Paul Bishop's Blog, page 14
October 2, 2018
October 1, 2018
SKYWALD PUBLISHING'S WESTERN COMIC ROUNDUP
SKYWALD PUBLISHING'S
WESTERN COMICS ROUNDUP
Founded by Sol Brodsky and Isreal Wadlman, Skywald Publications may be best remembered for their low-budget, brilliantly trashy, black and white horror magazines. In 1971, they branched out by issuing a number of four-color comic titles. While none of the titles lasted more than three issues, there were several intriguing Western specific titles deserving of longer runs.The Bravados, Blazing Six-Guns, Wild Western Action, The Sundance Kid, and oddly, a separate series with Butch Cassidy. All the these titles were a mix of new material and reprints, including two issues of The Sundance Kid, which contained Jack Kirby Western tales originally published in Bullseye.
Attempting to capitalize on the popularity of the movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Professionals, The Magnificent Seven, and the rising regard for the Spaghetti Westerns, the new stories were written by Len Wein or Gary Friedrich, and the artwork was provided by Syd Shores, Tom Sutton, and Dick Ayers—all moonlighting from their regular comic gigs.
The equal to almost all the other Western comics being published, the covers and, indeed, the stories in all of Skywald’s Western comics make them eminently collectible.
THE BRAVADOS The Bravados was the featured story in the three issues of Wild Western Action before getting a one-shot of their own, and then riding off into the comic book sunset. A gang of disparate misfits, The Bravadoswere bound by a thirst for vengeance, but fought together for justice—which would have made a great tag line. It didn’t matter the characters were little more than Western clichés, they were exactly right to ramrod this type of storyline—Reno was the tortured leader; Gideon the angry black cowboy; with a name to give today’s PC police conniptions, Injun Charade was naturally a mute; Drum, the hell-on-wheels good ol' boy had to be included; and the tough, but sexy Hellion was there to keep us reading. With the way they constantly bickered and sniped at each other, The Bravados were a Wild West version of any number of super-teams.
THE SUNDANCE KID Not at all like the character from the movies, Skywald’s version of The Sundance Kid headlined the two issues of Blazing Six-Guns before getting a three issue run of his own. The Sundance Kid owed enough of his characterization to Kid Colt and Rawhide Kid to be considered kin. 
BUTCH CASSIDY Skywald apparently felt Butch Cassidy was tough enough to handle a series of his own without a need to be given a test run in either Blazing Six-Guns or Wild Western Action, Skywald’s Western anthology comics. While Butch and Sundance never headlined together (they were both given new sidekicks/partners in their separate series), The Sundance Kid did put in an appearance in the third (and final) issue of Butch Cassidy.
BLAZING SIX-GUNSSupporting The Sundance Kid in the Blazing Six-Guns comic anthology were Doc Holiday, Geronimo, Wyatt Earp, and The Red Mask (otherwise known as The Crimson Cavalier, and who should have had a series of his own).
WILD WESTERN ACTIONThe backup features to The Bravados in Wild Western Action included tales spotlighting Rio Vegas, Billy Nevada, and The Durango Kid.
September 30, 2018
September 29, 2018
RIP—GEORGE SYNDER
RIP—GEORGE SYNDERIn early September, men’s adventure writer George Snyder passed away. He was discovered on his boat after suffering a major stroke. He was transported to a hospital and later, in fulfillment of his specific end of life directive, to a hospice where he left this life dancing to his own drummer as he had done for all of his 80 years. 
I only met George once at a writers conference where we were both speaking. We immediately hit it off and I was able to tell him I felt his Operation Hang Ten series (written as Patrick Morgan) was a classic of the genre. He laughed when I told him all ten paperback originals in the series still resided on my bookshelves while many other similar series had long been relegated to the Friends of the Library.
Over the next couple of years we conversed via email and traded new books and reviews. Recently, I had applauded and promoted his success as he moved into the Western genre. While our relationship was in the vague area between acquaintance and long-term friendship, I felt a surprising loss when I heard the news of his death. I wanted to know him better, but now it was too late.
In July of this year, he wrote: I started writing my next western, Stealing Sarah’s Gold, part of the Hawkstone series aimed at Black Horse Westerns written under my George Arthur handle. That will be followed by another stand-alone western, Outlaw Canyon. Next, I still have fill-in work for the big western, Ride The Long Trail which is too long and eventful for a publisher. I’ll likely have to bring it out myself independent. Then, finally, I’ll get to the next Logan Sand crime action adventure novel, Hard Trouble (likely early next year). Other stuff is happening too. In August my western, Open Range Fury will be released by Black Horse Western. In September comes the audio for Dry Gulch Outlaws, and December another Hawkstone, Tracking Apache Joe also from Black Horse. They are also looking at another western of mine. It is good to be writing again. I’ve determined that as an introvert without much personality and little social life writing is not something I do—a writer is what I am.
