13 CHARACTERS Who Owe at Least a Little Something to THE SHADOW
A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE to late creator Walter Gibson, born 127 years ago, on Sept. 12, 1897… By JIM BEARD So, just how good was Walter Gibson’s co-creation the Shadow? Well, it birthed an entire army of imitators, knock-offs, rip-offs, and wanna-be Masters of Darkness, so overall, I’d say pretty darn good. And that continues to this day, by the way, a testament to the writer’s drive to create a leader among the pack, not a follower. I love that. As the saying goes, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery mediocrity can pay to greatness.” The only argument I’d raise to that when it concerns the Shadow is that not every character who paid the flattery turned out to be mediocre. Quite the contrary; Gibson’s baby spawned some incredible children itself, a few of which could possibly give the Master a run for his shadows. Gibson, our birthday boy today, was also a product of inspiration, in terms of his professional careers. I mean, the list of those who he drew that inspiration from includes none other than the great Harry Houdini, just to mention one biggie. It’s no surprise that creators who came after him saw greatness in Gibson and tried to set their bucket in that same well. I’ve done it myself with my own characters. When you borrow, you borrow from the best and most times you can’t go wrong… just remember to always acknowledge who led the way. Here’s a special list I put together of fictional characters who I feel owe a little something to the Shadow, and to Walter Gibson, too. There are many, many more beyond these 13, but I had to stop somewhere. Happy birthday, Walter. You continue to inspire me. — The Phantom Detective (1933). One of the first, if not the first pulp characters to walk a similar path to the Shadow. The Phantom, as he was known in his tales, was also the second pulp hero to have his own self-titled magazine after Gibson’s co-creation. — The Spider (1933). Richard Wentworth was the first pulp avenger to perhaps truly follow in the same vein as the Shadow, and oftentimes topped him in the amount of violence churned out in his stories. The Spider never met a pair of .45s he didn’t want to mow down criminals with. —...
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