Short(est) Lived Comic Series #30 - On Stage (Dell Comics)

It is with shock and surprise that I reach this 1,000th post for my blog!  When I started this blog back in 2015, I don't think I ever imagined I would still be writing it 10 years later, nor do I think I ever expected to have read as many books, short stories, and comics as I have read in that time.  It has been a fun journey, and (for the most part) I have been fortunate to have read so many great stories over those years.  So, it is fitting that for this special post, I review a comic that I have had for a number of years but have been waiting to read.  This one-off comic from Dell Comics (issue 1336 of Dell's "Four Color" series) is based upon Leonard Starr's very popular newspaper strip that ran for 22 years, from 1957 to 1979.  I have the full collection of comic strips in collected editions by Classic Comics Press, which I have been reviewing on this blog, and I never even knew this comic existed until I happened across it at a local comic convention one year.

 

Dell's On Stage comic was published in 1962, with an "April-June 1962" date listed in the indicia.  While the cover gives credit to Leonard Starr, the creator of On Stage, Starr did not actually work on the comic.  While no actual credits are given with the comic itself, which was standard in those days, the Grand Comics Database (Dell Comics - On Stage) indicates the cover art was provided by Robert Williams Meyers, while interior art was provided by Mike Sekowsky/Frank Giacoia (inside front cover); Frank Bolle and Mike Sekowsky/Frank Giacoia (main story); Frank Giacoia (inside back cover); and Mike Sekowsky/Frank Giacoia (back cover).  The script for these stories is credited to Ken Fitch, based on information in the "Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999."  Despite Leonard Starr not being involved, I have to give the publisher credit for finding an artist who was able to mimic Starr's style when drawing Mary and her supporting cast.  Sadly, the one thing that is missing from the comic are the extremely detailed backgrounds that Starr provided in nearly each and every panel of his comic strip.  While the panels in this comic do have some backgrounds, there are quite a few panels that simply have basic, one-color backgrounds against which the characters stand.  For me, though, having only seen Mary Perkins in black and white in the reprint collections, it was exciting to see her brought to life in full color in this 32-page comic!

 

This story takes place during the years collected by the fifth volume of Classic Comics Press' reprint volumes, and it brings back not just one, but two recurring characters from Mary's newspaper strip.  When Mary is asked to take a role in a new play about Shakespeare's life, supposedly based upon diaries found that reveal missing years of his life, she must convince fellow actor and friend, Maximus, to come to the States and take a role as well.  The director's difficulty in finding a backer suddenly disappears when an attorney shows up indicating he has a backer who wishes to remain anonymous.  This is when Mary happens to run into Johnny Q, who warns her about the attorney and his reputation.  So, here we have two mysterious men from Mary's strip who swoop in to help her uncover the truth, not only behind the mysterious benefactor for the play, but also the reality behind those alleged diaries of Shakespeare.

 

There's not quite as much drama in this comic as there is in the daily strip, but it does have its moments - particularly when Frank Stewart, the playwright, is brutally attacked when he refuses to allow the financier to take credit for his script.  Maximus steps in and shows the hoodlums that he is more than just a "pretty face" (and if you have read the On Stage newspaper strip, then you'll understand that pun!).  Between Mary, Pete, Maximus, and Johnny, they manage to turn the tables on the crooked producer and save the play from having any unsavory connections.  And, surprisingly, in the end, Maximus reveals to Pete the truth about his appearance, a revelation that I cannot recall has ever been made in the newspaper strip (at least, not up to the point where I have read).

 

The cover art, by Robert Meyers, depicts the very dramatic moment when Maximus shows the producer's hoodlums that he can fight back and take them down - although, in the story, there is no woman in the background watching.  I am not sure if the woman shown on the cover is supposed to be Mary Perkins, but if so, then it is an inaccurate portrayal, as this woman is a blond, and Mary has dark hair.  And since Dell Comics of that period did not have any advertisements, the inside front cover, inside back cover, and back cover all feature short stories that give readers a bit more inside information, to to speak, about theater life.  "Angels Without Wings" on the inside front cover provides some details about investors, while "The Drama" on the inside back cover gives an abbreviated history of how drama has been depicted on the stage over the years. The back cover provides a color presentation of the "Arts and Tricks of Make-Up," and how strong make-up, simple techniques, and the use of rubber masks are used to hide blemishes, accentuate features, and sometimes change the appearance of actors on stage and screen. 

 

Overall, I would say this issue is a very nice tribute to the characters and stories of Leonard Starr, and it definitely does Mary Perkins proud.  Of course, only being one issue, the story is a bit faster paced than the daily strip, which had stories that lasted weeks, seven days each week, so had plenty of time to build up suspense and drop sub-plots that would come to fruition later.  Also, with just 32 pages, the writer did not have a lot of time for character development, so any readers who were not already familiar with the characters would likely have a lot of questions about who they are and how they are connected.  I wonder what we would have seen if Dell had decided to do more On Stage comics?

 

RATING:  9 electronic door locks out of 10 for keeping the drama in Mary Perkins' life and providing an interesting new theater story centered around the bard himself!

The Haunting of Drumroe - a Fawcett Gold Medal gothic

This is another one of those gothic novels that I bought some time ago because the cover image resembled the cover of a Nancy Drew mystery (in this instance, the cover to The Secret of Red Gate Farm).  It has been sitting on my shelf with the other books whose covers are similar to Nancy Drew books for years, so I figured it was time to dust it off, pull it out, and actually read it.  When I bought it, I had not even bothered to read what it was about, so imagine my surprise to find it is set in Ireland!  Having visited there just a couple of years ago, I was thrilled to read a book whose setting would bring back some great memories of my trip there.  Plus, it was fun to see how many places in the book I had actually visited, and how many were fictional settings created by the author.  And speaking of the author, as with so many, "Claudette Nicole" is a pseudonym for Jon Messmann, who wrote several Gothics under this name, but also wrote some men's adventure books as "Nick Carter."  It still amazes me how many male authors wrote these romance and Gothic titles back in the day under female pseudonyms.

 

The Haunting of Drumroe was first published in 1971 (with a date of March 1971 on the copyright page) and features a rather dramatic cover, painted by Jeffrey Jones (1944-2011).  Jones was a rather prolific artist, who not only provided cover art for gothic, horror, and fantasy novels in the '60s and '70s, but also contributed to a number of comic book publishing companies with art for DC, Charlton, Marvel, Gold Key, Pacific, Warren, and a number of others.   I was actually surprised to discover that I have a number of comics for which Jones painted the covers (such as Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love, Wonder Woman, Heroes Against Hunger, Heroes for Hope, to name a few).  Jones' art, as can be seen on the cover to this book, is haunting and definitely Gothic in nature.  One can almost hear the drums and feel the wind blowing through the woman's flowing gown as she hides from the hooded figures in the background (which, again, is very similar to the cover of Nancy Drew's The Secret of Red Gate Farm, which has the young detective doing the very same thing!).  

 

The story is not only one of Gothic suspense, but it is one of almost erotic terror.  This is the first Gothic novel I've read where the author makes repeated references to the title character's breasts, and the number of times Eileen Donegan lies naked in her bed could be the target of a drinking game.  It is scenes and descriptions like these that make it clear the author was a man - the constant focus on Eileen's body reads more like a men's adventure tale than a Gothic romance.   However, when you ignore those scenes, the book actually has a really great plot to it.   Eileen is called to Ireland by her aunt, who insists she must come and sign documents that would make her heir to Drumroe should anything happen to her aunt.  Immediately upon arriving, Eileen begins to feel a sense of dread and foreboding - and she realizes her precognition ability is warning her of danger!

