Who is The Shadow? What are his true origins? How did he come to be?
Popular culture historian and novelist Will Murray has assembled
the results of his 45 year exploration of a multi-media phenomenon in….
Master of Mystery: The Rise of The Shadow!
Master of Mystery: The Rise of The Shadow delves into the murky origins of perhaps the most significant media creation of all time.
Between 1930 and 1954, The Shadow was a dominant figure in American popular culture. A multi-media sensation, he emerged from the creative cauldron of the earliest days of radio drama, and soon migrated to magazines, comic books, film and eventually paperback books. Only Superman and Batman, who were created a few years later, rivaled The Shadow in global public recognition.
A century later, this enigmatic personality and his famous mantra, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” remains recognizable to new generations born long after his remarkable reign.
Popular culture historian and novelist Will Murray explores radio’s first superstar and talks to the writers and artists who took a nebulous radio personality and brought him to blazing life in the pages of more than 300 classic pulp novels. Packed with revelations, Master of Mystery reveals how The Shadow inspired the creation of Batman in 1939!
“The Five O’Clock Shadow” delves into the origins of the mysterious radio personality who mushroomed into the shadowy star of novels, films and comic books. Supporting this centerpiece work are ten additional articles and rare interviews, many decades out of print:
Out of the Shadows: Walter Gibson
The Purple Girasol
Heroic Editor: John Nanovic
Theodore Tinsley, Maxwell Grant’s Shadow
Graves Gladney Speaks
Walter B. Gibson Revisited
Walter Gibson’s Magical Career
Edd Cartier: Master of Shadows
The Shadowy Roots of Batman
Memories of Walter
Lavishly illustrated by the late great Frank Hamilton and Colton Worley!
Whether you are a fan of The Shadow on radio or in pulp magazines, this book is for you!
Front cover by Joe DeVito (King Kong of Skull Island). The trade paperback and hardcover editions feature two different back cover paintings by the talented Colton Worley.
The softcover is now ready for ordering and is available HERE!
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