Friday's Favorite OTR

Philo Vance: The Identical Murder Case 12/27/49

A man is mistaken for Philo Vance and murdered because of this. To catch the murderer, Philo will have to deliberately walk into a trap.

Click HERE to listen or download.

IT'S NOT MY FAULT! MY WIFE MADE ME READ THEM!

Even before we started dating, Angela and I were trading book recommendations, mostly history books, mysteries and fantasy. But after she snared me and had me in a position where I dare not refuse her anything, she told me I should read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, which were a favorite of hers when she was growing up.

And, as much as I would delight in pretending to grumble and complain about this, I enjoyed the series enormously. They are at least slightly fictionalized accounts of Laura's childhood growing up on the frontier, but still filled with historical accuracy and characters you come to care for a great deal. Laura's prose is clear, straightfoward and able to generate honest emotion. Seeing events unfold through Laura's eyes as she grows up over the course of the books is often fascinationg.

For me, there is one book in the series that really stands out--The Long Winter (1940), which recounts the winter of 1880-81 in the Dakota territory, in which a series of blizzards struck the Ingalls homestead in a seemingly unending volley and kept them housebound, with dwindling supplies, for months. Outside the house, the railroad has stopped running and the cattle suffer and often die.

I think Laura's prose here is her best--giving a vivid and downright terrifying word picture of the ensuing hardships:

That blizzard seemed never to end. It paused sometimes, only to roar again quickly and more furiously out of the northwest. Three days and nights of yelling shrill winds and roaring fury beat at the dark, cold house and ceaselessly scoured it with ice-sand. Then the sun shone out, from morning to noon perhaps, and the dark anger of winds and icy snow came again.

The Ingalls run out of fuel for their fire, so begin twisting sticks of hay together to make fuel while they use a coffee grinder to grind wheat and make a little bread each day. But the storm continues.

The constant beating of the winds against the house, the roaring, shrieking, howling of the storm, made it hard to think. It was possible only to wait for the storm to stop. All the time, while they ground wheat, twisted hay, kept the fire burning in the stove, and huddled over it to thaw their chapped, numb hands and their itching, burning, chillblained feet, and while they chewed and swallowed the coarse bread, they were all waiting for the storm to stop. 

There was nothing but cold and dark and work and coarse brown bread and wind blowing. The storm was always there, outside the walls, waiting sometimes, then pouncing, shaking the house, roaring, snarling, and screaming in rage.

Gee whiz, The Last Winter at times nearly becomes a horror story and it is a completely engrossing, riviting tale. It is, by far, my favorite of the series.

So there you have it. My wife made me read the Little House books and I actually enjoyed them.

Um, don't tell anybody. Okay?

Don't Lie to White Eagle

Cover Artist Unknown

If I had to pick a Best Comic Book Ever, I'd give Dell's Indian Chief careful consideration for that title. Part of the reason is that the settings for the stories appeal to me--tales of American Indians before the influx of European settlers (though the presense of horses in some stories indicate a post-Columbian time frame for at least some of the stories). Part of the reason is that they appear to be very well-researched--though I'm not anywhere near an expert and could be getting fooled in this.

Mostly, though, it's just that the stories were always well-written adventure tales that were enormous fun to read. Dell Comics in the 1950s had some of the best writers in the business churning out countless strong scripts. Indian Chief was a beneficiary of this.

The book was an anthology, but for part of its run did feature a continuing character. White Eagle was a chief of the Sioux--a man who wanted peace but was more than willing to fight when he had to to defend his people. I've reviewed one of his adventures a few years ago and, by golly, it's time to pay him yet another visit.

Indian Chief #16 (September-November 1954) includes "White Eagle and the Treacherous Mission," which starts out with a bang when braves from the Winnebago tribe launch several attacks on the Sioux.

There is supposed to be a peace treaty with the Winnebagoes and White Eagle is reluctant to go to war becauseo of the actions of a few hotheads. So when Gray Wolf, the chief of the Winnebagoes, visits the Sioux village looking to reaffirm their peace treaty, White Eagle readily agrees to make a return visit along with four of his minor chiefs.

