In Print Tidbits

Pulp Trivia

Magazines

Comic Books & Comic Book Related

• The Big Book of Hoaxes: True Tales of the Greatest Lies Ever Told! by Carl Sifakis (DC Comics, 1996)
  - Brief mention of The Shadow in Orson Welle's infamous martian scare
  
• Detective Comics #27 (May 1939), "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" by Bill Finger
  -Based on "Partners of Peril" (Nov 1, 1936) by Theodore Tinsley, so much so that the stories are quite similar
  
• Detective Comics #482 (February-March 1979), "Bat-Mite's New York Adventure" by Bob Rozakis
  -One of the DC writers has a copy of The Shadow Magazine in his hand

• Marshall Law #1 (Oct 1987)
  This comic book series, which featured a vigilante title character with superpowers, was a satire on superheroes. In this issue, a man dressed as The Shadow has the phrase "Who knows?" written on his clothing

• Amazing Heroes #119 (Jun 1987)
  "Max Allan Collins notes that Wild Dog was intended as a modern version of the Shadow, but with the caveat that "today, if you want to strike fear into people's hearts, don't dress like the Shadow, dress like Jason!" "

• Amazing Spider-Man #101 (Oct 1971), "A Monster Called ... Morbius!"
  - Peter Parker thinks of protagonists who sought to instill fear in their foes, including the Batman, the Spider, and The Shadow
  
• Amazing Spider-Man #262 (Mar 1985), "Trade Secret!"
  - Lamont Cranston is mentioned
  
• Destroyer #1 (Nov 1989)
  - Remo Williams, a mystically enhanced martial artist and the protagonist in a series of novels by Warren Murphy, was adapted for Marvel Comics. In this issue, Remo refers to himself as slipping through an alley "like Lamont Cranston"
  - View the cover
  
• Iron Man #302 (Mar 1994), "Oil and Gold"
  - Venom recited the "who knows what evil" line (specifically, "We know the evil that men do")
  - View here - Scroll down to the picture where Venom is grabbing a guy by the throat
  
• Marvel Vision (Apr 1998)
  - An interview with comic book writer Gerry Conway revealed that The Shadow had an influence on his writing
  
• Marvel Year-In-Review (1992)
  - Noted (jokingly) that Marc Spector rented the Shadow Cabinet from Lamont Cranston (see Moon Knight below)
  
• Marvels #1 (Jan 1994)
  - In one panel, there are two men in the audience watching a newsreel in a theater. One of them resembles Doc Savage, and the other is a familiar-looking hawk-nosed man
  
• Moon Knight Series
  The Moon Knight series had several homages to the Shadow, including having a Shadow Cabinet.
  - "Moon Knight, created as foe for the Werewolf by Night series at Marvel, has appeared in his own and other Marvel series. Moon Knight, reformed mercenary Marc Spector, initially set up the identity of wealthy man about town Steven Grant (mirroring Kent Allard posing as Lamont Cranston). In 1992-1994 published issues (as well as possibly earlier issues), Moon Knight conferred with a group of informants he called the Shadow Cabinet. Moon Knight#39 came out in June 1992."
  
• Night Raven Series
  - In this article, it's noted that one of the issues featuring Night Raven's final battle with Yi Yang (issue# and year unknown at this point), you can see copy of the Shadow magazine in a dustbin in one of the panels. (Note: The article also gives more information on Night Raven himself)
  - Alan Moore, who wrote some of the Night Raven stories, often referenced The Shadow. You can read the text versions of the stories on this site (just scroll down to the Night Raven section). Please note that you'll need to download the "comic book reader" to do so.
  • Night Raven: "The Cure", Marvel Super-Heroes #390-391, Marvel UK 1982
  • Night Raven: "White Hopes...", Marvel Super-Heroes #392-393, Marvel UK 1983
  • Night Raven: "Sadie's Story", Marvel Super-Heroes #394-395, Marvel UK 1983
  • Night Raven: "Anaesthetic", The Daredevils #6, Marvel UK 1983
  • Night Raven: "Snow Queen", The Daredevils #7-10, Marvel UK 1983
    
• X-Men and Spider-Man: Time's Arrow Book 2 by Tom DeFalco and Adam-Troy Castro (Berkley 1998)
  - Set in an alternate universe and features a scene where several characters are freed from stasis, including The Shadow (Lamont Cranston).

