The Green Lama is a
fictional pulp magazine hero of the 1940s, created by American author
Kendell Foster Crossen. He is commonly portrayed as a powerful
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
Lama, dressing in green robes with a red scarf and using his powerful skill set to fight crime. Slightly different versions of the same character also appeared in
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
s and on the
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...
. Unlike many contemporary characters from smaller publishers, the Green Lama character is not in the
public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because those rights have expired, ...
, as the author "wisely retained all rights to his creation".
Pulps
Original pulps
The Green Lama first appeared in a short novel entitled ''The Green Lama'' in the April 1940 issue of ''Double Detective'' magazine. The novel was written by
Kendell Foster Crossen using the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
of "Richard Foster". Writing in 1976,
Crossen recalled that the character was created because the publishers of ''Double Detective'', the
Frank Munsey company, wanted a competitor for ''
The Shadow
The Shadow is a fictional character created by magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator, and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by writer Walter ...
'', which was published by their rivals
Street & Smith
Street & Smith or Street & Smith Publications, Inc. was a New York City publisher specializing in inexpensive paperbacks and magazines referred to as dime novels and pulp fiction. They also published comic books and sporting yearbooks. Among t ...
.
The character, partially inspired by explorer
Theos "the White Lama" Bernard, was originally conceived as "The Gray Lama", but tests of the cover art proved to be unsatisfactory, so the color was changed to green. The Green Lama proved to be successful (though not as successful as ''The Shadow''), and Crossen continued to produce Green Lama stories for ''Double Detective'' regularly up until March 1943, for a total of 14 stories.
Although appearing in a
detective fiction magazine, the Green Lama tales can be considered
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
or
supernatural fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
in that the Green Lama and other characters are possessed of
superhuman powers and super-science weapons. The Green Lama is an alias of Jethro Dumont, a rich resident of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, born July 25, 1913, to millionaires John Pierre Dumont and Janet Lansing. He received his A.B. from Harvard University, M.A. from Oxford, and Ph.D. from the Sorbonne; he also attended Drepung College in Tibet. He inherited his father’s fortune, estimated at ten million dollars, when his parents were both killed in an accident while he was still at Harvard; he then spent ten years in
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...
studying to be a
lama (a Buddhist Spiritual Teacher), acquiring many
mystical
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
powers in the process. He returned to America intending to spread the doctrines of Tibetan Buddhism (to relieve suffering by removing ignorance), but realized that he could accomplish more by fighting crime, since Americans were not ready to receive spiritual teachings. He never carried a gun, believing that "this would make me no better than those I fight". Dumont was also endowed with superhuman powers acquired through his scientific knowledge of
radioactive salts. Dumont had two main alter egos: the crime-fighting Green Lama and the Buddhist
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
Dr. Pali. Additional alter egos included the adventurer "Hugh Gilmore".
Among the Green Lama's associates were a Tibetan lama named Tsarong, the college-educated reformed gangster Gary Brown, the post-debutante Evangl Stewart (who would go on to marry Gary), radiologist Dr. Harrison Valco, New York City police detective John Caraway, actor Ken Clayton, Montana-born actress Jean Farrell, and magician Theodor Harrin. The Green Lama was also frequently assisted by a mysterious woman known as "Magga", whose true identity was never revealed. Crossen's pseudonym "Richard Foster" was also established as a character and friend of Jethro Dumont.
The first six stories have been reprinted in the pulp reprint fanzine ''High Adventure''.
Altus Press
Altus Press is a publisher of works primarily related to the pulp magazines from the 1910s to the 1950s.
History
Founded in 2006 by Matthew Moring, Altus Press publishes collections primarily focussed on series characters, although they also publ ...
has reprinted the entire series in three volumes.
