A new book by Will Murray exploring the origins of one of America’s most enduring pulp heroes, The Shadow, has just launched, available now from publisher Adventures in Bronze, and elsewhere.
In 1980, author Will Murray produced this monumental book, The Duende History of The Shadow Magazine. More than 40 years later, the celebrated pulp historian has released a greatly expanded and revised edition under a new title.
Dark Avenger: The Strange Saga of The Shadow is a followup to Murray’s 2022 compendium, Master of Mystery: The Rise of The Shadow.
Where Master of Mystery was a collection of articles and interviews, Dark Avenger is a detailed deep dive into the legendary Shadow Magazine, which ran from 1931 to 1949.
Profusely illustrated and peppered with quotes from Shadow creator Walter B. Gibson and others, Dark Avenger, a monumental work, and well as a labour of love, has already been called one of the greatest books on the pulp era ever written.
The new book boasts a spectacular cover by award-winning artist Joe DeVito, as well as interior art by Frank Hamilton, Colton Worley, and Rick Roe, who contributed to the original edition of this book.
Will Murray, co-creator of Marvel Comics’ Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, well versed in all things pulp, is an American novelist, journalist, and short-story and comic-book writer. Much of his fiction has been published under pseudonyms. He’s the author of more than 70 novels in popular series ranging from The Destroyer to Mars Attacks.
Collaborating posthumously with the legendary Lester Dent, he has written to date 22 Doc Savage novels, two of which, The Sinister Shadow and Empire of Doom, co-star The Shadow. For National Public Radio, Murray adapted The Thousand-Headed Man for The Adventures of Doc Savage in 1985, and currently writes the Wild Adventures series of novels, which includes authorised revivals of Doc Savage, Tarzan of the Apes, John Carter of Mars, King Kong, The Spider and other classic heroes. He recently released a short story collection, The Wild Adventures of Cthulhu.
“Frankly, I never expected to revisit this book,” says Will Murray. “But demand for a collection of my articles on The Shadow, coupled with repeated requests for the long-out-of-print Duende History of The Shadow, forced me to rethink that position.
“Forty years years is a long time. During that period, nearly every Shadow novel has been reprinted, which has only created a larger audience who want to know more about this phantasmal figure and the creators who brought him to life.”
• Available in hardcover, trade paperback and e-book formats, Dark Avenger is available direct from AdventuresInBronze.com | British fans of The Shadow may prefer to buy it through AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)| ISBN:
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Books, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds, US Comics
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