Comic Strips

The following newspaper comic strips also featured The Shadow in one way or another. (Note: All comic strips are copyright of their respective cartoonists)

• 9 Chickweed Lane — Sep 18, 1998
• B.C. — 1.) Feb 1994 2.) 1996, 3.) Nov 14, 1999
• Crankshaft — Sep 21, 1997
• Frank and Ernest — 1.) Apr 8, 2006, 2.) Aug 11, 2006
  (Thanks to Earl Roggeman and Corey Guigelaar for the heads up!)
• James — May 15, 2001
• Mutts — 1.) Jan 30, 2006 2.) Jan 31, 2006, 3.) Feb 1, 2006
  (Thanks to Corey Guigelaar for the heads up!)
• Pardon my Planet — January 24, 2004

You know you're famous when you're being spoofed...

There is a spoof of The Shadow's powers in Mad Magazine®. The Shadow (renamed "Shadowskeedee Boom-Boom") made a few appearances in Mad. One strip was featured in a paperback book entitled "Mad Strikes Back" (1976).

The Mad Magazine spoof of the Bill Murray movie, "Groundhog Day", renamed "Groundhog Deja Vu" (Mad #321, Sep 1993), featured a cameo of The Shadow. (Thank you to John McDonagh for this information!)

Another spoof appeared in the December 1994 issue (#332) of Mad, in which the Simpsons review "The Lion King" (renamed the "The Lion's Kin"). Bart cruelly insults Alec Baldwin (in Shadow costume) about the number of people who went to see his movie.
View it here (it's on the bottom right of the page)
The full article can be found at the Furry Humor Archive

'The first panel is completely black, except for an evil pair of eyes looking out. We learn that It is the villain Ten-Pin (a spoof of the Kingpin) gloating over the heroes' predicament while hiding in the shadows.

The second panel is the same as the first, but the bottom of the panel there is a note from the artist, who says he has to get more black ink. The "hiding in the shadows" speech from Ten-Pin continues (can't see this one coming, can you?)

In the third panel, the Ten-Pin is revealed to us, surrounded (of course) by Shadows: comical little men in black cloaks and hats with large cartoony noses. The Ten-Pin is kicking one of them out of the way, screaming, "Out of the way, Shadows! You're blocking the Ten-Pin's view!" '
(Thanks to Don for this information!)

Weird Heroes: Volume 1 (1975), edited by Byron Preiss and published by Pyramid books. This book was the first in a series that collected new short stories in the style of the old pulps. In fact, the sub-title was "A New American Pulp". Most of the stories were quite good, but the best was "Greatheart Silver in Showdown at Shootout" by Phillip Jose Farmer [who also wrote The Adventure of the Peerless Peer - see "The Shadow in Fiction" below].
This time out, Farmer either got permission first, or got away with it because it is a parody. Either way, it is a wonderfully funny adventure in which all the old pulp heroes and villains (with slightly changed names, such as Doc Ravage and his aides Chimp and Pork) get together for one last showdown. The main character of the story, Greatheart Silver, is being trained as a private detective/security agent by a man named Fenwick Phwombley (a take off on the Shadow's old man disquise of Phineas Trombley).
In describing Phwombly's appearance we are told that he is tall, with a huge curved nose and eyes that burned as if he were 20 years old. Phwombly tells Silver that he was a spy in World War One, served the Czar and was given a priceless ring (one of the pulp stories indicates this is where the Shadow got his Girasol Ring). He also says he once belonged to the Radium Club (Lamont Cranston belonged to the Cobalt Club).
The following quotes from the end of that chapter removes all doubt as to Phwombly's true identity:

"Listen," Greatheart said, "You surely can't be…?"
Phwombley burst loose with a mocking maniacal laugh that chilled Greatheart's skin. "Yes, I'm the only one who knows the evil that men have in their hearts!"
Greatheart was stunned with awe.
(Thanks to Earl Roggeman for this information!)

WHO KNOWS WHAT EVIL LURKS IN THE HEART OF MEN?

The Death of Rats looked up from the feast of potato.

SQUEAK, he said.

Death waved a hand dismissively. WELL, YES, OBVIOUSLY ME, he said. I JUST WONDERED IF THERE WAS ANYONE ELSE.

These are from 'Night Watch', a book about a bloody revolution as seen through the eyes of Sam Vimes, commander of of Ankh-Morpork's rudimentary police force.

Page 211, as Vimes faces down a murderous crowd:
Who knew what evil lurked in the hearts of men? A copper, that's who. After ten years, you thought you'd seen it all, but the shadows always dished up more.

