Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns
Page 33
Se sei vivo spara
(1967) [Film; Italy; WW]
Premiere: May 3, 1967; Main Cast: Tomas Milian as Stranger, Raymond Lovelock as Evan, Roberto Camardiel as Mr. Sorrow; Story: Franco Arcalli, María del Carmen Martínez Román, Giulio Questi; Producer-Director: Giulio Questi; 117 min.; Italian; GIA Società Cinematografica, Hispamer Films; Color.
A half-breed outlaw (Milian), left for dead and restored to life by Apaches, seeks revenge. This surreal spaghetti Western features an amoral anti-hero wandering through a landscape of extreme violence and degradation.
See: Django Kill—If You Live, Shoot!
Seasons of the Reaper
[Comic book; WW]
First publication: 2005; Story: Rômulo Soares; Art: Ivan Cha; Publisher: Speakeasy Comics.
An Indian hunting party rescues a boy from certain death following the slaughter of his parents. The Indians decide to raise him but sense something unsettling about the boy. For he is Death and all who have wronged him will have their souls taken.
The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
(2000) [TV series; Canada-UK]
In an alternative Victorian era, the young Jules Verne teams up with Phileas Fogg, British spy Rebecca Fogg and his valet Passepartout as they strive to keep their secrets safe from the League of Darkness.
“THE BALLAD OF STEELEY JOE” [SPW]
Air date: July 26, 2000: Main Cast: Chris Demetral as Jules Verne, Michael Praed as Phileas Fogg, Francesca Hunt as Rebecca Fogg, Michel Courtemanche as Passepartout; Guest Stars: Mario Diamond as Steeley Joe, Kent McQuaid as Jesse James, Josh Byer as Frank James, Minor Mustain as Sheriff Jim Downey, Jonathan Walker as Samuel Clemens, Dixie Seatle as Lily Ledoux; Creator-Story: Gavin Scott; Director: Gabriel Pelletier; 60 min.; Filmline International Inc., Talisman Crest; Color.
Apache Wells is under threat from local outlaws until Jules Verne, Phileas Fogg, Rebecca Fogg, Samuel Clemens, Passepartout and Lily Ledoux restore order with the help of a metallic robot gunslinger named Steeley Joe.
The Secret Empire
(1979) [TV serial; SFW]
See: Cliffhangers
Secret of Haunted Mesa
[Juvenile novel; WW]
Author: Phyllis A. Whitney; First publication: Westminster Press, Philadelphia PA, 1975.
Jenny learns of Indian warrior spirits when she becomes friendly with a local Indian boy while staying with her family at Haunted Mesa Ranch.
The Secret of the Indian
[Juvenile novel; WW]
Author: Lynne Reid Banks; Illustrator: Ted Lewin; First publication: New York: Doubleday 1989.
Patrick travels back in time to the Old West while Texas cowboy Boone and his girlfriend are stuck in the present day. On his return journey from the Old West, Patrick brings back a cyclone that has disastrous effects.
See: The Key to the Indian
The Secret of Sinharat
[Novel; SW]
Author: Leigh Brackett; First publication: New York: Ace Books, 1964.
Expanded version of “Queen of the Martian Catacombs” with minor changes to the final chapters.
See: People of the Talisman
Sei Jushi Bismarck
(1984) [Animated TV series; Japan; SW]
Premiere: October 7, 1984; Voice Cast: Bin Shimada as Richard Lancelot, Kazuhiko Inoue as Bill Wilcox; Animation Studio: Studio Pierrot; Producers: Yousi Nunokala, Yoshitaka Suzuki; Director: Masami Anno; 51 × 30 min.; NTV; Color.
The solar system is under attack from the Deathcula. Shinji Hikari from Japan, Bill Wilcox from America, Richard Lancelot from Scotland and Marianne Louvre from France join forces to fight the phantom-like menace.
The original version of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs.
Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star
(1998) [Anime; Japan; SW]
Original air date: January 9, 1998; Creator: Takehito Ito; Director: Mitsuru Hongo; Sunrise Inc.; 26 × 23 min.; Color.
Gene Starwind and his young business partner Jim Hawking are the owners of the highly advanced prototype Outlaw Star spaceship. The self-proclaimed Outlaws traverse the space between the Federation and the illegal Pirate clans on the edge of the galaxy in search of the mysterious Galactic Leyline. Joining them on their quest is bio-android Melfina, catgirl Aisha Clanclan and female assassin “Twilight” Suzuka.
