Once Upon A Time In The West In Comics

Attention All Trail Hands! Ten Cent Dreams is Back!

2010-08-29T20:35:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite scan blogs, Ten Cent Dreams is back ! And , just to make it even better, ol' Lysdexicus is runnin' a Western in honor o' Jack "King" Kirby's birthday. Be sure to check it out at:

http://tencentdreams.blogspot.com/2010/08/jack-kirbys-birthday-boys-ranch-2.html

"King of Stolen Valley"

2010-08-25T21:44:00.004-04:00

Kid Montana was created at Charlton by Paul Masulli and Rocke Mastroserio back in 1957. I guess Pat Morisi felt that 13 years on the trail should age a guy, because he gave "Kid" Montana graying temples for this story from 1970.

I often wonder why "Kid" is such a common gunfighter monniker. Even in reality, ther was Billy The Kid, The Cherokee Kid, The Apache Kid and The Sundance Kid.

Anyway, here's Kid Montana in "King of Stolen Valley" from Outlaws of the West #81, May 1970.

This Hombre's on the Wrong Track! "The Man Who Robbed the Express!"

2010-08-23T00:00:00.001-04:00

I love back-up features in comics. Even better, I love when the back-up takes the form of a short story; when it's just a short, one-off tale with no recurring characters featured.

Today, I bring you such a tale, masterfully rendered by Dick Ayers with a script crafted by some unknown fella by the name of Stan Lee. From Rawhide Kid #25 -December 1961, here's "The Man Who Robbed the Express!"

If It Ain't the Injun, It's The Horse!

2010-08-20T18:11:00.008-04:00

Cover painting by Hank Hartman

Maybe it's just coincidence. Maybe it's just the The Ranger never sets foot in town until he's ready to round up the bad guy, or less'n he's disguised as an old prospector, but whatever the reason, it seems like none of the Masked Man's faithful companions can get anywhere near a town without one of 'em is gettin' lynched.

This time, it's the horse. From Lone Ranger #19,

This story originally appeared in Dell's Lone Ranger #111 September, 1957 (where it was 2 pages longer!)

Cover painting by Hank Hartman

Cover painting by Hank Hartman as it originally appeared on Dell's Lone Ranger #110

Those About Turok, We Salute You!

2010-08-18T20:02:00.005-04:00

This cover art was originally used for issue #30, December 1962, the first Gold Key issue

Well, the people have spoken! By an overwhelming majority, y'all voted in favor of having Turok, Son of Stone added to the mix here at OUATITWIC. Apologies to the one reader who voted no.

I was raised on dinosaur books and Marx plastic cowboys. So a comic book that combined dinosaurs and Indians completely blew my mind- even after having seen Star Wars !

Turok, for those of you who've been living in a cave (yeah, I said it) is a frontier-era plains Indian. He and his young companion Andar took a wrong turn one day while hunting and ended up in a "lost valley" full of dinosaurs and cave men. Of course, Turok and Andar have never heard of dinosaurs, so y0u'll have to forgive them for naming them things like "honkers".

Turok fisrt appeared in Dell's Four Color Comics #596 in a story by Gaylord DuBois and drawn by Rex Maxon (bonus points to reader Elias Montakis for his spot-on knowledge of Turok history) . Apparently, DuBois had re-worked the story from a discarded script for Red Hawk.

And now, "A Vision of Home" written by Paul Newman (race cars, salad dressing and comics??) and drawn by Alberto Giolitti.

This story originally appeared in issue #42, November 1964:

Today In History... Sort Of.

2010-08-17T20:59:00.006-04:00

On August 17, 1863, Naval troops under the command of Union Admirals DuPont and Dahlgren, in combination with ground forces under Brigadier General Quincy A. Gilmore, laid siege to Ft. Sumter, SC. The fort had been in the hands of Confederate troops since April of 1861.

The following 4-page tale is about the loss of Fort Sumter to the Confederacy in what would later turn out to be the first shots fired in the American Civil War.

Script by Raymond Marais, art by Jeff Jones- from The Phantom#25, September,1967.

Okay, so what does all that have to do with Westerns? Didn't that happen on the East Coast?

Well, yes, but the repercussions of that encounter in 1861 shaped the West in a myriad of ways.

The American Civil War saw the development of Railroads, revolvers, repeater rifles (the three R's of the Wild West) . Generals Philip Sheridan and George Armstrong Custer were celebrated commanders of the Civil War before turning their attention West to an all-out campaign against the indigenous peoples of this continent. Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok were both scouts for the Union Army.

When the war ended, it left a lot of men with no jobs and a Hell of a lot of training with guns. Just like the rise of Caribbean piracy at the end of the 17th century, the West had an abundance of violent men looking for work. Some became cowboys. Others lawmen. Still others, such as the James Gang, used their knowledge of commando tactics to knock over banks and rob trains.

So, without the attack on Fort Sumter, the West would probably have been a very different place.

