The Avenger: Pulp Reprints from Sanctum Books

The raging flames of personal tragedy forged Dick Benson into something more than human -- the scourge of the underworld known as The Avenger! With his Justice, Inc. team, the man of steel wages war against super crime.

A clever premise and fantastic adventures. Definitely classic pulp stories. Sanctum Books has been reprinting these delightful stories, two novels per volume. Since there were 24 novels, I assume only 12 volumes are going to be printed. A complete list is provided below.

Justice, Inc. (published September 1, 1939)

The Yellow Hoard (October 1, 1939)

The Sky Walker (November 1, 1939)

The Devil's Horns (December 1, 1939)

The Frosted Death (January 1, 1940)

The Blood Ring (February 1, 1940)

Stockholders in Death (March 1, 1940)

The Glass Mountain (April 1, 1940)

Tuned for Murder (May 1, 1940)

The Smiling Dogs (June 1, 1940)

River of Ice (July 1, 1940)

The Flame Breathers (September 1, 1940)

Murder on Wheels (November 1, 1940)

Three Gold Crowns (January 1, 1941)

House of Death (March 1, 1941)

The Hate Master (May 15, 1941)

Nevlo (July 1, 1941)

Death in Slow Motion (September 1, 1941)

Pictures of Death (November 1, 1941)

The Green Killer (January 1, 1942)

The Happy Killers (March 1, 1942)

The Black Death (May 1, 1942)

The Wilder Curse (July 1, 1942)

Midnight Murder (September 1, 1942)

A museum becomes a killing zone when an ancient Egyptian curse is revived by the deadly rituals of The Blood Ring, an unholy partnership between Big Business and Organized Crime results in a deadly trail of murder in Stockholders in Death. Chicago skyscrapers collapse after The Sky Walker is seen above the city, sparking fears of an alien invasion. All this and much more should demonstrate the variety of fantastic plots. 

The foreword by Ron Goulart in volume four was a great read. Will Murray's informative essays (featured in each of these pulp reprints) are great but I wish he would not include those non-trivial "speculative" facts such as theorizing The Sky Walker "might" have been the inspiration for Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. Instead of speculating, why not write to George Lucas and verify a definite yes or no? Seems more like padding to me.

Volume four included an old radio script from The Avenger radio program. I am aware that the radio producers featured adaptations from the pulp stories so why not include a radio script adapted from one of the two novels included in the same volume? In fact, why not explain why the radio script was included? No history or brief mention of what was significant of the script was included. Sadly, I suspect Sanctum Books is taking on more than they can handle. Typographical errors are becoming more common than they used to. In volume 2, for example, bottom of page 60 reads, "such an airplane was announced a practical." Shouldn't that be "announced as practical"?

In 1972, Warner Paperback Library reprinted most of The Avenger novels in a series of paperback editions, all credited to Kenneth Robeson. After reprinting the 24 original novels (by Paul Ernst), Warner ignored the short stories of Tepperman (which have not yet been reprinted in Sanctum's books and I don't know why as they should be in the reprints), and instead commissioned Ron Goulart  to produce an additional dozen (new) titles. These fit chronologically after the six stories by Tepperman, but are numbered by Warner starting from #25.

The initial price tag of $12.95 was not bad, when you consider the fact that The Avenger novels were reprinted in paperback format and you can get them for $5 or $6 a piece. (I bought four for $10 last week.) But the recent issues are now retailing $14.95 and unless you want the historical write-ups and essays that supplement the pages in each reprint, you might want to shop around. Especially since the final page in volume two, a biography of Paul Ernst, is the final page of volume four. Yes, some of the supplemental features are reprinted from previous reprints. (Sanctum has been doing this a lot in their Shadow reprints and is becoming very annoying.)

The Avenger reprints should be read in chronological order. The formation of Justice, Inc. is made up in the first three issues, so volumes one and two reprint them in the correct order. Beginning with volume three, the pulp novels are reprinted out of sequence but they appear to be making an "attempt" to reprint them in order because the first seven appear in the first four volumes. Why are they slightly out of sequence?

