If action films have taught me anything, it is to steer clear of rope bridges. I have seen many flicks where characters try to cross a rope bridge of one kind or another, and it always leads to disaster. If the thing doesn't break apart on its own when they are half way through, someone else will deliberately destroy it - they never stay intact! While some people may scream for their heroes not to go downstairs in horror flicks, I yell at the screen telling the heroes to stay away from rope bridges in action movies!
Two of my favorites...nicely done!
ReplyDeleteYeah, but usually they have no choice.
ReplyDeleteGreat cover, Ross. One of the things I love most about the Phantom is that his stories can take place in so many different time periods. He's the ultimate legacy hero. I would love to see him team up with the Lone Ranger and Tonto some day. A Phantom/Shadow team-up would be very cool as well.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, have you ever seen the excellent The Man Who Would Be King? That movie has one of the greatest rope bridge scenes ever.
When I watch old spy movies, I always yell at the scene where one of the minor Good Guys tries to call for help from a glass phone booth.
ReplyDeleteI yell: "No! Don't go in there!! You'll get run over by a black sedan while waiting for the rotary dial tone!!!"
Sure enough...
P.S.---this would make a great prequel to STF #974. The ones who sabotaged the rope bridge could be members of the Seng Pirate Brotherhood out to discover some ancient Bengali treasure trove ahead of an archaeological expedition led by Wm. Harper Littlejohn. But, of course, at the end of part 1, everybody discovers a hidden chamber full of certain leathery eggs.
ReplyDeleteIt's not always nature or bad guys who destroy the rope bridge.
ReplyDelete"Hang on, Lady! We going for a ride!"
(My favorite line from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.)
I agree about legacy heros. You could have a series with the Phantom and various incarnations of Hawkman and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman.
ReplyDeleteAnd in the legacy vein, the Phantom could find a plot that leads him to England and his old frenemy Allan Quartermain, which leads him to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
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ReplyDeleteIn the "Great Minds Think Alike" department, you might get a kick out of the Doc Savage Fantasy Cover Gallery site, which has mock-ups of covers for imaginary Doc Savage paperbacks, many of which feature team-ups/crossovers, including this one:
ReplyDeletehttp://docfantasycovers.com/242_Doc-BACK.html
These two heroes heavily influenced the creation of Superman and Batman. Doc Savage was "Man of Bronze" before the "Man of Steel". He also had a Fortress of Solitude first. The Phantom did the tights and cowl before Batman. He also operated out of a cave. Dick Tracy and Zorro also inspired Batman.
ReplyDeleteJust clicked on the links for Phantom and for Doc Savage. Each of them has had a lot of great team-up covers on here! 'Bout time they got together. :)
ReplyDeleteI just read one of Doc's novels last week -- Death in Silver. We don't usually think of Doc as an influence on Batman but it was all there -- the vest full of pockets of gadgets (rope with grappling hook, concussion and smoke bombs, all kinds of other tricks), the souped up car (and submarine!), the master of disguise and expert and close combat, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso: growing up, one of my favorite book series was The Three Investigators. They had great covers and usually interior art as well. I see you haven't teamed them up with anyone yet. Maybe it's time?
ReplyDeleteDave - yes I have sen those Doc Savage covers before, some really cool ones in there!
ReplyDeleteDr. Otr - I have to confess I have never heard of The Three Investigators before.
Dr. Otr, weren't the Three Investigators also tied in to Alfred Hitchcock in some kind of way?
ReplyDeleteDr. OTR - The Three Investigators were also favorites of mine when I was a kid. I still want a secret headquarters in a junkyard.
ReplyDeleteTJW - Yes, the series was originally "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators." Each book had an introduction supposedly written by Hitchcock, whom they met in the first book, and in the final chapter of each book, they would meet with Hitchcock and tell him about the adventure, while at the same time tying up any loose ends about the mystery for the reader. That lasted from 1964 until Hitchcock's death in 1980. After that, they met a (fictional) private detective named Hector Sebastian, who thereafter functioned in the same role that Hitchcock had filled in the series. And at some point after that, the earlier books were rewritten to replace Hitchcock with the fictional Sebastian, but I had stopped reading them by that point.
Dear Ross: you could always simulate a cover where Sean Connery and Colin Firth are competing to recruit the 3 Investigators! The former, into the Bondsmen; the latter, into the Kingsmen.
ReplyDeleteGreat!!!
ReplyDelete@Anonymous & D-F: Even greater would be the Bondsmen vs. The Kingsmen!
ReplyDeleteI still have all my Three Investigators books from the 1960s. Terrific series, not widely remembered.
ReplyDeleteMore so than "Chris Cool, T.E.E.N. Agent."
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