 

I like the fact Messmann a/k/a Nicole gives his title character a form of psychic ability, as it adds a new dimension in terror to the story.  Eileen has these visions, but she cannot make sense of them, and the more she tries to fight them, the more insistent they become.  A falling tree, a crash into a lake, a collapsing bridge, and the disappearance of her aunt without explanation make for a very suspenseful read, and the standard trope of two men vying for Eileen's attention leaves the reader tottering back and forth, questioning which one is good and which one is bad - honestly, it could have gone either way!  And when you throw a mysterious devil worshiping cult into the mix, as well as a rather frightening handyman, it seems poor Eileen is not safe no matter which way she turns.  Thankfully, the author provides one steady rock in the story with Molly, her aunt's cook at Drumroe.  Molly is introduced as a caring, very welcoming member of the household - the only one, in fact! - and as I read the story, I kept waiting for the shoe to drop and some revelation to occur that she was not as good as she seemed; yet, it turns out Molly truly was a good person, the only true friend Eileen was able to make and depend on while trying to make sense of the danger around her.

 

There are some ingenious plot twists that make the story well worth the read (so long as you can get past the very strong sexualization of the main character).  The mystery surrounding the missing aunt, the devil cult, and the attempts on Eileen's life, as well as the bitter hatred the townspeople have against the Donegan family, make for a suspenseful story.  One thing I did find rather odd was that at the back of the book, there is a glossary which provides readers with the definitions of many of the Irish terms used throughout the story.  This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing in a Gothic novel; usually, the reader is simply left to look up the definition of any words on his or her own.  And even more surprising is the recipe on the very last page of the book for "Irish Green" or "Erin Sauce," which is a sauce cooked up by Molly for one of the dinners she makes for Eileen within the story.  I have to wonder what prompted Fawcett (the publisher) to include the glossary and recipe into the book!

 

I am definitely intrigued with Messmann a/k/a Nicole's writing, and I am already on the haunt for more of his Gothic novels!

 

RATING:  9 beds of violets turned away from the sun out of 10 for a story filled with plenty of dark mystery, dangerous romance, and deadly Gothic terror!

The Virginia Mysteries, Book 12 - Conspiracy at the Launch

When I picked up the first couple of books in this series years ago, I never expected it to actually last as long as it has. It has been nearly 10 years since I started reading this series, and we are now up to book 12, which in today's book market, is quite an accomplishment.  Most series I see on the shselves, particularly "mystery" series for young adults, never seem to last more than three or four books, possibly five or six if they are lucky.  So, for a series to make it to book 12 is an achievement for which author Stephen K. Smith should be very proud.  He has created a series with some fun, engaging characters, some great mysteries grounded in a lot of historical fact, and some stories that are entertaining for audiences of all ages.  Plus, I have enjoyed that Smith's characters have been aging, maturing, and learning as the series progresses, and I hope he has the opportunity to continue beyond this 12th mystery.

 

Conspiracy at the Launch takes the kids into some dangerous territory,  and takes readers into some new areas of Virginia.  This has been a huge plus about this series, in that Smith sets each of the books in a different part of Virginia, so those readers unfamiliar with the state and its history (such as me!), it's an opportunity to learn some geographical and historical facts about Virginia while enjoying a great fictional mystery.  Such as Wallops Island Space Center.  I was not aware, before reading this book, that Virginia had its own space center from which rocket were sent into space - yet, it is a real place (Wallops Island Space Center), found on Virginia's eastern shore, not far from the Virginia/Maryland border.  Surprisingly, there have been more than 16,000 launches from there since it was founded back in the 1940s!  So, as with all of his previous books in this series, Smith manages to integrate real Virginia history into the story, while still providing readers with an exciting mystery for young readers to enjoy.

 

This time around, Sam, Derek, and Caitlin find themselves entangled in a rather topical mystery for this day, involving conspiracy theories, whistleblowers, and tech billionaire who believes the ends justifies the means, no matter the cost to human life!  It is definitely a dangerous adventure, as the villain is pretty clear from the get-go - the question is, how can the kids go about proving that Aiden Hart is more concerned about getting a government contract than he is about the safety of the people involved in the space project.  But did he really kidnap a whistleblower to keep him from revealing the insufficient safety protocols?  Did he threaten a former partner in order to keep her quiet?  And what will he do to three kids who just happen to be in the wrong place at the right time to overhear the truth about what is really going on?  

 

Now, as is the usual thing with these mysteries, one must suspend their disbelief that adults would allow children this young to have such unsupervised freedom, or that they would allow them to go off with total strangers to solve a mystery - otherwise, there is no way they would be able to make their way stealthily past security and into a billionaire's private tent or  sneak into a billionaire's private estate in the hopes of getting the proof they need to prove their theories.  Setting that aside,it is a fun ride, and I am enjoying watching the kids grow and mature - Sam no longer takes his brother's ribbing, Derek is not so childish in his antics (and he is actually starting to consider what he wants to do when he grows up!), and Caitlin is becoming somewhat more adventurous in terms of digging to the bottom of the mystery.  Smith writes the children with a bit more growth with each book, which must come from his own experience in watching his own children grow and mature.

 

The climactic scene in Washington, D.C. as the kids, with the help of a young reporter, make heir way into a closed Senate hearing on whether the government will contract with Aiden Hart's company feels almost cinematic as they create an outburst to stop the proceedings, with the proof they nee to convict Hart showing up at the most appropriate moment!  I could easily visualize the scene in my head, and I must say, it would make for a great conclusion to a movie or television episode.  It's a shame Smith can't option this out for the small or big screen. 

 

One thing I must mention is Smith's reference to the Challenger explosion back in 1986.  That was truly a sad day, and like Colonel Banks in the story, I remember sitting in my science class at school, as we all watched the lift-off, and the shock everyone felt when the shuttle blew apart.  I remember the teacher immediately turning off the television, and we all just sat there, trying to comprehend what we just witnessed.  It is a bit hard for me to imagine that even took place nearly 40 years ago and is now considered just another piece of history... 

 

I was a bit worried when the book started that this would become another soap box (especially when the term "conspiracy theorist" was thrown around when their neighbor started talking about drones and the government watching him), but Smith took it in a different direction, for which I was grateful.  The book was a very satisfying read, and I hope we don't have to wait another two and a half years for the next book!

 

RATING:   8 silver pins in the shape of a rocket out of 10 for a good mystery that explores a different part of Virginia and offers up a new kind of mystery for the kids to solve.

Meg and the Secret of the Witch's Stairway - Mystery #2 in a series

This particular book (the original hardcover version) has special meaning to me, as I purchased it at the estate sale of a very dear friend of mine - Judith Weaver.  She was a wonderful woman who amassed a large collection of mystery novels (adult, young adult, pre-teen, and juvenile) in order to open a mystery bookstore.  Unfortunately, the local government persisted in putting up roadblocks that prevented her from ever opening the store, but that did not stop her from selling the books online, by word-of-mouth, and to her friends who would come by and visit.  When her health declined to the point where she needed constant care, her daughter moved her up north and all of those books were sold at an estate sale.  This is one of the books I obtained at the estate sale, and it will also be a treasured memory of Judith Weaver, a woman with more stories in real life than all of the books in her house could ever hold!

 

The Secret of the Witch's Stairway is the second Meg Duncan mystery, first published in 1967 (the same year as the first book).  The book is not written by the same author as the first book (which was written by Gladys Baker Bond), but the story is just as enjoyable as the first.  Having helped an elderly neighbor in the first book recover her stolen diamonds, Meg and her best friend, Kerry, help a pair of elderly neighbors search for some hidden family heirlooms in this mystery.  When Meg's Uncle Harold Ashley (her mother's cousin) visits, he tells her a story about the alleged missing Ashley silver, that was hidden away back during the Civil War and never seen again.  Many believe the silver is buried somewhere on the farm owned by Clara and Jenny Ashley (even more distant cousins of Meg's mom), but no one has ever found it.  Meg and Kerry, of course, are anxious to put their detective skills to work and help Miss Clara and Miss Jenny find that the treasure that would help them save their farm!