For the enjoyment of great pulp stories, I recommend you start with volume one and read them progressively. But use my list above to know which ones to read in the proper sequence.

Gene Wilder: Funny and Sad

Ever since his big screen breakthrough as phobia ridden accountant Leo Bloom in "The Producers," Gene Wilder has been one of America's most beloved comic actors. For five decades, Wilder has entertained audiences in some of the funniest films ever made, including "Blazing Saddles," "Young Frankenstein," and "Stir Crazy." Brian Scott Mednick's fascinating new biography "Gene Wilder: Funny and Sad" (BearManor Media) reveals a very serious and private side to Wilder that audiences don't get to see. The book traces Wilder's humble beginnings in 1930s Milwaukee as a shy child who learned early on that being funny got him attention. 

The author devoted time to telling the stories with prose, and I found myself chuckling over the humor and saddened by the others. For five decades, Gene Wilder has been making people laugh and appeared in some of the funniest movies ever made. But even comedians have their downtime and this book is a great read. Sadly, when the author sent the manuscript to Gene Wilder's manager, it was rejected. Wilder decided he didn't want to read about himself and the author respected his wishes. The photos are few, an insert in the middle of the book, but his birth certificate was worth a peak (easily available as a matter of public records). However, I would have preferred more photos. If it was me, I would have avoided listing Wilder's movie credits at the end of the book. He's not a silent screen actor who needs to have his life preserved. I can get the same information from imdb. But that's me, and should not be taken into consideration. It's an amusing read and I wish more biographies were written like this. A labor of love, indeed.

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Don Ameche: The Kenosha Comeback Kid

It's about time someone wrote a biography about Don Ameche. He did so much radio, television and movies that I am surprised someone did not do this earlier. Ben Ohmart of Bear Manor Media did a superb job. Ameche was a father, a singer, a sharp comedic wit, and a charming man who only wanted to entertain as long as he could. He did just that and it is the same opinion I acquired after reading this book.

The author went to the family for permission to do the book, as it is apparent with the family photos. And one of radio's versatile voices receives full treatment. There is a reprint of never-before-heard or read radio scripts from The Bickersons. Goldilocks and Silk Stockings are also discussed. Anyone who covers the Broadway career of an actor certainly dug deep into the vaults for information. I could go on for pages and pages about how good this book is but I will not spoil the fun. Buy this book.

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The Fly At Fifty: A Science Fiction Classic

""Help me! Help me!" 

Andre Delambre is a devoted husband, a loving father and a brilliant scientist. When his body is found in his laboratory with his arm and head crushed by a hydraulic press, his wife Helene admits to having killed him. Believing Helene incapable of such a crime, Andre's brother slowly uncovers the truth - that an experiment with Andre's new teleportation device went horribly wrong and Andre persuaded Helene to assist him in suicide. 

When the American Film Institute distributed a ballot with 400 nominated movie quotes to a jury of over 1500 film industry figures, the abovequote came in 123rd. But this film's influence extends far beyond a simple quote. The movie's concept, ending and the quote have permeated pop culture from 1958 to The Simpsons to a 2008 opera based on a 1986 film remake by David Cronenberg. 

The original movie The Fly was the surprise hit on 1958. Shot in 18 days at a cost of $450,00 dollars, it brought in $6 million, which at time when Fox Studios was in desperate need of a hit. It was the biggest box office film of director Kurt Neumann but he would never know - he died one month after the premiere (a week before the movie was released nationally). 

This film made a star of David Hedison and cemented Vincent Price's place among the horror film immortals. It is more than a tale of science gone wrong and hideous mutants. It is a film classic, the rare perfect blending of story, cast and crew, with the fantastic elements in sync with the universality of Andre's struggle with what he had hoped to do with this technology and what actually happened to him. That struggle touches everyone who has ever watched this film and why, after 50 years, it remains a classic. 

Complete with reminiscences from the film's star, David Hedison, this book covers the history and legacy of this seminal science fiction film. The book includes an exclusive interview with David Hedison, a chapter about George Langelaan, a discussion about the sequels and remakes and how The Fly has become everyday pop culture.

