Sunday, June 30, 2013

What's this guy doing?

HE LOOKS LIKE HE IS  REALLY INTENT ON USING HIS NOODLE!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Radio Program: The Shadow

When I was a very young child I remember the radio as a source of entertainment. Radio progams including comedies, dramas, soap operas, variety music shows were having their last gasp in the early 1950s. One of the programs I will always remember is The Shadow. The show would open with a deep, male voice asking "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows...."

 The Shadow - (56 Mp3 downloads available)

The Shadow Picture"The Shadow" - Was one of the most popular radio shows in history. The show went on the air in August of 1930.

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" The opening lines of the "Detective Story" program captivated listeners and are instantly recognizable even today. Originally the narrator of the series of macabre tales, the eerie voice known as The Shadow became so popular to listeners that "Detective Story" was soon renamed "The Shadow," and the narrator became the star of the old-time mystery radio series, which ran until 1954.

A figure never seen, only heard, the Shadow was an invincible crime fighter. He possessed many gifts which enabled him to overcome any enemy. Besides his tremendous strength, he could defy gravity, speak any language, unravel any code, and become invisible with his famous ability to "cloud men's minds."

Along with his team of operatives, the Shadow battled adversaries with chilling names like The Black Master, Kings of Crime, The Five Chameleons, and, of course, The Red Menace.

The Shadow's exploits were also avidly followed by readers in The Shadow magazine, which began in 1931 following the huge success of the old-time mystery radio program.

The magazine was published by Street & Smith, who had also sponsored the old-time mystery radio program. Over the course of 18 years, Street & Smith published 325 issues of The Shadow, each one containing a novel about the sinister crime fighter. These stories were written by Maxwell Grant, a fictional name created by the publishing company. Although several different people wrote under the pseudonym, Walter B. Gibson wrote most of the stories, 282 in all.

Most of the novels published have been reprinted in paperback and The Shadow adventures remain popular today, with Shadow comic books, magazines, toys, games, cds and cassettes of old-time radio shows, and books bringing top dollar among collectors the world over.http://www.oldradioworld.com/shows/The_Shadow.php




Sunday, June 16, 2013

Alternate Reality

This shadow image was one which appeared on my dining room wall one grey, cold winter afternoon. There are animal like figures I see here. When I took the picture, the shadow looked nothing like this...maybe it was an Alternate Reality. There appear to be creatures whose eyes are looking out at me.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Japanese Garden Lantern and its Shadow


I spent many years traveling to Japan. I visited several gardens maintained by monks while I was there. This lantern and its shadow hanging from a twisted vine  reminds me of the serenity of those gardens. I was always intrigued by the Japanese juxtaposition of perfection and imperfection often evident in Japanese conceptions of beauty and art.