Reading Doc Savage in 2025

[@LiterateTexan]

I might join you for this reading project. I love Doc Savage, and the older I get, the more my appreciation for Doc Savage grows.

[@josephhealy8742]

Looking forward to joining your Doc Savage 2025 reading journey Michael, keep us posted!

[@P.EnglishLiterature]

Michael, this was impressive to come from you. And its so great to catch up with you after a long while. I hope you are doing great and enjoying the festive seasons. Lovely to watch you again, Mike. ❤

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Thanks P!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Fantastic Doc Savage collection Michael! I have a few of these laying around...I really should read one!

[@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn]

I always love a good Doc Savage story. There are a few of them on my shelves. I might join you in reading them in 2025.

[@victorvonmetal6384]

Love Doc Savage and the pulp heroes. Fun stuff.

[@freelivefree7221]

Yeah, it was mean of Superman to steal Doc's Fortress of Solitude. I mean he just flew in there, lifted it with his super strength and took off. They were in a legal dispute for years over it. I actually think of Doc (and the Shadow) as proto-superheroes rather than superheroes. I can certainly see an argument for him being a superhero though. Doc was quite influential. Kirby acknowledge his influence on the Challengers of the Unknown and the Fantastic Four. Alan Moore's Tom Strong was influenced by Doc (and Tarzan and Reed Richards and Superman.) It was one of the best of his America's Best Comics line. (If for no other reason than it did not have a lot of the weird sex stuff Moore put in other comics.) The creators of Jonny Quest, after the show was cancelled, tried to create a Doc Savage animated series. I think there is even some promotional art floating around the internet for it. That would've been awesome.

[@michaelalley214]

Thank you for the feature on Doc. As I mentioned before, I have all the Doc Savage Novels printed by Bantam, as well as the 1st seven of the larger fornat reprints of the pulps.Thankyou for this feature and your time given to this. I highly recommend collecting the full set because its just fun hunting then down.

[@CourteousKitsch]

I have been reading Doc on Kindle, but once again, you managed to peak my interest in going for the physical media. Those illustrated reprints look tempting.

[@stevezeidman7224]

I read most of the Doc Savage books in paperback in the 70s. I loved his crew as well. It’s pretty good stuff. The shirt always shredded!

[@Falconlibrary]

Doc needed a modern fabric that could stretch with his muscles--same material used for Hulk's pants I guess. In reality, Hulk would break through his pants and--well, let's just leave the rest to our imaginations.

[@Falconlibrary]

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was a huge Doc Savage fan and based the crew dynamics on Savage and his Fabulous Five.

[@jamesholland8057]

Sounds like Stan Lee read them too.

[@DaleRibbons]

@@jamesholland8057 Personally, I have no doubt. Especially when it came to the Beast. He looks like Monk but talks like Johnny.

[@Falconlibrary]

@@jamesholland8057 Never underestimate the influence of pulp fiction on future generations of creators. Now that you mention it, I see the influence popping up with Stan Lee.

[@danieltenney1896]

Very cool reading project. The proto superheroes from the pulps are all awesome. Ive always enjoyed The Shadow. I picked up a few of the 70s Shadow reprints but ive only read the first one so far. Ill have to dive back in soon.

[@nedmerrill5705]

You can always tell Doc Savage in the artwork. He's the one with the shredded shirt. Roger wears Doc Savage hand-me-downs.

[@tonette6592]

Glad you are better already! I thought this was the Weekend Reading Report to start with so Hallelujah, we get another tomorrow.

[@alancarr7718]

Good evening Sir Michael, Roger and Mr Tinsel??? I guess Mr Clock has time to take a vacation at Christmas? I had never noticed before but the ripped shirt Doc Savage resurfaces with a hat and a whip in some blockbustet movies. Steven Spielberg the ultimate adventurer maker must have been a fan. The Temple of Doom could have risen straight from that cover. Great work as always. Cheers Al TheGoldKeyfourcolorkidownunda

[@JereWilkerson]

I discovered Doc Savage in 1972. My first Doc adventure was The Devil's Playground. I have read the majority of the Doc adventures. The new Doc adventures by Will Murray are really good also. In one of the newer adventures he teams up with The Shadow. I am glad you are reading these they are great books.

