The great French character Fantomas- an archetypal villain and master of disguise from the cliffhanger serials by Feuillade- was the object of fascination by a number of avant-garde artists and writers in the early part of the 20th Century. The original pre-WWI films, along with the director's Judex and Les Vampires, established the template for future cinematic diabolical masterminds and espionage/crime thrillers. Fantomas was resurrected a number of times over the decades, through literature, film, and comics. Spy Vibers may best remember the character from the trilogy of French crime comedies in the 1960s starring Jean Marais. Artist Rene Magritte often drew on images of the character in his work, which I find to be a fascinating connection. My friend, cartoonist Richard Sala, put this image on my radar today (see below). I love how the the piece celebrates and plays with the costume design of the mysterious figure in black. You can just about hear an evil laugh worthy of John Phillip Law's Diabolik. Also below are a few additional Magritte/Fantomas images that pay homage to film scenes and the original novel cover design: Enjoy! Related Spy Vibe posts: Fantomas Design, Flying Citroen DS, Fantomas comics 1, Fantomas comics 2, Fantomas Kindle Collection, Diabolikal Villain Archive, Fantomas Blu-ray, Prada Villains, Catsuits, Les Vampires Blu-ray, Fantomas Kindle, Les Vampires, Macabre Mystery Week, Richard Sala.
All relationships have their greatness, however long of brief. To the one and only Mrs. Bond, and to all the Spy Vibers out there. Happy Valentine's Day!
One of the most exciting events of last year was the discovery of the missing season one episode of The Avengers, The Tunnel of Fear. As Spy Vibers probably are aware, many programs in the UK, including The Avengers and Doctor Who, were routinely wiped so the studio could save money by reusing the tapes. Media archeologists and conservationists are always on the hunt to find materials and, against all odds, long-lost bits of film still turn up sometimes. Nobody expected to see early Avengers unearthed, that's for sure! With this new discover, Avengers scholar Alan Hayes has released revised edition of his book, Two Against the Underworld. The book is an in-depth guide to season one of the series. Spy Vibers can pick it up in paperback, hardcover, and ebook editions. More info at Hidden Tiger Books at Lulu. Also available on the site is Avengerworld, an omnibus celebration of The Avengers (I wrote the Afterword). More about Two Against the Underworld from the press release: "Two Against the Underworld brings together eight years of research to tell the story of The Avengers from both sides of the camera. It has now been further revised following the recovery of the episode Tunnel of Fear. The authors lift the lid on all 26 Series 1 episodes. Comprehensive chapters detail the narratives in extended synopsis form, as well as the production, transmission and reception of each episode, and the talented personnel who made them. The creation of The Avengers, Ian Hendry's departure, the series’ destiny and the mystery of the missing episodes are explored in a series of essays, each of which has been revised. Avengers writer Roger Marshall and Neil Hendry both contribute forewords to this volume. The book also boasts black-and-white illustrations by Shaqui Le Vesconte and 70 pages of appendices that deal in depth with the unproduced episodes of Series 1, Keel and Steed’s further adventures in the comic strip The Drug Pedlar and the novel Too Many Targets, and much more." Orders put in by midnight UK time (Sunday, Feb 12th 2017) can save 15% by entering the code FWD15. You can also get free shipping by using the code SHIPFEB17. Enjoy! Read Alan's review on Spy Vibe of The Prisoner audio dramas by Big Finish. Related posts: Avengers Pop Art Interview, Diana Rigg Auto Show,Avengers Interview: Alan Hayes, Jaz Wiseman Interview, Avengers Interview: Mike Richardson, Casino Royale Interview: Mike Richardson, The Saint Interview: Ian Dickerson, Avengers Interview: Rodney Marshall, Avengers Interview Rodney Marshall 2, John Buss Interview, Farewell Steed, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Lost Diana Rigg Interview, Diana Rigg BFI Screening, Avengers Season 5 Titles, The Avengers Sing, Lost Avengers Vol 2-7, Richard Sala Interview: Super Enigmatix, Adventures of Richard Sala Interview.
