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 Scathach80 |
Why hasn't Columbia released their Spider serials? |
Lead | |
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(03/23/09 7:04 PM) |
After all, didn't they find some luck with another film featuring an arachnid themed protagonist battling someone with Octopus in his name?
Oh, and Moonstone did a recent short story anthology with the Spider. I enjoyed the Chuck Dixon story and the Guicet one. |
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Buzz Dixon |
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(03/23/09 11:08 PM) |
There could be rights issues (for example, there are no official re-releases of George Pal's two Dr. Suess Puppetoons because the rights reverted to him),
or it could be that the source material is not in good enough condition and/or they don't perceive enough of a market for the material.
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Laughing Gravy |
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(03/24/09 10:21 AM) |
I thin it's the former. Argosy (I think that's the name) owns the Spider character, although Columbia owns the serials. I think they have good prints
of them, and I love both serials. Also, the Spider pulp stories are easily my favorite, swift, weird, and violent, full of monsters and ghoulies and things.
Monster Kids would love 'em.
"Garbak is a tyrant who rules the planet harshly! If I can survive the perils of the Valley of 1000 Dooms and seize the Gosmik Tryglor from its legendary
hiding place I will become the new leader... and free my people!" Visit us at www.inthebalcony.com.
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Badfinger |
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(04/05/09 5:35 PM) |
The Spider pulps are unlike any other. I was sort of shocked how violent they were when I first read them. Although Doc Savage and The Shadow are sentimental
favourites, The Spider may actually be the best pulp novels in my opinion. I enjoy the serials as well. I wouldn't wait for a proper studio DVD release of
these. IF you find a good grey market copy, scarf them up.
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Tom Powers |
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(04/05/09 10:10 PM) |
The Spider pulp novels (at their best) read like fever dreams; urban nightmares in a city of dreadful night, told by a desperate man at the end of his rope.
Or just good, straight out of the head, onto the typewriter, mailed right to the editor after typing THE END pulp tales. 
I have both the serials. Great fun, and the first one is pretty darn deadly for Saturday morning fare. |
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TServo4 |
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(04/05/09 10:53 PM) |
I don't think releasing the serials would have any problem, since Columbia owns the films outright (rather than Popular Publications getting a cut). Same
issue with THE BATMAN serials, which have been released.
More likely, I gather it's because no one remembers WHO the Spider is anymore, and sadly there is no market. However, I hope someone someday dusts the character off for a film, as the pulps had great stories that would translate to the screen brilliantly. If that were the case, maybe Sony would do a bare-bones set as a tie in. I love both serials-- the first one is on par with Republic's "smash 'em up" thrillers and the sequel is the epitome of James Horne Columbia campiness.
J. Theakston
The Central Theater, Passaic, NJ |
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Tom Powers |
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(04/07/09 10:41 PM) |
Columbia may own the prints, but they don't own the right to distribute any films featuring the trademarked character, owned by Argosy
Communications/Blazing Publications.
Columbia apparently only licensed the rights to serial characters for specific lengths of time, to extend them they would have had to exercise options to extend those rights as they came due. They might have negotiated to do so for THE SPIDER, but I've heard they were disappointed by the sales of THE SHADOW serial (which had involved the participation of copyright/trademark holders The Conde Nast.) |
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Tor havin fun |
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(04/09/09 3:31 AM) |
To spam things up a little, I can provide VHS or DVDs of THE SPIDER'S WEB and THE SPIDER'S RETURN.