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King Baggot: King of the Movies (Silent Era)

King Baggot began making films for Carl Laemmle in 1909 and was a major star from 1910 to 1916. Baggot then gained renown as a director in the 1920s and as a character actor in the 1930s and 1940, but perhaps most notably, he was the first publicized leading man in America. If you are not a silent movie buff, you probably never heard of the man. In his two-reel Shadows he played ten characters and also directed - a first in film history. He founded the Screen Club, the first and most prestigious club strictly for film personnel. He directed The Home Maker, a social drama that explored role reversal between a husband and wife when such an idea was not at all accepted, and Tumbleweeds, now considered a classic among Western films.

This biography, published through McFarland, has a steep price tag but is worth the price. It covers Baggot's early life before he broke into the film industry, traces his career from his beginnings as a stage actor in 1900 to the peak of his career in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, and ends with his death in 1948. The extensive filmography documents every known film in which he took part, providing cast and production credits, release date, length, Library of Congress registration number, places where the film can be found today, and other information proving the author not only knows her subject but did her research as well. Great photos!

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Car 54, Where Are You?

CAR 54, Where Are You? is considered one of the finest television comedies ever produced. Rather than portray the police as bumbling fools, producer/creator Nat Hiken chose to portray the characters as lovable and personable. Some of the episodes (especially the early episodes) are gems. From 1961 to 1963, Officers Toody and Muldoon were among the most unlikely patrol-car partners seen on a police force. Although they were assigned to New York's fictional 53rd precinct, a rundown area of the Bronx not generally considered a hotbed of hilarity, they always seemed to encounter more comedy than crime.

The first episode where Toody and Muldoon attempt to trick Sol into slipping his feet into plaster so they can get him a nice-fitting pair of shoes to help with his aging and sore feet, but keeping it a surprise, is one such example. And who can forget the Christmas episode from the first season with the poignant conclusion?

The comedy was invariably of the broad slapstick variety reminiscent of Mack Sennett. One episode even saluted the Keystone Cops! As usual, Bear Manor Media and author Martin Grams managed to put together a book that exceeds my expectations. Heck, anything from Grams is worth the cover price. What impressed me was the chapter about the patrol cars used on the program. In detail, the author explained that the cars were painted red instead of blue, so no one on the streets would mistake the fake car for a real one. The vehicle registration numbers for the cars are also included, so if you see one on display, you can verify whether it is a legit Car 54 patrol car or a replica. That's detail!

The book also explains why Charlie reprises his drunk skits repeatedly in the second season, the landlord sketch repeated, and why Al Lewis took center stage for many of the episodes (Joe E. Ross was momentarily fired from the series). Exclusive quotes from Fred Gwynne is also a plus. The detailed episode listing, broadcast history, cast list, plot summaries and behind-the-scenes stories make this a winner.

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Harold Lloyd, Magis in a Pair of Horn-Rimmed Glasses

In his 77 plus years, Harold Lloyd led a rich and fulfilling life. He rose out of a staggering poverty, and an inconsistent childhood, and made something of himself. Something big. All the while, he fully utilized the kocks and breaks that life gave him. Good things and bad things happened to him - comprising the turning points in his existence - and these events ultimately shaped him into the man he became.

Most people know Harold Lloyd for Safety Last, the film in which he hangs by the hands of a clock on a building in the middle of a city. But thanks to Annette D'Agostino Lloyd (not related to the comedian's family), a great 400 page book about the comedian is available for sale. Rather than reprise what everyone else has done in prior books about silent screen comedians, Annette chose to document his personal life and the aspects no one really unearthed before.

The clip of a coin that got him to California, meeting a fellow extra at Universal by the name of Hal Roach, the entire creation of the revolutionary Glass Character, a death-defying bomb accident, patenting his legendary comedies, building his Greenacres, taking perpetual control of his films, leaving two film compilations for posterity, allowing his films to be screened on early television when most of Hollywood said no, and much more. The book is enhanced by memories from his friends and family, and is a veritable feast for new and seasoned fans alike.

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