When the UK classic Danger Mouse cartoon from the early 1980s got a relaunch in 2015 I couldn't wait to catch up with one of my favorite spy characters from my youth. The original show was filled with humor, puns, and some marvelous nods to 1960s spies. The title, of course, is a comical twist on Danger Man starring Patrick McGoohan (titled Secret Agent in the US). Although I haven't been quite as taken with the roboot, the episodes I saw on Netflix clearly showed efforts to recapture the charm of the original. Fifty episodes were produced so far and it was announced last May that a second season had been commissioned. Much of the first season has been relapsed on region 2 DVDs. Both the 1981 and 2015 series are streaming in Netflix. One thing I did not expect from the new cartoon was merchandising. and I'm happy to report that a recent trip to the local Toys R Us left me pleasantly surprised. Just as I was leaving the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles aisle, there was Danger Mouse- sporting his white jumpsuit and ready for adventure. In addition to various puzzles and card games, fans (and kids!) can enjoy talking and plush figures, a role-play costume kit, shrinkatizer ray gun, as well as a number of DM figures with accessaries. Spy Vibers can also find these items at Amazon and on-line toy outlets. Here are a few images that caught my eye. Learn more at Danger Mouse and Spy Vibe. Enjoy!
Prada's Fall 2012 show featured a diabolical collection of East German-inspired fashions. Donning the guise of villains, a number of A-list stars stopped the show with a maniacal catwalk strut worthy of the best 007 baddies. In the world of 007 movies, of course, evil masterminds have traditionally worn Nehru suits (see Spy Vibe's spotlight HERE), but these long frocks, reminiscent of military topcoats and trench coats, gave the collection a great vintage, formal vibe. Apparently many of the fabrics were not traditional (like denim), mixing the contemporary and past into what Miuccia Prada intended as a "parody of male power". Between the dramatic piano soundtrack chosen by Prada, the fur-like collars, and thick round glasses, the designs harkened back to the early part of the 20th Century. These brooding dudes would have been perfect in a Feuillade serial like Fantomas or Judex, on the set of a gothic horror, or hatching fiendish plots in a steampunk thriller. Gary Oldman, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brodie and other stars appear around 7:50 in the video below. Enjoy!
When I covered the 1960s spy issues of Archie Comics (Archie, Cold War Archie, R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E.), I focused mainly on issues of Archie and Life With Archie, which famously payed homage to James Bond and spoofed The Man From U.N.C.L.E. series. So it was a cool surprise the other day when this issue of Pep crossed by radar via the groovy efforts of my pal, Jhalal Drut. This 1966 cover of issue #190 sports a number of wonderful gags and references to the spy boom. As Archie and friends lounge around in trench coats, Jughead sips quietly from the "Goldfinger Punch" bowl. The "U.N.C.L.E. File" cabinet includes drawers for Top Secrets and Bottom Secrets. And the red phone is "tapped by agent 007 1/2." If they had chosen "003 1/2" they would have achieved an even deeper level of appreciation from Bond collectors. It's curious that the couch has sleek lines and bold red fabric (to match the publication's masthead), but the curved feet and trim looks pretty Victorian. Pep also included pinups that now serve as fun time capsules spotlighting Mod fashions. Enjoy!
New release: Department S (1969-1970) Blu-ray. UK distributor Network has announced the release of Blu-ray volumes of the classic ITC program, Department S, starting next month! This imaginative series was the brainchild of Dennis Spooner (The Avengers, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Doctor Who, Thunderbirds, The Baron, Man in a Suitcase, The Champions, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), UFO) and Monty Berman (The Saint, The Baron, The Champions, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Adventurer) and focused on stories about international investigations that fell outside the norm. "When a case proves too baffling for the minds of Interpol, they turn to the talents of Department S," declared the opening tagline. Featuring a trio of experts, the series famously became a vehicle for the wonderful Peter Wyngarde (The Avengers, The Prisoner, Jason King) and a launching pad for his character, Jason King. Contributing writers included Dalek-creator Terry Nation (Doctor Who, The Avengers, The Saint, The Baron, The Champions, The Persuaders). This team of stellar talent did not disappoint! From the press release: "This cult ITC series stars Peter Wyngarde as flamboyant, dandified novelist Jason King – who uses his overactive imagination and droll wit to help solve the most difficult of cases – Joel Fabiani as no-nonsense "action man" Stewart Sullivan and Rosemary Nicols as gorgeous computer expert Annabelle Hurst. Newly remastered in HD from the original 35mm film elements for this Blu-ray edition, Department S has never looked better!" Vol 1 includes: The Man in the Elegant Room, The Pied Piper of Hambledown, A Cellar Full of Science, and The Trojan Tanker. As with Network's Blu-ray release of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), pre-orders are now open for Vol 1, and they will release 5 more discs in the series as they are produced. I expect Network will also offer a slipcase at the end for collectors to house their total 6 discs. Volume 1 orders should be dispatched by February 27th. Spy Vibers in the States should take note: these are Region B discs and will require an all-region player. More info at Network. Trailer below. Enjoy!
