The sixth issue of the pulp fanzine The Shadowed Circle arrived around Thanksgiving. The focus of this fanzine is, of course, The Shadow, and I subscribed for issues #4 through 6. So to help promote this new fanzine, I’ll be doing individual issue reviews.
This time we got a themed issue, focusing on female agent Myra Reldon who appeared in the pulp a little before Margo Lane. I hope this leads to further themed issues.
As before, The Shadowed Circle is 7- by 10-inches with color covers and black-and-white interiors on nice white paper (not slick). Subscribing does get you some extra perks, as I got a nice Shadow coaster.
Issue #6 (Summer/Fall 2023) again has a great collection of articles and artwork. For those not aware, Myra Reldon first appeared in Teeth of the Dragon (The Shadow, Nov. 15, 1937). She appeared as a secretary, but then disguised herself as Ming Dwan, a leader of the dangerous Jeho Fan that The Shadow was working against. We later learn she is an FBI agent. She would later become an agent of The Shadow and appeared in eight Shadow pulps, usually disguising herself as Ming Dwan.
We get several articles looking at the character, the stories she appeared in, and her origins. Arthur Penteado gives a good article on her introductory story. Tim King provides an overview of all her pulp appearances, as well as another article looking at Walter Gibson‘s background and experience that lead to the creation of the character. Darby Kern looks at her appearances in The Shadow comic strip and comicbooks, both written by Walter Gibson.
Will Murray looks at The Shadow’s Chinatown adventures and those that include Myra. Anthony Tollin addresses the importance of Myra to Gibson. We get further articles by Mal Deeley, Robert Kroll, and publisher Steve Donoso.
Overall this was another great issue, and it was great they were able to assemble such a collection of articles on one of The Shadow’s more unique agents, who didn’t appear in a whole lot of stories.
This issue also ends my subscription to issues #4 through 6, which I got after the issue three that came from the Kickstarter campaign. I have already subscribed to the next three issues and look forward to getting them.
Also, they did another Kickstarter campaign for The Shadowed Circle Compendium that will collect in book form the best of the articles from the magazine along with new articles. I contributed to it and can’t wait to receiving my copy.
If you’re not subscribed to this fanzine, please consider it. We need more like this one.
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