The Green Hornet: Why He's Awesome and Why He's Dead

[@michaelwallace3105]

I'm a huge GH fan, having fallen in love with the TV show as a kid. Your feelings about the GH movie (and Seth Rogen) sound like you were reading my mind. Well said, sir.

[@Shinami01]

I wonder if Tom Wilkinson knew the little boy he was threatening in The Lone Ranger (2015) was (technically) the same character that he played in The Green Hornet (2011). Obviously the name was changed from Dan to James due to issues over the rights to the respective IPs, but it's a neat bit of trivia if you know that the Green Hornet was originally created as the grandson of the Lone Ranger's murdered brother.

[@jacobmcleod5885]

That's a movie right there in itself

[@chesterstevens8870]

Just a thought: you should reach out to Razor and ask him if he'd be interested in nerding out with you on the subject of Green Hornet, or anything else pulp-related. He's a big pulp guy, he'd probably be down. EDIT: of you like radio dramalogues, you should give a listen to "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar." It's one of my favorites, because it flips the trope of the hard-boiled detective and makes it about an insurance auditor with a heart of gold.

[@Ratkill9000]

That would be awesome!

[@mageleader3699]

I wouldn't mind if he was willing. However he's said before that he isn't as familiar with the Green Hornet and my familiarity with The Shadow mostly stems from the radio show, most of which I haven't listened to since my childhood.

[@chesterstevens8870]

@@mageleader3699 I hope something might come of that: I think the pulp-era of fiction is fascinating and deserves a closer look, and it'd tickle me if my two favorite KZbinrs could Collab on that. Best of luck in your future endeavours, Mage.

[@jasoncabral3831]

Kato, to the Black Beauty!

[@jasoncabral3831]

Doc Savage, Boston Blackie,

[@slipnslideguy3015]

I love the pure passion that you have for the character! I like the concept of the character, but never really found a good starting point to really get into the series. I'd like to thank you for giving simple, straightforward recommendations for serials, TV, and comics.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Speaking of Bruce Lee I also really regret the loss of his son . Brandon Lee is my hypothetical fancast for Justin or Kai in battletech adaptation. That may be because I just don't know many half asian actors.

[@fistofthetiger1591]

I've recently begun a tradition of listening to the orignal War of the Worlds every Halloween. I work in terrestrial radio, a small country station called KHBR 1560. I love it and hope to die doing it. This isn't a rant, this is very interesting to me because I love the old radio dramas of the 1920s and 30s myself. That was a golden era for young minds. Kids today are deprived and shown flashes crap that only seeks to destroy them or at the very least dumb them down.

[@jlokison]

I remember really enjoying the green hornet when reruns showed up on tv in the 70s. Thanks for the deeper dive into the lore.

[@Ratkill9000]

Why did we ever get Batman...the clearly discounted Wish version of the Shadow and Green Hornet? These characters are way better than what was copied from them.

[@mageleader3699]

There's nothing wrong with Batman. He's grown beyond the plagiarism and become his own thing since his origin.

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@mageleader3699 Honestly I like him more for the characters around him.

[@gmartin2628]

Thanks for adding some "Hornet Love" to KZbin! Let's Roll, Kato!!

[@glenn913]

I watched Green Hornet reruns as a kid. Damn shame how they did our boy dirty like that. Great video on the topic, I'd love to see more like this.

[@swankypants9366]

I've never actually heard of The Lone Ranger, but knew who the Green Hornet was before coming here. Maybe I'm an outlier. I get it's not gonna be your most popular video, but I just enjoy hearing people talk about things they're passionate about. Radio drama stuff from my local stompy robots personality is a bonus.

[@Luciferkragoth]

I'd assume you're young. Westerns don't get any exposure these days and Lone Ranger is about as iconic as you get.

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

I listened to tons of radio dramas as a kid. - loved em

[@gusty9053]

Great video. It's amazing how many great franchises i was unaware of and with the current drought in quality entertainment info dumps like these are greatly appreciated :)).

[@mageleader3699]

Hope you enjoy the Hornet!

[@derekburge5294]

An excellent little piece I learned a fair bit from. Thanks, Lead, I look forward to more!

