SPY SMASHER

Serial Squadron has announced they are working on a new restoration of the classic cliffhanger serial, Spy Smasher. The character started out in the pages of Fawcett's Whiz Comics (where Captain Marvel was originally published), and focussed on a master detective who used wits, brawn, and gadgetry (including a Gyrosub) to fight evildoers. Republic Pictures produced a twelve-chapter serial starring Kane Richmond as the title character (and his twin brother). Production began in December of 1941, just before the alliance between the Allies was formalized (on January 1, 1942) during WWII. Consequently, the character Spy Smasher acted as an independent agent to thwart a Nazi baddie called The Mask, who operated from an offshore submarine. The Mask's schemes included trying to destroy the economy with counterfeit money and sabotaging aircraft, oil, and munitions. Spy Smasher's Gyrosub was changed to the memorable "Bat Plane", a v-shaped flying wing. Released over 12 chapters, movie goers saw the theatrical debut of Spy Smasher on April 4th, 1942. An abridged version was later cut for TV release in 1966 as Spy Smasher Returns. Serial Squadron hopes to release the DVD this fall, and depending on resolution, may also offer a Blu-ray edition. Stay tuned! And check out Spy Vibe's episodes on Cocktail Nation radio: Episode #1 (Danger Man) and Episode #2 (The 10th Victim), Epsiode #3 (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), Episode #4 (Roger Moore/The Saint), and Episode #5 (The Avengers), Episode #6 (The Prisoner), and Episode #7 (The Ipcress File), Episode #8 (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.), Spy Vibe Radio: UFO, Spy Vibe Radio: Danger Diabolik, and Spy Vibe Radio: Peter Gunn. Enjoy!

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Spy Vibe Radio: Peter Gunn, Agent Zero M, New Prisoner Comic, Dr. No Villains Edition,  Spy Vibe Radio: Danger Diabolik, Dr. No 60th, Oy-Oy-Seven, Spy Vibe Radio (UFO), Cold War Comic Strips, Thunderball Event, Mission to India, Mort Walker Celebration,  Peter Wyngarde Celebration, Batman 66 Exhibit, Prisoner Fifty Event, Ian Fleming Publications 2017-2018, Interview: Ed Hulse Pulp, Avengers Audio Drama, Interview: Callan At 50, Interview: Playboys, Spies, Private Eyes, TWA Returns, Spy Vibe Radio 8, Interview: Ryan Heshka, Mid-Century Modern Schulz, Agent Werewolf, Mata Hair Exhibit, Johnny Sokko 50th, Interview: Trina Robbins, Eddie Izzard, The Prisoner Capt Scarlet 50th, Hugh Hefner R.I.P., Jack Good R.I.P., Interview: Shaken Not Stirred, Callan 50th, Spy Vibe Radio 7, The Prisoner 50th Event, Spy-Fi Event, Kaho Aso 007, Two Million, Bo Diddley, Carnaby Pop, Le Carre Events, Billy Bragg Skiffle, Elvis 68, Jack Kirby The Prisoner, Casino Royale Concert, Review: The Prisoner Vol 2, Interview: The Prisoner Essential Guide, Maud Russell Mottisfont, Spy Vibe Radio 4, Batman Gallants, Adam West R.I.P., Village Triangle, Roger Moore R.I.P., Spy Vibe Radio 3, Sgt Pepper 50th, Satanik Kriminal OST, 60s Overdrive, Make Love in London, Spy Vibe Radio 2, Spy Vibe Radio 1, James Bond Strips, Propaganda Mabuse, Interview: Police Surgeon, XTC Avengers, 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview: Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review.

THIRD NINJA

Happy Friday, Spy Vibers! It's been one of those busy teaching weeks for me. My filmmakers and photographers are starting new projects, the drawing and design kids are looking at Pop Surrealism, and my Beatles class just passed the White Album and Let it Be and are rounding toward Abbey Road. This is to say, I haven't been able to update daily as I always hope to do, but hopefully it gave readers time to absorb our tribute to Peter Wyngarde (Jason King) and check out his amazing career. There have been a few items that crossed my radar lately that I hope to explore in depth soon. There is talk of a new show based on the original Avengers series. and Tom Cruise just announced his next Mission Impossible film will be called Mission Impossible: Fallout. So very few projects based on 1960s properties actually work, so I remain cautiously optimistic. More on these later. With very little time lately to explore and research, I have been looking at some very cool items from sixties Japan. Today I just want to spotlight The Third Ninja (Daisan no Ninja).  Ninja films in general are interesting because their action is rooted in intrigue, espionage, sabotage, and assassination- think James Bond in a black hood. Just as producers in the US were looking back into history as a stage for hero/adventure stories in the guise of Westerns during the early Cold War, so did Japanese creators find inspiration in tales of Samurai and, more to our focus, Ninja. As our own Westerns went back to the early days of serialized fiction, silent films, radio, and the Pulps, Ninja sagas had also been popular for decades. But a bonafide Ninja boom sparked in Japan with the launch of the Sinobi no Mono series. Fans have likened the rise in popularity to Dr. No, which launched the ever-growing Bond franchise and its many spinoffs. One of the great films riding the Ninja wave was The Third Ninja (Daisan no Ninja), which arrived on the big screen in March, 1964. The story revolved around a web of 16th Century Ninja caught in the middle of intrigue and conflict between Takeda Shingen and Oda Nobunaga. But simply put, the movie was a dynamic whirlwind of cinematic scenes portraying cool conventions like battles with gadgets, throwing stars, and swords, booby traps, daring escapes, and Ninja skills. Some of the wire-action was less effective, but fun nonetheless. And every time a character made a slo-mo leap through the air, I found myself listening for the Six-Million Dollar Man sound effect. In this scene below, we see a very cool (and tricky) infiltration over a nightingale floor, classic battles in tall grass, and super climax fight with throwing stars in a nighttime garden. The movie also has beautiful Noirish cinematography. Check it out. Enjoy!

