Thursday, October 2, 2014

OUT OF THE NIGHT! PRIMITIVE...SAVAGE...IN LOVE WITH DANGER, DELL COMICS' T.H.E. CAT !!!


"Out of the night comes a man who saves lives at the risk of his own. Once a circus performer, an aerialist who refused the net. Once a cat burglar, a master among jewel thieves. 

"Now a professional bodyguard. Primitive... savage... in love with danger. T.H.E. Cat!"

Portrays the dark, moodiness of the show!
T.H.E. Cat was a TV series, ahead of its time, starring Robert Loggia as Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat, a retired cat burglar. Retired from burgling, T.H.E. Cat protected clients who’ve been threatened with death, like the premise of The Equalizer. It was dark and moody, using martial arts realistically, instead of the old fashioned karate chop. Cat works out of his friend's cafe, El Casa del Gato. Stefan Arngrim, the young boy Barry from Land of the Giants, was one of the many famous actors guest starring on the show. 

Neon sign for the cafe!

T.H.E. Cat had a run just as brief as the parent series, only four issues, but it had great photo covers (#1 was my favorite cover, with the psychedelic backdrop.) 

Robert Loggia was perfect in the role!

T.H.E. Cat #1  The Fate of the World in the Hands of One Man...T.H.E. Cat!
"The Diplomatic Dodge!"
"THE Cat and the Kidnapped Canary!"
"How Many Lives are Left?" 
Stories in #1 & #4 are written by Joe Gill, Jack Sparling art and photo covers on all issues. 

T.H.E. Cat #2

T.H.E. Cat #2  Cat Risks His Life in Castle Deadly to Save a Helpless Victim!
"T.H.E. Cat and the Castle!"
A sheikish character abducts a woman to his castle, prompting a rescue from the wily T.H.E. Cat and an ultimate showdown.
"The Beatnik and the Masterpiece!"
The second feature in issue #2 has T.H.E. Cat matching wits with an art-thieving hippie.

T.H.E. Cat #3

T.H.E. Cat #3  Cat Breaks Into Prison to Save a Life!
"Goliath's Cruise!"
"Sentenced From Solitary!" 

T.H.E. Cat #4

T.H.E. Cat #4  The Master of Mystery Pits His Skills Against a Deadly Foe!
"The Czar's Car Caper!"
"The 14th Year!"
"The Furious Feline!" 


Unfortunately, there were no novels, until lately. Win Scott Eckert wrote a crossover novel with T.H.E. Cat and Honey West.
 

When an exotic green-eyed Asian doctor hires Honey West to recover a stolen sample of a new Rubella vaccine from a rival scientist, the blonde bombshell private eye—suspicious but bored—takes the case. But after she’s attacked not once, but twice, on her way from Long Beach to San Francisco to track down her quarry, she knows there’s more—much more—to her femme fatale client than meets the eye.

Concept art for the book cover!
Along the way, Honey’s one-time paramour Johnny Doom—ex-bounty hunter and current Company agent—reenters the picture, and the gorgeous doctor’s insidious—and deadly—grandfather deals himself in. But when Honey questions whether Johnny’s playing her game, or just playing her for a patsy, she joins forces—as only Honey can—with the one man in Frisco who can help her recover the stolen vaccine-cum-bioweapon and prevent worldwide genocide by germ-warfare—former cat burglar-turned-bodyguard Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat: T.H.E Cat

Sounds like a good read, gotta look that one up! 

Photo cover for the Moonstone comic book!
Private Eye Honey West!


There were no revivals of the comic book, until not long ago, when Moonstone did a crossover with T.H.E. Cat. and Honey West. The plus, it is written by Trina Robbins. I don't know where this came from, there was no crossover back in the day.   

Honey West #1 & T.H.E. Cat #1!


Two cult TV icons heat it up together for the first time! Ex-cat burglar and aerialist Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat is back for the first time in 45 years! He puts his skills to good use as a professional bodyguard - primitive and in love with danger! 

Now he teams up with Honey West, TV’s first lead-female private eye. In “Death in the Desert”, 1960’s mob infested Las Vegas, they investigate a series of accidents - but will the attraction between the two cause the case to overheat?

Nice model, nothing like a snazzy Corvette!

There was a scale model of the custom Corvette driven on the show.

Live Large My Friends!

Thank You!  

Grappling hooks & knives were his thing!


1 comment:

  1. Another I've never heard of and would love to get my hands on!

    ReplyDelete