Lester Dent [1904-59] Page at Spirit of America Bookstore

The Doc Savage Code: Let me strive every moment of my life to make myself better and better, to the best of my ability, that all may profit by it. Let me think of the right and lend all my assistance to those who need it, with no regard for anything but justice. Let me take what comes with a smile, without loss of courage. Let me be considerate of my country, of my fellow citizens, and my associates in everything I say and do. Let me do right to all, and wrong no man.

          Lester Dent was born in La Plata, Missouri on 12 October 1904. He was raised on a ranch in remote Wyoming, then returned to Missouri with his family at the age of 15. He finished school there, then learned telegraphy at college. (He originally planned to be a banker, but discovered that telegraph operators earned $20 more a week than bank tellers.) In 1925, he took a job as telegrapher for an oil company in Ponca City, Oklahoma where he met and married Norma Gersling. In 1926, he took a job as telegrapher for the Associated Press syndicate in Chickasha, Oklahoma.
          During slack times, such as on the graveyard shift, he wrote stories; the first 13 were rejected, but the 14th tale sold; Top Notch Magazine published his action story "Pirate Cay" in their September 1929 issue. This led to an offer from Dell Publishing in New York City to write for them exclusively for an incredible $500 a month; the Dents moved to New York City in January 1931. Dent learned well the business of writing for pulp magazines, and wrote many stories, some of which sold to other publishers. In 1932, pulp publisher Street & Smith asked Dent to write a series with a gadget-oriented detective hero; Dent was not happy that the stories would be published under the 'house name' of Kenneth Robeson, but he accepted the offer of $500 per novel (which was later raised to $750).
          Doc Savage Magazine #1 hit the stands in March, 1933, and was an immediate success. Dent's financial abundance allowed him time to pursue research and studies, much like Doc Savage; Dent acquired an amateur radio license and a pilot's license, passed several trade exams, and purchased a two-masted schooner. He and his wife lived on the boat for several years, sailing up and down the East Coast, and also traveled extensively; he became a member of the exclusive Explorers Club.
          In 1940, the Dents settled in La Plata; his writing continued and got better: the plots moved away from science and toward mystery, and Doc Savage's character was more evident. Doc Savage Magazine ceased publication in 1949; Dent continued writing Western and mystery stories. He suffered a heart attack in February 1959, supposedly while on a 'treasure cruise'; he died at home in La Plata on 11 March 1959, and is buried in the town cemetery.

Lester Dent entry at Wikipedia
meager Lester Dent movie credits at Internet Movie Database

A History of Doc Savage

Lester Dent created the character of Doc Savage at the request of pulp publisher Street & Smith of New York City. Doc Savage Magazine debuted in March 1933, and within six months was the top-selling pulp magazine in America. Street & Smith published 181 Doc Savage novels; 179 were credited to 'house name' Kenneth Robeson; and all but twenty were written by Dent. (The first Doc Savage novel, "The Man of Bronze", was credited to Kenneth Roberts; the March 1944 issue, "The Derelict of Skull Shoal", was credited to Lester Dent by accident.) The last issue from Street & Smith was in July 1949. Other writers of Doc Savage tales during that time included William G. Bogart (1939-1947), Harold A. Davis (1934-1946), Lawrence Donovan (1935-1937), Alan Hathway (1941), and W. Ryerson Johnson (1935-1938).

The main character is Clark Savage, Jr. Other characters added over time include Doc's cousin Pat (Patricia) Savage; Monk, an industrial chemist (full name Lt. Colonel Andrew Blodgett Mayfair); Monk's ugly pig Habeas; Long Tom, an electrical engineer (full name Major Thomas J. Roberts); Ham, a lawyer & financier {full name Brigadier General Theodore Marley Brooks); Ham's pet monkey Chemistry; Renny, a construction engineer (full name Col. John Renwick); and Johnny, an archeologist & geologist (full name William Harper Littlejohn). (The characters of Monk and Ham act like children and fight with each other over petty matters, and each named their pet to antagonize the other.)
Doc's scientist father had the boy tutored to become a physician, surgeon, scientist, adventurer, inventor, explorer, researcher, and musician; he was trained in martial arts and in philosophy. He maintains offices in the Empire State Building, a secret hangar on the Hudson River, and a 'Fortress of Solitude' in the Arctic. His costs are covered by a gold mine given to him by the Mayan people in the first Doc Savage novel; he and his team learned the Mayan language so that they can com-municate out loud without others knowing what is said.