[@mageleader3699]

Would you like to see him take on The Shadow?

[@derekburge5294]

@@mageleader3699 I think I *would!*

[@mageleader3699]

@@derekburge5294 You're in luck. That's the next big project.

[@JohnMiller-fq5yf]

Rogan is a blight upon the industry only to drag it into hell...i did like the venture bros homage to the hornet. they did homage right

[@Lieutenant_Dude]

The Blue Morpho!

[@lightningchegg4823]

@@Lieutenant_Dude who is Rogan?

[@mr_ThreeEight_1776]

​@@lightningchegg4823 some loud obnoxious jewish guy who's ony 2 traits is "woah 420 brooooh" and "I'm jewish therefore i can do whatever"

[@libertylionofjudah]

Thanks for mentioning it. I'm going to watch it when I have the time.

[@mikecampos1193]

Didn't the venture Brothers make an homage to the Green hornet with the blue morpho.

[@mageleader3699]

I've never seen Venture Bros so I couldn't tell you. I do know that he's been referenced in several places. People still remember him fondly.

[@arcosraid]

Fantastic video, would love to hear more about some of these plays and there history and impact its always great to hear appreciate where we came from to get today

[@AlexisVolk97]

Finally got around to watch this one, good stuff. The Views will come eventually as this is evergreen content, it's really a matter of when.

[@ethangrant5061]

For some reason when I worked at ruby Tuesdays one summer I binged every episode I could find of the blue Beatle Radio show, made me dive into the shadow after that

[@InquisitorJack]

Excellently done Mage! Green Hornet sounds pretty sweet Say hello to the Kittery Trading Post for me

[@mageleader3699]

Great place. Bought a shotgun there last year.

[@InquisitorJack]

@@mageleader3699 Last time I was there (I have family in New England) I picked up a bunch of the orange gun manuals and jerky. I try to visit everytime I’m up that way

[@mrhaze9450]

this was a cool surprise thanks for the Green Hornet video mage

[@kazekamiha]

I was aware of the character from re-runs of the 60's show but I never really watched it. Still; seems like a cool guy. Needs a good revival.

[@GodEmperorDingle]

This is great mage! now i"m going to have to get more into the chad green hornet.

[@JuvyThaKid]

Absolutely love Green Hornet, The Shadow and the lesser known The Spider. I have 3 records of the old radio broadcasts of Hornet, Shadow, and Lone Ranger.

[@GreenHornet1962]

This is the first video of yours that I have seen. I'll be watching others. I couldn't agree more with your analysis of the Seth Rogen movie. I grew up listening to old time radio on LP's and cassettes in the '60's and '70's. The Green Hornet is my favorite old time radio program. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend a book called "The Green Hornet" by Martin Grams, Jr. and Terry Salomonson. It covers all things Green Hornet from the comics to the radio show, movie serials and television series. Great job!

[@C0ldIron]

There was a book I got as a child called "Who was that masked man anyway?" It tells the story of a kid in new york during ww2 who is obsessed with radio dramas. The book even included excepts from radio shows or at least fictional episodes of the shows. From there I found a collection at the local library that had one or who episodes of about 20 different shows. From there I have been hooked. Dramas, variety shows, you name it Ive probubly listened to it. For me detective shows were my favorites, Boston Blacky, Sam Spade, Nero Wolf, and helped feed my already established love of Sherlock Holmes. OTR is the place I can most easily escape a lot modern problems and laugh as some legitimately clever wordplay.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

Good to know I'm not the only one who went around going "Near near near near near near near . . . ." until my parents told me to knock it off.

[@bluesteel1199]

the only reason I 'like' the 2011 Green Hornet movie is Kato and it has my favourite iteration of Black Beauty.

[@carmic1001]

I am amazed at how much you sound exactly like my husband whenever the Green hornet remake is brought up! He gets gets so mad and many of his rants are almost word for word like yours. He is, of course, a huge Bruce Lee fan and thinks the movie is an insult to Bruce Lee's memory as well as to the series. We went to the movies to watch this and he got up part way through it and went to another movie (Tron if I remember correctly) because he couldn't take it. I agree with you as well this deserved a better treatment and I think there is still hope that someone will take it seriously enough to treat it with respect and do a proper remake. I will alert my husband to your video as you guys think so much alike it's uncanny!