I like the way the unidentified writer handles this situation.  White Eagle wants to avoid a war, so he gladly consents to the peace conference. But that request to bring all his minor chiefs apparently sets off an alarm in his head. He brings along an armed escort when he travels to the Winnebago village.

Grey Wolf  won't stand for the presence of the armed Sioux braves, though. White Eagle isn't able to "trust and verify" to the degree he'd like, so in his desire for peace, he takes a chance. When Grey Wolf gives his word that there is no danger, White Eagle agrees to have his escort return home.

He knows he's taking a chance here, so he remains observant and plays Sherlock Holmes as he observes several clues that warn him Grey Wolf is planning treachery. But by then, it's too late. Though White Eagle makes a good fight of it when the Winnebagoes jump him and his chiefs, they are all captured. The Winnebagoes then plan to launch a surprise attack on the leaderless Sioux.

As I said, I really like the way the story handles all this. White Eagle in no ways seems stupid or naive when he walks into Grey Wolf's trap. He knows he might be betrayed, but chooses to take a risk in order to save the lives that would be lost in a war. In this case, he made the wrong choice, but it was a chance worth taking.

But it isn't easy to keep a Sioux warrior captive and Grey Wolf commits the Classic Villain Mistake of allowing his captives to live so he can gloat. Left tied up in a teepee, White Eagle manages to cut the ropes with a piece of broken pottery. He then knocks out an enemy warrior and takes his war mask, which allows him to mingle with the other Winnebagoes and learn their plans. Grey Wolf is planning on launching a two-pronged attack on the Sioux village after approaching it via canoe.

White Eagle frees the other Sioux captives and they swipe a canoe, taking a short-cut through some dangerous rapids to get home before the Winnebagoes can arrive.

Artist John Daly has been doing a fine job of illustrating this tale, but I think his skill as a visual storyteller really stands out during the final battle between the Sioux and the Winnebagoes. Each panel is exciting and progresses the battle in a logical fashion as the Sioux defeat their enemies and Grey Wolf gets killed.

This, like nearly every story in Indian Chief, is an example of solid, entertaining graphic storytelling with an engaging protagonist. This consistency in quality was typical of its entire run. You really can make a case that Indian Chief is the Best Comic Book ever.

You can read this story online HERE.

Next week, we'll take a ride on a ghost ship.

Cover Cavalcade

An atmospheric cover from 1943.

Friday's Favorite OTR

Sherlock Holmes: "The Laughing Lemur of High Tower Heath" 10/26/47

In this spooky and atmospheric story, it appears that centuries-dead witch is threatening the life of a child. Holmes is asked to investigate and find a more rational explanation.

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Last Stand in a Light House

Naked City, the TV series that spun off from the 1948 film, was a show that could only exist in black-and-white, with men wearing fedoras and police detectives wielding .38 Specials. Running from 1958 through 1963 (with a one-year gap between the 1st and 2nd seasons), it was a noirish police procedural that followed NYC detectives as they worked methodically to solve cases.

The original movie was reasonably realistic. The TV show followed procudural logic and were well-written, while amped up the violence considerably The cops were more often than not forced to gun down the bad guys at the climax, but the stories and outcomes fit quite nicely with the NYC location photography and the grim nature of the crimes being committed.

The first season's "The Bird Guard" (November 25, 1958) begins with the brutal execution of a mob boss in a barbershop--which seems to be a pretty traditional location for killing mob bosses. A couple of hitmen riddle him with submachine gun bullets.

One of the strengths of this episode is the little touches used to individualize the bad guys. One of these hitmen, for instance, wears horn-rimmed glasses and is later in the story referred to as a "college boy" by one of his partners. Other mobsters also have attributes that help them stand out as individuals. This doesn't affect the plot in any way, but it adds a little verisimilitude to the story.