 

The book has a number of elements that remind me of some Nancy Drew mysteries.  First, the two elderly sisters who are trying to save their farm is similar to the plot of The Hidden Staircase, where Nancy helps two older women who are being frightened into selling their estate.  Second, the Ashley sisters have a rather unique doll collection, which reminded me of The Clue in the Old Album, where an older woman Nancy is helping has a large doll collection.  In fact, both collections of dolls include a peddler doll, which comes with an assortment of tiny objects - for the Nancy Drew book, it was musical instruments, ribbons, and laces (p. 15, Old Album), while for Meg, it was a bunch of keys, a lace handkerchief, and a tiny thimble (p. 32, Witch's Stairway).  What's even more of a coincidence is that the dolls first appear and are described in the second chapter of each book - "The Doll Collector" in Old Album and "The Doll Family" in Witch's Stairway!  And, if that were not enough, it turns out that dolls hold very important clues to solving the mysteries in both books.  This leads one to wonder if the author was a fan of the Nancy Drew series, as Old Album was published some 20+ years prior to the publication of this book.

 

The mystery turns into a rather fun adventure, as the girls begin their search with the help of a young boy named Glenn who turns up with a diary of the Ashleys' ancestor that gives them clues to the location of the silver.  Some of the clever poems written by their ancestor are actually rather ingenious clues, with double meanings and secret codes that ultimately lead the youngsters to the "Witch's Stairway," a seldom used path that leads down to the river.  Meg and Kerry and their new friend fall into some unexpected danger in their final effort to find the missing treasure, and it is only with the timely help of Curly, their four-legged friend, that they are able to escape what could be certain doom!  (Funny how both this mystery and the last feature a dog that plays a pivotal role in helping the girls' solve their case!)

 

Meg's Siamese cat, Thunder, is nowhere to be seen in this book, and while Mr. and Mrs. Wilson make a brief appearance in the first chapter, they are not seen for the rest of the book.  Kerry's little brother and sister are also noticeably absent from this story, but one can assume that is because we already have a helper in the form of Glenn, who turns out to be a relative of the Ashley sisters and finds a home with his new relatives by the end of the story.

 

The internals are once again provided by Cliff Schule, who I am assuming provided the cover art for the original hardcover version as well.  As with the first book, the cover to this book is not mysterious at all and gives no hint as to the mystery itself.  In fact, to me, this original cover reminds me of a Disney-type movie poster, what with Uncle Hal driving Meg and Kerry (dressed alike!) in his old roadster (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, anyone?).   For the paperback reprint, Olindo Giacomini again provides the cover art, which is definitely much more in-line with the mystery!  Showing an elderly woman, bent over and staring back into the dark woods where Meg and Curly are watching, the reader gets an instant feel that this mystery is going to be creepy!  This scene is pulled from the end of Chapter Six, where Meg spots an old woman with scraggly hair staring down at her from the top of the Witch's Stairway (p. 77).  While not an exact representation of what takes place on the page, it is definitely much more mysterious than the original cover art!

 

I found it somewhat amusing that Uncle Hal works in Washington, D.C., since Meg's father also works there.  Hal work in a museum, however, while Meg's father works in the government.  Of course, since Hidden Springs is said to be in Virginia, it should not be much of a surprise that they work in Washington, D.C.; it simply means that Hidden Springs must not be far from the state line.  In fact, the girls take a short trip with their Uncle Hal into the capital to search for information on an old Thomas Jefferson desk that once belonged to the Ashley sisters, hoping to find more clues as to the lost silver.

 

The story definitely holds up well and was an enjoyable read.  Simple, yet fun!

 

RATING:  9 broken wooden dolls out of 10 for an adventurous mystery filled with treasure-hunting, riddle-solving, and fortune-finding! 

A Zebra Mystery Puzzler #18 - You'll Die Yesterday

It has been nine books since Marjorie J. Grove's last Zebra Mystery Puzzler, so it was high time we had another mystery for everyone's favorite Hollywood gossip columnist Maxine Reynolds to solve.  Nurse Tory Baxter (by Marcia Blair) has had THREE BOOKS in the time between Grove's last mystery and this one, and country singer Darby Castle (by Jan Michaels) has had TWO BOOKS in between.  As far as I'm concerned, Grove deserves to have some more books in this series to catch up with these other recurring characters (although, to be fair, this is Max Reynold's fourth appearance in the series, and poor Darby Castle's two appearances were here only two to be had!).  I was more than happy to re-enter the world of Maxine Reynolds, her sassy assistant Toothie, and her devoted boyfriend, Rob Allan, as they set about to solve their latest murder mystery!

 

You'll Die Yesterday takes our main character to Paris, where she has been sent by her employers to oversee the French office of their magazine (as the previous woman in charge had married and taken off, leaving the office without any leadership!).  Max jumps at the chance, having just been wondering if her life needed a change, and she manages to convince her boss that she will need Toothie to assist her while she is there.  They arrive in the City of Love to be greeted by the nephew of the famous French film producer, Philippe Gustave-Grenier (since, as it happens, Max's employer is friends with Monsieur Gustave-Grenier).  She joins the producer and his nephew on an afternoon walk down the Champs-Elysees, despite the drizzling rain - but as they are out, a motorcycle speeds past, spraying water on the three, following which, a stranger in an overcoat bumps into Monsieur Gustave-Grenier, causing injury to his lower leg.  It all seems innocent enough; but, when the producer turns up dead the next day, Max suspects foul play.

 

Now, either I am getting extremely good at spotting the killer in these books, or the mystery was just not very complicated at all - but I was able to not only identify the killer from the moment it happened, as well as guess at the motive.  Honestly, it was not very difficult at all (it were almost as if the killer was carrying around a neon sign, saying "I'm the one! I'm the one!").  Nevertheless, the story was still a very enjoyable read, and this one offered up some really great banter between Max and Toothie.  And one aspect of the story I found rather amusing is how readily the French detective investigating the case allowed Max to be involved, sharing information with her as she provided what information she gleaned from the suspects she interrogated.  And Grove does manage to provide a variety of suspects - a disgrunted actor, a bitter musician, and an elusive businessman who is determined to buy our Monsieur Gustave-Grenier's production company.  The actor is only too willing to talk with Max, but the musician is brusque and refuses to even meet with her (and he becomes very irate when she sneaks into his apartment and interviews his wife under false pretenses!).  Max puts off trying to meet with the businessman and his two representatives, but when she does, she manages to uncover a rather interesting bit of information (that has nothing to do with the murder, but is rather clever in its execution!). 

 

The Paris setting of this story allows the author to highlight a number of French sites, such as the Eiffel Tower, the museums, the restaurants, the shopping districts.  Grove has a tendency to spend a lot of details on the surroundings, whether in Hollywood, London, or even here in Paris, which grounds the story in reality a bit more than if the reference were vague and entirely fictional.  There are times where, as I am reading, I am tempted to pull up a map and follow along to see exactly how accurate the details are!

 

While the clues that lead to the identity of the killer are fairly simple to spot if you pay attention, there are two illustrations - one near the beginning and one in the next to the last chapter (before you open the sealed final chapter) - that pretty much cinch it for Max, as well as the reader.  Honestly, it took me a moment when I looked at that final internal illustration before I realized the importance of the scene; but once it clicked, there was no more doubt about who the killer was.  Once again, there is no credit given to the internal illustrator; but the cover art is signed by "Iskowitz,"  I was able to locate a couple of artists with that last name, but while no credit is specifically given to him, I believe the artist is Joel Iskowitz, who is said to have provided a number of book and cover illustrations for books in the late '70s and early '80s, which would fit the time period when this book was published (and the signature on this cover matches the signature on other paintings by Joel Iskowitz).  And the cover scene, which is the moment before the motorcycle splash and the "accidental" bump, provides a very obvious clue as to the choice of murder weapon.

 

Readers are treated to a bit more insight into Max's growing relationship with Rob, as she debates whether she wants to stay in Paris if her employer asks her to make the job permanent, since it would mean leaving behind the man she keeps hoping will ask her to marry him.  One good thing about these recurring main characters in this series is you get to watch them grow as the series progresses.  I know there are still several more Max Reynolds' stories in the series, so it will be interesting to see where these two finally end up!

 

RATING:   9 warning messages written in lipstick out of 10 for a rainy, Parisian murder mystery whose enjoyment is not figuring out whoddunnit, but in following along with Max as she tries to figure it out!

