A Shadow Comics Mystery - A Question of Character!

When Shadow Comics first began to be published, The Shadow character of the comics mirrored the character of the pulp magazine.  Many, if not all, of the first Shadow Comics were based on stories straight out of the pulps.  But then in the 11th edition of Shadow Comics (published April 25, 1941*) the editors let us know that The Shadow of the comics will now mirror the character from The Shadow radio show!

From Editors note in Shadow Comics 11 (sorry it's blurry!)

The editor tells the readers, "In this issue we show THE SHADOW in pictures for the first time doing the "invisible man" act.  THE SHADOW in the comics is now exactly the same as THE SHADOW over the radio.  You'll be thrilled by it!"  The story in Shadow Comics 11 is from the radio show as well - The Leopard Strikes (which aired on January 5, 1941.)!

This is a mystery to me!  The Shadow radio show was only in it's 4th season and while the radio show was very popular and successful, had it eclipsed the popularity of the pulp magazine?  Was The Shadow character of the radio show more popular than the character of the pulps?  Or could it be that The Shadow character of the radio show better lent itself to the pages of a comic book (and its intended audience) than did the character of the pulps?

I don't have an answer to this mystery but found it quite an interesting development in the history of The Shadow.


*Mike's Amazing World of Comics

Shadow Comics - A Plea From The Shadow!

In a previous post, I shared from several Shadow Comics how they detailed The Shadow's power to cloud men's minds.  I referenced in particular Shadow Comics #19 (published August 28, 1942) and an article in that comic that gave full detail of how The Shadow gained this power.  

I have finally found a copy of that article and was able to read it in its entirety.  Below are screen captures of the article!

According to the article, it is a plea from The Shadow to stop asking him to share his knowledge on how to cloud men's minds.  That power was won by The Shadow on his own merits and he cannot share that knowledge with anyone.  That power and ability is The Shadow's and his alone!

The Shadow, Jr

In Shadow Comics #69 (on newsstands October 25, 1946*) a new character is introduced - The Shadow Jr.!  The Shadow Jr. is even announced on the comic cover where it proclaims "Shadow Jr. a new Shadow for youth!" (look towards the bottom of the cover)

The Shadow story, "The Winged Dagger!" is where we first meet The Shadow Jr.  The story begins with Lamont Cranston receiving a telegram from Donald Jordan.  Donald is the son of Lamont's friend, Harry Jordan.  Donald's telegram states Lamont is Harry's only living friend and he asks him to help as Harry has been murdered.

Lamont flies to Tibet, where he learned the secret of clouding men's minds.  At the lamastery, Lamont meets young Donald Jordan and one of the Lamas.  Cranston learns more details behind his friend Harry's murder and then goes on the hunt for more clews.  He ultimately finds a small Axis base of operations where evil men are using a cyclotron to try and make their own atomic bomb!  Cranston, as The Shadow, encounters another person that has his same powers of invisibility - it is young Donald Jordan!

Both The Shadow and Donald destroy the cyclotron and the evil Axis members along with it.  Donald asks if he can leave Tibet with Lamont.  He tells him, "I would like to devote my life to your fight!  Against evil and evil doers!"  Cranston allows Donald to come with him and tells him, "I don't want you to think I'm doing you a favor.  By coming with me..you'll earn your way.  Now at last...I'll be able to be in two places at once...you and I working together."

Donald Jordan only appeared in two other Shadow Comics (#74 and #77).  In Shadow Comics #74 his name is Donnie Dart.  

I'm not sure why they changed it from Donald Jordan!  It appears The Shadow Jr. experiment in the comics didn't catch on or fans didn't like the character.  Either way, he only appeared in a total of three Shadow Comics.  


*Mike's Amazing World of Comics

The Power to Cloud Men's Minds!

The Shadow character in Shadow Comics is able to make himself invisible by using hypnotic powers.  In Shadow Comics #11, we have the first instance of The Shadow becoming invisible.  Then, it Shadow Comics #12, it's revealed that he learned this "trick" in Tibet!   

However, in Shadow Comics #71 (published December 27, 1946*) in the story "The Black Pagoda" we are given more details on The Shadow's invisibility powers.  In the opening page of that story we are told, "Bound on his first post-war trip to Tibet, where, under the tutelage of The Great Lama, he learned the secret of clouding men's minds..."  Now we know that after the War (this must be referring to World War 1), Lamont Cranston traveled to Tibet and was taught the mesmeric trick of invisibility from The Great Lama.

