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Shadow Justice: Classic and New Tales of Pulp Magazine Costumed Heroes
FREE! A thrilling collection. Golden Age and contemporary pulp magazine masked heroes and villains face off in this unique new book. Go into action with Johnston McCulley’s The Green Ghost, Charles Lee Jackson II’s The Emperor, G. Wayman Jones’ Mr. Death, Owen Fox Jerome’s The Shadowsmith, Charles Lee Jackson II’s Fireball, Frank Johnson’s The Crimson Mask, William Glass’ The Reaper. Don't miss thes exploits of the denizens of the pulp magazines who concealed their identities to battle evil. Shadow Justice is a unique anthology offering a sampler of their thrills, featuring both legendary characters and newer ones inspired by those of the long ago knights of the pulpwood page. Absolutely FREE!
249 pages, Kindle Edition
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About the author
Johnston McCulley
246 books81 followersJohnston McCulley (February 2, 1883 – November 23, 1958) was the author of hundreds of stories, fifty novels, numerous screenplays for film and television, and the creator of the character Zorro.
Many of his novels and stories were written under the pseudonyms Harrington Strong, Raley Brien, George Drayne, Monica Morton, Rowena Raley, Frederic Phelps, Walter Pierson, and John Mack Stone, among others.
McCulley started as a police reporter for The Police Gazette and served as an Army public affairs officer during World War I. An amateur history buff, he went on to a career in pulp magazines and screenplays, often using a Southern California backdrop for his stories.
Aside from Zorro, McCulley created many other pulp characters, including Black Star, The Spider, The Mongoose, and Thubway Tham. Many of McCulley's characters — The Green Ghost, The Thunderbolt, and The Crimson Clown — were inspirations for the masked heroes that have appeared in popular culture from McCulley's time to the present day.
Born in Ottawa, Illinois, and raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, he died in 1958 in Los Angeles, California, aged 75. -wikipedia
Many of his novels and stories were written under the pseudonyms Harrington Strong, Raley Brien, George Drayne, Monica Morton, Rowena Raley, Frederic Phelps, Walter Pierson, and John Mack Stone, among others.
McCulley started as a police reporter for The Police Gazette and served as an Army public affairs officer during World War I. An amateur history buff, he went on to a career in pulp magazines and screenplays, often using a Southern California backdrop for his stories.
Aside from Zorro, McCulley created many other pulp characters, including Black Star, The Spider, The Mongoose, and Thubway Tham. Many of McCulley's characters — The Green Ghost, The Thunderbolt, and The Crimson Clown — were inspirations for the masked heroes that have appeared in popular culture from McCulley's time to the present day.
Born in Ottawa, Illinois, and raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, he died in 1958 in Los Angeles, California, aged 75. -wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 29, 2020
A fun anthology of pulp and neo-pulp fiction. There's a good Green Ghost story from Johnston McCulley.A number of stories from the "empire" universe of interconnected characters, and even a throwback pulp originally told in a Men's Sweat Mag. Even though they are all of the same sub-genre, the tales are satisfyingly different.
A great collection for the pulp or neo-pulp fan.
A great collection for the pulp or neo-pulp fan.
July 1, 2019
Shadow Justice
Subtitled “Classic and New Tales of Pulp Magazine Costumed Heroes”
Seven tales from the Golden Age of pulp crime fighters, generated by the rising crime rate during Prohibition and the Depression. It all started with The Shadow by Walter Gibson, based on an unused idea of Charles Dickens.
Most of the stories in this collection are from the 1930s, a product of their time. By that I mean you must always be aware that there may be casual racism, a dismissal of those who aren’t white males. There may be misappropriation of the cultures of others, offensive rendering of speech or habits. There could be coarse or offensive language or terminology as well. Not all the stories from this time will have these elements, but some may. It is always necessary to consider the attitudes of the surrounding society whether reading Doc Savage or Georgette Heyer or Mark Twain. It was a different age. It doesn’t make it right, but it was what it was. It also doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy the books and stories. It is always up to the reader how much they are willing to overlook, to forgive, to find too offensive to continue.
Many of these characters “inspired” the comic book heroes, particularly Batman. Stan Lee admitted that many elements of The Fantastic Four were based on Doc Savage, from the science wizardry of Reed Richard, ala Doc, to the constant bickering of the Thing and the Human Torch, so very Ham and Monk. Lee also admitted the influence of the pulps on Spiderman and Iron Man, both from The Spider stories.
There are typos in the preface, of all places, so be aware. They actually spelled Dickens’ name wrong!
I was lucky enough to pick this, and other collection sets, when it was free. As of the last time I checked this at Amazon, it was still free. Well worth the price! Sorry, couldn’t resist.
