Walter Karig
Encyclopedia
Walter Karig, was a prolific author
, who served as a U.S. naval captain. Karig authored a number of military
history
works on Allied naval operations during World War II
. Karig wrote scripts for the television series Victory at Sea
. Besides his works on naval history, Karig was a novelist, publishing under his own name. He also worked as a journalist
.
For the Stratemeyer Syndicate
, Karig wrote volumes in the Perry Pierce series (2-4), Doris Force series (3-4), and Nancy Drew
series (8-10). Oddly 2 of the three Nancy Drew books had Helen Corning
in them and Bess and George out of them. Karig revealed to catalogers at the Library of Congress
that he was the true author of three Nancy Drew volumes. The catalogers assumed he wrote all of the books under the pseudonym
of Carolyn Keene
, and this admission angered the publisher. Each work from the Stratemeyer Syndicate
was the work of ghostwriter
, and the publisher had no desire to reveal the true authorship of volumes in the various series. Consequently, Karig received letters from the publisher's attorney
, threatening legal action - if he persisted in claiming authorship.
Among Karig's many novels is Zotz!
(1947), a satirical story dealing with an archaeologist and linguist
, Dr. John Jones. After deciphering an inscription on an ancient disk, Jones is imbued with deadly powers. For Jones can merely point at an animal or human, and they faint. If he utters the word "Zotz" while pointing his finger, the person or animal will die. Because the novel is set during World War II
, there is a patriotic flavor to it. Also, much of the plot revolves around Jones' efforts to obtain an appointment to see President
Franklin Roosevelt, with the hope that he can convince the President that the Allies
can use his supernatural
abilities to help the war effort. Karig has written himself into the novel
as a beleaguered naval officer
working at a U.S. Navy
public
information
office, where dozens of people parade by his desk daily all trying to obtain appointments to meet with the "highest authority" in the United States government. Although Karig's novel
is set the then present, he manages to point out that humans have not changed much in millennia. Technology
may have improved, but humans still have a strong desire to destroy and to kill. Thus Karig manages to blend a satire
on wartime Washington D.C. bureaucracy
with ethical questions related to the advent of the nuclear war
.
After Karig's death, director William Castle
released a movie version of Zotz!
in 1962. The cast includes (among others) actors Tom Poston
, Jim Backus
, Margaret Dumont
, Cecil Kellaway
,
and Louis Nye
. Despite the presence of these fine character actors, the movie deviates from Karig's authorial intents, and it becomes a vehicle for clever special effects - but little more.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, who served as a U.S. naval captain. Karig authored a number of military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
works on Allied naval operations during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Karig wrote scripts for the television series Victory at Sea
Victory at Sea
Victory at Sea is a documentary television series about naval warfare during World War II that was originally broadcast by NBC in the USA in 1952–1953. It was condensed into a film in 1954. The music soundtrack, by Richard Rodgers and Robert Russell Bennett, was re-recorded and sold as record albums...
. Besides his works on naval history, Karig was a novelist, publishing under his own name. He also worked as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
For the Stratemeyer Syndicate
Stratemeyer Syndicate
The Stratemeyer Syndicate was the producer of a number of mystery series for children, including Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the various Tom Swift series, the Bobbsey Twins, the Rover Boys, and others.- History :...
, Karig wrote volumes in the Perry Pierce series (2-4), Doris Force series (3-4), and Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for all ages. She was created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm. The character first appeared in 1930. The books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published...
series (8-10). Oddly 2 of the three Nancy Drew books had Helen Corning
Helen Corning
Helen Archer, also referred to by her maiden name of Helen Corning, is a character in the popular Nancy Drew mystery series. Helen appeared first in 1930 in The Secret of the Old Clock. Helen's character appears in a larger role in The Bungalow Mystery, and is also present in The Mystery at Lilac Inn...
in them and Bess and George out of them. Karig revealed to catalogers at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
that he was the true author of three Nancy Drew volumes. The catalogers assumed he wrote all of the books under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Carolyn Keene
Carolyn Keene
Carolyn Keene is the pseudonym of the authors of the Nancy Drew mystery stories and The Dana Girls mystery stories, both produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate...
, and this admission angered the publisher. Each work from the Stratemeyer Syndicate
Stratemeyer Syndicate
The Stratemeyer Syndicate was the producer of a number of mystery series for children, including Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the various Tom Swift series, the Bobbsey Twins, the Rover Boys, and others.- History :...
was the work of ghostwriter
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
, and the publisher had no desire to reveal the true authorship of volumes in the various series. Consequently, Karig received letters from the publisher's attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, threatening legal action - if he persisted in claiming authorship.
Among Karig's many novels is Zotz!
Zotz!
Zotz! is a 1962 fantasy/comedy film produced and directed by William Castle, about a man obtaining magical powers from a god of an ancient civilization. The film is based on the 1947 novel of the same name by Walter Karig.-Plot:...
(1947), a satirical story dealing with an archaeologist and linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, Dr. John Jones. After deciphering an inscription on an ancient disk, Jones is imbued with deadly powers. For Jones can merely point at an animal or human, and they faint. If he utters the word "Zotz" while pointing his finger, the person or animal will die. Because the novel is set during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, there is a patriotic flavor to it. Also, much of the plot revolves around Jones' efforts to obtain an appointment to see President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Franklin Roosevelt, with the hope that he can convince the President that the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
can use his supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
abilities to help the war effort. Karig has written himself into the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
as a beleaguered naval officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
working at a U.S. Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
public
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
office, where dozens of people parade by his desk daily all trying to obtain appointments to meet with the "highest authority" in the United States government. Although Karig's novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
is set the then present, he manages to point out that humans have not changed much in millennia. Technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
may have improved, but humans still have a strong desire to destroy and to kill. Thus Karig manages to blend a satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
on wartime Washington D.C. bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
with ethical questions related to the advent of the nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
.
After Karig's death, director William Castle
William Castle
William Castle was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Castle was known for directing films with many gimmicks which were ambitiously promoted, despite being reasonably low budget B-movies....
released a movie version of Zotz!
Zotz!
Zotz! is a 1962 fantasy/comedy film produced and directed by William Castle, about a man obtaining magical powers from a god of an ancient civilization. The film is based on the 1947 novel of the same name by Walter Karig.-Plot:...
in 1962. The cast includes (among others) actors Tom Poston
Tom Poston
Thomas Gordon "Tom" Poston was an American television and film actor. He starred on television in a career that began in 1950...
, Jim Backus
Jim Backus
James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
, Margaret Dumont
Margaret Dumont
Margaret Dumont was an American comedic actress. She is remembered mostly for being the comic foil to Groucho Marx in seven of the Marx Brothers films...
, Cecil Kellaway
Cecil Kellaway
Cecil Lauriston Kellaway was a South African-born character actor.Cecil Kellaway spent many years as an actor, author, and director in the Australian film industry until he tried his luck in Hollywood in the 1930s. Finding he could get only gangster bit parts, he got discouraged and returned to...
,
and Louis Nye
Louis Nye
Louis Nye was an American comedy actor.-Early years:He was born Louis Neistat in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Joseph Neistat and Jennie Sherman . His sister was Rose Neistat...
. Despite the presence of these fine character actors, the movie deviates from Karig's authorial intents, and it becomes a vehicle for clever special effects - but little more.
External links
- Page on Nancy Drew series and Karig's involvement in writing for the series
- Photograph of Walter Karig at the Truman Presidential Library
- Page describing Library of Congress catalogers' confusion over authorship of Nancy Drew novels and Walter Karig's involvement
- Review of Zotz! movie at the New York Times
- Listing in Worldcat.org of Karig's books and links to libraries that have copies of them