It’s 2020, and so we take a look at all of The Bronze Gazette issues from 2019 (well, and also 2020), as I’ve done for previous years.
Subscriptions are taken for a year’s set of issues. Unlike previous years, we got only two in 2019: #84 and #85 for this long-running Doc Savage fanzine — and #85 came out in early 2020. Oops.
#84 (Summer 2019) kicks off with an unused Bob Larkin Doc cover for the All-White Elf, not used when Bantam when to the Omnibus editions. This ties to the retrospective article on Larkin’s career and how he got the assignment to do Doc covers. And I finally learned where that weird green Doc cover with the three green blob creatures came from.
A great article looks at the Doc comics over the years comes from Philip Schweier. I’ve done posting on several of these. I would like to see a complete reprint of the Street & Smith’s Doc comics, even if they aren’t that good, and I still wish we could get trade paperback collections of some of the others, this includes the Millennium ones.
Jennifer DiGiacomo gives an overview of her fanzine, the Savage Society of Bronze. As I’ve never been able to find an issue, I (like others) would love to see a complete reprint of the fanzine, maybe including the unpublished eighth issue (if the material for it wasn’t published elsewhere).
Julian Puga looks into what might have been the cover for the unpublished Doc pulp, In Hell, Madonna. He even creates a “what if” cover idea. Dafydd Neal Dyer again looks into matters relating to Doc’s gold supply. Will Murray looks at 50 years of involvement with Doc, and writing Doc novels. Even if you are familiar with his works, there were things I learned. I do hope we will get more new Docs.
Under the heading of “Sons of Savage,” which looks at characters inspired by Doc, we get Tony Simmons providing us with a New Pulp character Captain Gideon Argo. Looks like this will be an ongoing series with the Gazette, which should be good with all the characters out there inspired by Doc.
#85 (February 2020) give us an interesting cover by Mark Wheatley. Wheatley also provides an article on his career and notes the influence of pulp fiction on it and his various pulp-influenced works.
The backcover artwork is by Tim Faurote, and is done in the style of the Bantam paperback back covers. But replacing Doc with actor Dwayne Johnson, and making changes in the “Fab 5,” I assume based on possible actors to play them, but I honestly don’t know who they are.
The late Bobb Cotter provides an overview of Boris Vallejo, who did many paperback covers, including the Doc covers before Bob Larkin. I have mixed feelings about Vallejo. While I like his works, his Doc covers aren’t among my favorites. I like him better than other artists, but James Bama and Larkin top my list.
Tim Handley lets us know why he feels Se-Pah-Poo is the worst Doc novel. Not having read it myself, I’m not qualified to say if he’s right or wrong.
The new Kenneth Robeson, Will Murray, gives us his perspective on “Savage Synchronicities.” He tells of the various strange coincidents in his working with Lester Dent‘s work.
The Bantam paperbacks each had interesting back cover blurbs on them. Here we get a selection of blurbs written for non-existent Doc novels by a variety of fans. Several fans have written Doc chronologies, starting with Philip José Farmer‘s. I’ve posted on a few that have been put out in book form. Chuck Welch gives what he feels is the last and definitive chronology, and also a short bit of Doc movie trivia. Michael Spitzer gives us another look at Doc’s birth date.
For the Arizona Doc Cons, several of the attendees would create memento items for the attendees. Courtney Rogers tells of creating a car decal using the Bantam Doc Savage logo, and what happened when he put it on his car.
Another in the “Sons of Savage” series gives us a look Doc Talos by Malcolm Deeley, and artwork by Jason Robert Bell, along with an excerpt from the novel.
Both issues are great. I am always wondering with no new works coming, how they can keep it going, but they do. I certainly look forward to new articles in the “Sons of Savage” series.
As noted, subscriptions are available for 2020 for the next two issues. Get them, as the cost will be going up. I have already re-subscribed.
Thanks for the great review!
A few notes of explanation…
With major changes in the lives of our volunteers, we had to go to a semiannual publication. In Issue 83 we let subscribers know our plans and our subscription prices dropped to reflect the change.
As far as the “year,” check page two of Issue 85 for a obscure note about our publication schedule. With yours truly making multiple moves in late 2018 through late 2019, we had to make the change.
Sons (and Daughters) of Savage started with our first issue, #76. It has reappeared in a few issues. We consider it bonus material for Doc Savage fans. And we present it in hope fans discover something new to read inspired by the Man of Bronze.
We also have urged Jen to republish her Savage Society of Bronze. I’m sure she’ll find a wonderful way to do it when she gets the time.
Tim Handley’s Se-Pah-Poo article is something that I love: a response article. He read Craig Roger’s piece on the novel in Issue 83 and had to give his two cents.
I see you noticed the “hidden track” in issue 85.
” I am always wondering with no new works coming, how they can keep it going, but they do.” The quick answer to that is…with help from Doc Savage fans everywhere. As long as Doc Savage fans like yourself have something to say, we’ll find a way to put out the word.
Thanks again for your kind words!
Also, if you don’t mind a plug, anyone interested in writing an article for the Bronze Gazette can find the details at:
https://www.bronzegazette.com/2016/01/were-looking-for-a-few-good-articles/