Page 234, as he releases battered prisoners from a dungeon:
Who *really* knew what evil lurked in the heart of men?
ME.
Who knew what sane men were capable of?
STILL ME, I'M AFRAID.
Vimes glanced at the door of the last room. No, he wasn't going in there again. No wonder it stank here....
YOU CAN'T HEAR ME, CAN YOU? OH. I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT, said Death, and went back to waiting.

The Shadow...in a Kid's Book?

Well, they both wear black...

This comic book character resembles The Shadow, but is actually quite different...

And you thought "Where's Waldo" was challenging

Did The Shadow really make an appearance in DC's "Kingdom Come"? Well, yes, but you have to look carefully.... (Note: this page is full of graphics, so it might take some time to load)

The Scholarly Shadow

The Shadow and geometry. Who would've thought. In the textbook, "Discover Geometry: An Inductive Approach", by Michael Serra (published by Key Curriculum Press, 1997 ), there is a chapter entitled "The Shadow Knows" (page 606). It deals with shadows and how they would relate to the objects that form them. Nice title by the way!
(Thanks to David Rodriguez for this information!)

The Shadow and The Bat

Want more evidence that Batman was inspired by The Shadow? Here it is:

When DC comics had the rights to The Shadow, they did a couple of books in which Batman meets The Shadow (and indicates to him that he was Bruce's inspiration for Batman. [A fact that] Bob Kane (Batman's creator) had also admitted to. In fact, the early Batman strips shows him carrying a .45!)

Recently, as part of their "Elseworlds" series, DC comics released a BATMAN book entitled "Detective 27". Briefly, "Bruce Wayne in 1937 is being trained to become a part of a great legacy of detectives and is trained by several unnamed, but familiar looking, fictional detectives (Nick and Nora Charles, Sam Spade, etc). At one point in the story he is being sent oversees for further training and Alfred tells him to not forget to look up his (Bruce's) father's old war buddy. As the plane is departing, Alfred is thinking about this "war buddy" and thinks "Power to Cloud Men's Minds, indeed." Later on in the story, Bruce actually uses the ability to escape from a cell.
(Thanks to Earl Roggeman for this information!)

[Bruce Wayne] is taken into a room full of these detectives not named but clearly shown are Dick Tracy, Nero Wolfe, The Hardy boys...in the next panel Bruce points to a man who clearly has the silhouette of The Shadow. Bruce remarks "You really did Shadow me all this time"
The Crimson avenger is walking next to Bruce and he answers for the man "Shadow hardly." (The Avenger nods at the man)

To further make a connection later in the story, Bruce is trapped in and insane asylum and escapes by hypnotizing the guard into thinking he is not there. Before Bruce does this he remarks, "I never thought I would use the hypnotizing technique I learned of 'Clouding men's minds'"
(Thanks to Matt Dennion for this information!)

"How about the fellow who advised you? The one with the laugh."

"Alfred, he's ninety-five. And besides, he's a bit too bloodthirsty for me."
(Thanks to Qutime for this information!)

Detective Comics (#500 March 1981) contains a text adventure of The Batman entitled "Gray Face". The story was written by Walter (Maxwell Grant) Gibson, creator of The Shadow and is written in the style of an old pulp novel. If you change the name of Bruce Wayne to Lamont Cranston and The Batman to The Shadow (and make a few allowances for their different styles) it reads like a Shadow adventure.
(Thanks to Earl Roggeman for this information!)

The Shadow and Sherlock Holmes

The Shadow, Sherlock Holmes, and Tarzan. Who would've thought...

The Adventure of the Peerless Peer was written by Philip Jose Farmer in 1974 and published by Dell Books. It purports to be a "lost" Sherlock Holmes adventure in which Holmes and Watson are sent to Africa in 1918 by the British government to locate Lord Greystoke (aka Tarzan of the Apes). They are being transported by several aviators. One of them is described as follows: "Watson" writes "The fellow certainly looked eccentric. He wore……a long black opera cloak and a big black slouch hat. From under its floppy brim burned two of the most magnetic and fear-inspiring eyes I have ever seen. ….the size and aquilinity of the nose beneath them….could have belonged to Cyrano de Bergerac."
Farmer, as the "editor" adds the following footnote: The description of this man certainly fits that of a notable crime fighter operating out of Manhattan in the '30's and '40's. If he is who I think he is, then one of his many aliases was Lamont Cranston." It is a fun read, but unfortunately, because Farmer did not secure permission to use the characters from their respective copyright holders, it was pulled shortly after it was released and is very rare.
(Thanks to Earl Roggeman for this information!)