[@stephenknizek2651]

I apologize for not watching this video earlier. I’m glad when KZbin creators branch out on topics they are interested, and don’t just chase popular topics. Also, Maine? Is Derry really as significant as Steven King says it is?

[@mageleader3699]

No it is not. Stephen King is a New Yorker. He just lives here and we all wish he didn't.

[@MrFleem]

Looks like KZbin hid this one from me until now. Big fan of audio drama.

[@atigerforever1]

Grew up on Green Hornet, Flash Gordon and The Shadow on radio in the '60's late night.

[@jackdorsey4850]

In the 1940 movie serial Al Hodge was the voice of the Green Hornet when Gorden Jones [ Britt Reid] was on the screen Mr. Hodge was uncredited

[@jim-bob3093]

The Green Hornet should be the inspiration baseline for Red Hood, i wish comics today could have the dynamic of the GH

[@bleighton8994]

I so agree, I hated the way The Green Hornet was portrayed in the 2011 movie, along with how the Lone Ranger was displayed as bumbling idiot in the movie with Johnny Depp as Tonto. In 1966 I was 12 years old and was glued to our B&W tv every week to watch the GH. Then in the late 90's Action channel brought back the reruns and I taped every episode onto VHS, later converted them to DVDs. Loved your take on the GH and will be watching more of your videos..BTW, I'm a fellow Mainah.

[@mikecampos1193]

At least you like the pulp heroes Razor fist was right reject modernity embrace pulp.

[@mageleader3699]

Green Hornet technically isn't a pulp hero since he was never in any pulps to my knowledge, but he is certainly pulp-adjacent.

[@mikecampos1193]

@@mageleader3699 take care and good luck and Godspeed friend.

[@SinnerBeta]

You know what's the worst sin of Kato in Rogan movie? He's so perfect he's boring. He's the brains and muscles behind the duo, perfect fighter and inventor with his only problem being how he's unappreciated. He's so good he makes Seth's character actually likable by comparison, because while he is a douche, he actually has a character arc and we see his skill improve during the movie rather than being great from minute one. I don't recommend Smith's comic, particularly the later arcs, but Year One is golden in my book.

[@mageleader3699]

My feelings on Year One are mixed. Matt Wagner did excellent work on The Shadow, but it feels like he researched the Green Hornet with Wikipedia. The constant moving between flashbacks and present day is jarring and makes both storylines feel compressed. It's a decent entry point for those who have never heard of the Green Hornet before, but it has very little of what makes him cool in it.

[@tallestgesse6125]

I would watch reruns with my dad all the time. I always though he was cool

[@dayaninikhaton]

Sold

[@slayeroflore221]

I couldn't even get into the battletech comics let alone any comics. I like radio plays like the shadow tho. I used to live on the corner of green street and lantern lane in the ghetto. I never even made the connection till I was in my 30s.

[@Eleolius]

It's 4:00 AM. Why not Mage? Why not? Oh. Now you make a lot more sense.

[@501isa]

I have a more mechanical mind and when i was but a teenager watching the film i remember getting actualy annoyed that the black beauty was able to drive after being riped in half its hand waving with it's front wheel drive made me more annoyed as where would the weapons fit in the front after you put all the running gear (presumibly also holding a large enough surge tank to drive around for long enough to fit the scene), weapons and ammo given the miniguns would retract into the same space as the engine. Then there is the question of where someone would get weapons like that without everybody's favourite dog removal service coming for a nock on the door.

[@mageleader3699]

Try having a mind for firearms while trying to figure out how he converted a Mauser C96 to shoot silent gas pellets and how the gas canisters under the barrel are incorporated into the mechanism.

[@501isa]

@@mageleader3699 i assumed that he was using rounds more like modified pepper spray rounds from a smooth bore and the gas canisters are just aesthetics as if he has more than one c96 it would ruin his image to accidently ventilate a skull. *Edit now i am actually awake. Have you ever looked into what we had to do in the UK after the government used a tragedy to take a way freedoms from the public in the 90s and banned most fire arms. mostly to do with the sealed gas pressure rounds that essentially converted deactivated fire arms into pneumatic operation and rechambering them in air gun pellets. you could probably get a near silent gas gun if you kept the larger diameter of a reamed out bore and a CO2 charge behind. This would also give a reason for the CO2 cartages as they are not what is being fires but are actually whats being used to fire and cycle the weapon.

