the hatband is missing from The Shadow's chapeau.  I really like this cover and would love to see this composition rendered in the style of Bama.  More realistic foreground figures and less brilliant color of the graphic silhouettes in the background.

Ch ch ch CHANGES

Seven (7) differences to this one.  Pretty easy (unfortunately).  Have some fun with it and we'll check back in Monday.  Have a great autumn weekend, agents.

The differences are...

... 1) E is now F
    2) 1945 is now 1954
    3) A new hole in the skull
    4) Key missing a "tooth"
    5) Logo in lower left is turned over

A new puzzle will hit the stands tomorrow.

Again with the comparison

 George Rozen, the original...

or Alex Ross? 

Me?  I gotta go with the original.  Both are wonderful but I have always loved The Voodoo Master by the master, Mr. Rozen.

Again, who did it better

Mr. Rozen or...

... this guy?  Choose wisely.

Who did it better?

George Rozen or...

Alex Ross?

Personally I'm gonna have to give this one to Alex.  I prefer the color palette of the original but love the dynamism of Ross' image.  Still hate the scarf but that's another story.  Which one do you prefer?

Time to unlock another puzzle cover

For "Five Keys to Crime" I've made five (5) key changes.  Find them all and lock up the knowledge that you're one of The Shadow's most prized keen eyed agents.  Good luck and have a great Autumn weekend.

Calendar page for October

Happy Haunting this month.

The Theatre of the Mind

My best friend just sent me a link to the archives of the radio program that most likely turned me on to The Shadow all those years ago, The CBS Radio Mystery Theater.  Soon after this program started airing I remember my local station airing The Shadow.  I can't remember if they were reruns or if they were some kind of re-enactment.  Whatever it was, it changed my life forever.
As I'm watching the latest Tarzan film (for the umpteenth time) on my second screen I'm just feeling nostalgic for the simpler tales of morality and heroism.  The Shadow, The Phantom, Tarzan and John Carter.  Cardboard heroes?  Probably.  But it's what you take from those characters that make them special.  Those nights listening to The Shadow and Radio Mystery Theater probably cemented that for me.  Take a listen and be transported through the Theatre of the Mind.