Official continuity of Green Lama pulp stories
1923–1933
*"The Case of the Final Column" by Adam Lance Garcia (flashbacks)
*"The Green Lama: Unbound" by Adam Lance Garcia (flashbacks)
*"
Black Bat / The Green Lama: Homecoming" by Adam Lance Garcia
*"Shiva Endangered" by Kevin Noel Olson
*"Eye of the Beholder" by Adam Lance Garcia
1935
*"Case of the Crimson Hand" by Kendell Foster Crossen
*"Croesus of Murder" by Kendell Foster Crossen
1936
*"Babies for Sale" by Kendell Foster Crossen
*"Wave of Death" by Kendell Foster Crossen
1937
*"The Man Who Wasn’t There" by Kendell Foster Crossen
*"Death’s Head Face" by Kendell Foster Crossen
1938
*"The Green Lama: Horror in Clay" by Adam Lance Garcia
*"The Case of the Clown Who Laughed" by Kendell Foster Crossen
*"The Case of the Invisible Enemy" by Kendell Foster Crossen
*"The Case of the Mad Magi" by Kendell Foster Crossen
*"The Case of the Vanishing Ships" by Kendell Foster Crossen
*"The Case of the Fugitive Fingerprints" by Kendell Foster Crossen
*"The Green Lama: Scions" by Adam Lance Garcia
*"The Case of the Crooked Cane" by Kendell Foster Crossen
*"The Case of the Hollywood Ghost" by Kendell Foster Crossen
1939
*"The Case of the Beardless Corpse" by Kendell Foster Crossen
*"The Case of the Final Column" by Adam Lance Garcia (Altus Press)
*"The Green Lama: Unbound" by Adam Lance Garcia
*"The Green Lama: Dæmon’s Kiss" by Adam Lance Garcia
*"The Green Lama: Crimson Circle" by Adam Lance Garcia
Modern pulps
In 2009, Airship 27 Productions and publisher Cornerstone Book Publishers began releasing a series of new pulp anthologies and novels. These new stories treat the original pulps as a vague history, though they slightly shift the time period from the early 1940s to the late 1930s and portray the Lama as younger and less experienced.
While the books were produced without the Crossen Estate, neither the authors nor the publisher were aware of the estate's claim at the time. The book was produced in good faith under the belief that the character was in the Public Domain, with no intention to infringe on any unknown rights. One of the stories, set in 1939, sought to portray the origin of the Green Lama. The other stories, while perhaps preceding the pulps in narrative order, would likely be set in the 1940s, possibly preceding the first publication in April 1940.
Volume 1
The first new Green Lama anthology was released on August 14, 2009. The anthology, edited by
Ron Fortier, featured three new stories—two short stories, and one novella—written by Kevin Noel Olson, W. Peter Miller, and Adam L. Garcia, respectively. Olson's story, "Shiva Endangered", tells one of the Lama's first adventures in Tibet and introduces the
McGuffin known as the Jade Tablet (a copy of the legendary
Emerald Tablet) and explains the origins of the Lama's powers. Garcia's novella, "Horror in Clay", is set years later in New York, shortly after Crossen's story "Death's Head Face", and pits the Lama and friends against a
golem
A golem ( ; he, , gōlem) is an animated, Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is entirely created from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud). The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the l ...
, as well as continuing the narrative of the Jade Tablet and tying the Green Lama into the
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity created by writer H. P. Lovecraft. It was first introduced in his short story " The Call of Cthulhu", published by the American pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' in 1928. Considered a Great Old One within the p ...
mythos. Finally, Miller's short, "The Studio Specter", is set in L.A., soon after the events of "Horror in Clay", and tells the story of a
Phantom
Phantom may refer to:
* Spirit (animating force), the vital principle or animating force within all living things
** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living
Aircraft
* Boeing Phantom Ray, a stealthy un ...
-like villain terrorizing a film studio.
"Horror in Clay", the cover art by Mike Fyles, and Jay Piscopo's interior artwork from this volume were nominated for 2009 Pulp Factory Awards.