Love in the Afternoon - the wild novel of a soap opera superstar!

Sometimes you come across some of the best books when you are not really looking for them.  Such is the case with this book.  I was combing through the paperbacks at the Family Bookstore in DeLand, when, as I reached the end of the section, my eyes glanced over the title to this book and had to take a second look.  The slogan "Love in the Afternoon" was used by ABC to market its soap operas for a decade, from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s - advertisements with a catchy theme, giving clips of the various soap operas in ABC's line-up - Ryan's Hope, Edge of Night, All My Children, One Life to Life, and General Hospital.  (It should be noted that NBC had used that same slogan to market their soaps in 1974, but gave up on it rather quickly, which is when ABC decided to take the banner for their channel.)  Because of this, the phrase "Love in the Afternoon" pretty much became synonymous with soap operas.  So, when I caught the title to this book, I figured it would have to be about soaps - and sure enough, it was!  Therefore, I shelled out the couple of bucks and bought it.

 

Love in the Afternoon gives two taglines on its cover: "Daytime TV will never be the same!" and "The wild, brilliantly hilarious novel of the on- and off-camera lives and loves of a soap-opera superstar."  Written by Ed Zimmermann, the book was originally published in hardcover in 1971, and the Pocket Books paperback came out two years later - and both came out before either NBC or ABC ever began their ad campaigns using that slogan!  Leads one to wonder if this book may have prompted the use of the phrase by NBC and ABC.  In any event, it turns out Ed Zimmermann, the author, was actually a soap opera actor himself, having played the role of Dr. Joseph Werner (the second actor to play the role) on the CBS soap, Guiding Light from 1967 to 1972.  He was only 39 years old when he died of a heart attack on July 6, 1972 (just a year after this book was first published).  He was also a stage actor, and he was in Ogunquit, Maine auditioning for a part in "Who Killed Santa Claus?" when he died.  He only authored this one book.  A huge Guiding Light fan, on her blog, indicates this book is based upon the behind the scenes experiences of Zimmermann while working on the soap.

 

The book tells the story of actor Steven Prince (which, to me, feels like a cross between Steve Trevor and Diana Prince from the Wonder Woman comics!), who takes a role on a television daytime drama, playing Dr. Harlan Cross on a soap opera that centers around Pinewood Hospital.  After acting on Broadway, making the transition from stage to the small screen is quite an experience for Prince.  For an actor used to months of rehearsals to a show where you get only hours of rehearsals before filming live - one can't even begin to imagine; however, Zimmermann does his best to provide the reader with just how much stress that can cause an actor new to daytime TV.  From being handed the first script, to meeting his co-workers, to learning where everything is in the production building - it is basically like being thrown into the water and being told, "Go ahead, now, and swim!" He even provides a schedule that Prince is given his first day on the set (from page 24):

8:00 - 10:00 - Dry for Blocking (First Rehearsal)

8:00 - 10:00 - Makeuip and Costume

10:00 - 10:30 - No Fax (Blocking on Set with No Cameras)

10:30 - 11:00 - Camera Conference

11:00 -12:00 - Fax 1 (Blocking with Cameras and Boom)

12:00 - 1:00 - Break

1:00 - 1:30 - Fax 2 (Run Through)

1:30 - 2:00 - Break and Film Check

2:00 - 2:30 - Dress

2:30 - 3:00 - Break

3:00 - AIR

I look at that schedule and realize just how tight it really is and how little time the actors have to get it right.  I've heard actors from Dark Shadows talk about how fast-paced daytime television is, and their experiences pretty much line up with what Zimmermann shares here.  It's evident he took his own experiences on the set of Guiding Light and integrated them into this story.  With frazzled nerves, Prince manages to make it through his first day, and as the days turn into weeks, he begins to enjoy playing the villain everyone loves to hate.  And his interaction with the cast is bound to have come from his real-life interactions - some actors who are laid back; others who demand attention; still others who rarely know their lines to those who make everyone else's life a disaster.   There is even the behind the scene attempts to seduce co-stars - thankfully, though, Zimmermann keeps his main character faithful to his real-life wife, for which I was happy to see.

 

One of the interesting tidbits I enjoyed in the book was how fans of Prince's on-screen character, Harlan Cross, could not see to separate the actor from his role.  Even his own mother was questioning his motives on the show, and Prince eventually gives up trying to convince her that he is not the character.  I have heard actors talk about these types of scenarios before (at General Hospital fan fests, several actors have talked about being berated by fans for the actions of their characters, as if they were the actual character), so reading about it in this book was not really much of a surprise. It makes me wonder if Zimmermann faced this same problem with his role on Guiding Light.  

 

Then there is the change in writers, which brings about major changes in the show - and for Prince, this results in his bad-boy doctor being redeemed and turned into a caring man searching for a real relationship, rather than breaking up all those around him.  Prince is not happy about the shift, but since it is his job, he must work with it.  Oh, and I loved the way the production had to accommodate Prince when he accidentally fractures his ankle - so they have to create work-arounds for all of his scenes.  The operating table is lowered so he can film the scene sitting down (but the cameras are angled to make it appear everyone is standing), and a body double is used when "Harlan" has to break down a door and rush into a room.  I can't tell you how many times I've seen actors in soaps with casts or crutches because they have injured themselves in real life, so the writers have to write that injury into the show somehow.  So, again, reading about this scenario feels like par for the course for a soap opera.

 

From what I have been able to gather online, the book apparently has a number of parallels with the Guiding Light, when it comes to characters and situations.  Having never watched that show, I cannot confirm such likenesses; however, I can say that much of what takes place behind the scenes in this story lines up with many stories I have heard from soap opera actors over the years.  I think it great that Zimmermann took his experiences and turned it into a comical story for fans to read.

 

One final observation is the opening paragraph to Chapter Eight.  Zimmermann discusses how soap opera writers have fun with time - "moulding it and stretching it and playing with it as if it were so much silly putty" (p. 156).  An entire season can pass by in just a few days, or weeks can be stretched out into months.  And yet, despite this stretching and contracting of time, all of the holidays still manage to show up at the correct time!  My friends and I have all made this observation about soap operas for years!  Passions, which ran on NBC from 1999 to 2007, was very bad about this.  One day on that show would sometimes last more than a month!  Thus, it was definitely appropriate for Zimmermann to make mention of this in the book, since any real soap fan would recognize this as a reality of daytime television!

 

Interestingly, the copyright page actually gives credit to the cover artist (which so few books from this era ever did!).  Lou Marchetti was well-known for his cover art for paperback books, but he also provided art for movie posters and magazines, such as Galaxy and Reader's Digest.  The cover gives us a scene with Prince and a fellow actress on what appears to be a crimson bedspread, with plenty of cameras and lights surrounding them.  More information can be found about Marchetti at the website run by his daughter, Louise (The Life and Art of Lou Marchetti).

 

While not exactly "brilliantly hilarious" as advertised on the cover, I would say the book does have some laughs and is a pretty good read - especially for anyone who enjoys soap operas!

 

RATING: 8 ankle-crunching slides into home plate out of 10 for a somewhat satirical look into what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite daytime drama! 

Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32010 - The Blue House

"She had no control over the evil forces that were driving her to the brink of madness..." (cover blurb)

 

Now I'm definitely beyond the half-way point in this Harlequin Gothic Romance series, as this marks the 10th book in the series, published in April 1986.  This is the first, and only, book authored by Dolores Holliday.  I can only assume Ms. Holliday is the author's actual name and not pseudonym since (a) the book is copyrighted in her name and (b) she has a dedication on the copyright page to her husband, Judd, thanking him for making the book possible.  Some online research reveals Ms. Holliday just passed away this year (back in February).   She published her first novel, a gothic tale called Greystone Shadows, after which she had her second novel (The Seventh Gate) published first in 1981 as a part of the Harlequin Mystique line, and later re-published and re-packaged as the first book in the Harlequin Romantic Suspense line that debuted with this Gothic Romance line.  (The Romantic Suspense line only published two books, before that got re-started and re-branded as the Harlequin Intrigue line.)  This book was Ms. Holliday's final gothic romance novel; after this, she went on to write mystery novels (which, oddly enough, were never published, according to her obituary!).

