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Revived hat wearing hero - The Spider

Duper

Practically Family
Messages
899
Location
Ontario, Canada
I was in a local comic shop Sunday looking for something for my 15 year old son. While searching the racks I hit upon some interesting covers of a hat wearing super hero, The Spider. They are produced by an independant company called Dynamite Entertainment Comics. I think they have brought back The Green Lantern and The Shadow as well. Suddenly the Fedora wearing super heros are re-emerging. Interesting. Maybe I should ask my dry cleaner how much it is to get my cape spruced up a bit. :)


8357717027_a547d9522c_z.jpg


One of the greatest pulp characters of all time is now re-launched into the 21st century! The world knows Richard Wentworth as a decorated war hero and the son of a wealthy industrialist - but only a few confidants know the truth. As New York City slides into violence and despair, Wentworth has transformed himself into a force of justice as The Spider! With only his wits, his technology, and his pistols to aid him, he fights a one-man war against crime, but when a mysterious new villain threatens the city with an unspeakable horror, it may be more than even The Spider can handle. How far will a sane man go to restore order to an insane world?
 

Salty O'Rourke

Practically Family
Messages
636
Location
SE Virginia
They have a series that features a bunch of the 1930s pulp and radio fedoraed characters, Masks. I've enjoyed reading the first two issues. The Spider's hood is taken from a movie serial rather than the pulps, but I think it's an improvment.

Masks1.jpg
 

Salty O'Rourke

Practically Family
Messages
636
Location
SE Virginia
Bring back Lamont Cranston & Margo Lane.

Done!

And you can find some of the old radio episodes online if you know where and how to look, although the radio series is vastly inferior to the pulp novels; all that "cloud men's minds" and tin-can-echo voice business - meh. I'll stick to the pulps, etexts are out there in the ether as well.
 

Salty O'Rourke

Practically Family
Messages
636
Location
SE Virginia
I believe Orson Wells was the original voice of the Shadow.

John LaCurto was the first actor to portray The Shadow, Frank Readick was the second. For the first few years the character was used merely as a host, to introduce unrelated detective shows. The popularity of the radio host spawned the magazine, which in turn led Street and Smith to develop a radio series based on the magazine incarnation. Welles was the first actor to star in the pulp-derived series.
 

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