[@SG-js2qn]

I remember discovering and starting to read these in the summer of 4th grade. My first sampling of fiction written for an older audience. It greatly improved my language skills, like overnight. The book was "Spook Hole," found on the shelf at JC Penny's, I think - not your usual book spot - while my mother was shopping for other things and wanted to distract me.

[@d.aardent9382]

my dad was always into all the old pulp adventure characters as he grew as a kid in the 40s and he'd always talk about the Shadow and DocSampson ,Tarzan stories, His uncle when we visited back home to where he grew up in central Illinois, he was a avid reader of all sorts of genres, but had mostly sci-fi and pulp adventure ,but also some medieval swords and magic fiction. but thats where i got my first novels of Shadow, Doc Sampson, The Destroyer, Conan, Tarzan. You've got me hyped up to get back to trying to start back at the beginning of DocSampson novels and actually read all of them from the first because I never had but a few of them and meant to try and collect more but i just kinda forget about it when Ive been so busy and tired for so many years. Its difficult to get motivated to read when I am so fatigued all the time from long covid illness. its hard to focus on things, so it makes it hard to sit down to read things as i tend to just fall asleep reading. but its funny that yours is the 2nd channel that made me think about Doc Sampson and the other old pulp adventure series. I want to get back to looking for the anthologies perhaps, so i can gather all of them easier.

[@bobbehers1625]

Glad you are feeling better my friend!

[@deselby6669]

Remembering Ron Ely playing the part of Doc Savage :The Man of Bronze...fun stuff....Great review MKV..

[@StevenEverett7]

Really terrible movie but it was still great fun! I always enjoyed Ron Ely as Tarzan. I believe he also starred in an episode of Fantasy Island.

[@deselby6669]

@StevenEverett7 They played heavy on the cheese..

[@deselby6669]

Gotta love Doc Savage's comedic eye twinkle as used before by Tony Curtis:..The Great Leslie in the movie 'The Great Race'...Nerd Alert.Ahoy.!

[@patricktilton5377]

I remember seeing THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE 8TH DIMENSION and a friend of mine who had read some of the DOC SAVAGE novels mentioned that Buckaroo owed a lot to Doc Savage, being a genius factotum who had a team of pros helping him in his endeavors to defeat international gangsters and the like.

[@TheGriffin57]

I have been a fan since 1972, much to my wife's chagrin. Nice video blog.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

This was perfect timing! I’ve also decided to take the chronological read through plunge with Doc, The Shadow and The Spider…and The Phantom Detective because now I’m a pulp addict. These books are so important remain just as vital today. I’ve practically devoured the ones I’ve read so far. I read the Sanctum reprints and am hoping to get the whole set. Unfortunately since going OOP they’ve skyrocketed in price.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I would like to do the same with the Shadow but I only have about half his adventures. The Spider I have most of though….might do that.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

@ I recheck all my saved eBay searches for the Sanctum reprints regularly.😂 I have various spider editions, but haven’t figured out which reprints to collect for the rest of the series. Steeger books is re-printing all of them one at a time, but individual paperbacks for each novel at 16 bucks a pop adds up very quickly plus I don’t have space for 118 paperbacks right now.

[@SuperDevilDoctor]

Doc adopts his “No Killing” policy in QUEST OF THE SPIDER. (In the previous story, LAND OF TERROR, he’s a lethal bronze terminator!)

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Better late than never, I guess!

[@russworks2882]

Credit to art director Len Leone for having Bama change his original painting of Doc's hair to the more futuristic skull-cap widow's peak. It was likely the unique design combined with Bama's moody art that was the major reason for the series' success. Steve Holland played almost every hero on paperback covers in the 60's and beyond. He was also the Avenger, the Phantom, and even Conan, as painted by Bob Larkin. What few people know is that the bear that modeled for the cover of _The Polar Treasure_ also modeled for Frazetta's cover of _the Silver Warriors_ .

