Crossover Cover: The New Adventures of the Eagle

This anthology of new stories featuring Norman Daniels' pulp hero Jeff Shannon, aka the Eagle, has two stories with crossovers. In Bobby Nash's "Lights! Camera! Sabotage!," Agent Palmer of the FBI assigns Shannon to go undercover on the set of a film directed by a suspected saboteur. Agent Palmer also appears in Nash’s comic book Lance Star: Sky Ranger – One-Shot! (illustrated by James Burns) and the upcoming novel Lance Star: Sky Ranger – Cold Snap. His grandson is FBI Agent Harold Palmer, the protagonist of Nash’s novel Evil Ways, as well as its forthcoming sequel Evil Intent. Both novels are part of a series of thrillers set in Sommersville, Georgia. Since Lance Star and the Eagle are both in the CU, so are the two Agent Palmers. In Teel James Glenn's "The Coming Storm," Secret Service agent Rex Bennett assigns Shannon to rescue a kidnapped scientist. Shannon has read a series of articles about German Bunds by “that Donovan guy at the Daily Star.” Shannon’s friend Lefty Kovaks tells the disguised hero that he looks like a regular man of bronze, to which Shannon responds that that name is taken. Shannon consulted with an old instructor of his in New York, Andrew Mayfair, a noted biochemist, to create an antidote to any truth serums or sedatives he may face. Rex Bennett is from the film serials G-Men vs. the Black Dragon and Secret Service in Darkest Africa. Donovan is Moxie Donovan, an original character created by Glenn who appears in the collections Deadline Zombies: The Adventures of Maxi and Moxie and Headline Ghouls: The Further Adventures of Maxi and Moxie. The man of bronze is Doc Savage, of course; Andrew Blodgett “Monk” Mayfair is one of Doc’s five assistants.

Crossover of the Week

1942

THE CASE OF THE BLIND SOLDIER

            The Green Ghost (George Chance) investigates the bizarre murder of an army Corporal. Agent Jeff Shannon of G-2 is also looking into the crime. Chance’s aide Joe Harper seeks a lead at the Pink Rat. Commissioner Standish tells Chance that Dan Fowler and his boys are moving in to clean up corruption at Fort Dix.

            Story by Tom Johnson in Exciting Pulp Tales, Altus Press, 2011. The Green Ghost (aka simply the Ghost) appeared in the pulp magazine The Ghost Super-Detective (later retitled The Ghost Detective and then Green Ghost Detective), and was created by G.T. Fleming-Roberts. Jeff Shannon is better known as the Eagle, who appeared in stories by “Kerry McRoberts” (Norman A. Daniels) in Thrilling Spy Stories and Popular Detective. The Pink Rat is an underworld dive bar from the Shadow novels. FBI agent Dan Fowler was created by Major George Fielding Eliot, and appeared in the pulp G-Men Detective. The year is conjecture, though the story explicitly takes place during America’s involvement in World War II.

Crossover Cover: Domino Lady: Money Shot

The Domino Lady (Ellen Patrick) avenges the death of a gubernatorial candidate with whom she was romantically involved. Anton Manelli has filled the void in Hollywood’s organized crime scene left by Miles Prince’s downfall a year ago. The Manelli crime family appears in a number of Bobby Nash's stories. Ellen is friends with Nita Van Sloan, the Spider's lover. Another candidate, a former actor, once co-starred in a film with Hamilton James, who appeared in Nash's story “Lights! Camera! Sabotage!,” featuring Norman A. Daniels’ pulp hero the Eagle. Associated Press reporter A.J. Martin, who is actually Secret Agent X, writes a story about the case.