The Radio Adventures Of Doc Savage!

The Radio Archives collection of The Adventures of Doc Savage is an eight-disk collection, and features two Doc Savage stories adapted for serial radio performance in the 1980's on public radio. The two stories adapted were The Thousand-Headed Man and Fear Cay. First up is the seven-episode saga of Fear Cay proved ideal listening for hurtling down the highways. 

Fear Cay was featured in the eleventh issue of the original Doc Savage run and offers up a cracking tale featuring Doc and all his five aides along with Pat Savage his cousin. These six find themselves confronting a gang of vicious thugs who are trying to get hold of a mysterious prize on a lost island in the Caribbean. There is also a strange old geezer who claims to be 131 years old, and who gets around quite quickly for someone of such age. There's plenty for all the aides to do with Monk, Ham, Renny, Johnny, and Long Tom all getting some decent exposure. The action is spread around well, despite the pacing being rather relentless.

The producers of this program drew pacing inspiration from the classic Republic serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel and it really works. There are some great fights and some ferocious gun play. The characterizations are crisp, and I had very little difficulty telling the players apart, despite there being a large cast of folks to keep track. The plot is classic Doc, with a battle raging in the streets of NYC before shifting to an exotic locale. There is weird mystery and plenty of raw pulp beats to suit any Doc fan.

I frankly didn't expect these to be as good as they are. Many of these later radio shows can be a bit bloodless, clear copies of an art form that once thrived but now is all but gone. This seems to be more than a mere copy, but a true revival done by real pros who are adept at the business of crafting radio drama. The quality made me very eager to dive into the second adaptation. 

That second adaptation is of one of Doc Savage's most famous stories for a host of reasons. This story is an exceedingly popular one, and it was chosen by Murray partially because it was also the story singled out by movie producers back in the 1960's for a proposed Doc Savage movie starring Chuck Conners. The project did not develop ultimately but did result in a Gold Key comics adaptation. I took a look at that comic here.

 

The story from 1937 pits Doc and his assistants against a gang of thugs seeking a mysterious treasure in far-off Asia. There they find a hidden ancient cult which seeks to keep its secrets with the sacrificial deaths of any who happen along. It's a whopping good story, with lots of chances for action and many opportunities for Doc to show off his physical skills.

The radio adaptation is pretty close to the original but does alter the last part of the story somewhat by adding Renny as a partner to Doc as he uncovers the mysteries of some distinctive temples. In the novel Doc prowls alone, but it was decided that giving Doc someone to converse with would make the discoveries seem more natural to the listener and less artificial. It works quite well for me as Renny is a favorite of mine and gets too little attention in the adventures. This adaptation is a bit shorter than "Fear Cay" and I think that helps the pacing a bit. There is no sense that the story lags even a little bit. If you haven't sampled these, I highly recommend them. They are first rate entertainments. There is also a disk with interviews of the creators of the radio dramas about how they came to be made. 

The was once upon a time a Doc Savage radio show way back when Doc was just getting started. It was produced in fifteen minutes episodes. They were broadcast across the nation in the piecemeal way that radio operated in at the time. Sadly, the recordings are lost, but the scripts have been preserved. They were gathered and published several years ago by Moonstone in Doc Savage - The Lost Radio Scripts of Lester Dent. The folks who did the radio show in the 80's briefly considered using some of these, but they found the length insufficient for their needs and I think the creators were anxious to adapt their favorite stories. These stories are curiosities in script form and better than not having them at all for Doc fans. 

For the record both this book and the cover of the radio plays feature artwork by Bob Larkin. Great stuff indeed!

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Sky Marshall Of The Universe!

With the elaborately titled Commando Cody - Sky Marshal of the Universe I finished up this final iteration of the Rocketman series. It's considered by some a serial, but it's not. It's an attempt by Republic to create a TV show out of their serial material. Watching these episodes is like watching old Superman or Lone Ranger shows, especially the latter, and while pretty entertaining in spots not much of a serial in tone or character.

The story though does have something of a through line. Yet another alien menace from space-parts unknown (possibly Venus at first) named "The Ruler" plots to overwhelm the Earth. His schemes involve mucking with the weather a lot, usually creating a heatwave, a deep freeze, a series of storms, or whatnot. His invading forces usually consist of two guys in a single rocket ship and two other guys who have infiltrated human society. Their are always two of them I guess so they can talk to one another. Lyle Talbot plays one of the Earth spies in several episodes, though his ultimate fate is left open somewhat. It's the use of these same actors as "The Ruler" and such that make people think of this as a serial I guess.


Commando Cody is played by Judd Holdren who started this series assisted by Aline Towne. But after three episodes this series was put on hold to make Zombies in the Stratoshpere in which the name "Commmando Cody" is dropped though both Holdren and Towne show up under new names. After that serial completed they went back to produce the other nine episodes of this show.


