Getting a little further on with the project

 I've finally gotten back to this personal painting.  Went in and worked on the cloaks of both figures, started darkening the desk to make the blue light stand out as actual light.  I worked on the skull (but still have a bit of modeling to do) and played with the rim lighting on our hero.  I've also figured out what will be written on the paper under his hand.  When it's all done I'll take a better photo and drop in the masthead and titles and such and make it look like a proper cover.  If nothing else, this has been fun. 

The Shadow Movie Adaptation #1 page 9

 "Serendipity.  Shall we order?"

"Blood Gutters" page 19

 "Hi, Lou.

I'll say hello to your wife for you."

What I'm reading (soon)

 It took me a loooooooong time to get through "Mardi Gras Mystery".  So many things things got in the way.  After I finish my latest Star Trek novel I'll be tackling a story I read back in junior high school.  I reread that entire run of reprints 20 years later and am now revisiting these adventures as they come up in the order they were written.  It's time for "Zemba", a true classic with a truly  classic and memorable cover.  Hands, donchaknow!

(this is what I read back in the day)

 

The Shadow Movie adaptation #1 page 7

 "Boss...  you okay?"

"Blood Gutters" page 18

THAP

ON THE AIR: October 29, 1939

Phantom Fingerprints.  One of my favorites from this run.  Perhaps it's because I have listened to it uncounted times over the years, thanks to Radio Spirits and a cassette player.  Haven't heard it?  Well, here is the synopsis from The Shadow Wiki:

"A veteran medical examiner is found murdered in Commissioner Weston's office. Fingerprints of a knife thrower, who was executed eight years earlier, are found in the room and on the dead body. When the killer strikes again, the same fingerprints are found at the scene. Curious of how a dead man can leave fresh fingerprints at a crime scene, The Shadow investigates." 

And if you haven't listened to this one then click here to investigate "Phantom Fingerprints"!

The Shadow Movie adaptation #1 page 6

"I've saved your life, Roy Tam."

"Never take it off."

I can hear the actor's voices when I read these lines.  Kinda cool and also a little disconcerting when the rest of the dialogue doesn't follow.

"Blood Gutters" page 17

 RRRR RRRR RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT

Look what I found in a Second Hand bookstore in Butte, Montana

1914 Grosset & Dunlap edition in really great condition.  I have a couple of others from this line but this is the first time I've gotten this particular novel.  It's condition is better than any of the others and I feel fortunate to have found this just sitting there... waiting.

The Shadow Movie adaptation #1 page 4

The last panel looks like The Shadow has torn Duke's head from his body!  I like how the thugs turn tail and leave their boss to his fate only to find, after being warned, that their fate was sealed by the Master of Men!

By the by, yesterday was Mr. Kaluta's 74th birthday.  Happy belated birthday, sir.

"Blood Gutters" page 16

 "Nobody even notices the killer."

The Shadow Movie adaptation #1 page 3

 Kaluta's version of the bridge sequence.  Probably my favorite scene from the film.  Ya gotta appreciate M. W. K's evolved style.

"Mystery 2: Cold Day in Hell" page 8

 "Crime does not pay.

The Shadow knows."

"Blood Gutters" page 15

 "...some mouse who's doing you and Nitti at the same time."

Let's take a look at some random Kaluta goodness

 Over the next couple of I'll post some various pages from Kaluta's adaptation of the 1994 film "The Shadow".  Enjoy this little diversion.

This is the opening page.  They will be in order but I only have about 1/3 of the pages found so far.  Fair warning that this isn't going to be a reading post, just an appreciation of Kaluta's contributions to the legacy of The Shadow.

"Mystery 2: Cold Day in Hell" page 7

"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit."

"Blood Gutters" page 14

 "I have no doubt that you've met wealthy dilettantes by the dozen and detectives by the score.  That you've talked with every breed of parasite and victim, thug, and patsy.

But I am something you have never met.

I am something of which you have never dreamed."

"Mystery 2: Cold Day in Hell" page 6

"Like I said, I can't be bought--not for a measly couple thousand."

"Blood Gutters" page 13

 "The Empire of Crime is too great for us to destroy, Cardona.  But it is a primitive and violent empire... and can be induced to destroy itself.

We will teach Gangland... that in extending its grasp, it only severs its own limbs."

I meant to include this with the Friday posting

 The "clean" page of original art for "Blood Gutters" page 12.  As an artist I love seeing all the paste-ups and white outs that created the final piece.

