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| Copyright MARVEL COMICS |
For old times' sake, I recently bought the above EPIC COLLECTION of SHANG-CHI, MASTER Of KUNG FU - mainly because I recall reading the first half of his debut tale in The AVENGERS #28 back in 1974 (as well as the second half in the following issue). I particularly remember the cover (below) because I had the comic with me when I visited a pal, and whenever I look at it, I'm once again back in the house that he moved from not too long after, around 44 years ago. Hard to believe I was yet a schoolboy - ah, memories.
I acquired the actual US comic in which Shang-Chi first appeared (SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #15) a few years ago, but I thought it would be nice to re-read the rest of his early adventures now that Marvel have re-acquired the rights to use SAX ROHMER's supporting characters once again. Apart from SME #15 (below), I haven't read the tales since the b&w reprints in The Avengers UK weekly, published back in the '70s. They actually hold up pretty well, and it's good to see JIM STARLIN's and PAUL GULACY's art from near the start of their careers.
I reckon you'd enjoy this volume too, so check out your local comics shop or bookstore at the earliest opportunity. Were you a fan of Shang-Chi all those years ago? Why not share your memories of the Kung Fu fighter in the Crivens! comments section?
21 comments:
I didn't know this was published I thought there were copyright issues with the use of some of the characters . I now know where my so far unused Christmas Forbidden Planet gift voucher is going(used some of it to get the Darwyn Cooke best of book). I loved Gulacys run on Shang Chi some great art and stories. I remember one where Shang Chi must have beaten over 200 villains all coming at him with chains, knifes etc just like in the films all stunningly drawn. That Avengers cover is one I vividly recall as well as a guy in School asked me to draw a larger version of it for him, I was fair chuffed with the result as was he.
There were copyright problems, PM, in that Marvel no longer had the rights to use Sax Rohmer's characters, but that was sorted out. (When you have Disney behind you, who's going to say no to a cartload of money?) When Marvel was made bankrupt in the early '90s, I believe that all the characters they'd licensed from others either expired or were relinquished, which is why Dark Horse eventually acquired the rights to Conan (also now back at Marvel). I imagine a Rom revival will soon be upon us if it isn't already.
There was a brief revival of Shang-Chi in a six-issue run from Marvel in 2002/03. I bought #6 of that mini-series but I can't recall a thing about it. I can't remember much about the original '70s run either.
Tell a lie, PM, it wasn't the early '90s that Marvel filed for bankruptcy - it was 1996.
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Here's a brief extract from the Wikipedis page on Shang-Chi, CJ. I wonder if Zheng Zu is still part of official continuity?
"Although spun out of licensed properties, Shang-Chi is a Marvel-owned character and has been firmly established as a part of the Marvel Universe with guest appearances in numerous other titles, such as Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Knights and X-Men. Most of the original, licensed characters in the supporting cast have been phased out in the more recent series and stories.
In some of his modern appearances, mention is made of his villainous father either in cryptic terms or using a variety of new names, due to Marvel no longer having the rights to Fu Manchu. In Secret Avengers #6-10, writer Ed Brubaker officially sidestepped the entire issue via a storyline where a rogue group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents resurrect a zombified version of Fu Manchu only to discover that "Fu Manchu" was only an alias, and that Shang-Chi's father was really Zheng Zu, an ancient Chinese sorcerer who discovered the secret to immortality.
Shang-Chi returned as a main character in the 2007 Heroes for Hire comic book."
Kid, Marvel already had the Yellow Claw - why didn't they make him Shang-Chi's father from the beginning?
Because Fu Manchu has a higher profile and more literary prestige than the Yellow Claw I'd imagine, CJ. However, back when Marvel couldn't reprint these stories, I said (many times) that they should just rename Fu Manchu as the Yellow Claw, and give the other Sax Rohmer characters different names. At least it all worked out fine in the end.