Volume 2: ''Green Lama: Unbound''
The Green Lama's first full-length novel in nearly 70 years, ''Green Lama: Unbound'', was released July 28, 2010. Written by Adam L. Garcia, it displayed interior and cover art by Mike Fyles. The novel takes place roughly six months after "Studio Specter" and shortly after the last original pulp story, "Beardless Corpse". Continuing the Jade Tablet storyline established in "Shiva Enangered" and "Horror in Clay", ''Unbound'' pitted the Green Lama against Lovecraft's Great Old Ones and
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity created by writer H. P. Lovecraft. It was first introduced in his short story " The Call of Cthulhu", published by the American pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' in 1928. Considered a Great Old One within the p ...
, as well as featured—for the first time ever—details of Dumont's ten years in Tibet.
In 2011, the book, Garcia, and Fyles were nominated for several awards including Best Novel, Best Interior Art, and Best Exterior Art in the Pulp Factory Awards; as well as Best Book, Best Cover Art, Best Interior, Best Pulp Revival, and Best Author in the 2011 Pulp Ark Awards. It won for Best Pulp Revival in the Pulp Ark Awards, and Best Pulp Novel and Best Interior Art in the Pulp Factory Awards.
Airship 27
Green Lama: Mystic Warrior
Airship 27 released Green Lama-Mystic Warrior in 2013, with two original stories from Volume One and two new stories. A second edition came out in 2014. The stories and authors in this volume are "Shiva Endangered" by Kevin Noel Olson, "The Menace of the Black Ring" by Nick Ahlhelm, "The Studio Specter" by W Peter Miller, and "The Case of the Hairless Ones" by Robert Craig, with cover art by Isaac L. Nacilla and interior illustrations by Neil Foster.
Moonstone Publishers
When it was established that the Green Lama was not in the public domain, Garcia moved his books to Moonstone. Along with new work, Garcia's stories "Horror in Clay" and "Unbound" were authorized to be reissued in expanded releases. Garcia has also produced short stories crossing over the Green Lama with other pulp heroes.
Green Lama: Scions
Taking place shortly after "Horror in Clay", Dumont and his associates fight a malevolent force that arrived in New York aboard a cruise ship filled with people murdered at their own hands.
Green Lama: Daemon's Kiss
A short story featured in Moonstone's "Of Monsters and Men" anthology, the Green Lama and his associates fight a succubus outside a rural hotel. Features original "widescreen" art by Mike Fyles.
''Green Lama: Crimson Circle''
A second novel, ''Green Lama: Crimson Circle'', also by Garcia and Fyles, came out in 2015. The story is a sequel to the very first Green Lama pulp story, "Case of the Crimson Hand", while continuing the plot threads left hanging at the end of ''Unbound''. The short comic "Green Lama and the Death Dealers" by Garcia and Fyles, bridges the gap between ''Unbound'' and ''Crimson Circle''. A third novel is also written named ''Green Lama: Redemption''.
Altus Press
In addition to reprinting the original pulp stories in 2011 and 2012,
Altus Press
Altus Press is a publisher of works primarily related to the pulp magazines from the 1910s to the 1950s.
History
Founded in 2006 by Matthew Moring, Altus Press publishes collections primarily focussed on series characters, although they also publ ...
included a new short story in their third volume, "Green Lama and the Case of the Final Column", by Garcia and Fyles that ties the original pulps and new pulps stories together. "The Final Column" is set immediately after "The Case of the Beardless Corpse", shortly before the events of ''Green Lama: Unbound'', and lays the groundwork for several plot points in ''Unbound'' and the ''Crimson Circle''. It also features Crossen's pseudonym "Richard Foster" as a principal character.
Comic books
Golden Age comics
Prize Comics
The Green Lama's first comic book appearance was in issue #7 of
Crestwood Publications' ''
Prize Comics
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements. '' (December 1940). The character continued to appear in the title for 27 issues (through 1943). All stories were written by Ken Crossen, with art by
Mac Raboy
Emmanuel "Mac" Raboy (April 9, 1914 – December 12, 1967) was an American comics artist best known for his comic-book work on Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel Jr.Brent Frankenhoff & Maggie Thompson ''The Greatest Comic Book Covers Of All Time''. I ...
and others. In ''Prize Comics'' #24, he teamed up with Black Owl, Dr. Frost, and Yank and Doodle to take down Frankenstein's Monster.
