Oklahoma writer Mel Odom to craft Green Hornet tale

Oklahoma writer Mel Odom, of Moore, will create a Green Hornet story for Moonstone Books. The publisher plans a series of short-story collections featuring the character.

The Green Hornet is secretly newspaper publisher Britt Reid, who is assisted by his ally Kato, who was played by Bruce Lee in the 1960s TV series.

Odom, who sported a “Green Hornet” lunchbox in the 1960s, was excited to return to a favorite hero.

“For a chance to get to play around with heroes you grew up with, you can’t go wrong with that,” Odom said in a recent phone interview.

Odom said the story would be set in the past, and be true to the Green Hornet’s mythos.

“It’ll have some of the flavor from the TV show and radio show,” Odom said. “It’s going to have the feel of crime fiction … he’s going to be a man totally on the outside.”

The Green Hornet was himself an outlaw, pretending to ally with criminals to destroy them from inside. Thus, he faced danger from the police and criminals alike.

“We’re obviously thrilled to add The Green Hornet to our stable of licensed properties,” said Moonstone publisher and The Green Hornet editor Joe Gentile in a release. “As a huge fan, I’ve dreamed of bringing back and adding to these great characters’ legacy. It is an honor and a responsibility we take very seriously. I can’t wait to see the new crime fiction stories come in from the many talented authors we have lined up.”