Confessions of an Action Star now on DVD
Talk to us. We have PRIZES, and Redwood Red is our first winner.
But she doesn’t have to be our only winner. We still have goodies to give away.
The Action Flick Chick has assigned herself a mission to identify the top action heroes, starting with her forum entry discussing the top kickers of asses. There should be no shortage of male nominees, so we’re especially interested in how our action chick list turns out. We can think of plenty, but we want to hear from you.
Round One continues, and we want suggestions. Live, dead, fictional . . . you tell us. Discuss them as comments in reply to this post, continue replying to our original contest announcement, or join the discussion in our forum.
For posting her outstanding list of top action chicks, Red will receive a copy of the newly released DVD Confessions of an Action Star, for which we thank Universal Music Group Distribution. It’s a mockumentary with one heck of a cast, including the Tomb Raider Angelina Jolie.
You could win based on quality, quantity, cleverness, or creativity. It might be for a single post suggesting an unusual candidate or the best explanation for inclusion of one of the more obvious ones. Blow us away. More importantly, we just want this to be a fun discussion. The Action Flick Chick will tell you later how Round Two will work.
While Fangirltastic, Rocket Llama World Headquarters, Universal Music Group, and Vivendi Entertainment staff aren’t eligible for the prizes, we welcome all discussants.
I notice that many of the suggestions all come from the movies which ignores some of the greatest Action characters of all time.
Females:
Modesty Blaise: Initally appearing in comic strips for 95 adventures and then making the leap to novels. Peter O’Donnell’s who wrote both the comics and the novels created on the greatest action series of all time. Modesty is retired crime boss who with her right hand man Willie Garvin long for excitement and occassionally take assignments from Sir Gerald Tarrant of The British Secret Service as well as finding adventure and excitement as old enemies come back to haunt them.
The Baroness: One of Modesty’s “daughters”, The Baroness is Baroness Penelope St John- Orsini, the top secret weapon for the NSA code-named Coin. The Baroness and her team of experts tackle the dangerous missions that no one else can handle using their cover as models and photographers. Created by Lyle Kenyon Engel and written under the housename of Paul Kenyon by several writers, this series mixes sex and adventure.
Domino Lady: This is the only pulp mystery woman who appeared in six adventures in the Spicy Pulp magazines. Created by Lars Anderson, socialite Ellen Patrick donned her skintight white dress and domino mask to avenge the death of her father and continued fighting crime.
Senorita Scorpion: Another pulp heroine, this time created by western writer Les Savage Jnr, Elegra Douglas rides the wiild west as Senorita Scorpion to stop the land barons who threaten to steal her family’s gold mine.
Rogue Angel: One of the most recent heroines debuting in 2006, archeologist and TV host Annja Creed was present when Joan of Arc’s sword was reassembled she used the sword to fight evil both human and supernatural in the world.
Kinsey Milhone: Not the first female private eye but one of the most successful, Kinsey is hardboiled in the tradition of Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe and Lew Archer.
Sheena: The female Tarzan in a quick summary. Sheena appeared in comic strips, a short lived pulp, two TV series (1955 & 2000) and a 1987 movie.
Wonder Woman: The longest lasting female superhero who remained in print for nearly 60 years. Created by William Moulton Marston, this Amazon warrior fights to protect man’s world and is one of the three big heroes of the current DC universe.
Phantom Lady: A similar character to Domino Lady, a senator’s daughter Sandra Knight barely wore her costume to fight crime. Published by several publishers (Ajax, Fox, Americomics and DC), the Phantom Lady was featured extensively in Dr Wertham’s SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT pointing to her sexualized depiction corrupting America’s youth. In recent years DC has replaced Sandra Knight with other characters in the barely there costume.
Joan of Arc: One of the most well known female historical figures, Saint Jeanne d’Arc had visions from God to free France from England and donned armour and fought in several battles. Joan has inspired many novels, plays, movies, songs and art.
Men
The Shadow: initally the host of Street and Smith’s Detective Story radio show, his deep mysterious voice had people asking for that Shadow pulp. Quick to capitalise, The Shadow quickly appeared in his own pulp written by magican Walter Gibson under the penname Maxwell Grant which ran for 325 issues. The Shadow then got his own radio show, comic book and movies. The Shadow was a major influence on several other pulp characters like The Spider, The Whisperer and on the creation of Batman.
Tarzan: Edgar Rice Burrough’s most famous creation, Tarzan was an English Lord raised by great apes who eventually became lord of the jungle. Inspiring many imitators, the character has been translated to film, comics and cartoons as well as numerous unauthorised adventures around the world.
Sam Spade: the creation of former Pinkerton operative Dashiell Hammett, Sam Spade is one of the most famous private eyes. Spade (and Hammett’s other hard boiled character The Continental Op) took crime out of the geenteel country houses of English cosy mysteries and dropped it in the back alleys and made the detective tougher and harder than the criminals he fought.
James Bond: Ian Fleming’s master spy embodied much of the Cold War. Given a lift in popularity by the long running film series, Bond lives the high life drinking Vodka martinis and ruthlessly fighting the Soviet Union and later the crime group SPECTRE
The Executioner: Don Pendleton’s Mack Bolan debuted in 1969 and ushered in a new era of the paperback hero. Bolan used the skills he learnt fighting in Vietnam to fight the Mafia and terrorist groups.
The list of tough guy heroes in print goes on an on, The Destroyer, Matt Helm, Doc Savage, Mike Hammer, Spenser, Lew Archer, The Penetrator, Shaft, Philip Marlowe, The Death Merchant, Jonas Wilde – The Eliminator, The Punisher, Bulldog Drummond, The Saint. The Toff, The Baron.etc
That is one heck of a list. And I’m sure the fellas at my brother site, Rocket Llama World Headquarters, will be truly pleased to see this list from someone who appreciates both comics and old timey pulp heroes. Thank you so much.