This version of the character bears considerable similarities to his pulp counterpart, most notably his costume design, but was more of a sorcerer with the ability to travel through time, resurrect the dead and often battled Lucifer's minions. There were also minor changes to his supporting cast such as Jean "Parker" and the inclusion of a character known as Tashi Shog (a Tibetan liturgic wish meaning "May prosperity be").
According to ''Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes'', the Green Lama "fights
Yellow Peril
The Yellow Peril (also the Yellow Terror and the Yellow Specter) is a racial color metaphor that depicts the peoples of East and Southeast Asia as an existential danger to the Western world. As a psychocultural menace from the Eastern world ...
racketeers, the Nazi
femme fatale Baroness von Elsa, the ghostly Pharod, snake cultists, the Nazi agent Harlequin, and especially the occultist Professor Voodoo, 'two legged beast of prey' who surpasses 'in cunning and cruelty all the forces of evil'".
Spark Publications
He then moved to his own title, ''The Green Lama'' (
Spark Publications), published by Kendell Foster Crossen, which lasted for eight issues from December 1944 to March 1946. This iteration character of the Green Lama was somewhat different from his previous versions, taking a page from the original
Captain Marvel and transforming via a
magic word
Magic words are often nonsense phrases used in fantasy fiction or by stage magicians. Frequently such words are presented as being part of a divine, adamic, or other secret or empowered language. Certain comic book heroes use magic words to acti ...
(''"
Om! Mani Padme Hum!"'') into a cape and skintight costume-clad
superhero with superhuman strength and the power of flight (his adventures were even drawn by ace
Captain Marvel Jr.
Captain Marvel Jr. (Frederick "Freddy" Freeman) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A member of the Marvel/Shazam Family team of superheroes associated with Captain Marvel/Shazam, he was created by Ed H ...
artist
Mac Raboy
Emmanuel "Mac" Raboy (April 9, 1914 – December 12, 1967) was an American comics artist best known for his comic-book work on Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel Jr.Brent Frankenhoff & Maggie Thompson ''The Greatest Comic Book Covers Of All Time''. I ...
). However the scripts were still written by Kendell Foster Crossen, who had created the earlier pulp version of the character.
Reprints of the Green Lama stories from the eight-issue Spark series are available in two hardcover archive volumes produced by
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...
in 2008.
Modern comics
AC Comics
Over the last 20 years, the publisher
AC Comics has been virtually the only source for the original Golden Age material featuring the Green Lama, and intermittently used the character in their long-running, original series ''
Femforce
''Femforce'' is a comic book published by AC Comics that began publication in 1985, detailing the adventures of the titular team: the "Federal Emergency Missions Force" or "Femforce", some of them original creations, while others originated in th ...
''. In 2004, writer/artist
James Ritchey III started production on a two-part graphic novella, entitled ''Green Lama: Man of Strength'', revamping the version from the Spark Publications era. Billing the story in interviews as a "Superhero Mystical Murder Mystery involving Reincarnation", Ritchey never completed the art for part two, due to illness—so it was shelved for three years.
''Green Lama: Man of Strength'' #1 shipped through Diamond Distributors on April 5, 2008, after a requested a one-month delay from Diamond, due to their frowning upon smaller independents having two similar titles shipped simultaneously. The second issue came out in 2009.
Dynamite Comics
The Green Lama is currently one of several Golden Age characters appearing in the
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded by Nick Barrucci in 2004 at Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It is best known as the owners of '' The Boys'' franchise across several IP medias. Dynamite primarily publishes adaptations ...
comic book series ''
Project Superpowers
''Project Superpowers'' is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It was co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art by Doug Klaub ...