The mob boss was killed by an up-and-coming rival and an informant lets the cops know that the dead guy has a girlfriend. She was given a packet full of evidence against the rival. This was supposed to be a way of protecting her life, but I'm not sure how that was supposed to work. Predictably, it made her the rival's next target.

Detective Halloran (James Franciscus) tracks the girl down to a lighthouse where her father works. He goes there alone, which proves to be unwise, because a trio of hitmen led by the rival have been trailing him. Two of the hitmen still wield submachine guns.

That last bit is a little contrived--there's no reason for the new mob boss to personally accompany his men on the hit. But what follows is a lot of fun--a tension-filled last stand at the lighthouse. Halloran has his revolver and six shots. The bad guys have automatic weapons and lots of ammo. And, in the rush to set up some sort of defense, Halloran simply doesn't think to use the lighthouse's radio-telephone until he's cut off from it. (An incident that is saved from being another contrivance or a plot hole simply by having Halloran admit he screwed up.)

The Last Stand sequence is very well-done, full of real suspense as Halloran is gradually forced to use up his revolver ammo and then switch to a shotgun that only has one shell in it. His ammo situation is made even more desperate by one particular hitman--a perpetually angry killer who just won't die no matter how many times he's shot. 

In the end, Halloran has to pull a bold bluff on the bad guys to pull out a win. 

During the first season, The Naked City featured tightly-written and well-told Noir stories photographed directly on the mean streets of New York. "The Bird Guard" is one of the highlights of that season and is well-worth watching. Even though you have to suffer through commercials, it is free to watch on IMDB TV.

Thor vs. the Greek Army

cover art by Keith Pollard

As we've seen before, Roy Thomas' love for Golden Age superheroes would cause him to drop those heroes into a story at the drop of a hat should he have the slightest opportunity to do so.

He was also quite a fan of ancient mythology, so when presented with an opportunity to incorporate that bit of his personal fandom into a story, he would not hesitate to do so. And, since he was a good writer, the end result would often be a fun story.

We see this in the Thomas-penned tale in Thor Annual #8 (1979), a tale set in Thor's younger days, which happen to coincide with the Trojan War. Thus, the story is in many ways a retelling of the Iliad, with Thor given a guest-starring role.

John Buscema did the breakdowns for this issue, with Tony DeZuniga stepping in to do the finished art and the inking. I love the work of both men and the finished product here is beautiful, but there is a part of me that suspects that it would have looked even more awesome if Buscema had done the finished art himself.

The story opens with Thor and Loki fighting a skirmish with some frost giants, in an area that Thor recognizes as an area that once contained a rift that led to Olympus. The battle with the giants reopens that rift, which Loki quickly decides to investigate. Thor goes after him, but the tunnel branches off in different directions and the two gods are separated. A mist in the tunnel also gives them both temporary amnesia.

But amnesia doesn't keep Thor from being able to kick butt. Or in this specific case, kick giant boar butt. He saves Aeneas, an ally of King Priam of Troy, from a wounded beast.

Aeneas had sneaked out of Troy, currently besieged by the Greeks, to go hunting, so Thor accompanies him back to the city. Thor, in the meantime, gradually regains his memory.

What follows is essentially Cliff Notes version of the Iliad, with a flashback bringing us up to speed on the Helen of Troy thing, followed by highlights of some of the important action, such as Aphrodite saving her wounded son Aeneas and Diomedes (wth a power boost from Athena) wounding two of the Greek gods.

Thor, since he's befriended Aeneas, jumps on on the Trojan side when the young man is wounded.

 But Zeus objects to an upstart god from another pantheon interfering in the war. He and Thor end up in an epic fight that lasts for days, while the events of the Iliad play out back on Earth.

Thor is outmatched by Zeus, but the Thunder God refuses to quit. He's afraid that his defeat will lead to a destructive war between Asgard and Olympus.