A Promise To Clarissa- Texas Rangers In Action #72

2010-08-16T00:00:00.003-04:00

At the request of an anonymous reader (Who was that masked commenter?) I'm presenting the cover story of Texas Rangers In Action #72 "A Promise To Clarissa".

The cover was done by Jim Aparo. The interior art for this story is uncredited and the GCD doesn't shed any light on it either. Was it Aparo? The young Ranger's ears and eyes look like some of Aparo's work, but the level of finish is far below that of the cover art.

I had previously assumed the story was drawn by Aparo... but now, I'm not so sure.

Well, y'all can judge fer yerselves:

Outlaw Girl! - Cowboy Love #29

2010-08-13T00:00:00.002-04:00

cover by Ted Galindo

Today, I'm handing over the reins to my lovely and talented wife, Amy (aka Spectergirl). If you've never visited her comics blogs such as As Told To Stan Lee , Spectergirl's Crypt of Post-Code Horror or Gay for Lois Lane , stop by and treat yourself.

Along with Westerns, Romance comics carried a huge share of the comics market in the years after WWII and before the Silver Age got rolling. And what better example could there be of both than Cowboy Love. Since romance comics are really Amy's forte, I asked her to stop by the ol' ranch and share a great Western Romance with us:

There is nothing that I like better than a good romance comic. Now, put a cowboy hat on the leading man and, well, I guess I'll eventually get over the fact that he isn't Zorro.

Anyway, Aaron, our manly host, has been kind enough to allow me an opportunity to present everyone the more tender and loving side of the Old West.

Before the Rawhide kid was the prettiest belle at the ball, there was Outlaw Girl, Amy Carter - A beautiful blonde with pouty lips and a price on her head. But, ask yourself this, is there any problem that love CAN'T solve?

Originally presented in Fawcett Publishing's Cowboy Love #2 in August of 1949 and later published under Charlton's Cowboy Love title in April of 1955, this story holds some very nice art and a fun story to boot.

It don't hurt none that your boyfriend packs a wallop either!

The Man Called Loco. Texas Rangers in Action #72

2010-08-11T20:23:00.004-04:00

cover by Jim Aparo

In my neighborhood, if you go by Loco, you're probably a wannabe Mexican Gangsta. In Charlton comics, you're the dashing western hero from South of the Border.

Pete Morisi drew this little shoot-em-up. Morisi was an NYPD Police Officer who moonlighted as an artist for Charlton, among many others. He signed his work "PAM" to maintain his anonymity (although he didn't connect the lines in the "M", so it sort of looks like "PAIII". Morisi is probably best know today for his creation, Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt.

Here's The Man Called Loco in "Homecoming" from June, 1969.

A Field Guide to Ghost Rider(s)

2010-08-09T00:00:00.006-04:00

He rides the midnight winds, an eerie, spectral rider who fights for justice in the Old West. Doubtless you've all heard of the Ghost Rider. But Which one?

See, the thing is, there's been a Ghost Rider in comics since 1950. Except he's not always the same guy. Or from the same publisher. Heck, sometimes he's not even called Ghost Rider!

Cover art by Dick Ayers

It all started with Magazine Enterprises' Tim Holt comics. Tim Holt was a famous movie cowboy who has fallen into relative obscurity these days. But, in 1949, he had name-brand sales appeal. In the pages of Tim Holt, one of the back-up features was a comic called The Calico Kid. The Calico Kid maintained a dual identity. He was a spineless wimp most of the time, but switched to his real identity of the Calico Kid- a skilled, tough-as-nails gunfighter - in times of trouble. Except, apparently, that wasn't his real identity either. After being The Calico Kid for all of five issues, it was revealed that that spineless wimp, who was really the Calico Kid was really, really Federal Marshal Rex Fury. The Calico Kid was never mentioned again, and Rex Fury was immediately attacked by renegades and left for dead.

On the verge of death, Rex is visited by the ghosts of Wild Bill Hickock , Kit Carson, Calamity Jane and other dead folks who tried to bring law and order to the West. The Ghosts impart their knowledge of their various skill sets to Rex. Rex also chases down and breaks a great white stallion which he names Spectre.

Donning a phosphorescent costume and a cape that glows on the outside but is black on the inside, Rex Fury begins his new career as The Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider was a hit and soon got his own series which lasted for 14 issues. He also continued as a back-up in Tim Holt and Red Mask comics.

Of course, like anything popular, there were imitators.

The July-August 1952 issue of DC's Jimmy Wakely featured a spectral menace , called The Phantom Brander, right on the cover (beautifully rendered by Gil Kane). Vin Sullivan, editor of Magazine Enterprises comics, had previously worked for DC, so one has to wonder if this issue caused any bad blood. In any event, this was the very last issue of Jimmy Wakely, so perhaps the real lesson is not to mess with the Ghost Rider!

By the 1960's, Magazine Enterprises had folded and the Ghost Rider name was no longer under trademark.

