The Mysterious Traveler was an American media franchise created by Robert Arthur and David Kogan. All versions of the franchise focused on suspense and crime fiction, with occasional elements of horror or science fiction. [1]
The anthology radio series debuted in 1943 and ran until 1952, featuring a narrator-host known as "the Mysterious Traveler". The concept was later adapted to magazine in 1952-53, and the comic book format in 1948, 1956-59, and in 1985.
Written and directed by Robert Arthur and David Kogan, the radio series was sponsored by Adam Hats. It began on the Mutual Broadcasting System, December 5, 1943, continuing in many different time slots until September 16, 1952. The lonely sound of a distant locomotive heralded the arrival of the sinister narrator (portrayed by Maurice Tarplin), who introduced himself each week in the following manner:
The narrator also took an active role in two episodes. In "The Accusing Corpse", he appears as a coroner named Roger. In "The Good Die Young" he appears as a general practitioner named Doctor Smith.
Cast members included Jackson Beck, Lon Clark, Roger DeKoven, Elspeth Eric, Wendell Holmes, Bill Johnstone, Joseph Julian, Jan Miner, Santos Ortega, Bryna Raeburn, Frank Readick, Luis van Rooten, Ann Shepherd, Lawson Zerbe and Bill Zuckert. Sound effects were by Jack Amrhein, Jim Goode, Ron Harper, Walt McDonough and Al Schaffer.
"Behind the Locked Door", a popular, much-requested episode which took place in total darkness, was repeated several times during the years. Two archaeologists discover a century-old wagon train that had been sealed in a cave following a landslide. When their Native American guide is mysteriously and brutally attacked, the two, now lost in the darkness, conclude that the descendants of the wagon train are still living in the cave.
Only 75 of the original 370 Mysterious Traveler episodes still exist. The popularity of the series spawned other supernatural shows, such as The Sealed Book . With scripts by a Mysterious Traveler writer and Tarplin as host-narrator, The Strange Dr. Weird was a nearly identical program. [2]
Grace Publishing's 1951–52 Mysterious Traveler digest-sized magazine ran for five issues with cover paintings by famed pulp illustrator Norman Saunders. The publisher was David Kogan, and managing editor Robert Arthur also contributed many stories. [1] The first issue (November 1951) carried a welcome from the Mysterious Traveler himself:
| Tales of the Mysterious Traveler | |
|---|---|
 Tales of the Mysterious Traveler #7 (March 1958) | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Charlton Comics |
| Schedule | Bimonthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | vol. 1: Aug. 1956 – June. 1959 Vol. 2: Oct. 1985 – Dec. 1985 |
| No. of issues | Vol. 1: 13 Vol. 2: 2 |
| Main character(s) | Mysterious Traveler |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Joe Gill Steve Ditko |
| Artist(s) | Steve Ditko Dick Giordano Rocco Mastroserio |
| Editor(s) | Joe Gill |
Trans-World Publications' one-shot Mysterious Traveler Comics #1 (Nov. 1948) had a direct tie-in with the radio series, including the story "Five Miles Down", taken directly from an episode scripted for the radio program. Only a single issue was published. [3]
Charlton Comics published a separate Tales of the Mysterious Traveler comic book for 13 issues from 1956 to 1959, [4] followed by two more issues in 1985 shortly before the company went under. [5] Steve Ditko illustrated many stories in this title. Stories intended for future issues saw print in Renegade Press's Murder. In 1990, Eclipse Comics published a large-format paperback collecting 19 Ditko stories from the Charlton title. [6] Some of those stories were reprinted in Pure Imagination's Steve Ditko Reader.
Anthony Boucher's 1950 detective story anthology, Four-and-Twenty-Bloodhounds, paired each story with a brief biography of the detective. In the case of "The Big Money" by Robert Arthur, Boucher apologized to the reader:
Stephen John Ditko was an American comic book writer best known for being the co-creator of Marvel superhero Spider-Man and creator of Doctor Strange. He also made notable contributions to the character of Iron Man, revolutionizing the character's red and yellow design.
The Shadow is a fictional character created by American 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 Gibson, The Shadow has been adapted into other forms of media, including American comic books, comic strips, serials, video games, and at least five feature films. The radio drama included episodes voiced by Orson Welles.
