Mister 8

Things are going on around the Internet. Things, I say! Here’s what our RSS Feed / secret intelligence source told us about these things.

ITEM!

Jason Whiton is having a penthouse party! Only, you’re not invited. But guess who is?

Luciana Paluzzi

Luciana Paluzzi! Nicola Conte! Hugh Hefner!

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One person not on the guest list yet, but who will surely crash the party even if he’s not, is that wonderful actor Peter Wyngarde. David, over at Permission to Kill, is in the midst of a Peter Wyngarde festival. He requested other COBRAS members to provide thoughts on Wyngarde, and I offered the following bit of artwork (which I need to recolor — I used a black and white photo for reference, and now need to make his scarf orange instead of blue!):

Peter Wyngarde as Number Two

David has amassed quite an appreciation of Wyngarde, and it’s currently ongoing, so check back for more. So far, he’s covered the following:

• I Spy: Let’s Kill Karlovassi
• The Avengers: A Touch Of Brimstone
• The Prisoner: Checkmate
• The Avengers: Epic
• The Saint: The Man Who Liked Lions

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David also has an in-depth interview with COBRAS associate / already-acclaimed novelist Jeremy Duns on the subject of espionage fiction, specifically Jeremy’s upcoming novel, Free Agent. Early word on Jeremy’s book is that it’s awesome, and this word is coming from people you know. For instance:

“Terse, sardonic, and knowing, Free Agent is a take-no-prisoners exploration of loyalty, duplicity and love. I dare anyone to put this book down after reading the first electrifying chapter.” —Eric Van Lustbader, author of The Ninja and The Bourne Sanction

“An authentic espionage novel with accurate tradecraft and intelligence operatives who act with intelligence. If you like vintage John le Carre, you’ll love Free Agent. Set in the Cold War, packed with history and tension, it’s a must-read for any true spy-novel fan.” —David Morrell, author of First Blood and The Brotherhood of the Rose

If you’ve just asked yourself, “Hey, First Blood like Rambo?” The answer is yes.

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Tanner at the Double O Section has been a monster of DVD reviews lately! There are so many that I don’t know where to start — Mission Impossible, Hawaii Five-O, Return of the Man From UNCLE…just go visit the blog!

He’s also been giving information about the latest OSS-117 film. I saw the first of the parody films, and enjoyed it immensely. Much better than Austin Powers, and much more in line with something like No One Lives Forever. Tanner will be seeing the film at an LA screening soon, and we look forward to his review!

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Bombard your local library with requests for Wes Britton’s latest book! Give them the information below:

The Encyclopedia of TV Spies

By Wesley Britton
Format: softcover
Pages: 520
ISBN: 1-59393-325-8
Price: $29.95
Publisher: Bear Manor Media

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Don’t forget about our ongoing Nick Fury competition. We currently have only four entries and five prizes to give away!

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Mister 8, the comic, will resume updates again soon!

Dick Bruna OSS-117 covers

I’m a big fan of the illustration / graphic design blog grain edit, and they recently showcased a cover by illustrator Dick Bruna for a Jean Bruce OSS-117 novel. In trying to track down others, I hit the motherload with this Flickr collage which shows a number of other beautiful designs by Bruna.

This is the same OSS-117 that inspired the recent secret agent pastiches, which are also quality work.

…Which I’ll hopefully be able to follow up with reviews this week:

(click the arrow in the right bottom corner to turn on captions)

The Eurospy Guide

As you saw over the last week, I’m a big fan of the Italian, so-called “spaghetti” westerns of the 60s and 70s. It’s somewhat surprising, given my love of spies, but I know next to nothing about the Eurospy genre that was booming co-temporaneously. I’ve got a copy of Matt Blake and David Deal’s Eurospy Guide ordered and on the way, but I’m looking for suggestions on which films I should start seeking.

Here are some films that I’ve seen / gotten / are on the way as well:

• The two recent OSS 117 comedies from France, Cairo Nest of Spies and Rio Doesn’t Respond.
• Deadlier Than the Male & Some Girls Do, the British Bulldog Drummond films,
• The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World
• From the Orient With Fury
• Fury in Marrakesh
• Special Mission Lady Chaplin

What should be next on my list? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

It’s day three of Mister 8 May Madness, and today we’re seeing a battle between John Steed & Emma Peel of the Avengers, and Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, aka OSS 117.

Steed & Peel

Him: a government agent Edwardian gent in then contemporary times, chivalrous, handy with a sword, and always found smiling beneath the brim of his bowler. Her: what New Statesman magazine called a “feminist icon in a catsuit,” a jill-of-all-trades artist, industrialist, expert in judo, who had big “kinky boots” to fill after her predecessor left to become a Bond girl. John Steed and Emma Peel: The Avengers!

OSS 117

Created by an author, Jean Bruce, who had those magic initials when it comes to espionage fiction, OSS 117 began as a Louisianan agent for the OSS in a series of novels that pre-dated James Bond. Since then, he was the star of a great series of Eurospy action flicks in the 1960s, and more recently has been reworked into a parody series that makes Austin Powers look inferior.

Voting ends May 20, circa 1:30 p.m.!

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