Original Ghost Rider artist Dick Ayers had moved on to Marvel Comics when, in 1967, they added a "new" character to their stable of Western heroes:

The new Ghost Rider was named Carter Slade. Like his un-connected predecessor, Slade had a glowing costume and a white horse. Unlike his predecessor, there was NO supernatural connection to this guy at all. Whereas ME's Ghost Rider had fought supernatural (or pseudo-supernatural) villains, Marvel's Ghost Rider mostly fought the Old West equivalent of supervillains.

This Ghost Rider's comic lasted only 7 issues. He would, however, be heard from again.

In 1973, Marvel launched a new Ghost Rider. Or, at least, they launched a new comic called Ghost Rider starring a new character named Ghost Rider.

This Ghost Rider was a motorcylce stunt-rider named Johnny Blaze. Blaze had sold his soul to the demon Mesphisto and was cursed to become a demon with a flaming skull for a head. Extremely iconic, yes, but was he really the Ghost Rider? I remember being 5 or 6 and being puzzled by this guy when I saw him on the spinner rack at the drugstore. He looked waay more like a villain to me. Still, he managed to last 81 issues.

Of course having a new comic called Ghost Rider reminded folks there had been an old comic called Ghost Rider. Marvel realized it had a market it could tap into by reviving it's previous character. But if they put out two comics called Ghost Rider, that was going to cause some confusion. Their solution: give the previous character a new name...

Unfortunately, the name Marvel chose for their re-launch of the Western Ghost Rider was Night Rider . If you're unsure why that's unfortunate, "night rider" was the term previously used to refer to the Klu Klux Klan back in the old days when they rode the countryside on horseback, terrorizing the newly-freed slaves of the South. I'm sure the fact that the character dressed from head-to-toe in white only made the unwanted comparison even more common.

This series only lasted 6 issues and was a pared-down reprint of the first six issues of the 1967 Ghost Rider series. It was repackaged with all the dialog and captions edited to say "Night Rider" and featured some very nice covers by Gil Kane. Kane, as you will recall, had done the cover of Jimmy Wakely #18, featuring the Phantom Brander!

Night Rider had folded after only 6 issues in 1974 and 1975. The Character, re-renamed Ghost Rider continued to be published as one of the features in Western Gunfighters.

The motorcyclist Ghost Rider's comic folded in 1983. Johnny Blaze and various incarnations of the Old West Ghost Rider/Night Rider/Phantom Rider continued to appear in various Marvel comics, although even his alter-ego changed a few times to relatives and descendants Hamilton Slade, Lincoln Slade, etc.

In 1990, Marvel decided to give it another go.

This time, instead of the complicated and morally awkward idea of having the hero be a man who sold his soul to the Devil, the Ghost Rider was a terrifying incarnation of the spirit of Vengeance. This Ghost Rider was a young man named Dan Ketch who is possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance and transforms into the Ghost Rider, who looks suspiciously like the previous Ghost Rider right down to the flaming bike and flaming skull for a head. Still scary, but arguably more heroic.

The original ME Ghost Rider made a brief re-appearance in 1999, over at AC Comics. This time under the new name of Haunted Horseman.

Clearly, the Western Ghost Rider was not yet down for the count.

So, what about Marvel's Western version of Ghost Rider? Well, having created this idea that that Vengeance could manifest itself as a flaming-skulled guy on a crotch-rocket sort of opened up the door to a backstory, right?

In 2007 enter writer Garth Ennis who decided the Civil War era was just begging for it's own Ghost Rider.

The title "Trail of Tears" is a little misleading, as he's not actually taking vengeance for the Indian Removal Act, but the setting at least takes us back into the right era.

At any rate, it seems to have opened up the door for other historical incarnations of the Vengeful Ghost Rider, as seen in a cameo in Rawhide Kid: The Sensational Seven #1:

Personally, I prefer the creepy, atmospheric feel of the original, Magazine Enterprises Ghost Rider. Dick Ayers' artwork is a joy to look at and the idea of a supernatural cowboy (sort of) who fights supernatural foes (sort of) is one well worth playing with.

As a special treat, I've added musical accompaniment to this post:

I'd like to take a moment here to thank Pappy of Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine for graciously allowing me to swipe some Golden Age Ghost Rider art for this post. I didn't end up using nearly as much as I'd planned, but I prefer not to take without asking. And speaking of taking without asking, I also swiped from Don Markstein's Toonpedia. Don, who and wherever you are, I hope you don't mind that I borrowed one of your panel scans.

Gold Key Comics!: LANCER No. 3, September 1969

2010-08-06T00:00:00.003-04:00

My amigo, Mykal Banta, that blogger's blogger and all-around nice guy, has done it again. It being post another fantastic Western comic at his blog Gold Key Comics.

Gold Key Comics!: LANCER No. 3, September 1969

But wait, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Mykal also had a great Western post at his companion blog The Charlton Story:

The Charlton Story: THE GUNFIGHTERS No. 53, June 1979

The Comic Reading Library: Billy the Kid #21

2010-08-05T13:10:00.002-04:00

Thanks to "Anonymous" for pointing this out, and thanks to John K. at the Comics Reading Library for posting it. That's right, a whole, danged issue of Charlton's Billy The Kid

You can read it here:

The Comic Reading Library: Billy the Kid #21

or download it below:

Hoping you'll like this comics. All credits go to

How the West Was Mad!- "Varmint!"