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Peter Wyngarde Celebration, Batman 66 Exhibit, Prisoner Fifty Event, Ian Fleming Publications 2017-2018, Interview: Ed Hulse Pulp, Avengers Audio Drama, Interview: Callan At 50, Interview: Playboys, Spies, Private Eyes, TWA Returns, Spy Vibe Radio 8, Interview: Ryan Heshka, Mid-Century Modern Schulz, Agent Werewolf, Mata Hair Exhibit, Johnny Sokko 50th, Interview: Trina Robbins, Eddie Izzard, The Prisoner Capt Scarlet 50th, Hugh Hefner R.I.P., Jack Good R.I.P., Interview: Shaken Not Stirred, Callan 50th, Spy Vibe Radio 7, The Prisoner 50th Event, Spy-Fi Event, Kaho Aso 007, Two Million, Bo Diddley, Carnaby Pop, Le Carre Events, Billy Bragg Skiffle, Elvis 68, Jack Kirby The Prisoner, Casino Royale Concert, Review: The Prisoner Vol 2, Interview: The Prisoner Essential Guide, Maud Russell Mottisfont, Spy Vibe Radio 4, Batman Gallants, Adam West R.I.P., Village Triangle, Roger Moore R.I.P., Spy Vibe Radio 3, Sgt Pepper 50th, Satanik Kriminal OST, 60s Overdrive, Make Love in London, Spy Vibe Radio 2, Spy Vibe Radio 1, James Bond Strips, Propaganda Mabuse, Interview: Police Surgeon, XTC Avengers, 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview: Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review.

SABOTAGE BLU-RAY

New release: Alfred Hitchcock famously spoke about the difference between horror and suspense. To paraphrase his description, horror is when you show a couple at a restaurant and then a bomb under the table suddenly blows everyone up. Suspense is when you show the couple; then show the ticking bomb; then show the couple talking for five minutes about baseball or something mundane; the whole time we're thinking, 'look under the table. look out!" But they keeping talking! At the last minute they look and diffuse the bomb. Then you can start building up the next moment of suspense. But, he added, you should never let the bomb go off. The master of suspense famously broke his rule in one of his early great films, Sabotage (1936). Based on Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent, the film centers around a small movie house in London and a family who become entangled in a web of European saboteurs. Spy Vibers may remember the film contains excerpts from Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon, Who Killed Cock Robin, in a wonderful subtext of emotion and danger. Chilling and masterfully filmed, Sabotage was one of the first Hitchcock movies I ever saw. I went through a period as a kid when I would ride the train over to the Greenwich Library and their film librarian would set up the projector and run movies for me. He showed me all the early Hitchcock films and was one of the people who influenced me to become a film programmer, teacher, and media historian. I later learned, when I was working on my Mort Walker Conversations book, that Brian Walker (Hi and Lois) had a similar experience with that same librarian ten years before me. I wrote to the Greenwich Library once and he was still there! In fact, he said I should stop by on their movie nights if I was ever back in the area. But back to Hitchcock. Sabotage is getting a loving Blu-ray transfer from the original film elements by UK distributer Network! Special features include an introduction by Charles Barr, an On Location featurette, and Image Gallery. More info at AmazonUK and Network. I'm particularly interested to see the print because we've had to endure decades of public domain DVDs that suffered from really muffled sound and poor picture quality. The Blu-ray release date is June 1st and will be a Region-B disc (Spy Vibers in the States will require a region-free player). Another cool treasure to re-explore and look forward to! Enjoy!

Selected Spy Vibe posts: John Buss interview, Diana Rigg eBook, Avengers Season 5 Titles, Saint Volvo, Mod Tales Interview, Agente Secreto Comics, Danger Man Comics 2, Danger Man Comics, John Drake Comics, Der Mann Von UNCLE, Golden Margaret Nolan, Man From UNCLE Rocksteady, Pussy Galore Calypso, Cynthia Lennon R.I.P., Edward Mann Fashion, Leonard Nimoy Tribute, Shatner at 84, Bob Morane series, New Saint Publications, The Saint Complete box set, Gerry Anderson Box Sets, Music For Spies, Thai Bond Design, Brian Clemens RIP, Bond vs Modernism, Imitation Game, New Avengers Books, Ringo Does Goldfinger, Sixties Beat Wear, Popular Skullture, Art of Modesty, Avengers Blu-ray update, Tokyo Beat 1964, Polaroid Spy, Feraud Mod Fashion, Flint Scores!, Bond Danish, New Richard Sala Book, New 007 Comics, Designing Bond Books, Green Hornet Manga, Margaret Nolan Art, No 6 Festival, Barbarella Returns, Designer: Gene Winfield, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Rare Avengers Scripts, Man From Uncle UK Comics, Thunderbirds Comics, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Avengers Book: Bowler Hats & Kinky Boots, George Lois Design & Mad Men, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, The Saint books return, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.