Book Review: From Ghouls to Gangsters: The Career of Arthur B. Reeve Volume 1 edited by John Locke Arthur B. Reeve (1880-1936) was a newspaper reporter who decided to try his hand at writing fiction. As it happened, he turned out to be very good at it, making a huge hit with his most famous character,… Continue reading Book Review: From Ghouls to Gangsters: The Career of Arthur B. Reeve Volume 1
Tag: gambling
Magazine Review: Lapham’s Quarterly: Spring 2015 Swindle & Fraud
Magazine Review: Lapham’s Quarterly: Spring 2015 Swindle & Fraud Edited by Lewis H. Lapham Mr. Lapham’s literary magazine is based on the principle that history has much to teach the present on many subjects, so presents excerpts from many famous (and not so famous) authors on a loose topic for the education and entertainment of… Continue reading Magazine Review: Lapham’s Quarterly: Spring 2015 Swindle & Fraud
Comic Strip Review: Jet Scott: Volume 1
Comic Strip Review: Jet Scott: Volume 1 written by Sheldon Stark, art by Jerry Robinson It is the very near future, and science is advancing rapidly. Sometimes it’s misused and disaster looms; then the U.S. government calls upon the Office of Scientifact and its top agent, Jet Scott. Scott travels the world battling criminals and… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: Jet Scott: Volume 1
Magazine Review: Detective Yarns April 1939
Magazine Review: Detective Yarns April 1939 This is a facsimile reprint by Adventure House of a pulp magazine. Pulp magazines tended to stick to one genre, so you knew what you were getting from the beginning; in this case action-mystery. Great literature was rare, but they really got the blood pumping. And a dozen stories… Continue reading Magazine Review: Detective Yarns April 1939
Book Review: Hell-Bent
Book Review: Hell-Bent by Jason Ryan Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. My copy was an advanced reading copy, and changes will be made in the published version, due out November 2014. In particular, the end notes and index were not yet finished. Hawaii’s… Continue reading Book Review: Hell-Bent
Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Superman Family Volume 4
Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Superman Family Volume 4 edited by Mort Weisenger Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are two of the most enduring characters in comic books, thanks to being attached to the one and only Superman. Lois appeared in the first Superman story in Action Comics #1 (1938), a snarky but skilled reporter who… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Superman Family Volume 4
Magazine Review: High Adventure #127: Masked Rider Western
Magazine Review: High Adventure #127: Masked Rider Western edited by John P. Gunnison High Adventure is a pulp reprint magazine, reprinting stories (and sometimes whole issues) from the adventure magazines of the 1930s and 1940s. They switch up so that no two consecutive issues are the same subject, although certain character series recur frequently. In this… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #127: Masked Rider Western
Comic Book Review: The Shadow Hero
Comic Book Review: The Shadow Hero Story by Gene Luen Yang, Art by Sonny Liew It is the 1930s, and Hank Chu lives in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Incendio. He wants a simple, quiet life, working with his father in the family grocery store. Hank’s mother, on the other hand, has bigger plans. She’s… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Shadow Hero
TV Review: Martin Kane, Private Eye
TV Review: Martin Kane, Private Eye Martin Kane was a fairly standard private eye appearing on radio and television 1949-1951. He was played by four actors on TV, William Gargan, Lloyd Nolan, Lee Tracy and Mark Stevens, each with their own characterization, from mellow cynicism to outright rudeness. The most notable thing about the program… Continue reading TV Review: Martin Kane, Private Eye
TV Review: Lock-Up
TV Review: Lock-Up Lock-Up was a 1959-1961 crime drama loosely based on the files of real-life attorney Herbert L. Maris. Mr. Maris was played by Macdonald Carey, and John Doucette played police lieutenant Jim Weston, depicted as Maris’ best friend. Herbert Maris was actually a specialist in corporate law who sometimes championed people who’d been… Continue reading TV Review: Lock-Up