Write me at beyondrarevideo@earthlink.net I just got done grooving on SPECIAL AGENT X-9 with Lloyd Bridges!! |
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CreepingBride |
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(04/10/09 8:22 PM) |
Tom Powers wrote:Can you recommend three or four titles for me? |
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Tom Powers |
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(04/11/09 2:21 PM) |
COPRSE CARGO, SATAN'S DEATH BLAST, DEATH REIGN OF THE VAMPIRE KING
You can get the entire 8 book Carroll and Graf reprint paperbacks (two novels per book) for $19.95 at http://www.vintagelibrary.com/pd.php?pcode=sp000000 |
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Badfinger |
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(04/11/09 11:30 PM) |
Definitely "DEATH REIGN OF THE VAMPIRE KING"! That's probably my favourite. I really need to find the time to re-read that one myself. I've
read most of the Doc Savage, The Shadow, and The Avenger and The Spider just blew me away. It's very different in tone and pacing than any other. In one
novel, they actually kill a major character in the series. It would be like Monk getting killed in a Doc Savage novel. If memory serves, he was alive in the
very next novel with nary a mention of his death. So much for continuity.
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Tom Powers |
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(04/13/09 4:25 PM) |
Actually, the human assistant comes back two issues later, with the lame excuse that he wasn't really dead, and that someone else wad buried
with honors in his grave in Arlington. But nothing comes from this revelation, other than Wentworth's relief (rather than anger for being hosed) -- no
outrage or investigations.
A four-foot friend is killed, then later revived for an issue by one of the 'Grant Stockbridge' ghosts.
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LCranston |
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(07/02/09 2:09 PM) |
I've only read a small handful of SPIDER stories but I was really impressed by the obsessive fury Wentworth had in fighting crime. I remember a moment in
one of the books when a stranger tried approaching Wentworth for help, but his aide (can't remember the name) sent the man away. Wentworth got angry at his
aide, saying something like "You never know who will need help and I am ready to jump to his assistance."
Of course, I also liked the laser beam that was exploding people from a distance.
"I live the unknown, I love the unknown... I AM the unknown."
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Tom Powers |
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(07/02/09 10:03 PM) |
Probably Ram Singh, who was jealous of his master's privacy.
Richard Wentworth is so manic that when not in costume, but doing the work of The Spider, his body sometimes contorts into the twisted hunchback pose of that persona -- without Wentworth being aware of it. He's rather chilled to discover this fact. I noticed I wrote "four foot friend" rather than the intended "four-footed friend" above. A rather significant difference. 
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Black Tigrrr.movieserialmess... |
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(07/02/09 11:43 PM) |
I always thought the Spider would translate well into a modern film. Not only a masked avenger, but a tortured one who sometimes doubts whether he's doing
the right thing. Of course then he goes on to wipe out murderous masterminds who specialize in wholesale slaughter.
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timothymayer |
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(07/05/09 12:49 AM) |
I spent part of this weekend watching this serial. Surprisingly good and holds up well. My only complaint was the "scenes from next week" ruined the
whole concept of a cliffhanger.
"Of Course. Plan Nine."
www.kraftcreation.biz www.fearofdarkness.net |
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Scathach80 |
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(07/05/09 6:58 AM) |
Tom Powers wrote:The novel in question, the Pain Emperor, had the assistant apparently dying. Robert Sampson wrote a helpful overview of the Spider of book-length. |
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Scathach80 |
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(07/05/09 6:59 AM) |
LCranston wrote:I think in that novel, the fellow handcuffed his hand to Wentworth's car. |
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Scathach80 |
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(07/05/09 7:03 AM) |
Black Tigrrr wrote:Sadly, the Spider style of crimefighter has started to fall out of favor. To capture the feverish chaos the Spider novels present, one would probably get an R-rating. The R-rated adventure film has lost much of its luster. Think about it; just recently we had Transformers 2 (PG-13) shrug off scathingly negative reviews, while most R-rated adventure films go straight to DVD. Watchmen prompted Warner Bros. to no longer back expensive R-rated films. http://www.jabootu.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3880 |
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Scathach80 |
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(07/05/09 7:05 AM) |
Tom Powers wrote:The former incident occurred in Judge Torture. |
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reddog122 |
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(08/01/09 7:22 AM) |
Wow. While I dearly love pulp fiction, other than knowing about the character, The Spider is a sad black hole in my education. I'll have to track the
stories and serials down based on the posts above. Wasn't there a comic in the late 80's or early 90's as well?
"My revenge has spread over centuries, and has just begun!"
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