Jim Main‘s Pulp Fan #7, dated Spring 2023, arrived recently. This issue is themed around The Shadow, starting with a great cover by Tim Faurote and includes a trio of great articles and lots of art.
Like other issues, it is printed on slick paper with color covers and interiors, running around 40 pages in total.
From The Shadow researcher Will Murray, who recently came out with Dark Avenger: The Strange Saga of The Shadow, we have a look at the development of The Shadow from shadowy master manipulator, who usually worked (sorry) in the shadows, to more a center-stage judge, jury, and executioner of bad guys. As the paperback reprints I was reading were taken from the earlier stories, I’m more familiar with The Shadow being more spymaster working from behind the scenes, whereas his agents, like Harry Vincent, served as more the stories’ main protagonist. This article has a lot of great artwork taken from various sources.
Next, we get a wonderful portfolio of Shadow artwork by the late, great Frank Hamilton, much of it full-page. Again, I really wish someone would put out a volume collecting all his artwork.
The Shadow cover artist George Jerome Rozen is the subject of Michael Housel‘s article. I think of all the cover artists, it was Rozen who defined the look of The Shadow. And sadly, I don’t believe there has been a good comprehensive work on him and his career. And we get lots of his artwork as well.
And the final article by Dennis Kininger looks at The Shadow’s agents. Of all the pulp heroes, The Shadow has the most agents, though only a few appeared in each issue. And agents is the right term, as they weren’t his aides or confidants like other pulp heroes. The Shadow was a spymaster with a cadre of agents, than a leader of a team of equals like other pulp heroes. Over a dozen agents are profiled, and we get artwork, much from the pulps, showing us what they looked like.
Rounding out the issue are other art pieces.
I believe the next issue is being prepared now, which is a surprise. Usually it’s been longer between issues. I encourage folks to keep an eye out on Facebook as we get updates there and have a chance to pre-order the issue (and get something extra). Whatever we get I know will be excellent.