2010-08-04T12:00:00.003-04:00

I don't want y'all to think this is some sorta John Severin blog or somethin', but that hombre jest keeps on turnin' up, no matter where I look in the history of Western comics.

Hyar's a little nugget o' gold from the pen of Harvey Kurtzman, with art by John Severin.

All Aboard!!!... The Cannonball Express is now departing for Adventure, Action and All Points West!

2010-08-02T12:00:00.002-04:00

It's hard to talk about America's Westward Expansion without talking about the role of the locomotive. Without railroads, there wouldn't really be cowboys. Cowboys really got started after the Civil War, driving herds of cattle from Texas north to railheads in Kansas (mostly Abilene and Dodge City) where they could sell the cattle to buyers from Chicago. The cows were then immediately loaded onto trains and shipped back East to be butchered for the ever-growing populations of Eastern cities.

And, of course, without those cattle drives, towns like Abilene and Dodge wouldn't have been filled with rowdy, drunken cowboys from Texas. And without those rowdy, drunken cowboys, they wouldn't have needed the likes of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson or Wild Bill Hickock to keep the peace.

Trains were one of the primary targets for the James-Younger Gang and the Hole-in-the-wall Gang.

Of course a train is only as good as the men who maintain and operate it. Enter Casey Jones. Oh the real Casey Jones (John Luther "Cayce" Jones) was a well-known engineer, renowned for his skill at playing tunes with his train whistle; also an avid baseball enthusiast, he played whenever he could. But he entered the national consciousness one fateful, foggy night- April 30, 1900- when he crashed his train, the Cannonball Express, headlong into a stalled freight train and died at the controls, still clutching the whistlecord.

Apparently, that sort of thing got ballads written about you in 1900, and Casey became the symbol for all railroad engineers for all time.

In 1958, Casey Jones became the subject of a TV Western aimed at Children and starring a young Allen Hale Jr. . Dell comics issued this comic book tie-in, Four-Color #915.

Although Casey never got a whole Dell series, like Annie Oakley or Gene Autry, there's plenty of action packed into this ten-cent beauty.

From 1958's Four-Color #915, here's Casey Jones in "The Great Mail Race"...

The artwork by Bill Ziegler has a fascinating, illustrative quality to it.

If Pappy Was Good Enough For Maverick...

2010-07-31T21:39:00.011-04:00

Howdy!

So far as I know, I seem to have the only blog on the net currently devoted exclusively to comic books of the Western genre. (And if I'm wrong, tell me. I'd like to read and/or link any others that are out there!). However, other folks do post some very fine Westerns on their comics blogs, and I like to take a moment from time to time to point some of those out.

This time, I'd like to spotlight Pappy of "Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine" . If you don't know Pappy's blog, you need to stop reading this and go there. Pappy doesn't currently have a search engine for older posts, so I've listed a few of my favorite Westerns from his blog (url links listed below the covers):

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2010/06/number-759-yahooo-satan-onward-recently.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/search/label/Gunfighter

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2010/01/number-667-i-wanna-be-cowboy.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2010/01/number-666-phantom-brander-i-wonder-how.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2010/07/number-773-b-is-for.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2010/07/number-769-two-by-kubert-six-guns-to.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2010/07/number-776-point-of-arrowhead-arrowhead.html

As you can see, Pappy's blog is a treasure-trove of good Westerns! It's also chock full of Super heroes, horror, War, Good Girl, Sci-Fi and Kids comics!

Beware! The Swindler!

2010-07-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

This fun little morality play is by Stan Lee with some right purty pictures by Jay Scott Pike. From Apache Kid #18, February 1956, here's "The Swindler"

Star-Crossed Lovers and a Scout in White Pants.

2010-07-28T12:00:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure how practical the Chyenne Kid's weird little over-the-shoulder knife sheath is, but I bet it makes more sense than his white pants! That guy should just be filthy-looking from the waist down.

From Cheyenne Kid #21, March 1960 here's "The Hostage" with art by John Severin.

New Stuff Reviewed: Jonah Hex #57- "Tall Tales"

2010-07-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

This month's issue of Jonah Hex is a real treat for me. The story is all told from the perspective of Nathan and Thomas, a pair of dime-novel fanboys who learn that there's a real-life bounty-killer passin' through their town- Jonah Hex!

But wait, it's not just Jonah Hex. This issue treats us to something I've been hopin' for fer ages. I believe my exact words last month were:

"Now I don't know about y'all, but for years I've daydreamed of how great it would be if either DC or Marvel finally got it into their heads to do a full-out "Magnificent Seven"-style story featuring their stable of Western heroes."

And fer those of y'all who aren't sure who these folks are, I'll let young Nathan give ya the roll call-

Of course, the rest of Dc's stable of Western heroes have formed a posse with the same aim as Jonah- to capture a wanted fugitive named Bloody Jack. But drunk and ornery as always, Jonah ain't about to stand by and watch someone else steal his bounty ...

This issue was worth the $2.99 (tarnation! can they really cost that much?). There's even a Jonah Hex / Scalphunter faceoff!

A couple of gripes :

1. What? No El Diablo or Johnny Thunder?

2. Should the Trigger Twins really count as two guys? Isn't their whole schtick pretending to be one guy who's in two places at once? It's kinda like how Marvel decided Red Wolf's wolf, Lobo could count as number seven in their "Sensational Seven".

Western Kid: Atlas' Dog and Pony Show.

2010-07-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

Publish Post

The Western Kid (who has a singularly unimaginative moniker) is the original alias of Tex Dawson. Tex Dawson is a clean-cut, Hollywood-style cowboy hero who rides the range with his horse Whilrwind "The Wonder-Stallion" and his dog, Lightning "The Miracle Dog". Together, the three companions right wrongs and fight injustice in the Old West.

In the 1970's, Marvel reprinted the feature under a new name, Gun-Slinger.

I'm sure y'all will enjoy this beautiful five-pager from 1956's Western Kid #13, with artwork by a young Johnny Romita.

Rawhide Kid #4- "Bang the Drum Slowly!"

2010-07-24T12:41:00.009-04:00

I meant to have this posted last night, but I had an offer of overtime I couldn't pass up. So, if y'all have been waiting to read this, I'm sorry for the delay. So, without further ado, here's the conclusion to 1985's Rawhide Kid mini-series...

You know, I still think of this comic whenever I hear "Streets of Laredo".

Rawhide Kid #3 - "Slave!"

2010-07-22T19:00:00.001-04:00

When I first read this, I really dug the character of the bounty hunter. I felt he should have gotten his own series. Although I still feel he's interesting, as a grown man I have to question the white boots. Also, the cut-down Winchester always puzzles me. Sure, it looks cool as Hell, but if you cut it down, it can't hold any more rounds than a revolver, and won't be as accurate as a rifle... I mean, maybe if it was chambered for the big rounds, like a 30.6, but then it would hold even fewer bullets.

Where was I? Oh, yeah, Enjoy Rawhide Kid part three, "Slave!"

1985 Rawhide Kid- Part 2

2010-07-21T19:00:00.000-04:00

Ain't got much to say. H'yar's Part Two: "The Not-So-Wild West". Enjoy!

My First Encounter With Rawhide Kid

2010-07-20T19:00:00.003-04:00

When I was a kid, I bought my comics at the corner drugstore. There, on the spinner rack, was a mixed assortment of DC's, Marvels, Charltons, Archies and Harveys. I would go in, pick up the latest issue of GIJoe, Indiana Jones, Alpha Flight....

I was, in 1985 pretty sold on Marvel and on Super Heroes. But, one day I walked in and saw this. The Rawhide Kid #1 (In a four issue limited series). I ponied up the $0.75.

I had never heard of The Rawhide Kid before that day. I never forgot him afterwards.

My friend, Dave, didn't get it. "So, he's just a kid who's good with a gun?...He doesn't have any powers?" Dave was an X-men man.

I tried to explain that he didn't fight supervillains or anything, that it was set in the Old West.

Dave grudgingly admitted that might be kinda cool. Then he went back to his issue of New Mutants.

From 1985, here's Rawhide Kid #1 By Bill Mantlo, Herb Trimpe and John Severin.

Dances With Poles... Classic Rawhide Kid.

2010-07-19T20:09:00.007-04:00

Back before the Rawhide Kid was...well... you know (not that there's anything wrong with that) he was a rootin', tootin', shootin' hombre who was always gettin' inta scrapes with desperadoes, the local authorities, drunken barflies and sentient pieces of religious iconography.

I'd say it all boils down to this: In 1960, Marvel decided to resurrect their predecessor, Atlas' western adventure comic, Rawhide Kid. But it feels to me like Stan Lee really wanted to write superhero comics and Jack Kirby wanted to draw monster comics and neither one seemed to be all that concerned about an historical, Western setting.

Heck, Totem poles (the ordinary, inanimate kind) aren't even found in the American southwest.

From Rawhide Kid #22, June 1961 here's "Beware!! the Terrible Totem!!"

New Stuff Reviewed: Rawhide Kid: The Sensational Seven #2

2010-07-18T20:42:00.003-04:00

Well, I DID go ahead and pick up the second installment. And I'm glad I did. This mini-series is a pretty darned entertaining spoof.

And, of course, it's full of bawdy dialog and a heapin' helpin' of gay jokes:

The Kid finishes rounding up his "Sensational Seven" in this issue. I don't want to give anything away, but I'm a little disappointed that Red Wolf's wolf, Lobo counts as one of the Seven.

Add in a fantastic fight between Morgan and Wyatt Earp and I have to say, I'm really looking forward to next issue.

Oh, sure, I miss the traditional Rawhide Kid, but I have to say, this version has it's appeal.

Annie Oakley Wears the Pants in This Comic!

2010-07-14T20:48:00.004-04:00

Annie Oakley, being an historical personage, is in the public domain.

Dell Comics paid a licensing fee to the company that produced the TV show starring Gail Davis. Clearly, Dell felt that Davis' likeness was a bankable asset and added Annie Oakley to their stable of licensed Western properties.

Charlton comics, on the other hand were notoriously thrifty. Charlton simply created a Western comic with a female lead, named her Annie Oakley and presto! They were in the Annie Oakley business. Charlton's Annie sports a pony tail and blue jeans.

From Gunfighters #56- October, 1979.

The historical Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey) was a very petite woman from the Cincinnati area. None of the pictures I've seen of her show her in trousers.

Pig-tailed Pistolera! Annie Oakley!

2010-07-12T22:04:00.004-04:00

As depicted on the cover, the real Annie Oakley was famous for her skill with a rifle. In the comics, she seems pretty handy with a Colt. This series was a spin-off of the TV show, starring Gail Davis, which ran from 1954-1957.

On the cover, Gail Davis always looks to me like she's thinking about blowing her brains out with that bullet.

This one's for you, Albie!

A Different Guy Named RIO.

2010-07-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

This short masterpiece was drawn by Alex Toth. In this early example of his work, you can still see the influence of one of Toth's idols, Milt Caniff. In his later work, Toth would keep Caniff's strong pools of black, but drop more and more of the smaller details, eventually developing a stark, minimalist style all his own.

Apart from his comics work on Zorro and the Golden Age Green Lantern, Toth is best remembered today as the creator of Space Ghost. In fact, Toth designed most of Hannah-Barbera's action cartoons in the 1960's and 1970's.

This piece is from the 1950's, although the GCD can't seem to quite pin it down. It is tentatively credited to an undetermined issue of Billy the Kid Adventure Magazine.

On Page 4, Rio tells George he's going to rescue him by trying a "Comanche Pickup"... I assume that's some sort of maneuver based on the legendary horsemanship of the Comanche. A Comanche Pickup is also a discontinued model of light truck manufactured by Jeep from 1984-1992.

When Chrysler Corp. bought the Jeep line from AMC, they phased out the Comanche to eliminate a potential competitor for their extant Dodge Ram pickup trucks.

Jonah Hex- An Origin and a Last Hurrah

2010-07-07T00:00:00.004-04:00

When this issue of Secret Origins was published, Jonah Hex was no longer starring in his own Western. See, in 1985 someone got the bright idea to transport Jonah from the Old West to a post-apocalyptic future... yeah, I don't get it either. Everyone's favorite ornery cuss wouldn't be back in the saddle again until 1993's DC Vertigo version Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo. But here, while Hex was busy shootin' up the distant future, we get a look not only at his distant past, but also a peek at the ultimate fate of Weird Western Tales' favorite son.

From Secret Origins #21, December 1987 here's "Requiem for a Gunfighter" Script by Michael Fleischer, with art by Grey Morrow.

Big Sky(wald) Country! Wild Western Action #1

2010-07-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

Skywald Publications was to Warren Publications as Marvel was to DC. Founded by Sol Brodsky and Isreal Wadlman, Skywald specialized in low-budget, black and white horror comics magazines. They also branched out into four-color comics.

"The short-lived color comic-book line, edited by Brodsky, comprised the Western titles Blazing Six-Guns, The Bravados, Butch Cassidy, The Sundance Kid, and Wild Western Action; the romance title Tender Love Stories; the horror series The Heap; and Jungle Adventures. These each were combinations of new material and reprints. Contributors, in addition to some of those noted above, include Dick Ayers, Mike Friedrich, Jack Katz, John Severin, and John Tartaglione. Notably, The Sundance Kid #1-2 (June-July 1971) contained Jack Kirby Western reprints from Bullseye #2-3 (Oct. & Dec. 1954).
None of the comics lasted more than three issues."

Who knows what might have come of this dead-before-it-started series? From Wild Western Action #1, March 1971. Here's the debut of "The Bravados" by Len Wein with art by Syd Shores and Mike Esposito.

All My Dad Wanted Was to Watch "Bonanza"...

2010-07-03T21:11:00.003-04:00

My Dad in his Hoppy Outfit, early 1950's

When I was say 4 or 5 years of age, we lived in a modest post-WWII house in a quiet suburban neighborhood in southwestern West Virginia. The house had been built by my paternal grandfather and had been the home of my great grandparents prior to my great-grandfather's death in 1975. It had three bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen, laundry room and living room. It was just my Mom and Dad and I (my younger brother wouldn't arrive until I was eleven) so the third bedroom was used as the "TV room".

We did not have cable. We had had it when we lived in an apartment building the year before, and I had seen cartoons like "Deputy Dawg" , "Speed Racer" and "The Flintstones". Now I had adjusted to the reality of three VHF channels and one UHF PBS channel all at the mercy of our aerial's ability to claw a signal down from the airwaves bouncing around the Appalachian foothills.

