Originally the Doc Savage reflections appeared on Jess Terrell’s Facebook News page: Pulp Heroes: Doc Savage / The Spider / Holmes / Tarzan / Jane / G-8
Introduction
I find that I’m rereading material that I have read before in my life. One of my teenage dreams was to own all the original Doc Savage Stories. Mid-Summer 2020 during Covid 19, I achieved that dream finally owning all 181 original stories. Doc was the predecessor to both Superman and Batman and cousin to Tarzan. Philip Jose Farmer will connect Tarzan to a myriad of fictional characters throughout literature history.
Now that I owned the 181 it has become time to read them. Some have been read before, some have been read about but the plan now is to read them in publication order. Reality says this might be a 10 year project but who knows. As I am revisiting my childhood, teen years and my drinking years, I decided to do something more. This is the start of book reflections putting words to the thoughts and ideas of this particular adventure.
Man of Bronze by Kenneth Robeson/Lester Dent
Original Publishing- March 1933
Cover- Walter Baumhofer
Reading copy- Bantam #1
Cover-James Bama
This is the first, the introduction, the story that starts the legend. Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze and his faithful Five are introduced. Doc with his bronze hued and water repellent skin gets thrown into his first official adventure with the assassination of his father. As we run through the adventure first set in New York and then in the country of Hildalgo, we learn that Doc has been trained since birth to help people. Included in this training was medicine hence “Doc” Savage and other scientific fields of study. No matter where he is at, Doc spends 2 hours each day doing his training regimen. This regimen is a mixture of isometric exercises, listening to sound frequencies, smelling a myriad of odors plus complex mathematical or chemical equations in his head. All this combines to make Doc the perfect human specimen.
His aides include Monk, world renown chemist who has gorilla like features but is also a ladies man. Ham, sartorial dressed lawyer who always carries his cane with a sword concealed in it. Renny, famous engineer with a predilection for punching door panels with his ham sized fist. Long Tom, electrical wizard who appears sickly against the other aides but can hold his own in a fight. Last is Johnny archeologist/geologist who has one bad eye and will eventually be known for using big words when he can.
The story sets up the origin and explanation for Doc’s unlimited funding for all his further adventures. It also allows him to keep away from being a corporate stooge. I’m writing this particular review a few months after reading the first story. In reflection it is functional as an introduction but some Doc elements haven’t quite been established with this first story. Doc is fairly ruthless in dealing with the bad guys using lethal methods with some regularity. The red nails of the natives of Hidalgo seem to stick with the memory. Although Johnny was the man of big words I don’t recall the use of them just yet.
Part of the fun of reading these in publishing order is seeing how the characters and tone of the stories change. It is a reflection of Lester Dent, the main writer of these stories, and his evolution as a writer. It also reflects the times of the stories and even the pressures of the publishers.
As said above is the iconic Doc Savage story. Walter Baumhoer’’s style launching the pulp magazine and James Bama using model Steve Holland launching the Bantam reprints. While the Shadow was the most successful of the pulp magazines, Doc Savage was the most successful of the paperback resurgence of pulp characters.
The first story is action packed, setting up a pattern of action in New York, action in transit, action in an exotic locale. Being the first story, Dent was focused on acquainting the reader with Doc and his crew. While it may not be the best Doc story, it holds its place with fans since it is the one that started it all. A must read for any one interested in the phenomenon that was Doc Savage.