Season One
Outlaw World (1:01); The Star of Desire (1:02); Into Burning Space (1:03); When the Hot Ice Melts (1:04); The Beast Girl Ready to Pounce! (1:05); The Beautiful Assassin (1:06); Creeping Evil (1:07); Forced Departure (1:08); A Journey of Adventure! Huh? (1:09); Gathering for the Space Race (1:10); Adrift in Subspace (1:11); Mortal Combat with the El Dorado (1:12); Advance Guard from an Alien World (1:13); Final Countdown (1:14); The Seven Emerge (1:15); The Demon of the Water Planet (1:16); Between Life and Machine (1:17); The Strongest Woman in the Universe (1:18); Law and Lawlessness (1:19); Cats and Girls and Spaceships (1:20); Grave of the Dragon (1:21); Gravity Jailbreak (1:22); Hot Springs Planet Tenrei (1:23); Cutting the Galactic Leyline (1:24); Maze of Despair (1:25); Return to Space (1:26)
See: Outlaw Star
Senarens, Luis
(1863-1939) [Dime novel author]
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Senarens is reported to have sold his first story to Boys of New York in 1877 at the age of 14. Taking over from departing Harry Enton on the Frank Reade Jr. series, Senarens worked under the pseudonym “Noname.” He wrote Reade Jr. stories from 1882 until 1899 for Boys of New York, Happy Days and the Frank Reade Library. Other pseudonyms he adopted include Ned Sparling and Police Captain Howard. Following his retirement from the Frank Reade Jr. series, Senarens became managing editor of Tousey Publications from 1902-1923.
Senarens' work has been criticized for being poorly written, sadistic, imperialist and racist toward Native Americans, African-Americans, Irish-Americans, Jews and Mexicans. He has also been credited with creating the groundwork for the birth of science fiction as a legitimate genre.
Selected works (series): Frank Reade Jr., Tom Edison Jr., Jack Wright.
Sensation Comics
[Comic book]
Superhero anthology title.
“WONDER WOMAN TAMES THE WILD WEST” [SFW]
First publication: #87 (March 1949); Story: Robert Kanigher; Art: Harry G. Peter; Publisher: DC Comics.
Travelling back in time to the Old West town of Twin Peaks in 1849 to discover why her name appeared in a diary, Wonder Woman encounters the villainous Jabez Dexter.
Seraphim Falls
(2006) [Film; WW]
Premiere: September 13, 2006; Main Cast: Liam Neeson as Colonel Morsman Carver, Pierce Brosnan as Gideon, Angie Harmon as Rose, Anjelica Huston as Madame Louise; Producers: Bruce Davey, David Flynn; Story: David Von Ancken, Abby Everett Jaques; Director: David Von Ancken; 115 min.; Icon Productions; Color.
The pursuit across the West of ex-Union soldier Gideon by Colonel Morsman Carver becomes a story of revenge and forgiveness with a supernatural twist.
Serenity
[Film; RPG Game; SW]
1. Premiere: September 30, 2005; Main Cast: Nathan Fillion as Mal, Jewel Staite as Kaylee, Gina Torres as Zoe, Adam Baldwin as Jayne, Summer Glau as River; Executive Producers: Christopher Buchanan, David Lester, Alisa Tager; Story-Director: Joss Whedon; 119 min.; Universal Pictures; Color.
Following the Unification War, many Independents drifted away from Alliance control and struggled to survive in the 'Verse. Film sequel to the short-lived TV series Firefly about a group of rebels pursued through space.
2. Role playing game; Author-Designer: Jamie Chambers; Based on the motion picture screenplay by Joss Whedon; First publication: Margaret Weis Productions Ltd, 2006.
3. Comic book
See: Out in the Black
Serenity Adventures
[RPG book; SW]
First publication: Margaret Weis Productions Ltd., 2008.
Collection of tales for use with the Serenity role playing game and th
e Cortex System game rules.
