Blogging during October (whether on Blogger or Facebook) has become a tradition for me. I began one year by posting 13 Halloween related posts. In 2018, I posted 26, one for each letter of the alphabet. In 2019, I presented "31 Nights of Halloween." In 2020, the topic was comic book horror hosts. And in 2021...
I wrote nothing...
The plan in September was to introduce 13 original villains that will face off against the "Justice Allies" (see the TP Comics blog), but that did not happen.
I can't however, let Allhallowtide end without at least one post in the spirit of the season. So I would like to introduce you today to the "Scarecrow of Romney Marsh," also known as the Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn. Created by author Russell Thorndike, Syn was the protagonist in seven novels, published from 1915 to 1944. Like a number of other series, the chronology of the storyline does not match with the order of publication. The first book published is the last book chronologically.
- Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh (1915)
- Doctor Syn on the High Seas (1935)
- Doctor Syn Returns (1935)
- Further Adventures of Doctor Syn (1936)
- Courageous Exploits of Doctor Syn (1938)
- Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn (1939)
- Shadow of Doctor Syn (1944)
The story of the Scarecrow and his "altar ego" Dr. Syn has been adapted for stage and screen. An episodic adaptation was presented by Walt Disney on television in the 1960s.
“Books of adventure, suspense, and mystery always have a special appeal for me when they’re about real people or based on the life of a real person," Walt Disney said as he introduced the series. “The hero of all the Thorndike stories is one of the strangest characters who ever lived, a real-life Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He lived in England nearly 200 years ago. By day he was a respected member of his community, and by night he was the greatest smuggler in the whole country. But, like Robin Hood, although he was a thorn in the side of law and order, he was a hero to the ordinary folk of his time. Because whatever he made as a smuggler, he gave away to the poor and the needy.”
Disney overstates the "real life" aspect of Dr. Syn's story. He is a creation of Thorndike's. However, Jim Fanning of D23 notes the novels were "loosely based on the exploits of actual 18th century smugglers known as the Hawkhurst Gang."
I've been reading the series for awhile now and I am currently in the middle of number 4. The books have been difficult to track down at the local library and regional library system, however, paperback editions are available on Amazon for about $8 each. As a clergyman by profession, I find the good Reverend Doctor a fascinating character, as he not only has the dual identity of the Scarecrow, but another as well. (I won't spoil the series for you). I also appreciate that the chapters in the book are fairly short. One can easily be read before bedtime each night, safely snuggled under the covers while Dr. Syn and his companions brave the cold, rainy nights.
Strangely, the Disney adaptation is not currently available on the Disney+ streaming service. However, "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh" is available on Blu-Ray through the Disney Movie Club. You can join today by following my referral link at
