Happy Thanksgiving

 Enjoy family and friends, the beautiful Autumn weather and the feast set before you.  But take a moment to remember why this holiday exists.  Remember why the pilgrims left the only home they knew and struck out for a new world with the promise of freedom.

Clark "Doc" Savage, Jr...

So, when you read or think about Doc Savage, what version comes to mind?  Me?  James Bama's version from the cover of Man of Bronze.  The Baumhofer version from the pulps is probably the most faithful since Clark Gable was the man that Dent had in mind when he wrote the character.  Or maybe the editors and publishers told him what they wanted him to look like.  I'm not sure.  However I really like the lithe figure at the top of this post that Jim Steranko (yep, that Steranko, of The Shadow paperback fame) drew.  The special shirt he is wearing really seems to be straight from the pages of the original stories.  That and he's not so muscle bound like the final image I have posted.  I know that a lot of people think The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson, would be a great choice (and he was chosen a few years ago when Shane Black was trying to get the movie off the ground) but I think someone like Alexander Skarsgård from The Legend of Tarzan would be a better choice.  Anyhow, I was just curious how fans imagine Doc when they read the novels.

Rest in Piece James Elliott Bama

 

Mr. Bama had a long and glorious career in illustration and fine art.  I know him from the cover of Star Trek 1 and then, of course...

 

...Doc Savage!  I won't try and sum up a life I know only from art, but I do know his art inspired me and still does to this day.  A true master and a true legend.

Rest well.

Yeah, I did this

 Still have the stuff I was sent.  Only problem is I didn't get in soon enough and missed the first newsletter.  I kind of wish that I had joined The Doc Savage Club as well.  At the time I was feuding with my friend who was collecting Doc and I was picking up whatever I could of The Shadow.  Damn Bama and those magnificent covers!

Rules for everyone

 Simple to follow.  Why can't we all be a little more like Doc...

My daily computer screen

I've probably posted this before but that's the way it goes.  I love the idea of Doc Savage and his very simplistic code resonates with me, I only wish I enjoyed his stories more.  Regarding the code, I think the country could function a whole lot better if we adhered to the spirit it imparts.  But since so many don't that is why The Shadow is needed...

Doc Savage "The Man of Bronze" homage

Pretty much done with this.  I know, I know, this ain't The Shadow!  But I've put so much work into this I just had to share.  A tad more to be done but it's pretty minor and so I move on.  The next piece won't be pulp related so I won't share on this site and I'll get back to The Shadow.

Again, not The Shadow but...

My newest painting in progress.  Apologies but the images were taken from my phone, not the best but it gives the idea.  A few hours in, many more to go.  A real challenge knocking off a James Bama piece.  Especially one so well known.  Once I get everything where it belongs I'll start the real work, the insane attention to detail that is the hallmark of Bama's work.  We'll see if I can get even 10% of the needed level then I will have learned quite a lot.

I finished "The Adventure of the Peerless Peer" and have started...

The Man of Bronze.  I read the intro by Lester Dent and was a bit taken aback by his obvious jealousy of The Shadow.  Why?  He stated that Doc Savage was the first single character pulp on the market and the most popular.  He never once mentioned The Shadow Magazine or Walter B. Gibson and the impact that the original Dark Knight had on pulpdom and popular culture.

As to the story I'm having a bit of trouble getting into it.  As I've said before, the writing and "The Fabulous Five" have left me cold.  That and the fact that the Ron Ely film opened with the exact scene that starts The Man of Bronze.  Not surprising but I can't get the film out of my head while reading this.  I hope I can get past how I feel about some of these things because I really do like the concept of Doc.

Doc Savage

I've always loved the idea of Doc Savage, I was just never crazy about the actual way he was written.  The movie had great potential with Ron Ely and George Pal.  Even the director of Logan's Run (which should have been better, as well). 

 The James Bama covers really made me want to read them but I just became enamored with The Shadow, in all his incarnations.  I liked that The Shadow had agents but wasn't surrounded by them.  Doc's five just seemed too cardboard cutout for me. 

Still, the concept lingers on to this day.  The Shadow is yesterday's Batman and Doc is yesterday's Superman.  And yes, I prefer Batman to Supes any day (or night) of the week.