‘The Bronze Gazette’ #88-90

For 2021, we got three issues of The Bronze Gazette: #88, #89, and #90.

This is the premier Doc Savage fanzine, which is offered in subscription sets of two to three issues. Thus for 2021 the subscription was for three issues. And I’m going back to reviewing all issues within those sets.

■ The Bronze Gazette #88 (June 2021) is a strong start for the year. As a difference, we have several articles that are “what if,” and clearly marked as so on the table of contents. This is shown with the cover, which supposes “what if Gold Medal Books got the rights to reprint Doc Savage, and did covers in a more risque style like Shell Scott?”

Not a “what if,” Lohr McKinstry‘s article reveals he wrote the first authorized post-1949 Doc Savage story that appeared in a fanzine, Doc Savage Journal in 1969. Another story was written by Bob Weinberg, but never saw print. I would love to see a reprint of these.

From Tony Isabella, we get two items. One is a reprint of a letter he wrote at age 16 for an issue of Bronze Shadows in 1968. The other is his reaction to that letter.

Then we get a discussion on chronology is provided by Julian Puga. The first of a series of three articles on the topic of “two madonnas and a helion” comes from Malcolm Deeley. This part looks at Monja as she has appeared in both the novels and the comics.

We then get a trio of “what if’s.” First is a piece by Tom Barnett about an episode of the old TV show To Tell the Truth, which featured pulp author Kenneth Robeson. Then Guy Capet provides a “10 best, 1 stinker” of Doc stories… but from the 1950s. Finally, Ron Hill postulates that Bantam started issuing Doc novels in a different double-novel style, more like the Ace Doubles, starting with the novels illustrated by Bob Larkin. And we get several cover proofs.

Will Murray provides a look at an interesting episode from Lester Dent‘s life where he had created a movie presentation he gave to area schools on his adventures in 1936. There was also small booklet on his life that he published and distributed. I don’t know if I’ve seen that reprinted anywhere. I wonder if that movie still exists?

There is also a nice primer on preserving your books and pulps.

■ The Bronze Gazette #89 (September 2021) leads off with a cover based on the advertisement for the old Doc Savage radio show, and continues with a couple of “what if” articles.

Tom Barnett leads off with looking for the man who inspired Lester Dent. Basically, Dent told of a fellow telegrapher who showed him his check for selling a pulp story, so Tom tells of his work to identify this person. Malcom Deeley gives the second of three articles on certain women in Doc’s life, this time looking at Seryi Mitroff from “In Hell, Madonna/The Red Spider.” A look at the use of astronomy in Doc pulp stories comes from George Pucula.

Steve Donoso provides a great overview of William Preston‘s Old Man series of stories, which I really hope we get the fifth and final story. Artist Tim Faurote provides an article on his new piece of Doc artwork.

For our “what if” articles this issue, we get an piece by Scott Cranford on the take of Doc and his associates being based on real people, with a meeting of one of these people. Glen Held presents the idea that the folks at Street & Smith worked up a proposal to do a children’s book version of Doc: Li’l Doc Savage. While this might sound horrible to purists, there are several comicbook series that are pretty enjoyable to adults, such as Little Lulu and Little Archie.

■ The Bronze Gazette #89.5 (Christmas Card): I’m not sure what to call this one; it was the 2021 Christmas card to subscribers. It contains an article with pictures on the recent dedication of the Lester Dent Memorial Bridge near LaPlata, Mo. See the note in #90 if you didn’t get it.

■ The Bronze Gazette #90 (March 2022) was a little late, but it’s another great issue with a cover article by Craig McDonald on the Lester Dent Memorial Bridge.

From Ron Hill is another “what if” article, this time on a review of the non-existant Marvel color comicbooks Doc Savage #9 and #10, which adapt “The Land of Terror.” Daryll Morrissey proves a good overview of all the meetings of Doc and The Shadow. Craig McDonald looks at Escape from Loki on its 30th anniversary. The final of a series of three articles on the top of “two madonnas and a helion” from Malcolm Deeley looks at Pat Savage.

From Arthur R. Corradetti, we get a detailed look at the location of Doc’s headquarters in the Empire State Building, which builds on what Philip José Farmer did. It includes a floor plan. Corradetti has done a new Doc chronology that is available from Barnes & Noble. I’ll need to check it out.

But for me, the highlight of this issue is the long article by Will Murray that looks at the efforts to produce a Doc movie or TV show that were being worked on or promised before the George Pal movie. I hope this puts to rest some of the rumours and such on this. But I doubt it. I did enjoy the small note about the Gold Key comicbook as I always wondered about it, and the G-8 comic that was done.

So another great “year” of issues. Subscriptions are open for the two issues in 2022. I already subscribed and encourage others to do the same. I hope we can make it to issue 100!