I tend to live in the Past and from time to time I go on a nostalgia kick. This week it was Doc Savage (it was Tarzan a couple of weeks ago). I started reading and collecting Doc Savage paperbacks back in 1964 and I’m nowhere near reading all 182 Doc Savage novels but I have read dozens of them.
Robert Micheal “Bobb” Cotter’s A History of the Doc Savage Adventures presents plenty of information on the series and captures the unique aspects of the character. Doc Savage first appeared in 1933 with the Great Depression and the prospect of a world war affecting the stories. Science is blended with acton as Doc Savage and his band of skilled heroes take on villains and mysterious entities.
The artwork section of A History of the Doc Savage Adventures features illustrations, covers, and original artwork. I enjoyed the chapters on Doc Savage paperbacks, the pulp magazines, the comic books, and various fanzines. Also useful is an appendix that offers biographies of all major contributors to the Doc Savage series.
If you’re a Doc Savage fan, A History of the Doc Savage Adventures is a must-read! Do you have a favorite Doc Savage novel? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction—Who Is Doc Savage? 1
One. A New Deal, a New Hero 11
Two. All This and World War, Too 105
Three. The Bronze Age Meets the Atomic Age 140
Four. The Doc Savage History of Comics 158
Five. Doc Savage on the Air and in the Movie(s) 173
Six. The Fan(zines) of Bronze 190
Seven. The New Adventures of Doc Savage 202
Appendices
1. The People Behind Doc Savage 211
2. The Best of Doc Savage: Novels, Pulp and Paperback Covers 218
3. Street & Smith’s Doc Savage Magazine Issues 221
4. Bantam’s Doc Savage Paperbacks 223
5. Doc Savage Comicography 224
Bibliography 229
Index 231
You live in the past?
How is Parking there?
Dan, plenty of parking! But the parking fees keep going up! Way up!
I bought four or five DOC SAVAGEs over the years in the Bantam editions, and even then, a few years after the Bantam series debuted. As a teen I never glommed onto the series as I did with Burroughs, Howard, Rohmer, Lovecraft, Fleming, and Gold Medal. I should give it another whirl..
Fred, I’ve binged on Doc Savage novels over the years. They used to be easy to find, but today I’d have to put the Bantam Doc Savage paperbacks in the “scarce” category.
Nope, never read one.
Jeff, Doc Savage is a classic pulp fiction icon. But, you have to be in the mood for 1930s-1950s style adventure writing.
The Bantam editions with those cool James Bama covers (with the bold, groovy title font) seemed to dominate the paperback spinners of my youth. I read what I believe was the first book in the series when I was in highschool. It was fine but I never read another one. Maybe it was that weird helmet haircut? Is there one that you’d recommend?
Byron, of the 182 Doc Savage novels, there’s plenty of Good Stuff and plenty of duds. Here’s a fun survey of some Doc Savage novels that may give you some idea of what to read: https://marzaat.com/2014/12/31/the-doc-savage-binge/
Just ordered it. Curse you,. George the Tempter!
Jerry, George the Tempter specializes in stimulating the Economy!
Don’t know why, but I never was captured by Doc’s adventures! I read one book and saw the lousy movie and that’s it! Maybe I need to try again, but I’m 20 years behind on my reading now!
Bob, sometimes one doesn’t connect with a character or a series at the time. I’m way behind on Adam Hall’s QUILLER series.
Doc, as the Man of Bronze, might merely tarnish, while Kal-El, as a Man of Steel, might rust…