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The Spider #71 Audiobook
The Spider and the Fire God
by Norvell W. Page writing as Grant Stockbridge
Read by Nick Santa Maria
The Master of Flame and Burning Death held New York fast in unholy worship of his strange god. For thousands had fled their doomed churches, lest they perish by fire — and the Spider alone remained to face this monstrous cult-leader from hell!
Driven, deadly, the Spider was a daredevil caught between the law that branded him as a criminal and the underworld he terrorized with his metallic laugh and searing lead. A self-appointed savior of humanity, driven manic-depressive, and possibly undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, the Spider was known and feared as the Master of Men.
While the Spider borrowed his black slouch hat and cloak from the already thriving Shadow, the rest of the character was significantly different. Richard Wentworth himself is strongly emotional, plumbing the thrills of victory as readily, and as deeply, as the depths of despair during his escapades. His long-suffering fiancée, Nita van Sloan, is a worthy character in her own right, though frequently relegated to the traditional role of hostage-bait. As additional exotic spice, Wentworth maintains a Sikh manservant/warrior companion, Ram Singh, as well as chauffeur Ronald Jackson, the sergeant from his old army days. Rounding out the cast of characters is Commissioner of Police Stanley Kirkpatrick, Wentworth’s staunch friend and the Spider’s greatest adversary; Kirkpatrick himself lives in a state of constant angst for fear that duty will one day force him to send his friend to the electric chair as punishment for the Spider’s crimes. And indeed, that fear nearly becomes fact on several occasions.
Nick Santa Maria breathes life into the Spider in The Spider and the Fire God. Originally published in The Spider magazine, August, 1939.
Chapter 1: Avatar of Flame
Chapter 2: Temple of Death
Chapter 3: Priest of Vishnu
Chapter 4: Avatar of Death!
Chapter 5: Street Through Hell
Chapter 6: Death to the Spider!
Chapter 7: Vishnu's Ultimatum
Chapter 8: Sacrifice of Vishnu
Chapter 9: Cart of the Juggernaut
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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