[@MichaelRBrown-lh6kn]

Operator #5, I think the Spider.

[@michaelalley214]

I KNEW IT !!!!!!!!!!

[@anotherbibliophilereads]

There are hundreds of Doc Savage books. At 1 per month I have to live to my 90s to read them all.

[@michaelalley214]

As my dad said "So what ELSE are you doing withyour time?"

[@irinanka]

Wooow! Loving Roger's Christmas deco 🥳

[@williamjackson6705]

Will you also be reading Philip Wylie's " The Savage Gentleman" which I read was a precursor to the Doc Savage character? I would love to hear a comparison.

[@kurtreichenbaugh6284]

I think Lost Oasis also featured Doc's beautiful and capable cousin Pat Savage. She showed up frequently in earlier Doc adventures.

[@ellesse3862]

Cool, thats the next 15 or so years of Reading Reports that just got even more entertaining, thanks Doc. Lester Dent vid? Only yesterday you said you'd make that soon, I was rewatching an older episode about Doc Savage, spooky continuity. Some years ago there was a great resource book for fans, A History of the Doc Savage Adventures, documents the pulps, books, comics, radio, film. Glad you feel better, good to know Roger's smelly poultice remedies still work.

[@thewestisthebest]

Excellent!!

[@chrisholmes436]

My dad loved that Doc rehabiitated his villians with brain surgery.❤

[@RichardFay]

At the rate of one story per month, you're going to be reading them for more than 15 years.

[@jamesholland8057]

Read one in 1970. Loved the 1930’s ambience.

[@telstar9367]

I'm a big fan of the Doc Savage books and treasure my well-loved complete set of the Bantam paperbacks.

[@michaelalley214]

Me Too! I also have the complete set!! Copycat! lol

[@MichaelRBrown-lh6kn]

The Shadow has agents. Doc has aides, who he addressed as "brothers".

[@Falconlibrary]

Yeah but what a tagline: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? THE SHADOW KNOWS!" *scary laugh* When I was a kid growing up on an isolated ranch in the 70s, some radio station re-broadcast the original Shadow programs. I listened to them in a car with the only light the glow from the dial. That tagline thrilled me then and thrilled me now. Love to see a Shadow television show.

[@vilstef6988]

Another precursor to superheroes was a novel called The Gladiator by Philip Wylie.

[@StevenEverett7]

I'm sure that you'll enjoy reading or re-reading this series Michael. If I'm not mistaken the werewolf story is where Pat Savage is introduced. Back in the day I always had a crush on her. 💕

[@mrmicro22]

In the 70s, Whitman did 5 hardcover editions of Doc reprinting 5 classic stories. I received 3 for Christmas and was relentless in getting the next two. Excellent non Bama covers. This was probably prompted by the news of the Doc Savage movie. Those books were wonderful but were oddly sold in the toy department of the local department stores.

[@TheGriffin57]

Actually there were 6. You must be missing Secret in the Sky.

[@wbbartlett]

This has made me want to revisit some proper old-timey heroes so I just raided ebay for Bulldog Drummond & Biggles.

[@BookBlather]

Huh. I had no idea the numbered bantam ones were in the wrong order. I’ve only read the first one. I bought the next five, but it sounds like they’re not actually the next five. I’ll have to save this video. Interestingly, my copies also have numbers on the spine that are slightly off from the numbers on the cover, as though it was part of a series that also contained other books. Although my Meteor Menace (No 4 on the cover) and The Polar Treasure No 5 on the cover) both say No 5 on the spine, even though they look the same and are the same price, so definitely appear to be the if the same Bantam “series). So who knows 🤷‍♂️

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Fortunately there is a Wikipedia page giving the original publication order.

[@redwawst3258]

I bought a Doc Savage lot on eBay , but have never read one. Guess I need to get started. 🔥

[@SleepyBookReader-666]

Looking forward to a whole year of Doc Savage reactions! Without the Bama covers, would so much Doc have been reprinted in the 60s-70s, i wonder.

