BORDER PATROL: Hoppy with George Reeves and Robert Mitchum (1943)

Forgotten Books: CODE NAME GADGET by Peter Rabe (1967)

This third and final book in the Manny DeWitt series looks more like a spy novel than the first two. This was 1967, spies were big, and I have to think Gold Medal was wishing this was a spy book and wanted would-be buyers to think so. And yeah, there are some spooks in it, sniffing around after the "gadget" of the title, but Our Man Manny is definitely not a spy. He doesn't think like one, doesn't act like one, and doesn't narrate his adventures like one. 

DeWitt thinks, acts and narrates like no one I've encountered before. He's a lawyer who is amused with life, but perpetually annoyed with the people and problems it throws at him. That amusement manifests itself in a lot of wry, clever and nicely crafted narration. As for the people who annoy him most, the chauffeur/smart ass dwarf in The Spy Who Was Three Feet Tall and the pilot/chauffeur/lecher in this novel, they annoyed me too. And his problems? They are in due in large part to his boss (another annoying character), who withholds vital information when sending him on assignments, for no reason other than eccentricity. DeWitt's sidekick in this one reminds me of the perpetually drunk guys who both assist and annoy Rex McBride and other Cleve F. Adams heroes. The difference is that Adams was able to rein them in, so that they annoyed only the hero. 

On the plus side, DeWitt's adventures take him to many interesting locales (in this case Honduras, Ireland, London, New York, Chicago and Tennessee), and Rabe's prose is consistently fine. If you're in the right frame of mind for DeWitt's attitude and humor, and have the patience to let the story unfold, you might find this to be a great read.  

The Stark House Press Manny DeWitt Omnibus is now officially available. I talked about Girl in a Big Brass Bed HERE, and The Spy Who Was 3 Feet Tall HERE. 

Paperback Gallery: FRANK FRAZETTA

Hear it Here: The Sounds of the SILLY SURFERS and the WEIRD-OHS (1964)

In 1963, inspired by Revel''s success with a model kit of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's; Rat Fink, the Hawk Model Company began its line of Weird-Ohs and Silly Surfers. And after Allan Sherman recorded a song about Rat Fink, Hawk answered with a whole album of tunes about their own characters. This is, as it says on the label, "Music to Make Models By." The music on Side A, the album jacket says, is performed by "The Silly Surfers with Shary Richards, and Side B is credited to "The Weird-Ohs with Shary Richards." Surprisingly, some of these songs don't stink. Give them a a listen and see. 

Near as I can tell, Hawk never issued models of "Cowabunga Surf's Up" or "Gremmie Out of Control." Did they ever intend to? Beats me. Here are pics I grabbed off the 'net of the others. As you'll see, the skill and imagination of each individual modeler has a big impact on the result.

Woodie on a Surfari

Beach Bunny Catchin' Rays

Hodad Makin' the Scene with a Six-Pack

Hot-Dogger Hangin' Ten

Digger

Drag Hag

Endsville Eddie

Huey's Hut Rod

Daddy

Davey

ELLERY QUEEN Comics: "The Chain Letter Murders" (1952)

Here's another story from Mike Britt's favorite website (and fast becoming one of mine), comicbookplus.com.  This one is from the first Ziff-Davis issue of Ellery Queen, from Spring 1952. Thanks to "fett" for uploading it to the site. Don't know who did the art for this one, but I like it - especially the inks. 

The cover above is by the great Norman Saunders.

Pulp Gallery: DOC SAVAGE (1936)

Hear it here: PONDEROSA PARTY TIME! (1962)

This 1962 LP was, I believe, the first appearance of any of the Bonanza gang on record. They followed up with a similar effort called "Christmas on the Ponderosa." Lorne Greene went on to record several albums of his own. Pernell Roberts did an album of folk songs. Dan Blocker released two talkers, one on his own called "Tales for Young 'Uns," and another with singer/actor John Mitchum (brother of Robert). Michael Landon did a couple of singles as an attempted teen idol. Some reviewers think this album is silly. I found it better than expected. You Be Da Judge.