Call Him "Merciless"! Call Him...MING!

As part of the Great Movie Villains Blogathon, We chose to do...

..the guy lovingly-referred to as "Merciless" 

on our "brother" RetroBlog Secret Sanctum of Captain Video...but as a multi-part post, since he appeared in several movie serials (as well a a feature film)!

Part 1 is HERE!

Part 2 is HERE!

Part 3 will be posted Tuesday

Part 4/Conclusion will appear on Wednesday!

Don't miss it.

You'll piss-off Ming, and he ain't called "Merciless" for nothing!

FANTOMAS by Louis Feuillade

Finally got to see the first great movie series/serial...

...binging on the five films that comprise the 1913-14 Fantomas series...and I'm absolutely blown away!

Yes, they're almost a century old b/w silent films, but these are wonderfully-pulpish over-the-top mystery-action flicks that beat the pants off most of the over-CGIed crap that passes for cinema today!

If you've never read the books (and I haven't), there are some wild twists and turns, and a series finale that places the evil protagonist, Fantomas on a level with Doctor Doom or The Joker as THE villain who can never be caught/killed!

Preview: THE SPIDER #1 Alternate Cover by Francesco Francavilla

Francesco Francavilla continues to astound us with his renditions of classic pulp heroes...

...ash shown with this alternate cover for the new Spider series from Dynamite!

The look is based on the movie serial version of the character...

...not the original pulp look(s)...

...which is fine by me.

I liked the more distinctive costume from the serial. ;-)

YouTube Wednesday: Batman

Last Wednesday, we looked at Superman, so this week let's peek at Batman...

First, the 1943 serial (which predated the live-action Superman serials)...

Note: this is the trailer from the 1965 re-release which identifies the first serial, Batman, by the title of the second serial, Batman and Robin!
Then, the trailer for the 1966 Batman movie produced between the first and second seasons of the tv show!

And, if you're wondering why they did it that way, intead of doing the movie first, then the tv series...
1) Many American households still didn't have color tvs in 1966, so they saw the show in b/w, even though it was broadcast in color!
The movie was the first time many fans saw the live-action heroes in color!
2) The bigger budget enabled the producers to build and film a number of additional vehicles and props including the BatCopter, BatBoat, and BatCycle, and a larger Batcave set, which were then reused for the remainder of the tv series' run!
In 1989 Tim Burton brought a kool gothic feel to Batman..

...which Joel Schumacher destroyed in Batman & Robin!

and Christopher Nolan restored in the reboot, Batman Begins...

..and continued in Dark Knight!

Bonus: though it's not live-action, here's "The Dark Knight Returns" from the 1990s animated series...

...because Michael Ironside as a middle-aged Batman is just too good to miss!

YouTube Wednesday: Superman

With a "rebooted" Man of Steel currently filming...

...I thought we'd take a look at the previous live-action movie versions!

First up, Kirk Alyn's highly-underrated serial hero...

Then George Reeves' Superman, who first appeared in the movies...

...and though he popped up almost continuously on the small screen, the Last Son of Krypton didn't reappear on the big screen until 1978...

..restored scene from Superman II explaining how he got his powers back!

...after two awful sequels, Superman didn't come back to movies until 2006 in a sincere, but flawed, attempt to continue the story from the end of Superman II...
And now, a total reboot.
Let's see what happens when it comes out in 2013!
Check out

Man of Celluloid Steel
and these kool kollectibles from Amazon...

Welcome Back, Flash Gordon! We Missed You!

Besides doing the alternate covers for each issue of the new Flash Gordon comic from Dynamite, Francesco Francavilla is also doing a wraparound cover inspired by the work of Al Williamson for the first issue.
If that's not enough to make you put this on your pull-list...
The year is 1934, a time of two-fisted swashbuckling, of fearsome threats and wild adventure -- and of ever-growing threats on the horizon. Three valiant humans -- Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov -- are plucked from the Earth, traveling to the distant planet Mongo. Their exploits are legendary, battling the machinations and terror schemes of the dreaded emperor Ming the Merciless, the All-Seeing Ruler of Mongo. But they did not fight alone...
And, it's only 32 pages for $1!!

Check out our

Space Heroes

Comic Collectible Store

Flash! Ah-Ahhh...!

Dynamite Entertainment, who recently snagged The Shadow, has grabbed another classic...

...and is doing a revamped/updated look at Flash Gordon!