Charlton Comics was an American comic-book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T. W. O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton Publications, which published magazines, puzzle books, and briefly, books. It had its own distribution company.
Notable events of 1965 in comics.
Robert Arthur Jr. was a writer and editor of crime fiction and speculative fiction known for his work with The Mysterious Traveler radio series and for writing The Three Investigators, a series of young adult novels.
The Thing! is an American horror comic book published by Charlton Comics that ran 17 issues from 1952 to 1954. Its tagline was "Weird tales of suspense and horror!" After the 17th issue, it was cancelled and the series' numbering continued as Blue Beetle vol. 2.
Notable events of 1968 in comics.
The Strange Dr. Weird is a radio program broadcast on Mutual from 1944 to 1945.
The Sealed Book was a radio series of mystery and terror tales, produced and directed by Jock MacGregor for the Mutual network. Between March 18 and September 9, 1945, the melodramatic anthology series was broadcast on Sundays from 10:30 pm to 11:00 pm.
Ghosts is a horror comics anthology series published by DC Comics for 112 issues from September–October 1971 to May 1982. Its tagline was "True Tales of the Weird and Supernatural", changed to "New Tales of the Weird and Supernatural", as of #75, and dropped after #104.
The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves is an American supernatural-anthology comic book that was published by Charlton Comics, often featuring stories by writer-artist Steve Ditko. The eponymous Dr. M. T. Graves was a fictional character who hosted the stories in each issue of this title, and very occasionally took part in a tale.
This Magazine is Haunted is a horror comic that was originally published by Fawcett between 1951 and 1953. Running 14 issues, it was the first of Fawcett's supernatural line; a string of titles which included Beware! Terror Tales, Worlds of Fear, Strange Suspense Stories, and Unknown Worlds.
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to the demise of many titles and the toning down of others. Black-and-white horror-comics magazines, which did not fall under the Code, flourished from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s from a variety of publishers. Mainstream American color comic books experienced a horror resurgence in the 1970s, following a loosening of the Code. While the genre has had greater and lesser periods of popularity, it occupies a firm niche in comics as of the 2010s.
Alan Class Comics was a British comics publishing company that operated between 1959 and 1989. The company produced anthology titles, reprinting comics stories from many U.S. publishers of the 1940s to 1960s in a black and white digest size format for a UK audience. During the 1960s and 1970s, these reprints were the main medium through which British children were introduced to American monster and mystery comics, as well as most non-DC or Marvel superheroes.
Space Adventures is an American science-fiction anthology comic book series that was published sporadically by Charlton Comics from 1952 to 1979. Its initial iteration included some of the earliest work of industry notables Steve Ditko, Dick Giordano, and Tony Tallarico, and at least one story by EC Comics mainstay Bernard Krigstein.
Ghostly Tales is a horror-suspense anthology comic book series that was published by Charlton Comics from 1966 to 1984. The book was "hosted" by Mr. L. Dedd, a middle-aged gentleman with purplish skin and horns who dressed like a vampire. Mr. Dedd spun his "ghostly tales" from the parlor of his "haunted house".
Ghost Manor is a horror-suspense anthology comic book series that was published by Charlton Comics from 1968 to 1984. Volume one was "hosted" by the Old Witch, while volume two was hosted by Mr. Bones.
Haunted is a horror-suspense anthology comic book series that was published by Charlton Comics from 1971 to 1984. The book was "hosted" by Impy, a pint-sized ghost dressed in an all-white superhero costume. With issue #21, the book's host became Baron Weirwulf. From that point forward, Haunted's title was changed to Baron Weirwulf's Haunted Library.
Ghostly Haunts is an American horror-suspense anthology comic book series that was published by Charlton Comics from 1971 to 1978. The book was "hosted" by Winnie the Witch, a "moddish" blue-skinned witch.
Scary Tales is a horror-suspense anthology comic book series that was published by Charlton Comics from 1975 to 1984. The book was "hosted" by Countess R. H. Von Bludd, an alluring female vampire in a tight-fitting dress. Artist Steve Ditko was a regular contributor to the book during its entire run.