The Green Ghost: Murder Note by Johnston McCulley
(Published 1935) Danny Blaney, aka the Green Ghost, was too eager to bring down gang leader Rod Rordan, a member of the underworld who framed Danny when he was a police detective, disgracing him so much that he was forced from the department despite being found innocent of all charges. Because of that eagerness, he walks straight into a trap designed to end with the Ghost being arrested for murder. Somehow, I missed the Green Ghost when I was deep into pulp fiction, despite being aware of the author through his Zorro books. There were seven stories in the Green Ghost series. Blaney is bitter and determined that he will continue his fight against crime in his city, now through the wearing of a silk green hood and matching silk gloves to help disguise himself. He isn’t shy about using violence or seeing others use it for the greater good, such as Detective Sergeant Tim O’Hara. A decent read from start to finish. 3.5 out of 5.
Mr. Death Takes the Wheel by G. Wayman Jones
(Published 1939) Jimmy Gilmore became the masked crime fighter Mr. Death after the murder of his father. While the rest of the world still thought he was an idle young man about town, Jimmy methodically hunted and killed the men responsible. Now he is attempting to investigate the suspicious death of a crusading reporter while also keeping the man’s sister safe. Jimmy believes the same man is responsible for a blackmailing scheme. It takes several failed run-ins with the gang members before Jimmy can find the man at the top. Lots of this story’s background brings to mind the television series Arrow. I do wonder about Jimmy’s life before his father was murdered considering how talented he appears to be in regard to science and engineering. Even with a natural talent, it would take time to master the skills and knowledge involved. Jimmy is also a master of disguise as well as being extremely fit. The latter two are more easily explained. A remotely driven car is definitely outside the norm for that time period, but it was also a time of ambitious dreams of what could come in the future. Interesting to see the influence of the pulps in today’s fiction, both written and filmed. 3.5 out of 5.
The Emperor Runs the Gauntlet by Charles Lee Jackson II
(Published 1997) A 1930s type pulp set in modern times, aka mid to late 1990s, might work in the hands of a better writer. Maybe. But in this case, it is such a dud that I finally had to give up reading it. The author tries to be funny but isn’t. He misses by a mile. No, I misspeak, he misses by a planet! My reading came to a screeching halt thanks to this train wreck. What can I tell you about the story? It’s set in Hollywood. There are a group of friends led by an actor/director. DNF 1 out of 5 for what I did manage to read.
The Shadowsmith Investigates by Owen Fox Jerome (aka Oscar J. Friend)
(Published 1941) U.S. government agent codenamed Shadowsmith is called in to investigate the fourth plane crash of a new model, all from the same company. It started out so wonderfully. The description of the main character even gave me Phil Coulson feels. And then he disappeared into his cover, the focus was on another character, and I just sighed a lot. 3 out of 5.
I gave up after hitting a wall with the second Jackson story, leaving three short stories unread. Modern takes on pulp fiction just don't work for me. I much prefer the ones from the 30s and 40s. Over all, it was a 3 out of 5. Luckily it was a freebie from Amazon, so I don't feel too bad about giving up.
Subtitled “Classic and New Tales of Pulp Magazine Costumed Heroes”
Seven tales from the Golden Age of pulp crime fighters, generated by the rising crime rate during Prohibition and the Depression. It all started with The Shadow by Walter Gibson, based on an unused idea of Charles Dickens.
Most of the stories in this collection are from the 1930s, a product of their time. By that I mean you must always be aware that there may be casual racism, a dismissal of those who aren’t white males. There may be misappropriation of the cultures of others, offensive rendering of speech or habits. There could be coarse or offensive language or terminology as well. Not all the stories from this time will have these elements, but some may. It is always necessary to consider the attitudes of the surrounding society whether reading Doc Savage or Georgette Heyer or Mark Twain. It was a different age. It doesn’t make it right, but it was what it was. It also doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy the books and stories. It is always up to the reader how much they are willing to overlook, to forgive, to find too offensive to continue.
Many of these characters “inspired” the comic book heroes, particularly Batman. Stan Lee admitted that many elements of The Fantastic Four were based on Doc Savage, from the science wizardry of Reed Richard, ala Doc, to the constant bickering of the Thing and the Human Torch, so very Ham and Monk. Lee also admitted the influence of the pulps on Spiderman and Iron Man, both from The Spider stories.
There are typos in the preface, of all places, so be aware. They actually spelled Dickens’ name wrong!
I was lucky enough to pick this, and other collection sets, when it was free. As of the last time I checked this at Amazon, it was still free. Well worth the price! Sorry, couldn’t resist.