The initial 6-issue story arc will be an adaptation of the first two years of the original Alex Raymond comic strip.
Alex Ross plotted the series, handled character designs, and will contribute covers.
Erik Trautmann is scripting and Daniel Lindro is illustrating the series.
Francesco Francavilla will be doing alternate covers.
Overall, I'm interested, but Lindro may be a little too dark an artist for a bright action-adventure series.
But it couldn't be any worse than the recent manga-influenced Flash series from Ardden.

Check out

Space Heroes

Comic Collectibles

Captain America...Origins!

From this...

Click on art to enlarge

From Tales of Suspense #63 Script by Stan Lee, Pencils by co-creator Jack Kirby, Inks by Frank Giacoia.

...to this...

I'm looking forward to it! ;)

Captain America ComicCon Blanket

Soft fleece blanket perfect for those long periods when you're waiting on a cold, dirty movie theatre or convention center floor!
A generous 50" x 60", it might even be big enough to share (wink wink) with a fangirl (or guy).
Features the poster art from Captain America's FIRST movie appearance in 1944!
(Talk about retro-kool!) Full-color ink won't run, fade or distress on this machine-washable item!

Classic 1940s Captain America Movie Poster!

Available NOW is a digitally-remastered, magnificent reproduction of the poster announcing the Star Spangled Avenger's FIRST cinematic appearance in the most expensive Republic super-hero serial ever!
He doesn't have a shield.
Or a kid sidekick named Bucky!
In fact he wasn't even scrawny recruit Steve Rogers!
He was "two-fisted District Attorney Grant Gardner"!
(The actor, Dick Purcell, died from the strain of performing the role! No lie!)
There was no Red Skull!
(But the created-for-the-serial villain, The Scarab, was played by classic b-movie baddie Lionel Atwill at his snarling, sneering, smarmy best!)
The heroine, Gail Richards, was played by one of b-movies hottest ladies, Lorna Gray (who usually played villainesses)!
For more info about the 1944 serial, we presented a classic behind-the-scenes article about it HERE!
Makes a great gift for the Captain America fan in your life (or yourself, as long as you're not The Red Skull)!

YouTube Wednesday: CAPTAIN AMERICA!

The Living Legend of World War II is coming to movie screens on July 22nd...

But Cap's been popping up on movie screens since 1944!

Yeah, there's no Red Skull, or Bucky, or shield, or even wings on his cowl!

But DAMN, that's exciting!

Cap's next appearance was on TV, as part of the Marvel SuperHeroes Show...

...which used the actual Jack Kirby artwork (as well as Stan Lee's scripts) for the most-accurate adaptations EVER from comics to film/TV!

In the late 1970s, with successful live-action series featuring both the Hulk and Spider-Man running on CBS, Marvel tried pilots of other characters including Dr Strange and Captain America...

In fact, they tried Cap twice...

..but despite the presence of legendary baddie actor Christopher Lee, the show never went to series.

Cap continued to guest-star on other animated shows, but his next solo appearance was in 1990.

Don't remember it?

It's ok, no one else does, either!

See you at the movies...
 Check out the

Movie Serial Captain America Shirt
or these kool dvds and video cassettes from Amazon...

When Captain America Throws His Mighty Shield...

...wait a sec! He doesn't have a shield!

He's got a gun!

This "too kool for skool" shirt features the poster art for the 1940s movie serial Captain America, who didn't have a shield!
Or a kid sidekick named Bucky!
In fact he wasn't even scrawny recruit Steve Rogers!
He was "two-fisted District Attorney Grant Gardner"!
(The actor, Dick Purcell, died from the strain of performing the role!)
There was no Red Skull!
(But the created-for-the-serial villain, The Scarab, was played by classic b-movie baddie Lionel Atwill at his snarling, sneering, smarmy best!)
The heroine, Gail Richards, was played by one of b-movies hottest ladies, Lorna Gray (who usually played villainesses)!
For more info about the serial, we presented a classic article about it HERE!
As for the highly-collectible shirt itself, it's available in a variety of colors, including patriotic red (shown), white, or blue!
Just the "secret chic" thing to wear to a screening of the new Captain America flick!

YouTube Wednesday: THE GREEN HORNET STRIKES AGAIN "Flaming Havoc!"

Continuing our weekly feature "YouTube Wednesday"...

After the events of the first serial, Britt Reid and Kato head to Hawaii for a well-deserved vacation.

Unfortunately, Crime never takes a holiday.

In Reid's absence, a racketeer has managed to place one of his men as Managing Editor, killing any attempt by The Daily Sentinel to publish racket-busting exposés!

Lenore Case sees what's going on, but is powerless to stop it, since she's "only a secretary".

She telegraphs Reid, but the gangsters discover the publisher's on the way back and intercept him...

The Green Hornet serial did so well that Universal rushed a sequel into production within six months.

(It usually took a little longer than that, even for popular chapterplays. There were two-year gaps between each of the Flash Gordon serials.)

Warren Hull, who had recently played both Mandrake the Magician and The Spider in other serials replaced Gordon Jones as Britt Reid / The Green Hornet. In addition, the use of the voice of radio Green Hornet Al Hodge, when Reid was masked, was dropped.

Most of the first serial's cast returned, including Keye Luke as Kato, Anne Nagel as Lenore Case, and Wade Boteler as Mike Axford. However, Managing Editor Gunnigan is said to be incapacitated by a broken leg.

Following the same format as the first serial, The Hornet and Kato chip away at various rackets run by Crogan, played by Pierre Watkin (Perry White in the Superman serials), until the climactic confrontation in the final episode.

Want to see what happens next?

YouTube provider MedigoCobra has posted the entire serial HERE.
Or you can download it in a variety of formats HERE.

And don't forget to check out...

The Classic Green Hornet Store

YouTube Wednesday: THE GREEN HORNET "Tunnel of Terror"

Continuing our weekly feature "YouTube Wednesday"...

It's time to take a look at the ORIGINAL film Green Hornet in his origin episode from the 1940 Universal Studios serial starring Gordon Jones as Britt Reid/Green Hornet and Key Luke as Kato!

While his full-face disguise looked different from the radio and comic version's surgeon-style mask, the characterization and plots were based on the radio show.
And, when masked, the movie Hornet sounded like the hero of the airwaves...because radio Hornet Al Hodge's distinctive voice was dubbed whenever newspaper publisher Britt Reid was masked!
All the supporting characters from the radio show made it to the movie version.
(Serials usually "trimmed" existing characters to keep the plots fast-paced.) 
In fact, Kato received more time on screen than he usually got on the radio, as his scientific genius and other talents (including karate) were emphasized.
Oddly, in this incarnation, Kato was now Korean, not Fillipino or Japanese!
Enjoy "Chapter One: Tunnel of Terror"

Want to see what happens next?

YouTube provider LuridPlanet has posted the entire serial HERE.
Or you can download it in a variety of formats HERE.

And don't forget to check out...

The Classic Green Hornet Store

Design of the Week--Spy Smasher Smashes Spies Some More!

Each week, we usually post a limited-edition design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another!
In this case, this week, due to popular demand, we continue the return of one of the 1940s major anti-Axis comic book heroes!

Spy Smasher was one of the many rich playboys-turned-superheroes who filled the four-color pages of the Golden Age of Comics, but with one critical difference...he only fought those who worked for the Axis against the US!
Introduced in Whiz Comics #2*, Wealthy inventor Alan Armstrong, engaged to a Navy admiral's daughter, decided to secretly help his prospective father-in-law deal with cases of sabotage.
Utilizing his high-tech equipment, Alan adopted the identity of "Spy Smasher", following up on leads provided by Admiral Corby faster than the red-tape-hindered Navy officer could.
His primary weapon was the GyroSub, a combo autogyro/airplane/submarine.
So great was reader response that Spy Smasher quickly received his own comic as well as appearing in the anthology America's Greatest Comics, where he crossed-over with Captain Midnight!

Spy Smasher was also the only other Fawcett Comics character, besides Captain Marvel, to be made into a movie serial! (Captain Midnight, who also had a serial, was licensed to Fawcett, it wasn't owned by them.)
The serial introduced a twin brother, Jack Armstrong, who was engaged to admiral's daughter Eve Corby, not Alan, (who was still Spy Smasher).
When Jack fills-in for Alan, he's killed by Nazi gunmen in the only time a serial cliffhanger ending proves to be true!
Both Jack and Alan Armstrong were played by handsome Kane Richmond, who was second only to Buster Crabbe in playing various superheroes on screen. (Kane was also The Shadow, Brick Bradford, and male sidekicks to Brenda Starr and Tiger Woman.)

And, as a Martian spaceship pilot, he fought Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon in Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars! (Small universe, ain't it?)

We introduced Spy Smasher in our Lost Heroes vs Hitler Calendar, but now the time has come to unleash him on his own!
Pick him up this week on mugs, t-shirts, and other goodies since this particular design is NOT going to be part of his ongoing line of collectibles!

FREEBIE!: Chapter One of Spy Smasher: the Movie Serial! Watch it or download it!

*Whiz Comics #1 was only produced as a limited-edition "ashcan" to secure copyright. Whiz #2 is the "first" issue of the comic title.  It also introduced the Golden Age (SHAZAM!) Captain Marvel, Ibis the Invincible, and Golden Arrow.

Design of the Week--Spy Smasher Smashes Spies!

Each week, we post a limited-edition design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another!
This week..the return of one of the 1940s major anti-Axis comic book heroes!

Spy Smasher was one of the many rich playboys-turned-superheroes who filled the four-color pages of the Golden Age of Comics, but with one critical difference...he only fought those who worked for the Axis against the US!
Introduced in Whiz Comics #2*, Wealthy inventor Alan Armstrong, engaged to a Navy admiral's daughter, decided to secretly help his prospective father-in-law deal with cases of sabotage.
Utilizing his high-tech equipment, Alan adopted the identity of "Spy Smasher", following up on leads provided by Admiral Corby faster than the red-tape-hindered Navy officer could.
His primary weapon was the GyroSub, a combo autogyro/airplane/submarine.
So great was reader response that Spy Smasher quickly received his own comic as well as appearing in the anthology America's Greatest Comics, where he crossed-over with Captain Midnight!

Spy Smasher was also the only other Fawcett Comics character, besides Captain Marvel, to be made into a movie serial! (Captain Midnight, who also had a serial, was licensed to Fawcett, it wasn't owned by them.)
The serial introduced a twin brother, Jack Armstrong, who was engaged to admiral's daughter Eve Corby, not Alan, (who was still Spy Smasher).
When Jack fills-in for Alan, he's killed by Nazi gunmen in the only time a serial cliffhanger ending proves to be true!
Both Jack and Alan Armstrong were played by handsome Kane Richmond, who was second only to Buster Crabbe in playing various superheroes on screen. (Kane was also The Shadow, Brick Bradford, and male sidekicks to Brenda Starr and Tiger Woman.)

And, as a Martian spaceship pilot, he fought Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon in Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars! (Small universe, ain't it?)

We introduced Spy Smasher in our Lost Heroes vs Hitler Calendar, but now the time has come to unleash him on his own!
Pick him up this week on mugs, t-shirts, and other goodies since this particular design is NOT going to be part of his ongoing line of collectibles!

FREEBIE!: Chapter One of Spy Smasher: the Movie Serial! Watch it or download it!

*Whiz Comics #1 was only produced as a limited-edition "ashcan" to secure copyright. Whiz #2 is the "first" issue of the comic title.  It also introduced the Golden Age (SHAZAM!) Captain Marvel, Ibis the Invincible, and Golden Arrow.

Hero(ine) History Retro Edition: Captain America 1966!

With the new Captain America movie filming, we thought it time to take a look at the original 1940s movie Cap.
And, to make it even more fun, we'd look at it from a Silver Age perspective...
Specifically, an article from the HTF 1960s magazine On the Scene Presents: Super-Heroes!

 (Click on the pix for larger images)

The History of The Green Hornet!

Since The Green Hornet first appeared on radio in 1936, he's made the transition to motion pictures, comics and television.
Very little has been written about the masked marvel and what has been recorded in magazine articles and encyclopedias prior to this publication never explored the character as deeply... or accurately.

A complete history of the radio series from the creation to conception sketches, reprints from production files to the untold adventures, biographic details of the cast and the characters they played (including Mike Axford, Kato, Gunnigan, Lenore Case, Linda Travis, Ed Lowry, Clicker Binney, Commissioner Higgins, etc.) and background information is all provided under one cover.
Also included are details of the two cliffhanger serials produced by Universal in the early forties, the unaired 1952 television pilot, the long-running popularity of the comic books and the William Dozier television series (1966-67) starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee including a complete episode guide documenting every episode including unproduced scripts and plot ideas.
I highly recommend it.

The OTHER Hornet's Nest

Remember how we recently mentioned our newest on-line store, this particular one dedicated to the Golden Age version of the legendary The Green Hornet (and Kato)?

To accompany it, and offer certain collectibles it doesn't stock (like dark/black t-shirts and mugs), we've just opened a second "Hornet's Nest" at another site to accomodate the flood of requests!
With the upcoming movie starring Seth Rogan and Jay Chou, now's the time to get ahold of our kool kollectibles for yourself or your pop-culture-craving loved one!

Think of how his/her eyes will light up at a birthday or graduation gift set with one or two of our collector's items along with one of the NEW Green Hornet books or comics!
Feel the buzz, and enjoy!