"Sherlock Holmes and the Houdini Birthright" by Val Andrews (Breese Books, 1995)
In this pastiche Holmes and Watson, though long retired, travel to America to investigate the death of Harry Houdini. Among the many friends and acquaintances they interview is one Walter B. Gibson who tells Watson that he's a writer also but that he really wants to write for radio and has an idea for a character he calls "The Shadow".
As Gibson tells them "He is a mystery figure who observes and narrates amazing stories; just the thing for radio." which is what The Shadow did before he became a central character in his own right.
(Thanks to Chris for this information!)

The Shadow of the Vampire

The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman. Published by Carroll and Graf Publishers in 1995.
This book is the second in a series that offers an alternative history in which (in the first book "Anno Dracula") we learn that Van Helsing and company were defeated by Dracula, who is now Prince Consort to Queen Victoria. Vampires have become "legal" citizens and operate in the open. Mr Newman uses both real and fictional characters of the times as supporting characters. (In the first book we learn that "The Great Detective" has been placed in a concentration camp. Lestrade is a vampire, although still a member of Scotland Yard. There is a reference to "that upstart Collins", who I believe is Barnabus from the old Dark Shadows series.)
In the second book, The Bloody Red Baron, we are now in World War One and Dracula has fled to Germany to aid the Kaiser in creating a Master Race of Vampires to rule the air. In the first chapter we are introduced to the Royal Flying Corps' Condor Squadron. One of the pilots (a vampire) is named Allard. He is described as a hollow-voiced American with a prominent nose. A black hat shaded his gaunt face, but his eyes burned in the dark. After he makes a comment about the method used to execute vampires in Russia, he is asked "Where do you get all this grue?"
"I make it my business to know evil things," said Allard, eyes like coals. Suddenly, for no reason, the American laughed. His throat-deep black chuckle grew into a resonant, mirthless explosion. Everyone, even the other vampires, cringe.
(Thanks to Earl Roggeman for this information!)

Did you know that P.N. Elrod's original series of "The Vampire Files" was inspired by The Shadow? In fact, her main character, Jack Fleming, who is the vampire in question, not only reads the magazine and listens to the show on the radio, he also claims to be a friend of the author!
(Thanks to Lori for this information!)

The Shadow in Fiction

The Shadow in Fantasy

The Shadow in Mystery/Crime Fiction

In the book, "Those Who Trespass" by Bill O'Reilly, homicide detective Tommy O'Malley is investigating a string of high-profile murders in the world of television news. In one scene, a tabloid reporter is questioning O'Malley about the most recent murder. She asks him who the killer is, and O'Malley replies, "Only the Shadow knows."
(Thanks to Michael M. for this information!)

The Shadow in Science Fiction

This book is called Magic Times: Ghostlands [Eos, 2004]. This is the third book in a trilogy written by Marc Zicree and three other authors. It concerns the world in the aftermath of an apocalypse brought on by a sinister top secret government experiment that went out of control ( rule #1: no one can keep control of a top secret experiment). The experiment apparently punched a hole to another dimension (never a good idea) and brought a strange force called " the source" into our world. The end result is technology as we know it ceases to work and much of the human race begins to evolve or devolve into other forms and many gain strange "magic" powers. The main character is Cal Griffin who, with his friends, sets out to rescue Cal's sister who was taken by the source.

Another character appearing in the first and third books is Larry Shango, a secret service agent initially charged by the President to find out what happened. After the President is murdered, Shango takes it upon himself to continue to track down the source project. It's in telling about Shango's childhood that The Shadow comes in. Larry Shango's father brought home some old radio shows from the flea market one day and it proved to be turning point in the child's life:

"But this wasn't hokey or a fast hustle. It was simply wonderful...Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men..... A man who could not be bought or swayed or corrupted, who stood for one pure, clear ideal, who could go anywhere, do anything... Because he could cloud men's minds....Sometimes it's like a penny dropping into a slot ...and you know you've found that one right thing to give your life over to."

And later:"...Why do you want to join the Secret Service? the form had asked. And of course he had not said, Because I want to be the Shadow, stupid." And in his trek around the post apocalyptic countryside, Shango wears a trench coat and a fedora.
(Thanks to Chris for this information!)