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The Spider #26 Audiobook
Death Reign of the Vampire King
by Norvell W. Page writing as Grant Stockbridge
Read by Nick Santa Maria
Never before had greedy, criminal genius loosed so loathsome and deadly a weapon! The Bat Man — leading a band of savages, releasing clouds of bloodthirsty vampire bats — planned to make himself a greater conqueror than Napoleon or Genghis Khan! One man stood in his way — Richard Wentworth, who when the Law fails, sallies forth as the dread Spider to spread red death in the Underworld. And the Spider — his beloved Nita forfeited, his loyal servants captive, his own life ever in horrible danger — must battle both the Bat Man and a broken heart!
Garbed in a black silk cloak, slouch hat and wearing an assortment of masks and strange disguises to make him look as fierce as his namesake, the Spider ran roughshod over a vicious legion of thugs and hoodlums, leaving behind him a trail of cold corpses branded by his calling card, a scarlet spider burned into their foreheads.
The Spider was the only pulp hero to suffer under a messiah complex of immense proportions. As Norvell Page—the Quentin Tarantino of pulp fiction—related his complicated backstory: “Wentworth had sworn his crusades of justice long ago solely because of his hatred of injustice, his great altruistic love for mankind.
“Oh, there had been personal reasons behind his initial foray beyond the law—a dear friend was being framed out of life and honor and home. And there had been the example of his father, who had died when Wentworth was scarcely in his teens, a great lawyer murdered by criminals because he had dared defy them to save an innocent man they had made their scapegoat.”
Nick Santa Maria once again brings the Spider to life in Death Reign of the Vampire King originally published in The Spider magazine, November, 1935.
Chapter 1: The Bat Man
Chapter 2: “Death to the Spider!”
Chapter 3: The Winged Death Again
Chapter 4: Bat Man vs. Spider
Chapter 5: Dinner With Death
Chapter 6: Waters of Doom
Chapter 7: Poisoned Ambush
Chapter 8: Triumph of the Bat!
Chapter 9: The Wooing of Nita
Chapter 10: In the Vampire’s Cage
Chapter 11: Against All Hope
Chapter 12: Race With Time
Chapter 13: When the Bats Fly!
Chapter 14: In the Bat’s Trap
Chapter 15: A Clue at Last
Chapter 16: The Jaws of Death
Nick Santa Maria Nick was born early in life in Brooklyn, NY. His theatrical background is based in Comedy Improv. He was a long standing member of the late lamented Miami based, Mental Floss, where he served as head writer/composer. From there he began his career in commercials, voice-overs, TV, Film, and theatre. He has performed in many roles on the stage including his award winning turn as Nick in Over The River And Through The Woods, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, in The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee as Mr. Panch (3-D Theatricals), Mr. Bromhead in No Sex Please, We’re British at The Norris, and as Pseudolus in, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the Norris Theatre. Television: The Buffalo Bill Show, B.J. Stryker, and two Disney Christmas Specials. Off Broadway: Writer/Composer/Performer on Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know, Soundtrack on RCA Victor. Broadway: Vince Fontaine in Tommy Tune’s production of Grease. He also appeared in every domestic company of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, understudying everyone from Nathan Lane and Jason Alexander, to Tony Danza and David Hassellhoff. He was the original Genie in Disney’s Aladdin, a Musical Spectacular, soundtrack on Disney Records. Nick is a resident of Los Angeles and is currently writing a book about classic film comedians, Nick’s been a long time film historian, and has written several articles on the topic.
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