When it wasn't Saturday, the only kid's shows available to me (until 4:30 when Mr. Cartoon -who was the alter ego of local weatherman, Jule Huffman) were the ones on PBS. "Captain Kangaroo" and "Sesame Street" were big favorites. I would also watch nature shows with unbridled enthusiasm. And, of course, there was "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood".

The thing about Fred Rogers was, he talked directly to you. This is magic for small children, and TV producers still use the technique to great effect.

What does this have to do with my dad and Bonanza?

Well, my dad had walked away from his teaching job in Ohio when I was 3 1/2 and decided to move back home and work for my grandfather, a local contractor. Dad had previous experience working for grandpa as a carpenter and felt like he would rather do that than teach anymore. (My father just retired last year from his career as an educator, so he must have gotten sick of carpentry.)

Anyway, my dad would leave early in the morning, work all day building houses and come home around suppertime. I still associate the smell of Marlboro smoke and sweaty flannel shirts with my daddy. Which makes trips to truck stops emotionally awkward , yet nostalgic.

Dad would come home and find his way to the TV room and his recliner. He would stop as he passed the TV and turn the knob *clik-clik-clik* to the show he wanted to watch and then drop into his big ol' armchair, completely beat. One problem. I had been watching Mister Rogers.

I began to complain. My dad tried to reason with me. "You've been home all day. Just let me watch this. Hey! look! It's got cowboys!" But I wasn't falling for that. I began to whine.

Finally, in frustration and disgust my dad changed the channel back to my show and left the TV room.

Today, I am the father of a 5-year-old. And yeah, we have three TV's and 2 DVR's... but it seems like I always have the stuff I want to watch on the DVR downstairs. And I can't leave him and his 16-month-old brother unsupervised for very long, so I'm kind of stuck with just the big TV in the living room. Which puts me in an interesting postion.

"But daddy! I was watching Dora!"

"You've been home all day. Just let me watch this. Hey! look! It's got cowboys!"...

My empathy and respect for my father continues to grow.

RIO Concludes

2010-07-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Doug Wildey's first RIO storyline finally reaches its climax in the final issue of Eclipse Monthly. This story was reprinted by Comico under the title RIO in 1987. RIO would return in a one-shot from Marvel in 1990 entitled RIO Rides Again and once more in a two-issue sries from Dark Horse, RIO At Bay in 1992.

And now, the dramatic conclusion of "Robber's Roost" from Eclipse Monthly #10.

RIO- Robber's Roost, Part One

2010-07-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Rio-Reprise! This Time In Context

2010-06-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

When I started this blog a few weeks ago, I debuted with Eclipse Monthly #5- RIO in "Satan's Doorstep". At the time, it was the only RIO comic I owned. I tracked down Issues 1 and 2 and 9 and 10, all of which had other installments of RIO in them. Turns out Eclipse Monthly only ran 10 issues and only five of them had RIO in them and I own all five. So, since I ran parts one and two Monday and Tuesday, I decided I would re-present part three today in its proper place. And then, Thursday and Friday... well, you get the idea. So here's RIO in "Satan's Doorstep"...

Rio: The Hide Butchers, Part II

2010-06-29T23:03:00.007-04:00

Bet y'all thought I was just gonna post part one of this story and leave ya hangin'. Nossir!

RIO Begins

2010-06-28T08:00:00.002-04:00

In Eclipse Monthly #1, we get our first look at Doug Wildey's RIO. 1983 was pretty far from the heyday of the Western, comic book or otherwise, and this fantastic strip pretty much slipped under the radar.

The level of character and realism Wildey conveys in his simple, no-frills story is truly amazing. Wildey's masterful use of half-tones lends a sense of depth and natural light that makes every scene absolutely convincing. You believe you are outside in the Wyoming winter or in a smoky saloon or in a small sod cabin. The poses are naturalistic when the characters are conversing and dynamic when action breaks out. But don;t take my word for it. Enjoy part one of "The Hide Butchers".

Red Dead Redemption- A Fistful of Awesome!

2010-06-27T20:10:00.005-04:00

For Father's Day my sons got me (With more than a little help from my loving Wife) Red Dead Redemption (from Rockstar Games) for the Xbox 360. I cannot stress enough how kickass this game is!

Unlike its also kickass predecessor, Red Dead Revolver, Redemption has the option of roaming all over its Spaghetti Western landscape, looking for your own fun or trouble.

You can:

catch and break a wild horse
hunt game, big and small
play poker
cheat at poker
be attacked by wolves, coyotes and a cougar
get into one-on one gunfights
hunt for treasure
steal anything that isn't nailed down
hunt wanted criminals for bounty
stop a stage coach robbery

And that's just in Single Player mode. In multiplayer, you can form a posse and take on a whole town.

If you play video games and have a platform that supports this game, I highly recommend it.

Marvel Tries To Revive the Western... With a Side of Spaghetti

2010-06-25T21:05:00.001-04:00

During the 1970's, DC had unleashed a string of Western comics that drew from the spirit of the Italian western films. Although they also reprinted earlier stories of heroes like Pow-Wow Smith and Johnny Thunder, they had introduced more contemporary charcters like Jonah Hex, Scalphunter and Bat Lash.