The Green Ghost: Murder Note by Johnston McCulley
(Published 1935) Danny Blaney, aka the Green Ghost, was too eager to bring down gang leader Rod Rordan, a member of the underworld who framed Danny when he was a police detective, disgracing him so much that he was forced from the department despite being found innocent of all charges. Because of that eagerness, he walks straight into a trap designed to end with the Ghost being arrested for murder. Somehow, I missed the Green Ghost when I was deep into pulp fiction, despite being aware of the author through his Zorro books. There were seven stories in the Green Ghost series. Blaney is bitter and determined that he will continue his fight against crime in his city, now through the wearing of a silk green hood and matching silk gloves to help disguise himself. He isn’t shy about using violence or seeing others use it for the greater good, such as Detective Sergeant Tim O’Hara. A decent read from start to finish. 3.5 out of 5.
Mr. Death Takes the Wheel by G. Wayman Jones
(Published 1939) Jimmy Gilmore became the masked crime fighter Mr. Death after the murder of his father. While the rest of the world still thought he was an idle young man about town, Jimmy methodically hunted and killed the men responsible. Now he is attempting to investigate the suspicious death of a crusading reporter while also keeping the man’s sister safe. Jimmy believes the same man is responsible for a blackmailing scheme. It takes several failed run-ins with the gang members before Jimmy can find the man at the top. Lots of this story’s background brings to mind the television series Arrow. I do wonder about Jimmy’s life before his father was murdered considering how talented he appears to be in regard to science and engineering. Even with a natural talent, it would take time to master the skills and knowledge involved. Jimmy is also a master of disguise as well as being extremely fit. The latter two are more easily explained. A remotely driven car is definitely outside the norm for that time period, but it was also a time of ambitious dreams of what could come in the future. Interesting to see the influence of the pulps in today’s fiction, both written and filmed. 3.5 out of 5.
The Emperor Runs the Gauntlet by Charles Lee Jackson II
(Published 1997) A 1930s type pulp set in modern times, aka mid to late 1990s, might work in the hands of a better writer. Maybe. But in this case, it is such a dud that I finally had to give up reading it. The author tries to be funny but isn’t. He misses by a mile. No, I misspeak, he misses by a planet! My reading came to a screeching halt thanks to this train wreck. What can I tell you about the story? It’s set in Hollywood. There are a group of friends led by an actor/director. DNF 1 out of 5 for what I did manage to read.
The Shadowsmith Investigates by Owen Fox Jerome (aka Oscar J. Friend)
(Published 1941) U.S. government agent codenamed Shadowsmith is called in to investigate the fourth plane crash of a new model, all from the same company. It started out so wonderfully. The description of the main character even gave me Phil Coulson feels. And then he disappeared into his cover, the focus was on another character, and I just sighed a lot. 3 out of 5.
I gave up after hitting a wall with the second Jackson story, leaving three short stories unread. Modern takes on pulp fiction just don't work for me. I much prefer the ones from the 30s and 40s. Over all, it was a 3 out of 5. Luckily it was a freebie from Amazon, so I don't feel too bad about giving up.
July 21, 2019
love these stories. A mix of pulp action hero stories from the 30's to now featuring lesser-known pulp action figures, but all in the style of the Shadow, Doc Savage, etc. I liked the last two the best. The "fireball "was particularly well done. Many take place in SF or Los Angeles and having grown up in the Bay Area I appreciate that as well.
a fast read, great dialogue, interesting plots, and characters. Very noirish in style and tone. Loved it....
a fast read, great dialogue, interesting plots, and characters. Very noirish in style and tone. Loved it....
August 3, 2025
I got this book free on Amazon Kindle so I can not complain about losing money but I did lose time reading some lousy stories. I only enjoyed reading 3 of the stories.
The Green Ghost by Johnston McCulley (original Zorro author)
Mr Death by G Wayman Jones
Crimson Mask by Frank Johnson (Norman A Daniels)
The others are not worth mentioning. So if you can get this book free by all means get it but skip the bad parts and only read these three stories that were written in the 1930/40 era.
The Green Ghost by Johnston McCulley (original Zorro author)
Mr Death by G Wayman Jones
Crimson Mask by Frank Johnson (Norman A Daniels)
The others are not worth mentioning. So if you can get this book free by all means get it but skip the bad parts and only read these three stories that were written in the 1930/40 era.
April 15, 2025
The book suffered from the addition of so called modern pulp stories which didn't hold a torch to the original genre stories.
September 24, 2016
A fun collection of classic pulp characters with a few more modern tales woven in. All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of golden age pulp.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews