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THE AMAZING SECRET ORIGIN OF BURBANK - CHAPTER 3
 The QUIET-FACED MAN
Burbank -- The Shadow's loyal agent. Who is he? Called “a man who occasionally assisted millionaire Lamont Cranston in his radio experiments,” Walter Gibson described Burbank as a "quiet-faced man." His character seems largely defined by his soft, “even-toned” voice.
How old is Burbank? The character’s age was never specified by Gibson, but he seems to be a slightly older contemporary of The Shadow, which would make him roughly 40 years old. But the contact man's age and appearance seem to vary wildly -- depending on what media he's appearing in, and who is drawing him! The character has appeared in pulps, comic books and films, and each media's representation of Burbank varies wildly. Sometimes he is pictured as a younger man, and sometimes he seems like he could be pushing 50. |
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Burbank's first (and only) Shadow cover appearance came on The Shadow #168 (“The Lone Tiger,” Feb. 15, 1939, pictured below), which features many of The Shadow’s agents. In George Rozen’s famous painting, it appears that Burbank may even be somewhere in his 60s...
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FACE: THE FACTS
What does Burbank look like? In 1946, Monogram Pictures released a trio of low-budget Shadow movies starring Kane Richmond: “The Shadow Returns,” “Behind The Mask,” and “The Missing Lady.” In the first of these movies, Burbank is portrayed as the head of the “Burbank Detective Agency” (agency door pictured left). The  actor who played Detective Burbank is not credited in this film, but he bears a striking similarity to the image of the character seen on Rozen’s 1939 cover painting (see comparison of the two faces below  right; actor's name unknown). The resemblance is SO close, it seems likely that the producers cast the actor based on his resemblance to the character as seen in Rozen’s painting, which was, perhaps, the only reference they had on hand.
The contact man also appeared in Shadow comic books. The DC version of Burbank was a handsome young man with hair that was usually blonde, but sometimes red or brown. Comic artists who have drawn Burbank include Mike Kaluta, Frank Robbins, E.R. Cruz (pictured left), Rod Whigham, Gerry  Fernandez, Russ Heath, Ron Wagner and Stan Drake. Each of these artists interpreted Burbank's appearance differently, but they all drew him with some sort of "media monocle" contraption over his left eye.
What kind of physique did Burbank have? He was of medium height, not out of shap
e, but not a particularly physical man either. In The Shadow’s final confrontation with Shiwan Khan, Burbank doesn’t come off as terribly athletic:
“Burbank began his own attempt to scale the wall. Ordinarily, his clutches would have been inadequate, and his toe holds were uncertain. But the wire was drawing upward under The Shadow's haul. It gave the needed support whenever Burbank floundered. The Shadow could actually sense his agent's progress by the varying strain upon the wire. At last, Burbank flopped over the roof edge like a landed fish.” (Shadow #198, “Masters of Death,” May 15, 1940.)
 MR. PERSONALITY... NOT.
What kind of man was Burbank? Basically, he was described as a patient, quiet man of great intelligence who was an expert in electronics. Not a party animal, but solid as a rock.
“To Burbank, long, lone vigils were nothing. He was not a man of action; he was one of endurance. Prompt, precise and always dependable, Burbank had served The Shadow well.“ (#55, “The Key,” June 1, 1934.) In another adventure, we are told, “Burbank's voice carried a methodical note that was customary with the reliable contact man.” (#198, “Masters of Death,” May 15, 1940.)
Here’s some interesting trivia: Do you know the one habit Gibson described Burbank as having? Answer: he chewed gum! “During his  long hours of duty, [Burbank] resorted to one methodical habit as he bided away the time. He always had a supply of chewing gum.” (#41, “The Killer,” November 1, 1933.)
Finally, as one of The Shadow’s closest confidants, and a modest man, Burbank recognizes that his boss' knowledge of electronics far exceeds even his own. In "Eyes of The Shadow," Burbank examines The Shadow's radio room, and is quite impressed: “There were remarkable devices here. Burbank understood some of them, but the millionaire alone was familiar with all the equipment.”
So, while he may not excel at wall-scaling, Burbank is quite accomplished in the field of electronics, and he is also “resourceful,” “methodical,” and "patient" -- in other words, the perfect person to operate The Shadow's communications center is... agent Burbank -- a.k.a. the quiet-faced man! |
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