[@stephennootens916]

You can skip the new ones by James Patterson and one of his writers.

[@michaelalley214]

LOL!

[@PhillipBurger-x4g]

The adult me prefers the later war and post-war Docs, which are often tightly plotted spy/espionage thrillers like "Danger Lies East" and "No Light to Die By." RKO Studios should have adapted some into a movie series starring Lex Barker, who would have rocked the torn shirt.

[@Elfenlied8675309]

On the note of Doc Savage being a "bronze giant" while only being 6 feet tall. When the first story was published in 1933, the average US height for men was 5'8, So he technically would have been a little taller than most men. Even Doc Savage's weight in 1933 would have been significant compared to the average man, the US average weight in 1933 was 129 pounds, and Doc was said to be 200 pounds. According to Google at least, modern Doc Savage stories make him 6'8! They actually made him a giant lol.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Jeez, I need a bottle of whatever vitamins Doc is taking!

[@fangs1972]

And now James Patterson has a Doc Savage (Jr.) book for the pleasure of you and Roger 😮

[@dqan7372]

Love the covers. Not feeling the widow's peak though. But it's probably an easy easier style to maintain, easier to draw too.

[@michaelestabrook2018]

had his own fortress of solitude before superman.

[@DaleRibbons]

He had the name Clark before Superman, and a few other things.

[@paulcharlwood702]

How could he change his shirt? He is too busy fighting villains and saving the world.

[@deeebeee1758]

Fun factoid, Steve Holland played Flash Gordon in the fifties series - very much a bit of cold war propaganda. God, I loved doc Savage as a kid. I read all the Doc Savage I could get my hands on in order a few years ago (probably more than a decade now - I'm afraid to do the math), but that was nowhere near the 181 books. I found it didn't really make a huge difference other than to reveal Dent's style and interests. Not all are written by Dent and you'll know which ones are and aren't pretty quick. It is pretty amazing how inventive the plots are, even given how the characters are just little puppets doing their thing over and over. I did the same with The Shadow, which did benefit from reading in order a little bit more. Both series are more cookie cutter in the early years and shift through the war years significantly. If you can get Operator #5, many are reprinted by Adventure House, those are best read in order, and they are mad and amazing. Viva pulp! Real werewolf, lol. Oh, dude. Kunstler's cover is boss, but, yeah, hope you like Scooby Doo.

[@russworks2882]

Operator 5 was such a straight-laced hero, but the adventures of his I've read are just insane apocalyptic nightmares. I was subscribing to _High Adventure_ when they serialized the 13-part "Purple Invasion" series; it broke my brain.

[@deeebeee1758]

@@russworks2882 I know, right! 😄

[@vilstef6988]

Bantam also published a Doc Savage poster, based on the cover of the first book.

[@charliedogg7683]

Did Steve Holland have to supply his own torn shirt or was it ready for him from the costume department..... This is the kind of thing I wonder about in the wee small hours. It would be interesting to know if Dent had read Philip Wylie's novel "Gladiator" and if it served as inspiration to some degree. Don't worry about Doc's constantly torn shirt, it's in the same category as "Why does Bruce Banner always wear purple pants?" and "Why do aliens in comics often wear underpants?". It's just one of the tropes of the genre. How many Doc Savage adventures did Lester Dent write? And they are all entertaining to varying degrees? And yet I'm still waiting for George R. R. Martin to conclude "A Song Of Ice And Fire".

[@davidosborn6714]

Philip Jose Farmer was famously quoted as saying that the James Bama Bantam paperback covers iteration of Doc resembled a 55 year- old ex-Mr. Universe down on his luck..😂😂 Interestingly enough, the early interior illustrations of the pulps (not the covers) depicted him as being a dead ringer for a young Clark Gable...Now those would have made some interesting movies!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Yes they would have!

[@ps2gamingforever364]

What we really need is an adventure comic about a real life super hero, Donald Trump The Man of Orange.

