The other day (okay, more like two weeks ago) I was conducting a chat at ComicChatCast and I asked the few people who showed up if they had any requests for this blog. Fellow blogger and all-around straight-shooter, Mykal Banta, requested some Kid Colt by Jack Keller. Well, at the time I didn't actually have any. I had one Kid Colt story, but not Keller. But then, just this Sunday I found a couple of issues of Marvel's Western Gunfighters in a dollar box and lo! Keller Kid Colt!
So, here you go Amgio...
Notice that on the cover, the story is referred to as "Ambush at Sierra Blanca!" which is a grammatical correction from the original title, "The Treasure of Sierra Blanco !"
On Jack Keller from Wikipedia:
Keller began his long association with Kid Colt in Kid Colt, Outlaw #25 (March 1953). He stayed with the character for at least a dozen years in that signature title, as well as in such anthology series as All Western Winners, Two-Gun Western and Gunsmoke Western. In 1955, Keller also began freelancing for the low-budget Charlton Comics, based in Derby, Connecticut, drawing Western and war stories for titles including Billy the Kid, Cheyenne Kid, Battlefield Action, Fightin' Air Force, Fightin' Army, Fightin' Marines and Submarine Attack.
Following the near-demise of Atlas' comic-book line in 1957, and the accompanying cutbacks and firings, Keller supplemented his income by returning to his home town and working in a car dealership. Within two years, he would be back freelancing for Atlas / Marvel. By this time, Keller was also indulging his love of race cars and model cars by writing and drawing such Charlton comics as Grand Prix, Hot Rod Racers, Hot Rods and Racing Cars, Teenage Hotrodders, Drag 'n' Wheels, Surf 'n' Wheels and World of Wheels. He stopped drawing for Marvel Comics by 1967, when Kid Colt, Outlaw had become mostly reprints, and for Charlton in 1973. Keller had also drawn a small number of stories for DC Comics from 1968-71, including for the licensed toy-car comic Hot Wheels.
This story originally appeared in Kid Colt Outlaw #75, November 1957
Great Keller! I forget were I read this, but some fellow Marvel artist suspected that maybe Keller had the record for most stories drawn by any artist for his work on Kid Colt. I love his work on this title and read tons. His work was always so rock solid.
ReplyDeleteMykal: It was Tony Isabella- "Jack Keller...drew more Kid Colt stories than any other artist and may hold the record for drawing the most stories of any Marvel character. Keller also drew (and sometimes wrote) hot-rod comics for Charlton. ... Keller was never the most exciting of comics artists, but he was a first-rate storyteller whose people moved naturally and whose backgrounds centered them in reality. He never distracted readers from the story; he pulled them into it".
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's why I was surprised when you said you had one Kid Colt story but it was NOT by Keller! I can barely remember ever seeing any that weren't!
ReplyDeleteBooksteve: Yeah, oddly enough the one Kid Colt I had before this past weekend was drawn by Werner Roth. What are the odds?
ReplyDelete