[@sirrex9982]

The Crimson Avenger was DC's homage to the Hornet even used a gas gun

[@zackrida5452]

Pleasantly surprised with this vid ❤️❤️

[@mageleader3699]

Easily one of my least popular, but one of the ones I'm the most proud of.

[@Here_is_Waldo]

The 2010 movie Black Beauty is worth a look on KZbin for all of it's scenes, but if you have any love for the true Green Hornet, the movie itself is a real let down.

[@kinnjinn]

Am a huge fan of green hornet even the 19's versions He is not a killer and thanks to Seth Gordon everyone now thinks he is like what the hell!

[@indigo419]

I love Green Hornet and was disappointed with the movie. I totally agree with your analysis.

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

William Dozzer's spin off to his '66 Batman series. Bruce Lee in a TV show......what's not to love? Pity it didn't last.

[@cpt191021]

YUP thats why i like audiobooks i lie down and let my imagination draw the whole story in my mind

[@CapnArrich]

Seth Rogan. Now there's a name I wish'd go away. I saw that terrible movie on my birthday... I detested every moment of it. I should have got up and walked out, but I was intent on finishing the trainwreck. It wasn't even fun trainwreck to watch. I still have scathing regret to this day. The character of GH is cool, and definitely deserves a good treatment.

[@antdog375af10]

Hopefully someday they will give the GREEN HORNET THE SHOW IT DESERVES. STORYLINE AND ACTIONS FOR THIS NOT THAT HARD TO DO. OR EVEN A REBOOT SERIES ON HBO OR NETFLIX OR EVEN DISNEY.

[@ivanhenley]

"I've never liked Seth Rogen..." YOU AND ME BOTH. I can't stand that guy. Bad enough he had to go and ruin the Green Hornet with that god-awful "movie," but they let him loose on the Ninja Turtles, too. He is target #1 on my hit list. I am a lifelong fan of the Green Hornet. The radio series is fun to listen to and the 60s TV show remains a favorite. The "Year One" comics from Dynamite were really good. The NOW comics in the 90s were pretty good, too. I hold on to hope that maybe one day we'll get a proper Green Hornet movie. One that has nothing whatsoever to do with Seth Rogen.

[@joecrazy9896]

Oh hell yeah, pulp heroes

[@warmastermutedandbroken1381]

In Malaysia we have a knock off batman called keluangman which every Malaysian childhood best friend

[@AuthorJohnADouglas]

I’m all here for the Seth Rogan disrespect. Always liked the look and idea of Green Hornet.

[@Cerdo_asqueroso]

It's because of the fucking Batman that the good pulp era heroes are dead.

[@theeternalchronicler3072]

Besides the two books mentioned, got any other comics to recommend about the Green Hornet and Kano?

[@mageleader3699]

Recommending Green Hornet comics is difficult. He bounced around so much between publishers that it's hard to keep them all straight. But as far as I know even the worst Hornet comics are at least decent romps. Pick an era and go, and chances are that you'll have fun.

[@SMAXZO]

You live in Maine? Are you often menaced by a clown hiding in the sewer? Is time being eaten by weird ball like creatures?

[@mageleader3699]

Stephen King is a New Yorker. He just lives here.

[@thelordofcringe]

@@mageleader3699 you didn't answer the question!

[@mageleader3699]

@@thelordofcringe The answer is no. Maine is one of the safest places on earth and Stephen King is a hack city kid who we all wish didn't live here.

[@tenchraven]

If anything, you are complimentary to the flaming hazmat leak that is the Green Hornet movie. But comparing Seth Rogan to the ATF... yep, sounds about right. Unlike the Phantom and Shadow movies, this one was failed by the actor and the writers. The prop guys, those are where the Green Hornet fans were. Even when commanded to turn the BLack Beauty into a gunship, they made it look as right as they could

[@bradhanley8368]

That movie was the worst that I ever seen.