[@inthegoldenrodhours333]

You mean horror comic...

[@mrmicro22]

How are those grapes?

[@tonygriego6382]

I don't know if I would recommend the James Patterson Doc Savage novels of recent times.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Since Patterson is always awful, probably not.

[@MementoMorituri]

I used to think that Doc Savage was the first superhero, but these days I have to go with John Carter of Mars. I mean Superman is basically John Carter in reverse instead of an earthling going to a foreign planet and finding that the change has given him enhanced abilities, it's an alien coming to Earth with the same outcome. I was also surprised to find out that Doc Savage's background with his father preparing him for a life of adventure, his physical/mental self-development routine, and laboratory all came from Nick Carter, Detective in the original dime novels (not the later pulps), a year before Sherlock Holmes even. Betcha anything Lester Dent was a fan of Nick.

[@davidgustafson7334]

Long live the Man of Bronze!

[@tommonk7651]

I love Doc Savage! I have an affinity for a certain simeon chemist. I wonder why? I have always wondered what Doc's every day morning workout regime was.... Wouldn't be Doc without a torn shirt....

[@rickcroucher]

The Shadow knows...

[@nooctip]

Polar Treasure is the only other Doc Savage story I 've read. The first being Doc Savage and the Untorn Shirt.

[@tristanhogue4690]

I started reading the first one. It’s alright

[@gijr2003]

I was always proud of my Doc Savage poster. Got it rolled up somewhere. I'm 73.

[@brianjauch9958]

Doc was a advocate for ethical brain surgery too.

[@DDB168]

Ahem...ahem...ahem.....Gladiator - Philip Wylie, the best book EVER in Roger's El Cheapo book club. Published in 1930, so I'm giving it to Wylie's Hugo Danner (Gladiator). Probably the first super hero. And yes you must do a deep dive on Lester Dent.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

A major influence on superheroes to be sure.

[@RobertRains-kk9vd]

Michael have you read the French pulps? Nyclope

[@samslash9]

Anybody remember when the rock announce he was going to play doc savage? The movie was supposed to come out in 2019.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Still waiting.

[@theprincipalofficer_1]

I have think at the time 6 foot was tall for the time

[@michaelsamerdyke108]

I remember seeing Doc Savage books on every paperback book stand when I was a kid in the Sixties and Seventies. Was never tempted to buy one. The movie "Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai" was meant as a parody of/tribute to Doc Savage. I really like that film.

[@peckerdecker]

The Sargasso Ogre, a Doc Savage Adventure is _decent_ *Doc savage man of bronze film is fantastic* Merry Christmas 2024 everyone

[@philologus6577]

If you read only one a month it will take you over 17 years to finish the series. LOL

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

17 years well spent!

[@slasher0630]

Is that big one you have a facsimile?

[@psikeyhackr6914]

I think I read two Doc Savage books in the 60s. A friend I made when I started high school read them. I had been reading science fiction for years. I was not impressed.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I’ll probably enjoy them despite you not being impressed.

[@ObscureBookAdventures]

Are you also going to watch the 1975 film? I’m curious what you think of that adaptation.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I’ve seen it. It was a long, long time ago but from what I remember it wasn’t great.

[@ObscureBookAdventures]

@@michaelk.vaughan8617 No I've watched it recently and didn't think much of it either. The scenes and shots are too long a lot of the time.

[@DaleRibbons]

Does every copy of 'The Lost Oasis' look this bad? My own isn't that great either, but at least you can see Doc on it. Of these, I've read/own Man Of Bronze, Lost Oasis, and Brand Of The Werewolf. I don't want to spoil anything, but Brand was another couple of instances of Superman ripping off Doc. It was 'adapted' as an episode of The Adventures Of Superman TV show. The second instance I won't talk about, but thinking about it, I can see a similarity to someone who showed up later in Superman's comic adventures.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

That Kryptonian thief!

[@pmcnamee67]

I know you're not buying new books, but you might be interested in Craig McDonald's THE BLOOD OGRE.