 

The Blue House is the first book in this series to actually touch upon the supernatural and psychic abilities.  It is also the first book in this series to have the house be an integral character to the story, having its own personality, so to speak.  The main character is McKala Aiden, whose first name is derived from her mother's maiden name, McKay.  She and her fiance, Peter Caterson, are in Oregon to oversee his latest real estate development - the construction of a new condominium complex on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  There's only one hold-up - the old blue house that currently stands on the property.  Peter is having to deal with various issues preventing his immediate destruction of the property, and while he fights city hall, McKala (or "Kala" as she allows people to call her) becomes more and more fascinated with the house.  A history buff (more than that, actually, since she just received her Ph.D. in history!), her curiosity builds the more she learns about the house.

 

A local artist, Matthew Donegal, starts her on that journey by telling her about the previous owner.  Sadie Andrews grew up in that house with her mother, who claimed to be clairvoyant and told people's fortunes.  After her mother died, Sadie seemed to follow in her mother's footsteps.  There is even a room in the house painted completely black, where Sadie and her mother would exhibit their "talents."  Matthew tells Kala that Sadie promised him the house so he could establish an art studio for fellow artists to hone their craft - but no will was ever located, and the house was eventually sold to the development company for which Kala's fiance works.  Kala decides to explore the inside of the house - but once inside, she finds more history than she bargained for!  When she goes upstairs and opens the door to the third floor bedroom, she sees a dead body lying on the floor!  She runs out of the house, only to find that when others go up to the room, it is empty, like the rest of the house.  Kala cannot decide if she really saw something, or if she hallucinated the whole thing.  One this is for sure - there is something sinister about the house and what happened there - Matthew, the police, even Peter's housekeeper, Fiona, and others in the village all seem to clam up when she starts talking about what she saw and questions the events surrounding Sadie's death.  A suicide, it was ruled - but Kala now believes that was not the case.

 

There is definitely the romantic side to the story, as Kala finds herself falling in love with Matthew and breaking off her engagement to Peter; but the focus is definitely on the mystery of what really happened to Sadie Andrews, did she have a will and, if so, where is it, and what kind of supernatural power still resides within the house?  A dark presence that attacks her, strange whistling sounds in the night, and visions of Sadie Andrews with dire warnings all press in on Kala, making her question her own sanity.  But like Nancy Drew herself, Kala puts aside her fears and sets about to uncover the truth about the house, Sadie Andrews, and her missing will - but the ultimate truth puts her in way more danger than she ever expected and from a very unlikely source!

 

The story is filled with suspense and mystery that definitely kept my attention, and the cover art certainly captures those same feelings.  At least with this book, we are able to identify the cover artist, since his signature appears on the art, just below the cover blurb.  Len Goldberg (a/k/a Leonard M. Goldberg), who also did the cover art for Castle at Jade Cove, the third book in the Harlequin Gothic Romance series.  He superbly captures the expression of fear on Kala's face on this cover, although, admittedly, the details of the house do not exactly match those in the book.  I can forgive him that, however, because the art is still gorgeous!

 

I do have to mention, before I finish up this post, that I did like the name of the cove, over which the blue house loomed - Seven Devils Cove.  I wonder if the author pulled the name from the Seven Devils Wayside, which is located in Oregon and is the home to three beaches.  According to local history, the road's name came from the deep ravines that run down the hills to the beach.  There is also the Seven Devils Mountains on the Idaho-Oregon border, which boasts some very "dramatic" cliffs, one travel site says.  These mountains overlook the deepest gorge in North America, known as "Hells Canyon." With names like this, they definitely make the perfect setting for a gothic mystery!

 

Another fantastic addition to the Harlequin Gothic Romance line - so far, it's been a successful 10 for 10 with these books!

 

RATING:  10 empty bottles of syrup out of 10 for an intriguing story of a house, a woman, a murder, and a hidden past - all nicely weaved together into a true tale of suspense! 

Jane Withers and the Swamp Wizard - the second Whitman Authorized Edition

The second Whitman Authorized Edition mystery to feature actress Jane Withers has some easily discernible differences from the first book.  There is a different author for this book - Kathryn Heisenfelt takes over the writing chores -  you may recognize her name, as she wrote quite a few of the Whitman Authorized Editions, including mysteries starring Ann Rutherford, Ann Sheridan, Betty Grable, Bonita Granville, and even the Powers Model girl.  I have done reviews of a number of these books, and if you look back, you'll see Ms. Heisenfelt's writing has never gotten more than a 5 out of 10 (in some cases, only 4, and in one case, as low as a 3!) rating.  I am definitely not a fan of her writing, so I went into this book with quite a bit of trepidation.  The story also has no seeming relation to the previous book - there is no mention of any of the characters from the previous book, and while Jane was a student in the first book, it is implied that she is an actress in this book (just like her real-life namesake).  The tone is completely different as well - much, MUCH darker.  The question in my mind as I started reading - how bad is this going to be?

 

Jane Withers and the Swamp Wizard takes young Jane Withers to a small town named Burley (the state is left unnamed) to spend some time with her best friend, Miss Cordelia Champlin (affectionately referred to as "Cokey"), and her mother, Alice Champlin.  The two women, along with Cokey's younger brother, Eddie, have moved into a farm to start a new life.  "Dad is still in Washington," Cokey tells Jane (p. 14), adding that they do not expect to see much of him, "[b]ut then, we didn't anyway - lately" (p. 14).  Thus, with the man of the house out of the picture, and with the younger brother off-screen, so to speak, going into the next village to buy a tractor, it is just these three women left to face the mystery that lies ahead.  It begins when Cokey tells Jane about a strange feeling she got after being told of the Simmering Springs and the legend of the "Swamp Wizard" that is said to haunt the springs.  Jane puts no stock in the story, but Cokey reminds her friend that her hunches have always come true in the past, and she is certain there is trouble ahead for the girls.  Needless to say, her premonition turns out to be true.

 

As much as I have not liked any of the previous books written by Heisenfelt that I have read, this one turned out to be quite different and quite readable.  Perhaps a large part of that is because of the gothic feel she gives to the story.  The girls run an errand for Cokey's mother, and end up taking a side trip to deliver a message for a sick woman.  As they say, no good deed goes unpunished, and the girls go out of their way, get lost, and mistakenly end up in the house of a bitter woman who makes it clear she does not want them there!  But a storm is unleashed, which takes out the bridges that are the only way across the raging river, leaving Jane and Cokey stranded at this lonely old farmhouse with the woman, her cantankerous father, and her brooding son.  All three want the girls gone, insistent that the Swamp Wizard does not like strangers near the springs - which is exactly where the farmhouse is located!  Jane and Cokey are not able to rationalize this family's fear, but when they hear the strange cries in the night, and when the woman's son appears to be missing, they have to wonder if there is some supernatural force at work.

 

  

 

The gothic tropes abound in this story - the secluded house, the family with secrets, the visitors who are not wanted there, the whispers of supernatural creatures, and the dire warnings of impending doom.  The night seems to be endless, and the storm unrelenting.  The girls are shuffled off to an upstairs room at the end of the hall, with strict instructions to not leave the room.  Of course, Jane is much too curious to remain locked in the room, and she and Cokey venture out in the hopes of learning some of the secrets behind the animosity this family had towards them and why they are so afraid of a superstitious wives' tale about a wizard in the swamp.  Heisenfelt does a decent job of building up the tension, of keeping the secrets right there on the edge of everyone's thoughts, and instilling terror in her characters, leaving the reader to wonder who really is the bad guy of this tale. There is even a scene where the woman's father takes the girls to the edge of the springs, claiming he wants them to understand why they need to leave and never come back - but Cokey loses her balance (or was she pushed?) and nearly falls into the deadly quicksand that makes up the swampy springs!  This scene is depicted on the endpages, with Jane reaching out desperately to save her friend!