I'm sure I remember a Shang-Chi story being reprinted in Marvel UK's Action Force, but can't seem to find any reference to this online. Although I was aware of the character before then, I'm sure that was the first time I really read one of his stories. Enjoyed it much more than I expected!
It's always possible, DS - after all, Marvel did like to mix and match, didn't they? I've now finished the book and, like you with the story you read, I certainly enjoyed it much more than I expected. I'd certainly recommend it.
No wonder the Avengers look so shocked on the cover - their comic was completely taken over by blinkin’ Shang Chi for months on end.
Had to cut and paste your comment from my email alert, CN, 'cos I inadvertently hit delete instead of publish. It's interesting to note that Shang-Chi later became an Avenger for a time. They could have reused the cover then.
I think Dynamite are publishing Rom Kid nothing it seems goes into limbo for long in the US comics industry.
Seems you can't keep a good Space Knight down, eh? Not for long anyway.
On the topic of Rom being published again, I'll tell you which comic I'd love to see some publisher rescue from obscurity. Shogun Warriors. One of the first US Marvel comics I ever read, and still one I remember very fondly.
Not familiar with the comic, DS, though I've a vague idea it was reprinted in a UK weekly. What I'm looking forward to is the Kull The Conqueror/Destroyer Omnibus with all that great Severin and Ploog art.
I'm going to have to get that epic collection. Yes I too read the Marvel UK adventures of Shang -chi and enjoyed them. One thing which annoyed me when I got some of the US color comics was Shang's rather odd skin color. Back in the day the four color process and let's face it limited imagination of the colorist gave Shang a rather bright hue. But as you can see even when he's fighting other people who are obviously Asian, they aren't colored that way, they have a more realistic tone. As the title went on, they fixed all the other Asian characters but stuck with Shang's odd color because they thought readers were too used to it and didn't want to change his look, I find this an amusing story ( and I hope it's true!). It's often quite odd reading the Marvel UK black and white stories then seeing the color versions. The U.K. Reprints gave you a larger format and clearer reproduction . Sometimes the color improved the stories, sometimes the smaller US format and muddier printing hurt them.
The colouring in some Marvel mags was definitely odd, PS. Black people were coloured a sort of grey in the '60s, and Shang-Chi certainly looks more 'yellow' than other Asians in the strips, as you say.
I think the UK weeklies sometimes had clearer reproduction, but only when they got rid of the muddy greys (Zipatone) that obscured the detail. I hear there's an Omnibus edition of Master of Kung Fu with even more stories, so that's one you might consider if you have the dosh.
Oops, that should've read Wikipedia's in one of my above responses, not Wikipedis. Tsk, tsk!
Shang Chi was just brill Kid I agree. He captured the Kung Fu zeitgeist perfectly for me and along with characters like Judo Master went some way in satisfying my insatiable appetite for Martial Arts when I was 13. Bruce Lee kicked it off and life was never the same again. Somewhere I have my attempts at copying Shang Chi illustrations from back then and a few others. I even have some of my Kung Fu comics still and those brilliant magazines Karate and Oriental Arts and Inside Kung Fu. Great times and thanks for reminding me! PS. they started filming Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings this January but it'll all be on hold now.
That's interesting - who's playing Shang-Chi? And dig out those drawings and post them on your blog, Woodsy, as I'm sure we'd all love to see them. I remember bunking off school one day and going to see Enter The Dragon in my local cinema, even though I was 'under-age'. I enjoyed it, but I never really developed an appetite for Kung Fu movies. I've got the uncut version on DVD - had it for years, but still not watched it yet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simu_Liu Simi Liu is playin Shang Chi Kid, a Canadian actor. I wonder what's on the uncut Enter the Dragon? Its one of my fave flicks and I'll have to check out that uncut version! Fighting without fighting!
Never heard of him, but I'll check out your link. I'd guess that the uncut version lingers a little longer on the gory parts, but I won't know 'til I watch it. Maybe it just has more scenes.
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