In Nostalgia Ventures Shadow #4, there is a reprint of an an article that originally appeared in Shadow Comics volume 2, number 7, October 1942 (This would be Shadow Comics #19, published on August 28, 1942*).  The article was entitled, "A Plea" and gave more detailed information on The Shadow of the comic books and how he gained the power of invisibility.  The article begins, "In the unending, daily, deadly war which The Shadow wages on the underworld, he has three weapons.  They are his brains, cool, clear and unique in its ability to extract information from the tiniest bit of evidence.  His miraculous ability with guns is the result of a naturally good eye, a strong pair of wrists and constant practice.  The third is his ability to cloud men's minds so that, to all intents and purposes, he becomes invisible."

The article tells us that, for reasons that cannot be shared, The Shadow traveled to the forbidden city of Lhassa in Tibet.  It is there that he encountered a great power - a collection of 10 minds that projected themselves in the image of a young boy.  This great power presented The Shadow with the ability to become invisible.  The Shadow is told, "Because your life is clear, and devoted to the good of mankind, we endow you with the power to cloud men's minds.  Men will think you are invisible.  It is a potent weapon, and one that you must use with care."**

In the comic books, The Shadow learned his powers of invisibility in the forbidden city of Lhassa in Tibet!  There is a bit of a continuity issue between Shadow Comics #19 and #71.  According to issue #19, a collection of 10 minds gave him the power but in #71 it is The Great Lama who gives him the power.  Maybe this can be resolved by thinking that The Great Lama is the same as the 10 minds!?!

From a historical background, Tibet was the focus of pop culture in the early 1940s as a man by the name of Theos Bernard had returned to the United States in the late 1930s after spending time in India and Tibet.  Theos Bernard claimed he was the first white lama (teacher) and published books and articles on his experiences in Tibet.  It could be due to Bernard's popularity The Shadow comics decided Lamont Cranston had also made a trip to Tibet!!

In the 1994 The Shadow movie, Lamont Cranston had fought in World War I and after the war had gone missing for 7 years.  Those missing seven years were spent traveling the world and eventually settling in Tibet as an opium dealer.  Lamont Cranston is kidnapped by a Tibetan holy man, a Tulku, who taught him to cloud men's minds, to fog their vision through the force of concentration, leaving visible the only thing he can never hide..his Shadow.  

This is interesting in that both in the comic and the movie, Lamont Cranston learns how to make himself invisible from a spiritual leader in Tibet.  



*Mike's Amazing World of Comics
**Gibson, Walter B., Tollin, Anthony, Murray, Will, 2007, "The Murder Master" and "The Hydra" Two Classic Adventures of The Shadow, pp 68-69, Nostalgia Ventures, Inc.

Shadow Comics #11 - The Shadow Becomes Invisible

One area of The Shadow that I haven't had much opportunity to look into is The Shadow comics.  But I was looking at some of the covers to Shadow Comics and something on the cover of issue #11 caught my eye.  At the bottom left corner it states, "The Shadow shows in pictures how he becomes invisible!"  That immediately got my attention and new I had to dig into that!

I did some research and was able to determine that in Shadow Comics #11 (on sale April 25, 1941*) it is the first time in the comic series that The Shadow makes himself invisible just as he does on the radio show!  Prior to issue #11, The Shadow was more like the character from the pulps, using concealment and his cloak to hide.  But now in Shadow Comics #11, we have a turning point where The Shadow takes on the powers to cloud men's minds as he does on the radio show!  (Keep in mind that The Shadow radio show had just begun to air 4 years earlier in 1937.)  On a personal note, I think it's pretty cool how Vernon Greene drew The Shadow in light blue to indicate he's invisible!  

The first time The Shadow becomes invisible in Shadow Comics!

I was also able to find that in Shadow Comics #12 (on sale June 27, 1941*) The Shadow says he learned his powers in Tibet!  Now this is a little different from the radio show in which Lamont Cranston learned his powers in the Temple of The Cobras in India (from the radio show The Temple Bells of Neban).  

This was a lot of fun to research and I hope to be able to include more information in the near future about Shadow Comics.  

*According to Mike's Amazing World of Comics

The Shadow in Print

Here's a timeline of The Shadow in printed form.

April 1, 1931 - Summer 1949  The Shadow Magazine (325 issues)

The Shadow #1

January 12, 1940 - June 24, 1949*  Shadow Comics (101 issues)

Shadow Comics #1

June 17, 1940 - June 13, 1942  The Shadow comic strip (syndicated through the Ledger Syndicate)

As you can see, The Shadow had an impressive print run from pulp magazines to comic strips from 1931 to 1949!

*According to Mike's Amazing World of Comics