 

The conclusion builds up nicely, as the secrets are not so quickly revealed, even after Cokey's mother finally arrives with some others, who were out searching for the missing girls (remember - they had simply gone on an errand to buy eggs, yet never came home for more than 24 hours!).  These villagers, who know the woman, are given the same harsh welcome that Jane and Cokey endured, and it is from the most unlikely of sources that the truth behind the Swamp Wizard is finally revealed. Once that truth comes out, and once the secrets of the past are laid bare, the woman is finally freed from all that has been haunting her for so many years, and Heisenfelt provides a very satisfying conclusion to the story and its characters.  The book even concludes with Jane observing that, "I've a hunch we're going to have a lot of fun this summer!" (p. 248).

 

Henry E. Vallely, who has provided the art for so many of these Whitman Authorized Editions, does the line illustrations for this book.  For this, I am glad, as he does a fantastic job of drawing expressions that help strengthen the scene depicted, so that even if there were no words given, you would get the impression of what was going on.  In one such instance, where Jane has left the upstairs bedroom to learn more about the secrets of this hose, Vallely shows Jane hiding behind the couch as Alma Frieson and her father prowl around in the night - just by looking at Jane's face, you can see the fear she feels at the thought of being discovered; while, at the same time, the harsh expressions on Mrs. Frieson and her father give you a clear sense of just how fierce this family can be. The mood created fits perfectly with the gothic nature of the story, and I can't imagine a better artist to provide the illustrations for this one than Vallely.

 

This was an unexpectedly good book to read, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  Now I am curious as to the third Jane Withers mystery, as it is written by yet another author (Roy J. Snell) - I wonder how it will compare to these first two...

 

RATING:  9 bowls of strawberry preserves out of 10 for a suspenseful story of gothic terror mixed with young adult mystery. 

Dana Girls Mystery Stories No. 4 - A Three Cornered Mystery

The fourth and final Dana Girls Mystery Story ghost-written by Hardy Boys author Leslie McFarlane was a bit better than the third book, thankfully.  It has been somewhat interesting to read all four of McFarlane's books in this series, especially comparing them with the outlines for the books provided by the Stratemeyer Syndicate - finding the commonalities among the books, seeing what aspects were provided by McFarlane and what was required by the outline, and reading how the stories varied in tone and style based upon his circumstances at the time he was writing the books. There is a consistent timeline for the books (from autumn to Thanksgiving to Christmas, and now to springtime with this fourth mystery), which is rare to see in series books where the protagonists never age - it's almost a shame the Syndicate did not keep with that timeline as the series went on under different ghostwriters.

 

A Three Cornered Mystery bears a very unusual name, leaving the reader to wonder exactly what it means.  I have to give them credit for the creativity, as even I was curious as to the meaning.  By the final chapters of the story, the reason for the title becomes clear, and it is extremely clever (you don't really think I'm going to give it away and ruin the surprise, do you?).  But let's start at the beginning, shall we?  The story starts off innocently enough - Jean and Louise are out riding horses when they chance to meet a real estate man from Oak Falls by the name of Taylor Lott (and if you know anything about real estate, you'll get that pun right off the bat!).  It turns out Mr. Lott is quite upset, as a gentleman who was working for him turned out to be a crook - stole quite a large sum of rental income from various properties Mr. Lott manages, as well as other important documents (p. 4).  The Dana Girls immediately smell a mystery!  Well, as it turns out, this mystery has so many coincidences in it, there was simply no way the sisters could not solve it!

 

Here there girls are told that Mr. Lott is looking for Edward Carrillo, and coincidentally enough, as soon as Mr. Lott and his assistant leave the tea room, who should show up but Mr. Carrillo (p. 9)!  They ply him with innocent questions to learn where he is headed, so they can pass the information along to Mr. Lott.  Upon returning to Starhurst, they read a letter from their Aunt Harriet who informs them her old school chum, Elizabeth Flower, is staying at the Danas' home because a man named Carrillo stole her money (p. 16)! As if that coincidence were not surprising enough, when a reporter by the name of Edith Darrow shows up at Starhurst and invites the Danas to spend the weekend at her farm, the girls are shocked to discover that Carrillo was a former border at the farm (p. 29)!  In the barn where Carrillo spent his time, the girls discover some hidden papers, which include a lottery ticket (p. 30), which plays an important part in helping the girls track down Mr. Carrillo later on.

 

Well, the coincidences keep coming - when the girls find the Darrows have disappeared from their own farm, a policeman shows up looking for the victim of a car accident who was hit near the farm - not only does that police officer turn out to be a distant relative of Aunt Harriet's friend, Elizabeth Flower (p. 50), but the mysterious man who showed up after the Darrows went missing is the car accident victim!  Later in the story, when the girls are staying with Mrs. Flower to assist her while she is allegedly ill, they make the connection that the accident victim is actually Mrs. Flower's nephew, James (p. 80).   And when Mrs. Flower's housekeeper quits, the Dana Girls just happen to be at the Darrow farm when Mrs. Carrillo arrives looking for her son - and she just happens to be a housekeeper who is looking for work (pp. 111-12).

 

Oh, but wait!  That's not all!  A detective hired by Mrs. Flower to locate Mr. Carrillo reveals to the Dana Girls that he has bigger fish to fry, as he is on the trail of an international spy by the name of Kurt Hassell (p. 148).  Well, when Uncle Ned takes the girls with him to New York City for their spring break, they stop at a hotel in New Jersey along the way where Uncle Ned accidentally enters the wrong room.  As fate would have it, the woman in that room has a photo of a man she says is Raymond Del Mort, but who the girls immediately recognize as the criminal, Kurt Hassell (pp. 158-59)!  "Odd coincidence, isn't it?" the woman in the room comments (p. 160).  Yes, I'd certainly say so!  Then, of course, when tracking down Carrillo in New York City, they are super-surprised to learn the address they find for Carrillo is the same address as the one given them by the woman for Kurt Hassell (p. 164)!  I mean, I know coincidences always play a large part in any mystery - let's face it, without them, it is unlikely these teenage sleuths in series books would ever be able to solve a mystery!  But this book is filled with so many, perhaps the title should have been "A Multi-Coincidence Mystery"!

 

Aside from the way-too-many coincidences, there is a fairly decent underlying mystery.  Two women (mother and daughter) go mysteriously missing from their house, while the Dana Girls are staying out in the barn (hoping to catch themselves a criminal), and Jean and Louise have no explanation.  Jean sneaking into the empty house in the middle of a storm, the unexplained disappearance of the women, and the unexpected appearance of the police, together with the mysterious stranger who showed up in the barn and then disappeared when the girls take the cops out to him all add up to a laudable attempt at integrating some gothic elements into the mystery.  Adult readers will likely figure out what happened to the women, but I can imagine young readers will be spooked by the entire scene - after all, a stormy night always adds that terrifying element to any story.

 

I did find several aspects of the story humorous, particularly the disguises the girls don in order to trick Edward Carrillo.  While in New York, the girls buy "two cheap dresses, which were extra long and undeniably dowdy" as well as "two paid of cheap spectacles" (p. 171).  Simply by donning unflattering dresses and glasses, the girls are able to visit Carrillo without him recognizing them as the Dana Girls.  What was so funny is that when Carrillo leaves, and the girls confront Mrs. Darrow and her daughter, Louise "removed the spectacles and tossed her hat onto the divan.  Jean did likewise" (p. 177).  They second they remove those glasses, Edith Darrow cries out, "The Dana girls!" (p. 177).  This is especially amusing to any comic book fan, as Superman has hidden his identity for 90 years behind a pair of glasses as Clark Kent, with no one recognizing him - so why shouldn't the Dana Girls use the same trick?

 

Ferdinand Warren once again provides the art for the internal illustrations; however, the four illustrations in this story have a distinctly different feel to them when compared with the prior books.  The black and white illustrations are much heavier on shadows, and the lines are not nearly as succinct as previous books in the series. Not sure what caused the difference, but if I hadn't seen Warren's name listed on the title page, I would have assumed it was a different artist.