The shows have a real formula to them, and that's fine but watching them close together does point up the weaknesses in this approach. They are fun shows, harmless fluff. But they don't have the power of the serials, the momentum is missing and that really hurts the overall impact of the threats. You don't know how, but you know it will be solved by the end of the show, unlike serials which can throw you curves as they unfold.

Good stuff still though.

UPDATE: My general opinions remain unchanged. But I did have the luxury this time of watching the show in a very good dvd edition from Olive Films. What I had before was a very low-grade bootleg (all you could find) and it's very nice to enjoy this show in a better format. My feelings about how the show is really an outer space Lone Ranger really are enhanced by this viewing.

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The Rocketeer - The Great Race And More!

It had been more than a few years since a new Rocketeer story had emerged from IDW when in 2022 on the 40th anniversary of the debut of The Rocketeer by Dave Stevens in the back pages of Starslayer at Pacific Comics a new story was released. It's a four-part tale by writer and artist Stephen Mooney. He's an unknown to me, so I went into this story with no expectations, save that Rocketeer stories are supposed to be above average. The Great Race is well above average. 

The story seems to pick up right after the events in Cliff Secord's adventure in New York City where he and Betty made amends. Everything we've learned about the Rocketeer since feels like it doesn't matter or haven't happened yet. Mooney clearly wants to keep the story grounded and that's hard to do when your hero has been flying all over God's green Earth saving folks of all kinds. So, think of this story as a soft reboot -- not an official rejection of other continuities but just allowing memory of them to fade. That proves to be a good strategy. Cliff is hired to fly an experimental racing plane built by an eccentric and exceedingly wealthy inventor. But his motives seem suspect from the start. The Nazis are involved when Cliff finds a gang of them operating in a remote California camp and later when one of them becomes a dastardly flyer in the race. Betty has a logical role to play and flies to Paris where the finish line is to await Cliff's arrival. The race is dangerous and before it's over as you no doubt guess the Rocketeer has a big part to play. 

It's really great stuff. Mooney's artwork is excellent with colors by Len O'Grady. It captures the era and the characters without aping the Stevens style. Mooney is able to bring his own approach to the characters, keep them on model for the most part and deliver a story which works. It's not as fantastical as many previous attempts at Rocketeer stories, and it's not without flaws, but it does take you back to those precarious days quite effectively. 

Here are the covers for the four-issue run. 

I give this story a big thumbs up. The book also features "Dave Stevens - An Oral History of the Rocketeer" by Kelvin Mao which gives the reader the story of how the character came to be. From the earliest days at Pacific to the final moments of we follow the saga of Stevens as he fashions his comics with amazing attention to detail. The saga is related largely by quotes from a myriad of associates of Stevens including his former editors, his colleagues and even his former wife and model for Betty, Brinke Stevens. The Rocketeer was at once one of the most successful and most elusive products of the early Indy comic era, and was recognized from the very beginning as something quite special. 

This book is highly recommended, and now for a few other things of Rocketeer interest. 

The first is The Rocketeer One-Shot comic from IDW. It sports several handsome covers, the one above by Adam Hughes. I wasn't lucky enough to land that one, but still it's a fun little comic, though like many modern comics it takes very little time to read. It's made up of three small tales. The first is "Amelia" written by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo who also happened to have written the well-remembered Rocketeer movie from so many years ago. In this tale drawn by Adam Hughes we discover the connection between Cliff and a certain famous aviatrix who mysteriously vanished. The second tale by writer Kelvin Mao and artist Craig Cermak has Cliff try to stop the theft of an ancient South American artifact during a lecture by a famous archeologist, and he is helped by a nameless man who is excellent with a bullwhip. The final tale is tiny one written by Robert Windom and drawn by Jae Lee and features the Rocketeer in furious action while all the time remembering his girl is the most important thing in his life. There are several pin-ups in the back as well. Fun stuff if you can find a copy. 

The second is a new limited series by Stephen Mooney in the Rocketeer universe titled "Den of Thieves". This one is coming out currently in comic book form. I'll wait for the trade to add this yarn to my stack of Rocketeer stories, which even after four decades is still pretty slender all things considered. 

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Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull!

 Many years after the finale of the original trilogy of Indiana Jones movies, they decided to make another. I admit I was skeptical, not unlike what had happened with the Star Wars movies. I personally like the trilogy produced by Lucas telling us the origin of Darth Vader, but I see why people regard it with suspicion. It's not like the others, it's full of then-new tech tricks which allow us to see more than we did before. That turns out to be the case with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as well. There's more stuff to see, and while at times that becomes ridiculous, it never loses my attention. 

The movie is set in 1957, and Indiana Jones is an older and wiser man, though no less dedicated to finding lost treasures where he comes across them. The use of the Soviet Union to replace the Nazis was a great touch as they are suitably evil for all narrative purposes. You don't have to spend a lot of time with it, just assert it. The goal is a properly mysterious one as well and I liked that the story shifted its settings this time to South America. Another Indy movie in the Middle East would've been capitulation to convention and admission of a lack of imagination. 