Ghosts of the Rebellion by James Davenport; The Best Things Get Better with Age by Alana Abbot; Freedoms Flight by Ted Reed; Seven Arks of Cibola by Billy Aguiar; Mother Load by James M. Ward
7 Faces of Dr. Lao
(1964) [Film; WW]
Premiere: March 18, 1964; Main Cast: Tony Randall as Dr. Lao, Merlin the Magician, Pan, Medusa, The Abominable Snowman, Apollonius of Tyana, Serpent; Barbara Eden as Angela Benedict; Novel: Charles G. Finney; Screenplay: Charles Beaumont; Producer-Director: George Pal; 100 min.; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Color.
The townsfolk of frontier town Abalone, Arizona, flock to a traveling carnival and learn truths about their own strengths and weaknesses. Tony Randall plays seven different characters. He also appears as a member of the audience at the carnival.
Loosely based on the novel The Circus of Dr. Lao (1935) by Charles G. Finney.
Seven Mummies
(2006) [Film; WW]
Main Cast: Matt Schulze as Rock, Billy Wirth as Travis, Billy Drago as Drake, Cerina Vincent as Lacy, Danny Trejo as Apache; Executive Producers: Richard E. Ragsdale, Robert M. Turner; Story: Thadd Turner; Director: Nick Quested; 90 min.; Talmarc Productions; Color.
Seven mummified Jesuit priests protect the treasure they buried in an Old West town.
When the townsfolk discover their riches, the mummies are awakened and turn them into vampires. Six runaway convicts hear of the legend from an Apache shaman and decide to check out the town and treasure for themselves.
Seven Soldiers
[Comic book; WW]
First publication: #0 (April 2005); Story: Grant Morrison; Art: J.H. Williams III; Publisher: DC Comics.
“WEIRD ADVENTURES PART 1: “SHELLY AND THE SUPER-COWBOYS”
A bored and frustrated Shelly Gaynor, the granddaughter of the original Whip, seeking new challenges, arranges a meeting with Greg Saunders alias the Vigilante.
“WEIRD ADVENTURES PART 2: BIG TIME COUNTRY”
The Vigilante invites Gaynor to join a revived Seven Soldiers team consisting of I, Spyder, Gimmix, Boy Blue and Dyno-Mite Dan. Their first mission is to track down the giant spider of Miracle, which he first encountered in the Old West of 1875.
“WEIRD ADVENTURES PART 3: MIDNIGHT AT MIRACLE MESA”
After successfully destroying the spider with a mixture of silver bullets and freezing spray, the team find they have walked into a trap and are attacked by the leader of the Sheeda Army, Neh-buh-loh, and his troops. Only one member will survive.
7th Dimension
[Radio show; UK]
BBC Radio anthology show featuring science fiction, fantasy, horror and supernatural stories.
“SHAMBLEAU”
Original broadcast: April 21, 2007; Narrator: Elizabeth McGovern; Producer: Gemma Jenkins; 3 × 30 min.; BBC Radio 7.
Three-part narration of the C.L. Moore story featuring Northwest Smith and his encounter with a mysterious woman on Mars.
See: 2000x: Tales of the Next Millennia
Severin, John
(1921-) [Comic book artist]
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1921, John Powers Severin began his career in comic books following service in the U.S. Army. Early work for Prize Comics included the Western American Eagle. From 1953 until 1955 he worked for EC Comics and achieved recognition for his artwork on the war titles Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat.
Following the close of EC, Severin worked for Atlas-Marvel on Western titles including Ringo Kid, Rawhide Kid and Kid Colt Outlaw. A partnership with fellow artist Dick Ayers began in 1967 on the Alley Award-winning Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos. He also contributed to Warren's short-lived but acclaimed war title Blazing Combat in the 1960s as well as Warren's horror titles Creepy and Eerie.
Severin has enjoyed a long career and was still working into his eighties on the Weird Western title Desperadoes and an updated Rawhide Kid and as cover artist for an issue of Shaolin Cowboy in 2007. His detailed style has served him well throughout his career and is particularly suited to the war and Western genres where he has flourished.
The Shadow of the Storm
[Novel; SFW]
Author: Kurt R. A. Giambastiani; First publication: New York: New American Library, 2003.
One Who Flies of the Cheyenne Alliance, son of United States President George Armstrong Custer, is leader of the resistance against U.S. and European treatment of the Cheyenne in this alternate history series. The third novel in the Fallen Cloud Saga.
See: From the Heart of the Storm
The Shadows Kith and Kin
[Book anthology; WW]
Author: Joe R. Lansdale; First publication: Burton MI: Subterranean Press, 2007.