 

A few other tidbits I noticed in the story - one being the name of the lawyer that Mrs. Flower calls upon to draw up her will.  His name is Josiah Jarvis (p. 77), which struck me as odd - for those who are Nancy Drew fans, you may recall that Nancy Drew's first case involved a missing will of a man named Josiah Crowley!  To have two stories only five years apart use the same name for a character connected with a will is a bit of a coincidence (hmmmm.....).  Another name that caught my eye is the last name of the reporter and her mother - "Darrow."  Fans of Mildred Wirt Benson will easily recognize that name, as Benson wrote a four book series (published in 1930 and 1931) whose title character was named Ruth "Darrow."  The name appears in the outline, so it was not created by McFarlane; rather, it was used by the Stratemeyers (leading one to wonder if perhaps it was a way of poking at Benson, who was writing the Nancy Drew series at the time this fourth Dana Girls book was published).  Outside of names, the book reveals that the Danas used to collect cigar bands for a brief period of time, and as such, they happened to have a book on the various bands (another coincidence!) that they use to disprove Lettie's attempt to make the other girls at the school think she is receiving letters from an important Count (p. 63).  I suppose it was good fortune they used to have that hobby, and that they happened to have that book at the school with them in order to reveal Lettie's lies!

 

Finally, the second cover art for this book is less than stellar - it merely shows a close-up of Louise and Jean against a dark green background, with Louise holding an oil lamp.  I'm not really sure what the scene is supposed to represent (unless it is from when the girls are exploring the empty Darrow house, looking for their hosts). It is probably the most lackluster cover of the entire series!  While the collage covers of the original editions are not my favorite art style, I have to admit, those scenes depicted for this book are a far cry more exciting than the art used for the wrap-spine dust jacket!  Not sure who the artist was, or who gave the artist the instructions for the scene, but if it were me, I definitely would not be claiming it as my work!

 

While not the best of the series, I will say this book was certainly a better (and a bit more believable) story than the last one! And with this book, we reach the end of Leslie McFarlane's writing of the Dana Girls Mystery Stories, for with the fifth book, Mildred Wirt (Benson) took over the writing chores.  It will certainly be interesting to see how her writing of the sisters compares with version established by McFarlane in the first four books.

 

RATING:   7 beds of rattlesnakes sunning themselves on a rock out of 10 for an interesting tale, if for no other reason than the variety of unique characters thrown together for one story!

Short(est) Lived Comic Series #29 - Friday Foster (Dell Comics)

Two years go, I reviewed the collection of Friday Foster comic strips published in the Sunday newspapers (Friday Foster Comic Strips), at which time, I mentioned the fact that I was still searching for that hard-to-find issue of Dell Comics' version of the character, a stand-alone issue published with a cover date of October 1972, right in the middle of Lawrence's run of the comic strip.  Well, that search is over!  This past Christmas, a dear friend surprised me with a copy of this particular comic, in absolutely marvelous condition considering its age.  I've been holding off, waiting for the right time to read it, and that time is now!

 

Friday Foster is one of Dell's many one-issue comics.  Although the indicia at the bottom of the first page refers to this as "No. 1," there was never any other issues published after this one (which may be why it is so sought after and so hard to find at a reasonable price!).  While the characters and story are based on James D. Lawrence's comic strip, Lawrence was not actually involved in the comic.  The story was written by Joe Gill, and the art (both inside and on the cover) was provided by Jack Sparling.  Joe Gill is probably best recognized for his work at Charlton comic company, where he co-created Captain Atom, Peacemaker, and Judomaster, as well as others.  Jack Sparling was a rather busy artist back in the day, providing art for publishers such as Harvey, Charlton, Classics Illustrated, DC, Gold Key, Marvel, along with Dell Comics.  Gill does a superb job of staying true to the character of Friday Foster, while Sparling's art is a bit softer than Jordi Longaron's, but he still retains the look of all the cast.

 

The story finds Friday helping her boss, fashion photographer Shawn North, get photographs of an elusive American-born princess - Princess Jenny Shangri, newly wed wife of Prince Wimoweh of Teri-Aki.  She makes every effort to avoid the press, and Friday views her  as nothing more than a spoiled rich girl who has no understanding of what it is like for someone who grew up in Harlem (like Friday!).  She sabotages Shawn's attempts to get clear photographs, and ultimately has to confess her underhandedness to their employer at She magazine.  Well, as any good story goes, fate intervenes, and Friday finds herself having to pose as the princess's close friend in order to ferret out a member of the paparazzi who has been harassing the princess for some time - most recently causing a near-fatal car accident!  Friday is livid, but she takes the assignment, having no other choice.

 

Gill writes a well-scripted tale that could easily be translated to the small or big screen.  Friday spends time with Jenny (the princess), shopping for clothes, and while Jenny insists the dastardly Ferdy Trask is following them, Friday fails to see him (although the reader does spot him in various panels).  Friday begins to believe Jenny is making up the entire harassment scenario in order to gain publicity - but while she is trying to convince Shawn, the sneaky Ferdy Trask is doing his own digging into Friday's identity - and when he learns she works for Shawn North, he decides to turn the tables on her. Suddenly, Friday becomes the target of Mr. Trask's dirty deeds.  Not only is Friday threatened, but she comes home to find he has also threatened her little brother, Cleve!  Needless to say, Friday is not going to let Ferdy Trask get the better of her, so with Shawn and Jenny's help, she sets an ingenious trap to catch Trask at his own game.

 

One thing I like about these old Dell Comics is that you get 32-pages of story and art with no ads (except on the inside front and back covers, as well as the back cover itself).  That means Gill and Sparling have plenty of space to really flesh out the story, providing not only characterization, but also plenty of action and suspense.  Honestly, as I was reading the comic, I could see Pam Grier in my head acting out the entire story (for those who may not know, Grier played Friday Foster in the live action film of the same name back in 1975).  The bad guy gets his comeuppence, and Friday learns a thing or two herself about pre-judging people before she gets to know them.  The story has the same feel as those in the comic strip by Lawrence and Longaron, and I think they honored the source material very nicely.

 

It's so sad we only got one issue of this comic adaptation of the character - I think this would have made for a very dramatic comic book series.  Perhaps it was simply the wrong time period for a strong, black female character to lead a comic, or perhaps Dell was simply not a widespread enough company to attract enough readers to warrant more issues.  Whatever the reason, Friday Foster's one issue was a fantastic read and well worth the wait!

 

RATING:  10 games of bait and switch out of 10 for giving a little known character a chance to truly shine, while paying tribute to the character's creators with a superb story! 

The Hawkline Monster - a Gothic Western

You just never know what you are going to find at a library book sale.  A few months back, I went to the large book sale held at the Orlando Public Library in downtown Orlando (where else would it be?), and while I did not really expect to find anything that would interest me, I stumbled across this particular book, with its cover showcasing a rambling house with three chimneys pouring out black smoke, while far in the background, a man on a horse watches.  The tagline under the picture describes the book as "The bestselling author's wildly imaginative novel about a mansion, a monster, and a Magic Child."  Looking back up at the title, that is when I noticed the subtitle: "A Gothic Western."  Okay, that was definitely unusual.  One never thinks of Gothic novels being set in the Old West.  So, I pulled out my phone and did a quick search - and discovered that Richard Brautigan is known for his satire and surrealism, writing on themes that include the absurdity in modern life.  Well, I don't think anything could be more absurd than what takes place in this book!

 

The Hawkline Monster, which is Brautigan's fifth novel, published in 1974, centers around two bounty hunters (for lack of a better term) - Greer and Cameron. Interestingly enough, the book opens with them in Hawaii, where they are watching their mark - only to see him teaching his child how to ride a horse, at which point Greer complains that he cannot kill a man who is teaching his kid how to ride a horse (p. 9), so the two return to San Francisco, where they kill a Chinaman to make some money before traveling on to Portland - and that is where the weirdness begins.  As they are whoring up at a whore house (yeah, don't ask), Magic Child shows up.  Yes, Magic Child is her name.  An Indian girl.  Or so she seems.  She has a job for the two men, a job only they can do.  A certain Miss Hawkline, who lives in an old mansion on Dead Hills, needs them to kill a monster that lives under her house.  A monster that her father created.  A monster that killed her father.  A monster that is now trying to escape.