Zeus, though, has an ancient non-aggression pack with Odin, so Thor has no reason to be concerned. Consequently, he and Zeus eventually shake hands, call it a draw and agree that the gods from both pantheons simply need to leave both the Trojans and the Greeks alone. (Actually, Asgard and Olympus did eventually get into a tiff, as was recounted three years earlier in Thor Annual #5.)

cover art by Jack Kirby

But, in a twist that is somehow both predictable and cool, Thor finds Loki and discovers the trickster god had given the Greeks the idea for the Trojan Horse.

Earlier, I called this story a Cliff Notes version of the Iliad and that might have sounded like a put-down. It wasn't. This retelling of a classic myth is well-written, well-illustrated and entertaining. I think that tossing a superhero into an ancient myth can be seen as a tribute to those myths, without which the superheroes they inspired would likely never have existed at all.

Next week, we'll take a look at another story from my favorite comic book of all time: Dell's Indian Chief.

Cover Cavalcade

From 1932. Don't mess with a gun moll.

Friday's Favorite OTR

Sam Spade: "The Prodigal Panda Caper" 12/29/50

The episodes with Steven Dunne always lack something, because the role of the radio version of Sam so thoroughly belonged to Howard Keel. But this episode is a lot of fun nonetheless, involving a rash of stolen stuffed panda bears.

Click HERE to listen or download.

Keeping Your Cool Even When Turned into an Animal: The Pusadian Tales, Part 6

Read/Watch 'em In Order #108

There was a 16-year gap after "Ka the Appalling" was published in 1958 before L. Sprague de Camp returned to his Pusadian tales, with a new story becoming part of the 1974 anthology Flashing Swords #2, edited by Lin Carter.

Interestingly, about the same amount of time had passed for Gezun of Lorsk between "Ka the Appalling" and "The Rug and the Bull." In the meantime, he has sort-of settled down to being a family man. He ended up marrying Ro, the lady he ran off with at the end of  the previous story, and they now have three kids.

But "settled down" doesn't really describe Gezun's married life, as they are still often on the run from one nemesis or another after another of Gezun's schemes to make money don't quite work out.

As this new story opens, Gezun arrives in the city of Torrutseish, which had been the location of the adventure he had experienced in "The Hungry Hercynian (1953)". Returning is a bit risky, as he had left that city hurriedly after having made an enemy out of a magician named Bokarri. But Gezun figures that after so many years, there's no real risk. He had recently gained possession of a flying carpet and the knowledge of how to make more, so he plans to get in touch with the head of the magician's guild and open up a flying carpet factory.

But the head of the guild is Bokarri, who holds grudges for a very long time. But the flying carpet scheme is potentially lucrative and so avarice trumps vengence. He and Gezun form a partnership.

"The Rug and the Bull" is full of the same sort of clever plotting and dry humor that graces all the Pusadian stories. When Gezun test-rides his carpet for the king (who is a tad overweight), the overloaded carpet barely gets off the ground and lands awkwardly. But the king recognizes the potential value and is willing to give Gezun another tryout in a month.

But during that time, the various transportation guilds (porters, coachmen, boatmen, etc) grow worried about flying carpets hurting their own businesses. And, when offered enough money by these guilds, Bokarri pretty much jumps at a chance to betray Gezun. Consequently, Gezun finds his soul transported into the body of a bull about to take its turn in the bullfighting ring.

But Gezun handles this situation with remarkable aplomb and a bull with human intelligence can accomplish equally remarkable things during a bullfight. That includes turning a profit even though his flying carpet scheme now seems to be a lost cause.

As far as I know, "The Rug and the Bull" has never been reprinted anywhere, so reading it will require getting hold of a copy of Flashing Swords #2. This is worth doing, though, as all four stories in it are excellent fantasy tales.

There is one more Pusadian story out there, but it's only appearance seems to have been in a mazazine titled Weirdbook and I've been unable to locate back issues that fall within my budget, so our visit to de Camp's mythical Bronze Age civilization will probably end here. I have hopes that all the Pusadian tales will one day be anthologized together and re-printed, but who knows when that may happen. At the moment, I haven't decided what to cover next in the In Order series.