When I am between novels I always get in a funk. Usually. I swing from the last one to the next. While I have an idea how the next one will spread out, I can't seem to get started. I know I'm writing too much, eight westerns and a crime novel so far in 2018. One major problem is I'm an introvert, some even say I don't like people at all. It seems I just want to be with my writing and reading. When the internal pressure builds too much I force myself on others. Not always good. One thing that helps is the core members of my Thursday writer critique group. They keep me pushing, not only to write, but to connect with those who don't, because I need that stimulation. And they kick my writing around enough to keep me from liking it too much. My soon-to-be released crime novel is dedicated to them.
Prolific, outspoken, an experienced sailor and motorcycle rider, writer, reader, and friend. The men’s adventure genre will miss him.
September 28, 2018
September 27, 2018
TV WESTERNS—THE LAZARUS MAN
TV WESTERNS THE LAZARUS MANScott Harris and I have begun work on 52 Weeks • 52 Western TV Shows, the sequel to 52 Weeks • 52 Western Novels and the just released 52 Weeks • 52 Western Movies. The issue is there were 39 new Western TV shows which premiere on the network schedules in 1959 alone, and that number didn’t even cover the Westerns already on the air. Clearly, having to choose 52 shows out of the hundreds that have aired over the history of television is a daunting task. Some shows deserving of attention are unfortunately going to be left on the cutting room floor. To partially remedy the situation, I’m going to be taking a look at some of the shows that won’t make it into 52 Weeks • 52 Western TV Shows, but are deserving of honorable mention. In this format, I’ll also have more room to feature many of the TV tie-in books, comics, and collectibles from each of the shows. Next up...
LAZARUS MAN STARRING ROBERT URICH 20 SIXTY MINUTE EPISODES JANUARY 1996—NOVEMBER 1996 Something has happened to me which I do not understand. All I know for certain is I am alive. How I got here? Who I am? I do not know, but I must've seen or done something, something terrible to be buried alive, to be left for dead. I can remember nothing of my life, my friends or my enemies, but the key to my identity lies somewhere out there. I will search until I find the man I was...and hope to be again.
In the fall of 1865, shortly after the end of the Civil War, an amnesiac claws his way out of a shallow grave outside the town of San Sebastian, Texas. He is wearing a Confederate uniform and carrying a U.S. Army revolver. His one haunted memory is of being attacked by a man wearing a derby. Taking the name Lazarus—after the man Jesus resurrected from the dead—he sets out to discover his true identity and the reason why he was buried alive. Along the he runs into people who still want to kill him, and begins to regain fragments of memory about the night President Lincoln was killed—and the possibility he was in on the plot.
Near the end of the series, Lazarus is revealed to be James Cathcart, a captain in the US Army and a member of President Abraham Lincoln's personal bodyguard detail. The memories plaguing are from the night of April 14, 1865, when Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre. Cathcart, realized the President was in danger and ran to stop the assassin. However, he was attacked from behind by his superior, the treasonous Major Talley, who wanted to see Lincoln dead.
Starring the eminently likeable Robert Urich, the first season of The Lazarus Man ranked high enough in the ratings for TNT to order a second season. Urich was a veteran of numerous movies and TV series, including starring in the private eye series Spenser based on the bestselling novels by Robert B. Parker. He was also a recipient of a Golden Boot Award for his work in Western television series and films.
In late 1996, before filming resumed for season two, Urich was diagnosed with synovial cell sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Despite having TNT’s order for the second season in hand, Castle Rock Entertainment (the show’s production company) decided to not to proceed and refused to pay Urich the $1.47 million he was due for the second season. Urich sued for breach of contract, stating he was indeed undergoing cancer treatments, but never informed Castle Rock he would be unable to fulfill his performance contract.
Urich persisted in receiving treatment for his illness while working to raise money for cancer research. In 1998, he was declared cancer and returned to TV in the UPN series, Love Boat: The Next Wave. In 2000, he made his Broadway debut as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago. His last role was in the NBC sitcom Emeril in 2001, as in the autumn of that year, his cancer returned. He died at age 55. The Lazarus Man had a lot of potential before it was given short shrift by Castle Rock. There was also the interesting parallel of Urich’s own resurrection from his first cancer diagnosis as he truly carried the story of a man raised from the dead on his own shoulders and charisma.
In February, 2018, The Lazarus Man: The Complete Series was released on DVD via the Warner Archive Collection.
