The Shadow of Fu Hong Wu

Secret Origins Behind the Story

The Shadow of Fu Hong Wu, written, or more appropriately, plagiarized by Dixon Kinqade, began as a transcription of The Shadow of Fu Manchu radio series dramatization. These programs were based on the series of books written by the English author Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward, better known as Sax Rohmer. The series was produced as a joint venture of the Hollywood program production firm of Fields Brothers Inc. and the New York-based syndicated program distributor Radio Attractions, Inc. 

Recorded in Hollywood at the studios of Radio Recorders in the winter of 1938-39. The series was officially released in December 1938. The episodes aired in various locations at various times and on various dates during 1939 and 1940.

What began as a transcription project quickly developed into a literary adaptation based on the old-time radio serial. Subsequently, the adaptation soon developed into a hybrid of the radio program combined with the original book by Rohmer. From that point, the project snowballed into a project of much greater scope.

According to Dixon Kinqade:

This novel is a deliberate act of plagiarism. It's a compilation of multiple and various source materials. I am not the author of this work, so much as I am its compiler. It all started with three issues of Marvel Comics Group's Master of Kung Fu. 

Three issues multiplied to twelve, twelve multiplied to one hundred ten. In the end, I had collected every appearance of the character Shang Chi, including the hard-to-find issues of a black and white magazine entitled Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, also published by Marvel Comics. Doug Moench is perhaps the greatest storyteller of our day.

The collaborative work of Moench, along with Gullacy, or Zeck, or Day was magical. As a team, those guys not only captured and reproduced, but exceeded that dark, mysterious, ominous tone which Rohmer was supposedly so famous for. The "feel" of their work was the thing I found most spellbinding.

In all honesty, I found Rohmer's books to be lacking by comparison. Then again, I felt the same about his books compared to the radio drama. Although, I've always been particularly fond of that 1940s radio melodrama, but I digress.

From the comics to the books by Rohmer, to the radio serial, that was the progression of my love affair with the Devil Doctor. Since the radio dramas are in the public domain, or at least that's the stance my attorneys will take, I decided to transcribe and publish them, because I feel they were far better written than Rohmer's books, at least in terms of entertainment appeal and tone. However, in the process of transcription, I found myself, for various reasons, referring to the text of the original books. It was simply a natural progression to compile both sources into a unified product, taking the best from each source and discarding the rest. Although, it has presented certain challenges.

The greatest challenge was the copyright issue with the main character. It's a mess, really, because some of the Fu Manchu books, like the radio serial, are in the public domain, which means anyone can compose a derivative work from that source material. However, the character himself is, I have heard, still under the protection of copyright.

In my understanding, basically this means the character is protected by copyright in name only. It's a shame, actually, because no one is utilizing it. No one is writing new Fu Manchu books. At this time, I've heard rumors that a new film is to be made, but as of yet, I have found little evidence.

Why not? I would love to see new Fu Manchu books on the shelves. My guess, the rights holder is either tyrannical or is asking too high a price. In any case, it's the public who is getting the shaft.

An additional challenge was the question of copyrights on the names of the other characters. I could have contacted the rights holder to get such questions answered, but I'm lazy. It was easier to avoid any possible legal entanglements by simply altering the names.

The remaining challenges were more a matter of personal preference than anything of an objective nature. Let me preface all that is to follow with this clarification. While I'm a fan of Rohmer's creation, namely the character of Fu Manchu, I find those series of books to be lacking in the area of tone and mood.

Many have praised his work for its dark mystique. It is there, but not pervasive enough for my taste. It was my intention to remedy that with this compilation. In fact, the first six paragraphs of Chapter 1 serve the sole purpose of building and setting the mood.

Additionally, I dislike most high fiction and fantasy. I much prefer a great deal of realism. While I realize that any work of fiction requires a modicum of "suspension of disbelief", a modicum is all I can spare. 

Perhaps, I'm more limited in that respect by comparison with general audiences. As a result, I see the whole "hell bent on world domination" theme a bit too grandiose. I understand in the context of Rohmer's time and, more importantly, the message he wished to convey it was indispensable.

The message of China's impending rise is even more valid and justified now than in Rohmer's day. While industrialized nations have raped the land and consumed all their available natural resources, China is one of the few countries left with abundant resources. Greatest among which are its people, the sheer number would provide a truly awesome amount of manpower.