This collection of nine short stories includes the Weird Western stories “Deadman's Road” and “The Gentleman's Hotel,” the latter featuring gunslinging Reverend Jebidiah Rains from Dead in the West as he confronts a walking corpse and werewolves.
Shaman's Tears
[Comic book; WW]
First published: May 1993; Creator: Mike Grell; Publisher: Image Comics.
After learning of his mystical powers from Indian shaman Grey Hawk, troubled half-Sioux Joshua Brand becomes the protector of the Earth as Stalking Wolf.
“Shambleau”
[Pulp fiction; SW]
Author: C. L. Moore; First publication: Weird Tales (November 1933).
Space adventurer and outlaw Northwest Smith confronts the ancient myths of the Gorgon and Medusa when he befriends an alluring alien girl. Moore successfully weaves themes of eroticism, sensuality, fear of the unknown and disgust into a compelling story.
Had Northwest Smith, the famous outlaw of the spaceways, been able to foresee the future, he would not have shielded the frightened, scarlet-clad girl from the wild mob pursuing her through the narrow streets of Lakkdarol, Earth's latest colony of Mars. “Shambleau! Shambleau!” the crowd cried with loathing and disgust, but Smith drove them off with his blaster and took the exhausted girl to his quarters. There was no hair upon her face—neither brows nor lashes; but what lay hidden beneath the tight scarlet turban bound around her head?
See: 2000x: Tales of the Next Millennia
Shambleau and Others
[Pulp fiction collection; SW]
Author: C. L. Moore; First publication: New York: Gnome Press, 1953.
The first collection of four Northwest Smith stories in one volume: “Shambleu” (1933), “Black Thirst” (1934), “Scarlet Dream” (1934) and “The Tree of Life” (1936).
First edition dust jacket for Shambleau and Others by C.L. Moore (1953).
Shaolin Cowboy
[Comic book; SFW]
First publication: 2004; Creator-Story: Geoff Darrow; Art: Geoffrey Darrow; Publisher: Burlyman Entertainment.
A former Shaolin monk with a bounty on his head wanders through a post-apocalyptic landscape with his talking mule.
This ultra-violent, surrealistic comic book with little plot, minimal dialogue (the Wachowski brothers providing dialogue for the mule) and detailed quality artwork has received critical praise.
Shattered Coast
[RPG book; WW]
Authors: Zach Bush, John Goff, John Hopler, James Maliszewski, Gareth Skarka; First publication: Setting: Deadlands: Hell on Earth The Wasted West; Publisher: Pinnacle Entertainment Group.
Location book for the Great Maze. Includes an adventure of the Cult o' Doom.
She-Hulk
[Comic book]
Old West lawyer Matt Hawk a.k.a. Two-Gun Kid joined the pages of She-Hulk in 2006 beginning with issue #4 and concluding with issue #7.
“NEW KID IN TOWN” [SFW]
First publication: #5 (April 2006): Story: Dan Slott; Art: Juan Bobillo, Marcelo Sosa; Publisher: Marvel Comics.
Traveling through time to present-day America, Matt Hawk alias Two-Gun Kid becomes the latest member of She-Hulk's law firm.
Shiloh Falls
(2007) [Film; WW]
Premiere: December
1, 2007; Main Cast: Art LaFleur as Sheriff John Gaffney, Brad Greenquist as Dalton, Ellie Araiza as Mary, Esteban Louis Powell as Cole; Executive Producers: Philip Bligh, Roddy Mancuso, Bruce Randolph Tizes; Story: Art Lafleur, Adrian Fulle, Gregory Littman, Roddy Mancuso; Director: Adrian Fulle; 90 min.; Radio London Films; Color.
When the Dalton Gang are tracked to the town of Shiloh Falls by Sheriff John Gaffney,he has to contend with a stranger with supernatural powers before he can bring them to justice.
Shooting Star
[Comic book character; SFW]
First appearance: Incredible Hulk #265 (November 1981); Creators: Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema; Publisher: Marvel Comics.
Texas-born Victoria Starwin began her career as a rodeo performer, renowned for her double act with fellow rodeo star Texas Twister. Her equipment includes a pair of guns that shoot star-shaped “bullets” capable of causing paralysis.
Shooting Star's Weird Western credentials include being possessed by a demon who assumed her identity. She served as a member of The Rangers.