‘The Bronze Gazette’ #86

I’m going to break with my usual tradition. For the past few years I’ve done a single posting on all the issues of The Bronze Gazette issues for a particular subscription period.

For 2020, subscriptions are for two issues #86 and 87. #86 has just come out, delayed from earlier in the year, and I’m not sure when 87 will come out. So I’ll go ahead and review #86.

For those not aware, The Bronze Gazette is a long-running Doc Savage fanzine. Hopefully it will keep going on to issue #100!

Subscriptions for #86 and 87 are apparently still available, so take advantage of that while you can, and back issues are still available.

The Bronze Gazette #86 (September 2020) is another great issue. While it doesn’t have a theme, most of the articles are on Doc Savage comicbook series. But not all.

Craig MacDonald provides an overview of the interior illustrations from the Doc Savage pulp. I wasn’t aware that Paul Orban had done most of this artwork, though others did take over for a period. And while I knew that the original basis for Doc in this artwork was Clark Gable, I didn’t know Paul intentionally moved away from basing Doc on Clark. I was disappointed to learn that the Sanctum Press editions didn’t include all the interior artwork, though in a few cases they included previously unpublished work. I now wish someone would put out a work that just collected all the interior artwork.

Artist Ron Hill provides an interesting piece. It gives his personal experience in reading Doc in the comics, with the creation of his own online comic strip that included a Doc pastice for a long sequence. I would wish he’s put out a collection of this strip so others can enjoy this storyline.

The Skylark Illustrated edition of Man of Bronze is a unique comicbook version of this novel that I only learned about in recent years and never obtained a copy. Daryl Morrisey provided an article on this item.

DC’s Doc Savage comic in the 1980s is the focus of Howard Wright‘s article. This series had Denny O’Neil create a mini-series that sent Doc to an alien world, while his son (by Monja) grows up, has a kid, is killed, and his grandson Chip takes over his legacy, when Doc returns to Earth. I was surprised to learn that this comic was the longest running. There was good and bad in this series that tried to bring Doc into the modern times, and I haven’t done a detailed review as my copies are packed away. I had hoped someone would have reprinted it, but they only did the miniseries that kicked it off.

Millennium’s Doc comic is, to me, the best comicbook version. Again, I wish it would be reprinted in trade paperback. Craig McDonald provides an overview of this one as well.

Comicbook writer Tony Isabella tells of his tenure on Marvel’s Doc comicbook, which adapted the novels. Tony came in with #7 and lasted to the end. #7 and 8 adapted “The Brand of the Werewolf,” and the next two issues would have adapted “The Annihilist.” But the comic was canceled before he even outlined it.

Editor Daisy Bacon was the last editor for the Doc Savage pulp, and she returned the magazine to the classic pulp magazine size and form. But she is best known for her long tenure with Street & Smith’s love pulps. Laurie Powers came out with a bio of her, Queen of the Pulps, and Robert John Jeenson gives a review of it.

In more of an opinion piece, Malcolm Deely gives his take on whether Doc has a place in the new millennium.

Julian Puga gives another of his in-depth looks at a classic Doc novel, this one being “The Too-Wise Owl” from 1942.

This well-done fanzine also has a great front and back cover, along with interior artwork and a great design.

I’m not sure when the next issue will come out, but look forward to it. If you are a Doc fan and not getting this ‘zine, you need to.