A workforce that multitudinous nullifies the need for industrialization. I'm not preaching "Beware the yellow peril", more like a healthy respect for a developing super-power. China has yet to industrialize and modernize on a massive scale. 

China has always stepped slowly and with caution, resisting change, refusing the unproven new for the security of the tried and true. Historically, this was out of concern for preserving and protecting its heritage, long traditions, unique culture, and the people's way of life. However, change will come. It's only a matter of time, and when it does, China may very well be the last great superpower. Again, I digress.

My point is that world domination is too great an ambition to be plausible. At least, it's too grand to be palatable to me. In my version of the story, the main character is primarily concerned with the profitability of his criminal enterprise. It's simply business, pure and simple greed. Though the main character does exhibit a lust for power, it's limited to the business of the criminal underworld.

The mad scientist routine is interesting in the sense of possibilities for plotlines, but it is a routine. In that sense, it's stale and dull. Perhaps it was a novelty in Rohmer's time. It certainly was fashionable, but today it's played out.

One thing that's always irritated me, if he's supposed to be an elusive evil genius, a criminal mastermind operating in the shadows, why is he constantly meeting his adversaries face to face? Why does he allow his adversaries to meddle in his affairs? Apparently, he's not all that elusive, nor is he all that intelligent.

A true criminal genius would remain hidden in shadows, operating in the background, an unseen hand pulling the strings behind the scenes, though his presence would be felt everywhere. If his adversaries seem to have foiled his plans, it should turn out to be a ruse, a distraction to prevent them from interfering with his real plans. While his opponents are playing checkers, he should be playing a game of chess.

Lastly, Rohmer was an Englishman writing in the early 1900s and it shows in his work. While I like the characters he created, his writing style is sometimes difficult for modern American audiences to read and comprehend. I'm fond of comparing his work to that of Shakespeare, in the sense that it's far easier to understand when it's heard, not read.

Personally, I tend to like English writers and especially older works. They use words and terms that are not common in contemporary American English. I find that quaint and charming, but it can be annoying and confusing to many modern American readers.

So, I thought it would be cool to rewrite the story and make it much easier to read and generally more appealing for present-day American audiences. I wanted to tell the story in simpler language and in a style that would be palatable to contemporary American readers and comprehensible to young adults. I assert that reading should be fun and easy, not a laborious activity. At least concerning fictional storytelling, that is.

In conclusion, these are some of the problems and concerns I had in mind concerning the original materials. When I began work on this book, I set out to correct these things. Since then, I've discovered that a work in progress has a life all of its own. What you intended to create when you began and the finished product are not necessarily the same thing. It's my belief that I was successful in correcting some of these problems. At the very least, I have attempted to address them.

Although, I'm still dissatisfied with the lack of tone, mood, and "feeling". Much like Rohmer's work, it is there, but not nearly pervasive enough for my taste. That was the primary reason I started this project and perhaps I have failed to achieve my primary goal.

I've discovered that it's difficult to develop the tone without a great deal of descriptive narrative, but too much of that bores the audience. In fact, too much descriptive narration can ruin an otherwise good story. Personally, as a reader, I dislike when an author tries to paint an exact and detailed picture. 

Too often, the picture an author has in his mind is very different from the one I have. More often than not, I prefer the picture in my mind. Besides, any more descriptive narration would have made The Shadow of Fu Hong Wu entirely too long. It's thick enough as it is.

So, I've tried to subtly hint at imagery. Hopefully, I have left enough, but not too much, room for the reader's imagination to run free. I'm hoping that I've used enough adjectives in the just the right places to stimulate the reader's imagination.

I am hopeful that your imagination will fill in all the gaps as you read and paint a vividly complete picture in your mind‘s eye. How successful I‘ve been will vary from person to person and is dependent on individual creativity. The less repressed, the more free, and the greater capacity a reader has to invent fantasy is the key factor. The more wild your imagination, the more vivid the picture will be.

In closing, I'll say that all things considered, I'm proud of and happy with the final product. Overall, it's a pretty good book, an easy read, and an entertaining story. That's what fiction novels are all about!

- DK February 2009