Status quo-changing events are not a new phenomenon in fiction.
Even
in the Golden Age of Comics, series and characters received revamps (or
even total reboots) if sales weren't meeting expectations.
Sometimes, the revamp extended through a character's other media incarnations as well!
And, at least once, through two different characters' incarnations with a crossover character...Dan Reid!
Much has been written about the radio show episodes that tied The Green Hornet and The Lone Ranger together, using Dan Reid, who was both Britt (Green Hornet) Reid's father, and John (Lone Ranger) Reid's nephew!
Though Dan was the same character in both shows, different actors played him on the two series, because Dan was a 'tween/teen on the 1880s-set Lone Ranger, and a middle-aged/elderly man on the contemporary (1940s) Green Hornet!
The 1940s Harvey Green Hornet comic book series had been loosely-adapting the radio show's scripts into comic stories, but when this storyline (spread over four episodes) ran on the radio show, the comics' creatives had to do some serious juggling to fit two hours of dramatic radio into two eight-page chapters in a single issue!
(And, yes, a subtle Lone Ranger reference is in the comic story, too!)
It's so historically-important that we couldn't confine this tale to a single blog!
You can see the results at
Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™, with the conclusion at
Hero Histories™.
In both entries, we're providing not only the comics tales, but the radio show episodes as well, so you can compare them!
Plus, we're presenting the introduction of
Dan Reid (as a kid) into the
Lone Ranger series, which added another ongoing character with whom the Masked Rider of the Prairie could interact (especially when the actor playing
Tonto went on vacation or was out sick) in both comics and mp3 formats!
You'll find Part One
HERE at
Western Comics Adventures™ and Part Two
HERE, back at
Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™.
Enjoy!
And, don't forget to visit...
