The Rawhide Kid was a leftover from Marvel's 1950's predecessor, Atlas Comics. Atlas' Rawhide Kid was a pretty standard gunfighter comic that only lasted 16 issues. In 1960, Marvel started a new Rawhide Kid series, beginning with #17. Their version of the Kid was a little different, though. The Marvel Rawhide was young, diminutive, and soft-spoken. He was never looking for a fight, but when one came to him, he responded with a blend of circus-level trick-shooting and acrobatic contortionism. Of course, that's what happens when you put a western into the hands of Jack Kirby.
The 1960 run lasted 135 issues. It was picked up by Marvel once more in 1970. The 1970's run are almost exclusively reprints of earlier material, often with snazzy Gil Kane covers.
It's probably just me, but the cover sales pitch of "Blazing Western ACTION As You Like It!" always sounds kinda dirty.
From 1977's Rawhide Kid #142 (reprinting from #64) here's "Birth of a Legend". Writ by Stan Lee and drawed by Jack Davis
Jack Davis, of course, is famous for his work at EC Comics and for his later work on Mad Magazine. Personally, whenever I think of Davis, the first image in my mind is his Dracula from the SlimJim ads that used to run in the comics.
The original cover from #64, June 1968.
Holy cow! I never knew Jack Davis did the Rawhide Kid! What a great story with Davis' lanky Kid. Plus, ya gotta love those Gil Kane covers - more evidence why he was Lee's go-to guy for the covers.
ReplyDeleteMykal: "Lanky" is the word! I have other Davis RK's. Sometimes, The Kid looks too tall for his horse. And yes, those Kane covers are sharp!
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