Saturday, April 26, 2025

Saturday's random pulp cover: Black Mask: "Rain Check" December, 1941


 Yo, take dat!  Ya doity rat!  Shore, I'm wearin' lipstick.  Youse & whose ahmy is gonna tell me I cain't!

Saturday, April 19, 2025

Saturday's random pulp cover: Detective Story Magazine: "The Crimson Clown's Threat" May 2, 1931


 One month after The Shadow Magazine hit newsstands, this beauty shows up.  Looks like a mash-up of The Voodoo Master and The Harlequin.  Perhaps, even, a precursor of The Joker (he was, after all, The Red Hood first...)

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Monday, April 14, 2025

Justice Inc. #6 page 32


 And so ends the time spanning adventures of Justice, Inc.!  What did you think?  Personally, I'm not a fan of how every writer has latched onto Chaykin's idea that Lamont Cranston was evil and Allard redeemed him (in name only).  Or that Margo was with The Shadow from the start.  It makes things easier, I'm sure.  But if someone were to take the effort to write Miss Lane as an agent who only suspected the truth.  As to Doc Savage and The Avenger, I really can't speak much to how they were portrayed, although the little that I have read of either tells me that they were changed as well.  I'd love to see a book that continued the Gibson version faithfully.

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Saturday's random pulp cover: The Popular Magazine: February 20, 1918

Well, not an action packed cover but beautiful, and that's what counts.  Love the color palette.

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Saturday's random pulp cover: Adventure: October 18, 1920


 Another beautiful vignette cover from Adventure.  Just over a century ago this era of history held romantic fascination for the public.  Since then we have come to demonize the colonization of our country and the subjugation of the natives by these adventurers.  I understand the feeling but I tend to temper my judgment by looking at the times that the events took place and the mindset our country held when this was published.  Sure, from our "enlightened" point of view, this was not a time in history to be proud of.  However, acting like it never happened or trying to eliminate it from our collective memories will only allow these kind of acts to happen again.  If we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.  A trope, but true nonetheless.

Friday, April 4, 2025

ON THE AIR: May 8 & 10, 1939

 Time to start a new old time radio program, this time featuring that evil mastermind Doctor Fu Manchu!  The series is "The Shadow of Fu Manchu" and he has the title of Doctor... see where I'm going, agents?  Throw in the obvious influence that Sax Rohmer's creation had on the character of Shiwan Khan and I feel quite confident in posting these fun trips back in time.  I will be making these a double feature as they run about 15 minutes each.  I hope you enjoy the vile adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu.  And let me give a shout out to Władysław Teodor "W.T." Benda, the artist behind the illustration I've used above.  Just beautiful! 

Now, without further ado, let's begin...

Ep 1_Insidious Dr Fu Manchu

Ep 2_ The Red Hand of Death

Justice Inc. #6 page 26

 
"You, Lamont Cranston, are a weakling!"