This movie is very well cast overall with the likes of Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone and John Hurt involved in various ways. Blanchett as a Soviet telepath and dedicated soldier is particularly sweet as she is constantly met with disappointment in the film. Ray Winstone is dandy as a soldier of fortune of questionable loyalty and John Hurt is kind of wasted as an archeologist who is largely hypnotized by the awesomeness of the "magic" he's uncovered. Shia Labeouf was okay as Indy's young helper, but it's Karen Allen who steals the show when she returns in the role of Marion Ravenwood. 

As I said there are things in the movie I like which are outlandish. Indy surviving a nuclear blast by hiding in a lead-lined refrigerator is stunning visually but silly too. The battle back and forth between the trucks in the jungle is excessive in any number of places, and I understand wanting to call back to the great truck battle in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but that one kept our credulity carefully protected while this just says it's a movie so who cares. The ending comes quick and I like the twist on the nature of the "aliens". It's a better solution overall. 

This is a fun movie. I am happy they made it. 

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The Rocketeer Meets The Spirit!

The Rocketeer and The Spirit - Pulp Friction will have to be put into the missed opportunity section. Mark Waid creates a nifty story featuring the still largely experimental technology of television to bring together the sunny flying hero from California and the shadowy hard-bitten hero from Central City. The Spirit was the creation of Will Eisner arguably the finest comic book creator of all time, while the Rocketeer was the creation of Dave Stevens, one of the finest comic artists of his or any generation. 
Their milieus could not be more different. 

What brings them together is a murder, the murder of an alderman from Central City whose body turns up on the beaches of California in an impossible timeframe. Betty found the body and so becomes embroiled in this tale of corporate greed and government corruption. Cliff Secord is trying his best to keep her safe despite the fact she often seems more concerned with her career and with the Spirit's muscles. She meets the latter when he, Commissioner Dolan and his daughter Ellen fly to California to identify the body. The crime boss, a powerful businessman named Trask is in partnership with the Spirit's old nemesis the Octopus. Together they want to get control of the new technology of television with its potential for reaching the masses. It seems this technology has other uses as well which proves of interest to foreign powers. 

Paul Smith is the artist of the first installment and it's outstanding, offering up a nigh believable story which commands the reader's attention. Smith has always had an attractive style which is well suited to drawing dames such as Betty. Unfortunately for whatever reason Smith only draws the first issue and is replaced by Loston Wallace on the second. Wallace is an old internet colleague and once did some work for an early Yahoo group I managed for a time. I like his work immensely, but it seems a bit less dynamic here than I'd have hoped. The third and fourth issues are drawn by Jay Bone, a dandy artist, but one with a style much different than what had come before. There is nothing wrong with any single episode on its own, but the clash of styles does not do the storytelling any favors. It's a pity Smith couldn't have done all four issues. 

Below are the covers. The first and second issues are by the late Darwyn Cooke. Jay Bone does a bang- up job on the final two. 

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The Spirit Of The Artisan!

Will Eisner is the most important figure in the history of comic books. That's a bold claim, but let me explain. Eisner was one of the earliest creators of new content for the burgeoning field of comic books, the weaker sister of the noble comic strip. After a brief tenure in comic strips, he and Jerry Iger formed a partnership to supply comic material for the sundry publishers who rose up after the hit Superman made a new industry viable. Leading other great talents he helped contribute to comics such as Sheena of the Jungle, The Flame, Doll Man, and Blackhawk among others. Eventually he left to set up his own shop called logically enough Eisner Studio and out of that came The Spirit. The Spirit was a comic book produced for inclusion in newspapers which had seen the potential for such things to raise circulation. The singular thing about the Spirit is that Eisner maintained his rights over the character which proved critical over the next many decades. The comic was hugely successful and ran for a until the early 50's during which time Eisner had created a range of different kinds of stories which deviated greatly from mere crime yarns. 

Will Eisner proved comic books could be more than just disposable junk. He then when to work for the military where he used comics to teach soldiers about their equipment in P.S. Magazine, and left his most famous creation behind, but people remembered. There were revivals in the 60's and 70's and beyond. Eisner began to create longer form stories which were grounded in stark reality and later still adapted novels and fairy tales. He wrote at least two books about creating comics. Eventually DC acquired the rights and hold them today. Will Eisner was there at the beginning, the revival, and was a major influence on many creators both in the mainstream and underground. His stories are exceedingly well crafted and touch on themes which still resonate today. No single talent was as good as long as Will Eisner. Even so a mighty talent as Jack Kirby bends the knee to Eisner who combined great storytelling and longevity with a sharp business acumen that made for a successful working model for comics. 

IDW's Artisan Edition of The Spirit stories is wonderful way to get an intimate look at Eisner's work on his greatest and most enduring creation when he was at the peak of his artistic powers. Below are the splash pages of the particular "Spirit Sections" which are included in this tome in order, though of course they are in glorious black and tan. It's an economical version of the Artist's Editon produced some years ago and much more readable. 

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