'', by writer
Jim Krueger and artist
Alex Ross. This version of the Green Lama is vaguely a continuation of his Spark Publications iteration, though his powers have evolved to be more nature-based. The character has been used without authorization of the Crossen Estate.
Moonstone
Moonstone Publishers are new publishers of back-up comic stories based on the pulp version of the character under its "Return of the Originals" banner. These shorts are written by Mike W. Barr. Moonstone has released in 2013 a new novel of the character, ''The Green Lama: Scions'', written by Adam Lance Garcia.
In other media
Web comics and fiction
Green Lama is one of several Golden Age comic characters to make an appearance in ''Tales of the Living Legends'', a webcomic featuring Golden Age art and rewritten stories.
The Green Lama plays a key role as a supporting character in the fiction blog
Flyover City
Radio
More than three years after the demise of his comic book, the Green Lama was resurrected for a short-lived
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
radio series that ran for 11 episodes from June 5 to August 20, 1949, with the character's voice provided by
Paul Frees
Solomon Hersh "Paul" Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986) was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass, and Walt Disney theatrical cartoons during ...
. This version of the Green Lama was also written by creator Kendell Foster Crossen, along with several co-writers.
Television
CBS Television considered producing a television version of the Green Lama for the 1950 season. The proposal never got the green light.
Aerial performance
On January 6, 2012, the Green Lama came to life in an aerial performance at the
Rubin Museum of Art
The Rubin Museum of Art, also known as the Rubin Museum is a museum dedicated to the collection, display, and preservation of the art and cultures of the Himalayas, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and other regions within Eurasia, with a per ...
as part of its "Hero, Villain, Yeti" exhibit. It was written by Adam Lance Garcia, based on his short story "Case of the Final Column", and performed by New-York-based Cirquetacular.
Buddhist element
The Green Lama stories display a sympathetic and relatively knowledgeable portrayal of Buddhism, both in the text of the stories and in numerous
footnote
A note is a string of text placed at the bottom of a page in a book or document or at the end of a chapter, volume, or the whole text. The note can provide an author's comments on the main text or citations of a reference work in support of th ...
s. From Crossen's own comments, in his
foreword to Robert Weinberg's 1976 reprint of the first ''Green Lama'' story, it is clear that this was not
proselytism
Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Proselytism is illegal in some countries.
Some draw distinctions between ''evangelism'' or '' Da‘wah'' and proselytism regarding proselytism as invol ...
on his part, but simply because he wanted to create a
Tibetan Buddhist
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
character and then read everything he could find on the subject.
The most frequent reference to Buddhism in the stories is the use of the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
mantra
A mantra ( Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ...
"''
Om mani padme hum''" (usually translated as "Om, the jewel on the lotus"), which would indeed be used by Tibetan monks. However, the majority of other references to Buddhism in the stories, while accurate, relate to the
Theravada
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
form of Buddhism rather than the Tibetan form, with frequent use of
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
words such as "''Magga''", "''Nibbana''", and "''Dhamma''", rather than the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
equivalents that would be used in
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
.
See also
*
Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt
Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt is a fictional superhero character originally published by Charlton Comics.
Publication history Charlton Comics
The character debuted in ''Peter Cannon ... Thunderbolt'' #1 (Jan. 1966), part of Charlton editor Dick Gior ...
– a similar concept also from the mid-20th century
References
External links
Official Green Lama WebsiteA Hero History of the Green LamaThe Green Lama radio programs in the public domainat Archive.org
Green Lama serial at ''Tales of the Living Legends''
*
*
*
{{GoldenAge
Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds
Comics characters with superhuman strength
Male characters in literature
Literary characters introduced in 1940
Buddhism in fiction
Characters in pulp fiction
Crestwood Publications characters
Dynamite Entertainment characters
Fantasy radio programs
Golden Age superheroes
Radio characters introduced in 1949
Radio superheroes
Male superheroes
Buddhist superheroes
Fictional Buddhist monks
Buddhism in comics