 

That doesn't sound too weird, you say?  Well, did I mention that Magic Child was not an Indian at all.  In fact, Magic Child did not exist at all.  Upon their arrival at the Hawkline house, Magic Child mysteriously changes into a perfect duplicate of Miss Hawkline.  Her twin sister.  And the two Miss Hawklines have no knowledge of Magic Child.  They just want the monster gone.  You know, the one that lives down in the ice caves below the house.  The house that is freezing in the middle of summer - freezing so much, there are drift piles of snow around the house.  Despite the heat outside.  Greer and Cameron want to kill the monster, but somehow, they keep getting sidetracked.  And what is that strange little glimmer of light that seems to be floating around the house, dragging a rather reluctant shadow with it?  Greer and Cameron have their suspicions, but Miss Hawkline and Miss Hawkline are oblivious to it.  Oh, and then there is the Hawkline's butler, a massive giant who is oh-so-gentle.   Sadly, he dies.  Before they can decide what to do with the body, Miss Hawkline and Miss Hawkline decide they want to have their way with Greer and Cameron -so they go upstairs to the bedrooms and pass the time.  When they return to the ground floor, they discover the butler - who is still dead - is now a dwarf, completely shrouded by the giant's clothes.  Just what is going on in this house?

 

Brautigan manages to write a creepy novel while having all of his characters maintain completely unruffled and nonchalant attitudes about all of the weirdness going on around them.  The lack of fear, the lack of surprise, and the lack of disbelief - all of it works together to make this book a thoroughly enjoyable and fun read!  I never expected to read a gothic novel set in the Old West (the book takes place in 1902, just after the turn of the century), but Brautigan makes it work.   There are vulgarities within the story - not just the language, but the sexual scenes, as well - but they actually fit with the characters from the Old West and do not detract from the gothic nature of the house and its monster.  While we do not have the standard damsel in distress, the fact that Miss Hawkline and Miss Hawkline are twins can be construed as Brautigan's way of poking fun at the gothic trope of a young woman being torn between two men - here, instead, we have the same woman duplicated, so that each man has their own version of Miss Hawkline.  In fact, until the monster is destroyed, the two women do not even have first names, so it is impossible to differentiate one from the other.

 

The realization of the monster in the book is also a unique take on the gothic theme.  In most cases, the "monster" turns out to be human, usually one of the men courting the main character.  In this instance, the monster turns out to be a very real creature, created by a mixture of supernatural and scientific experimentation, and it has taken control of the entire house.  It has a mind of its own; however, it is not completely evil, as it has a shadow that seems to have a conscience - a shadow that is being forced to follow the light everywhere it goes, unable to stop it from doing what it is doing to the inhabitants of the house.  Thus, instead of an internal struggle of good and evil seen in your typical gothic characters, we have a very visible struggle between good and evil,, lights and dark.  The book is truly a unique take on the genre. 

 

If you can manage to get your hands on a copy of this book, I would recommend it - it's worth the read!

 

RATING:  10 elephant foot umbrella stands out of 10 for mixing two genres with hilarious success and completely unexpected results! 

The Sherlock Society (Book One of the Sherlock Society mysteries)

This is another book that came to me as a recommendation.  I had it on my Amazon watchlist already, but I did not buy it until James Keeline gave me the heads up that the author, James Ponti set the book in South Florida.  I was aware Ponti was a Florida resident, but I did not know he was giving us a series set in my home state, so I went online and made the purchase.  I was even more excited to see that Amazon already had the second book available for pre-order!  Keeline told me that the writing of this book was "a cut above most juveniles," so I definitely went into it with high hopes.  I mean, how could it possibly fail - Sherlock, Florida, mystery, children's series - such a fantastic combination!  Well, as the old saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover...

 

The Sherlock Society introduces a group of three middle school children who are getting ready to spend their summer vacation doing the normal things to earn money - babysitting, moving lawns, etc.  Alex Sherlock and his two friends, Lina and Yadi, are not looking forward to the prospects; but they are enjoying the escape room that the school librarian created for them, giving them some fun puzzles to solve within a limited time in order to "escape" the library.  What they did not expect is for Alex's sister, Zoe, to show up and help them work together to "escape" before the time expired!  And even more shocking is Zoe's idea to form a detective club for the summer, to earn money doing something they love!  Enter: the Sherlock Society!

 

I was truly looking forward to an intricate mystery, filled with plenty of riddles and clues; however, what I got was a travelogue of South Florida with snippets of one mystery that gets dumped in exchange for another mystery half-way through the book.  Perhaps it is because I live in Florida, but I got quickly bored with all of the detailed descriptions of Miami,  Biscayne Bay, Alligator Alley, the Everglades, and the surrounding areas, along with considerable exposition about the history of these locations.  And when they made the decision to search for Al Capone's missing millions, allegedly buried somewhere in South Florida, I was actually rather intrigued.  The crew began following up on various clues they were uncovering - but when they reached the place where they believe the money was hidden away, suddenly the entire focus of the mystery changed - the search for Al Capone's treasure was dropped, and the Sherlock Society began searching for who was illegally dumping dangerous waste materials into the Everglades.  So, instead of searching for money that would make them wealthy (in their minds), they decide to save the environment and hunt down the men who are killing the animal and plant life of the Everglades.

 

Do you see the more than obvious morality lesson here?

 

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for saving the environment, and I do believe those who are illegally and purposefully dumping deadly waste into rivers and lakes should be ferreted out and punished.  What I do not particularly enjoy is when a good children's mystery is overtly written to push that idea.  At least Ponti did not have the kids completely give up on Al Capone's missing millions, as the very last chapter of the book has them stumble upon the possible location of the money - perhaps a lead-in to the second book?  (No, checking the description for Hurricane Heist on Amazon, which is set to be released in September, it appears that book has nothing to do with Capone's money.)  It simply feels like a bait and switch - here's a great mystery about missing money with some interesting clues to be discovered along the way - but wait, no, let's forget that mystery so I can teach you a lesson about caring for the environment!

 

With that being said, I did rather enjoy the characters - Ponti breathes life into them that makes them very readable and relatable.  Alex is your typical young teen, ready to jump the gun and get into the action.  Lina is the booksmart fish-out-of-water Midwestern girl, who knows how to research with a thirst for knowledge.  Yadi is the aspiring film maker, with some great devices to help the Society using modern technology (although the constant references to him being a "conspiracy theorist" because of some of his beliefs felt more like a political statement than a characterization).  Zoe is the not-so-stereotypical teenage girl frustrated with her parents for not allowing her to go to camp with her friends, but who learns what true friendship is within the Sherlock Society that she forms!  And Grandpa (the kids' mother's father) is a real hoot - helping the Society as their driver, but ultimately getting them into trouble by letting his own love of adventure take them into some very dangerous territory.  All of the characters (including Mr. and Mrs. Sherlock) play well off of one another, and Ponti creates a diverse, real-world cast that help save the story from being a complete failure.

 

Oh, and I must say - if you are hoping the book will have a lot of references to Sherlock Holmes, based on the title (which is actually a reference to the main characters' last name - Alex and Zoe Sherlock), you will be disappointed.  Sure, there are a few references scattered throughout, but not at much as one would expect.

 

Based on this book, I will not be picking up any further books in the series.  Perhaps the next book, and those that follow, will feature better stories than this one, and if that is the case, then great!  I certainly wish Ponti success with the series.  But I have enough ongoing mystery series, both children's series and adult series, that I find much more enjoyable and readable.  I gave it a shot, and it simply did not meet up to my expectations, particularly given the recommendation I received.

 

RATING:  5 well-loved books on botany out of 10 for creating a fun new cast of young sleuths who (hopefully!) will solve some great mysteries in the future.