I have started reading this paperback issue of The Shadow story, Kings of Crime. This issue was published by Pyramid Books in February 1976. It features nice cover artwork by Jim Steranko. It is the classic Shadow with an automatic in one hand and the ace of spades in the other. A skeleton holds 4 king cards, each with a different thug and weapon!
I also like that Pyramid includes the "From The Shadow's private annals as told to Maxwell Grant." This was a feature of the pulp magazines that I really liked and am glad they carried it over to their paperbacks.
The original pulp issue of Kings of Crime published on December 15, 1932.
Pyramid Books (which became Jove Books) published a total of 23 of The Shadow's stories.
Ok, so this post really has nothing to do with The Shadow, but I did want to share that May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
Skin Cancer is not something that was on my mind too much in the past. Then, several years ago, I lost an uncle to Melanoma. And recently I've had my own experience with skin cancer. I had a spot removed from my leg that turned out to be benign. But last year I went through 4 surgeries to remove skin cancer from my face and then have reconstructive surgery to repair the holes in my skin that were left from removing the skin cancer. This week I have another round of surgeries to remove skin cancer from my left ear. I am not sharing this for pity - I'm sharing this because skin cancer is real, it should be taken seriously, and you should make checking your skin a regular part of your health care.
Here are some facts to consider:
- There are over 5 million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year in the US
- 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70
- 2 people die of skin cancer every hour
For more information, you can check out these web sites:
Skin Cancer Foundation
American Cancer Society
Ok, so skin cancer does have something to do with The Shadow now that I've thought about it. I avoid too much exposure to the sun by staying in the shadows! I know this was a different type of post, but I am trying to play a small part in letting people know about skin cancer during this month of Skin Cancer Awareness.
The Shadow had an impressive publishing run from 1931 to 1949. One mystery to me is why there were only 3 Shadow annuals published over that stretch of time? I don't have an answer yet but will keep digging. Here's a brief look at the 3 Shadow annuals.
The first The Shadow Annual published in 1942. It featured a cover of The Shadow in the guise of Lamont Cranston. It featured the following Shadow stories: The Living Shadow, The Ghost Makers, and The Black Hush. It was 144 pages, and based on what I can find, Graves Gladney was the artist for the cover.
The second The Shadow Annual published in 1943. The cover states, "A selection of the best Shadow novels." It contained the following Shadow stories: The Voodoo Master, Hidden Death, and The Gray Ghost. I've not found a difinitive answer to who the cover artist was. I've seen the artwork attributed to George Rozen, Modest Stein and Graves Gladney.
The third and final The Shadow Annual published in 1947. The stories in this issue are: No Time for Murder, Toll of Death, and Murder by Magic.
As I find more information on these three Annuals, I'll be sure to update this article!!!
