Under the Blue Light: August 2020

Monday, August 31, 2020

Kaluta starts the return of The Shadow

The Shadow #1 prelim

The Shadow #1 working illustration

The Shadow #1 cover

Michael W. Kaluta

"Uneasy Allies" page 17

"This'll melt you down, bronze man!"

Sunday, August 30, 2020

What's the Difference 101

It's been awhile since we did this. I may have used this cover before but it is a new puzzle. There are five (5) changes to this one. Give it a try, agents.

Good Luck.

Friday, August 28, 2020

Vengeance is Mine!

"Vengeance is mine. I shall repay!"
The Shadow

Okay, so the clew/quote was a bit spot on. Sometimes the obvious answer is the right answer.

ON THE AIR August 28, 1938

Beat the late summer heat with a tall lemonade while sitting in front of the radio listening to this classic Orson Welles episode, Death Under the Chapel! Enjoy.

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Who said it and which adventure did it come from?

"Vengeance is mine; I shall repay!"

"Uneasy Allies" page 15

"There's a buncha no-goodniks approachin' fast, Doc."

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

This knife was one of the things I really disliked about the film when it came out. I didn't mind the Tulku but the mystical nature of the phurba really bugged me. As the years have dragged on I've come to appreciate the symbolism over the "reality" and like it much more.

However, I'm still not okay with the "bendy" aspects of this character/object. I have chosen to believe that it is all in the mind of the victim as to how this knife is perceived and that it really doesn't bend...

bite...

or wipe imaginary blood from its lips.

Whoever is controlling the phurba at the time is causing the target to see and feel what they want it to. The flying is the only reality of the weapon. That and the end result of stabbing the victim.

"Uneasy Allies" page 14

"Deactivating the alarm, gassing the guard... a body would think you want these toughs to find the coils, Doc."

"I do."

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Still have this...

do you?

I loved Starlog and was thrilled when this showed up on newssstands 26 years ago. I've still wanted to acquire the Phurba although I don't consider it canon. But every time I do a search and come across one I just don't pull the trigger. I really wish this had become a trilogy, even as oddly mixed as it was.

"Uneasy Allies" page 13

"What's all this...?"

Monday, August 24, 2020

The Green Hornet

H&I is airing The Green Hornet each week and I just finished the 26 episode run. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the show even if the pace was a bit wonky. As a kid it was all about Batman and so I wrongly assumed this would be more of the same. I find it hard to watch the 60s Batman now and since The Green Hornet and Kato were introduced via that show I put off watching it. It was far more serious (as serious as a man in a green overcoat, mask and fedora with a karate master chauffeur can be) and I loved some of the direction of the early episodes.

I think the reason I wanted to see this show was more for Bruce Lee than anything else but really think that it didn't get enough love back in the day. Now it doesn't compete with today's production values and the high tech gadget are decidedly not high tech any longer. Still, the Hornet employed drones before anyone else (I believe). If you haven't seen it, check it out. There is redeeming value in this show and it's just pretty cool.

"Uneasy Allies" page 12

"Look, Perfesser, if you wanna go with your daughter me an' the boys can find this 'Yahoo Coil' fer yer ray."

"That's 'Yolsky Coil'"

Sunday, August 23, 2020

My rankings of the Deadly Covers

1. George Rozen's "The Creeping Death"
This has it all (except for a girasol ring). The colors are great without being garish. The rendering is spot on. We have the single eye in the skull (creepy) and we have The Shadow as a shadow. The simplicity and the use of the spotlight just make this my favorite of the these covers.

2. G. Rozen's "The Book of Death"
All time classic that screams pulp and The Shadow Magazine. Can't argue with the rendering of this at all and for many I'm sure this would be #1.

3. Graves Gladney's "Voice of Death"
Again, the simplicity of the design, the use of The Shadow as a silhouette. The outline of the skull and the white glow make this a bit more graphic and puts this behind the other two, but the composition and punch in the face nature of the image make this an unforgettable cover.

4. G. Gladney's "The Scent of Death"
This used to rank higher for me and is still one of my favorites. I believe this (and I could be wrong) cover won an award of some kind. I'll try and do a bit of research to find out for sure and, if so, find out what the award was.

5. G. Gladney's "The Crimson Death"
Never really liked this cover for a variety of reasons. The Shadow just doesn't look right to me; the use of a rifle (although to be fair, it's probably in the story); the liquid pouring out doesn't feel authentic; and the tuft of hair is distracting. Of course, these are all just my opinions. Feel free to disagree.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Deadly covers

Which of these classic covers best represents the idea of Death as a physical being? And which artist did it best?

Friday, August 21, 2020

ON THE AIR August 21, 1938

80 years ago today on a Sunday afternoon families gathered around their radios to thrill to one of the final episodes starring Orson Welles, The Caverns of Death. September 18th will be the last of the adventures featuring Mr. Welles. Enjoy.

"Uneasy Allies" page 11

"You can call me 'Nails'."

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Joe Cardona said it!

"I get it, Grease. All of them were Five-Face. He's the guy who double-crossed you."

From the August 15, 1940 issue with the pretty cool cover. 80 years ago, wow. Pretty incredible that we are still interested in something so of its time and yet so relatable to us now. Not sure what that says about the stagnant nature of humanity and our inability to rise above crime, violence and hatred. We need The Shadow now more than ever!