ON THE AIR: October 22, 1939

 The circus is the cover for an insidious crime racket.  Important persons are being replaced by look-a-likes by a typically evil European madman.  The power of hypnosis is put to the test as The Shadow goes head to head with the villain and tries to save Margo from his clutches.  Take a listen to "House of Fun" and relax to the soothing sound of The Shadow's laugh.

"Mystery 2: Cold Day in Hell" page 5

"Looky here."

 

"Blood Gutters" page 12

 "You will report."

"Mystery 2: Cold Day in Hell" page 4

"Remember, quiet--no guns!"

"Blood Gutters" page 11

 "Who the Hell is Lamont Cranston?"

"Mystery 2: Cold Day in Hell" page 3

"I'm here to tell you the local law can't be bought.."

"Blood Gutters" page 10

 "He didn't have to walk by my table to get back to the girl.  I got the chills when he did.  I didn't know why."

Some more progress...

 I've since painted the first layer of the skeleton's cloak.  Green, like "The Book of Death".  I'll post that when I get a shot of it.  Starting to come together.

"Mystery 2: Cold Day in Hell" page 2

"Time for the Reckoning, boys."

"Blood Gutters" page 9

 "Hiya, Greasy-thumb!"

"Mystery 2: Cold Day in Hell" page 1

SSKKIISSHHH

"Blood Gutters" page 8

"And him?  Nobody knew who he was.  But everybody was wondering."

"Mystery 2: Cold Day in Hell"

Mystery 2 from the Dark Horse comic "The Shadow and the Mysterious 3".

 I've never read this before.  I'll be reading it with y'all as I post it.  Thanks to "The Shadow Strikes" tumblr.  Great site.

ON THE AIR: October 15, 1939

In this episode "The Shadow takes a trip to “The Village of Doom,” and we’re going with him! A small town reaches out to the crime-fighter when death itself seems to be holding the population hostage! Can the Shadow uncover the truth behind this mysterious threat before he becomes the next victim? Is this the most bizarre episode of The Shadow ever made?"  

The above synopsis comes from the YouTube channel The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society.  I had forgotten this episode and it was good to hear it again.  For those of you who listen to OTR regularly this will hit of few of the tropes of the genre.  Fun little ep.  Enjoy.

"Blood Gutters" page 7

 "Lamont is...

Well.  He's not like anyone you've ever met."

A snippet of progress

 I started blocking in color and shapes.  This is the part that I both love and hate.  I love getting large areas done and closer to a full painting but I hate that I get a bit nervous wondering if I'll get anywhere close to how I see it in my head.  Here is a cropped area of what I worked on last night.

Some Colton Worley goodness

 I really like this piece from the artist on Dynamite's "The Shadow Now".  Nice soft grey giving the cloak a real feel of weight.  Wish the hat were more in keeping with the pulp version.

"Blood Gutters" page 6

 "Like a puppet runs the stage."

"Blood Gutters" page 4-5

 Everybody was keeping his dates right on time.  Everybody was play his part--just like HE wanted it.

"Blood Gutters" page 3

 "But when I catch him, maybe I'll do a little brain surgery."

A little something I'm working on

 This is the progression so far of my latest attempt to do an original piece of art featuring The Shadow.

It started with an ink drawing with a chess theme.  I used the famous skull from a couple covers of the original run of The Shadow Magazine.  The Creeping Death and The Book of Death being those covers.  

 I was happy enough with the layout that I wanted to move to an actual oil painting.  However I didn't feel that the chess theme was strong enough.  I went through a couple of other themes keeping the two figures exactly as they were and settled on a Sanctum scene with the blue light and highly polish desk.  We've read often enough of The Shadow reviewing the newspaper clippings sent by Rutledge Mann so I thought that it made for a nice, if not action packed or even conceptual.

I went right for the good stuff, the hand!  I'm very interested to see if this plays like a blue light laying across the flesh.  Once everything is knocked in I'll be darkening everything with color washes so that the blue circle feels like a spot of light.  I couldn't put it down so I went back in and...

...started knocking in the colors we all associate with The Shadow.

I'll post more as I carve out time to work on this.

"Blood Gutters" page 2

"Nice.  Family."

ON THE AIR: October 8, 1939

 I was so excited to listen to this as I hadn't heard of "The Diamond Murders" before.  How disappointing it was to find out it was actually 

Oh well.  It's still a fun little tale of death and Americas Pastime.  Take a listen.