[@charlesballiet7074]

i thought the green hornet was made to answer the question what happens when you slap a eyemask on dick tracey and give him 007 gadgets

[@joabthejavelin5119]

Have you checked out the Hunt the Truth podcast on KZbin? It was an audio drama that was a promotion for Halo 5. It was way better than the story of the game.

[@malthechal]

The only true Green Hornet and Kato Van Williams and Bruce Lee

[@mageleader3699]

Hard disagree

[@ravenshadowz2343]

The only thing you did not talk about which should have been included is the treatment of Kato in the movie, the character was totally disrespected.

[@mageleader3699]

I'm... almost certain that I did.

[@bonniechance2357]

Come on, Mage Leader, tell us what you really think about the 2011 movie! Seriously, though, as a fan of the 60s TV show, I couldn't agree with you more. Seth Rogan took a classic and massacred it. I'm just glad I caught the promo for it before wasting my hard-earned money. There are a couple of independent Green Hornet movies here on KZbin that are fairly good. One is a French production that's not bad. The second is set in the modern day, with the patented Hornet twist of a good guy posing as a masked gangster. It's a hard watch because of the plot of women kidnapped for the sex-slave trade, but worth the effort.

[@gabrielstrong2186]

Lamont Cranston FTW

[@ColinMcCauley-up8mq]

I have a blu-ray and DVD edition of that'god-forsaken film and I concur that movie as total crap

[@ZontarDow]

At least Talladega Nights is enjoyable as a dumb comedy, can't say that about Seth's Green Hornet

[@mageleader3699]

I'm not sure which is worse, the movie that killed my favorite hero or the one that almost made me hate NASCAR.

[@ZontarDow]

@@mageleader3699 Come on now, it's just a dumb comedy that happens to be about NASCAR, it's not offensively bad like Green Hornet. Still, would be nice if we had a decent racing movie from the past 20 years that isn't a Disney cartoon or just a dramatisation of a single event.

[@mageleader3699]

@@ZontarDow The Will Ferrel and John C. Riley "comedy" duo is only slightly above Seth Rogen in my eyes. The attempts at humor are just as pathetic.

[@jeffreyyounger5772]

I do believe, should let somebody green 💚 hornet,the guy play Kato did alright or fair, a hope Green 💚 Hornet do new better, state of art mivie.❤🎉😢😮😅😅😊

[@GeorgeTossas]

He was the worst hero of all time

[@Green_poker]

What?

[@Fnaffan1983e3t]

Hi there I just wanted to let you know that I have found a green Hornet model car and I found it in Walmart

[@jackdorsey4850]

is that the comic book that has Kato a girl?

[@thelordofcringe]

What if I like Talladega Knights but hate Rogan and his "humor"?

[@mageleader3699]

Did I stutter?

[@Kepora1]

...but Talladega Nights IS a good movie.

[@mageleader3699]

There is only one good movie with Will Ferrell in it, and that is The Lego Movie.

[@Kepora1]

@@mageleader3699 Stepbrothers, anyone?

[@mageleader3699]

@@Kepora1 Stepbrothers is even worse.

[@Kepora1]

@@mageleader3699 just admit that you don't like fun, man :P

[@mageleader3699]

@@Kepora1 I love fun. What I don't like is idiocy and grown men acting like moronic children while pretending it's "comedy."

[@timewasterscrew1316]

I am the 2%

[@asimplenobody7797]

Wait...you're saying the Green Hornet movie...wasn't a parody?

[@mageleader3699]

No, it's an adaptation. But it's such a bad one that it's easy to see where the confusion might come in.

[@cpt191021]

so this is who they ripped off to make batman. The nose makes nothing original

[@debbiemassey7711]

Uummmm…Zorro

[@lightningchegg4823]

Who is the Lone Ranger? Does he have a Tik tok channel?

[@foff3804]

I want that last 8 minutes of my life back for having to listen to your whine fest about the movie. Grow up.

[@mageleader3699]

You think that's bad? That's only a third of what was originally in the script!

[@joypaul7836]

ƤＲＯ𝓂Ｏ𝕤ᗰ 😡