All 181 novels were reprinted in paperback by Bantam Books; the first 96 contained one novel per book; the next 15 books were paired novellas; the remainder were published in 13 'omnibus' volumes. The "Doc Savage, Man of Bronze" feature film of 1975 was a critical and box-office dud. "The Red Spider" [July 1979] was a long-lost 1948 manuscript written by Lester Dent; Philip José Farmer wrote "Escape From Loki", published in August 1991. Pulp historian (and executor of Dent's literary estate) Will Murray wrote seven Doc Savage novels based on Lester Dent outlines; they were published by Bantam from 1991 to 1993. Sanctum Books is reprinting the original magazines (with original cover art), and Black Dog Books is publishing a 'Lester Dent Library' of non-Savage stories by Dent.

As-of early 2010, Columbia Pictures is bringing Doc Savage back to the big screen! Neal H. Moritz is producing, co-writer Shane Black is set to direct from a screenplay co-written by Anthony Bagarozzi & Chuck Mondry.

"The Red Spider" [July 1979] was a long-lost 1948 Doc Savage tale written by Lester Dent

Anthony Tollin's Nostalgia Ventures & Sanctum Books
new authorized reprints of The Shadow and Doc Savage!
publisher homepage

Doc Savage Collector Set (direct from publisher): Doc Savage, Volumes 1-20 [2008]
Nostalgia Ventures 10x7 pb set [2008] 20 books for $199.00

#1 "Fortress of Solitude" & "The Devil Genghis"
#2 "Resurrection Day" & "Repel"
#3 "Death In Silver" & "The Golden Peril"
#4 "Land of Always Night" & "Mad Mesa"
#5 "The Spook Legion" & "The Submarine Mystery"
#6 "The Polar Treasure" & "Pirate of The Pacific"
#7 "The Lost Oasis" & "The Sargasoo Ogre"
#8 "The Sea Magician" & "The Living-Fire Menace"
#9 "The Majii" & "The Golden Man"
#10 "Dust of Death" & "The Stone Man"

#11 "Cold Death" & "The South Pole Terror"
#12 "The Squeaking Goblin" & "The Evil Gnome"
#13 "Brand 0f The Werewolf" & "Fear Cay"
#14 75th Anniv. "The Man Of Bronze" & "The Land of Terror"
#15 "The Red Spider & Other Cold War Thrillers"
#16 "The Secret In The Sky" & "The Giggling Ghosts"
#17 "The Czar of Fear" & "The World's Fair Goblin"
#18 "The Monsters" & "The Whisker of Hercules"
#19 "The King Maker" & "The Freckled Shark"
#20 "The Thousand-Headed Man" & "The Gold Ogre"

	"Honey In His Mouth" pulp thriller novel [orig 1956] by Lester Dent A mysterious mastermind recruits a smalltime con man and his girlfriend into international intrigue involving a South American dictator, his beautiful mistress, a corrupt physician, and a complex embezzlement scam worth millions in gold. Hard Case Crime mass pb [9/2009] for $7.99
	"The Sinister Ray" pulp thriller graphic novel [1987] by Lester Dent, Illustrated by Ron Wilbur Gryphon Books 8¼x5½ pb [11/87] out of print/used
	"Lester Dent's Zeppelin Tales: Five Stories of Airships! Cannibals! Pirates! Gold!" [2006] Edited by Matthew Goodman, Introduction by Will Murray Heliograph 9½x7¼ pb [6/2006] for $25.76
	The Lester Dent Library, Volume 1 "Dead Men's Bones: The Air Adventure Stories" [8 stories 2009] Edited by Tom Roberts, Introduction by Will Murray "8 thrilling tales by the creator of Doc Savage"; cover art by George Rozen Black Dog Books 9x6 pb [7/2009] for $24.95
	The Lester Dent Library, Volume 2 "The Skull Squadron: The Air War Stories" [11 stories 2009] Edited by Tom Roberts, Introduction by Will Murray "11 thrilling adventures by the creator of Doc Savage"; cover art by Rudolph Belarski Black Dog Books 9x6 pb [7/2009] for $24.95
	The Lester Dent Library, Volume 3 "Hell's Hoofprints: The Complete Western Trails Tales" [18 pieces 2009] Edited by Gene Christie, Introduction by Will Murray Black Dog Books 9x6 pb [3/2009] for $24.95

"Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze"
[Warner Bros. June 1975]

Doc Savage, Man of Bronze 1975 movie poster

Spoof of 1930s serials and pulp action heroes, often described as 'too campy'. Wealthy crime fighter Doc Savage and his helpers The Amazing Five travel to Hidalgo and battle Captain Seas and 'the green death' to revenge Doc's father's murder and capture a hoard of Incan treasure in the process. Produced & co-written by George Pal; directed by Michael Anderson; co-written by Joe Morhaim; starring Ron Ely, Paul Gleason, William Lucking, Michael Miller, Eldon Quick, Darrell Zwerling & Paul Wexler
Warner Bros. color DVD [6/2009] for $24.49
Warner Bros. color VHS [1/94] out of prodn/many used
11"x17" poster from Amazon for $17.99
full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia

"Python Isle" novel [Oct 1991] by Lester Dent/Will Murray
"White Eyes" [March 1992] by Lester Dent/Will Murray
"The Frightened Fish" [July 1992] by Lester Dent/Will Murray
"The Jade Ogre" ]Oct 1992] by Lester Dent/Will Murray
"Flight Into Fear" [March 1993] by Lester Dent/Will Murray
"The Whistling Wraith' [July 1993] by Lester Dent/Will Murray
"The Forgotten Realm" [Nov 1993] by Lester Dent/Will Murray

"Pat Savage: Woman of Bronze" comic [Oct 1992]
Doc's cousin Pat Savage appeared in almost 40 Doc Savage adventure tales, including as main character
& narrator of the 1948 Doc Savage story "I Died Yesterday"; this 1992 comic was a single issue.
http://www.amazon.com/Pat-Savage-Bronze-Lester-Dent/dp/B002FCHSLK/

Doc Savage, Man of Bronze graphic novels reprints

"Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze" graphic novels [2010]

Written by Roy Thomas, Steve Englehart, Gardner Fox & Tony Isabella, Illustrated by Ross Andru
reprinted 1972 comic versions of "Man of Bronze", "Death In Silver", "The Monsters" & "Brand of The Werewolf"
DC Comics pb [DUE June 2010] for $12.23

Doc Savage movie project [Columbia Pictures; announced Feb 2010]
Produced by Neal H. Moritz; co-written & directed by Shane Black; co-written
by Anthony Bagarozzi & Chuck Mondry; no entry yet at IMDb

	"Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life - The Complete Story of The Man of Bronze, America's Supreme Superhero" [1973] by Philip José Farmer Bantam mass pb [1975] out of print/scarce Doubleday hardcover [1973] out of print/used
	"Lester Dent: The Man, His Craft & His Market" [1995] by M. Martin McCarey-Laird Hidalgo Publng 8¼x5¼ pb [1/95] for $11.95
	"A History of The Doc Savage Adventures In Pulps, Paperbacks, Comics, Fanzines, Radio & Film" [2009] by Robert Michael 'Bobb' Cotter McFarland & Co. 10x7 hardcover [10/2009] for $44.00

Spirit of America BookstoreLester Dent [1904-1959] and Doc Savage

Spirit of America Bookstore
Lester Dent
[1904-1959]
and Doc Savage