Marvel, on the other hand, had produced a nearly endless string of reprints of Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, Two-Gun Kid and Outlaw Kid. Their new Western comics were usually a new story featuring one of their old, Atlas heroes backed up by reprints of their old, Atlas heroes. They introduced Red Wolf, but his adventures were formulaic, and very similar to Atlas' Apache Kid.

In 1980, Marvel tried to introduce a new style of Western hero. Well, new to Marvel. Caleb Hammer has the look and feel of an Italian Western. Caleb bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain high plains Drifter. And, if it reminds you a little bit of a DC Western from 10 years before, it may be because it was inked by Tony DeZuniga, the original artist on DC's Jonah Hex.

From 1980's Marvel Premiere #54, we have "The Coming of Caleb Hammer" by Peter B. Gillis, pencilled by Gene Day and inked by Tony DeZuniga.

And as a bonus, this comic had two Western-themed ads:

Man, Dingos look like some killer boots!

I mean, alleged killer boots. I have to confess, I had a pair of these in second grade.

Weird Western Tales #26- The West Gets a Little more Wild-ey!

2010-06-21T10:11:00.008-04:00

cover by Luis Dominguez

What with the new Jonah Hex movie having just premiered, and the number of request I got for vintage Hex issues, I thought I'd treat y'all to one of my favorites.

Although Tony DeZuniga is the artist most often associated with Jonah Hex's early appearances in Weird Western Tales, he only drew the first 13 issues of Jonah's run. After DeZuniga left, the art chores went to Noly Panaligin for two issues and then came this gem...an issue drawn by Doug Wildey.

Sadly, #26 was Wildey's only issue of WWT. Enjoy the show:

Seriously? Y'all Know He's a Horse, Right?

2010-06-18T09:49:00.004-04:00

When the Lone Ranger's origin story was told on TV, it included a segment wherein the Ranger, whose horse was killed in the Cavendish gang's ambush of his ranger company, obtained his "Fiery horse with the speed of light". The Lone Ranger and Tonto come across a beautiful, white, mustang stallion locked in deadly combat with a buffalo. The horse defeats the buffalo, but is injured. LR and Tonto nurse the horse back to health. The horse is grateful, but still wild. The Ranger catches and mounts the horse, then sets it free, only to have it return.

It's a nifty piece of folklore and shows the union of man and horse as a partnership, not an owner and his property.

For whatever reason, Dell decided that the horse should get his own comic. The series' main focus is on Silver's adventures before he met The Lone Ranger and Tonto. There are recurring characters within the series, an Indian named Keenay (Who wants to capture Silver). And a cougar (who wants to eat silver). Silver is constantly depicted doing battle with bears, wolves and cougars on the covers, or rescuing other animals.

And now... Silver in "Strange Companions"

Diversions of the Groovy Kind: Jonah Hex Weekend! Grooviest Covers of All Time: Jonah Hex, Weird Western Days

2010-06-17T13:12:00.004-04:00

Howdy Pardners! I'm sure a bunch of ya are excited that the new Jonah Hex movie debuts this weekend. Due to overwhelming requests- well, 25% of you- I'll be posting some Jonah Hex comics next week. In the meantime, stop by Diversions of the Groovy Kind and take a look at the Hex-fest Ol'Groove has posted fer ya!

Diversions of the Groovy Kind: Jonah Hex Weekend! Grooviest Covers of All Time: Jonah Hex, Weird Western Days

Who Was That Masked Man's Injun Companion?- Tonto #19

2010-06-16T09:25:00.009-04:00

Yep, that's right. Tonto had his own series. And really, out of all the partners and sidekicks of western heroes, who is more deserving? Red Ryder's kid sidekick Little Beaver? Well, okay, Dell gave him a comic, too. Of course Beav's comic only lasted 6 issues. Tonto's lasted 33. Which is pretty good for a spin-off. Sadly, Dell's comic about "The Lone Ranger's Famous Horse, Hi-Yo Silver!" lasted 34 issues. Sorry Tonto.

Here we have the cover story (although the cover art has nothing to do with it) from The Lone Ranger's Companion TONTO #19 from May-July 1955. Oh! and when you get to page 16, no need to adjust your sets, that page IS black and white. Dell made use of the inside and outside back cover to finish the story.

Silver Age Gold: Hangin' Tough. Tonto -Everyone's First Suspect.

2010-06-15T00:14:00.001-04:00

Publish Post

Since it's more or less Lone Ranger week here at OUATITW-IC, I thought I'd fill in my Tuesday gap with a link to a previous post I did at one of my other comics blogs:

Silver Age Gold: Hangin' Tough. Tonto -Everyone's First Suspect.

THE Masked Rider of the Plains- Accept No Substitutes!

2010-06-14T09:58:00.011-04:00

The Lone Ranger debuted on the radio in January of 1933. He would gain a syndicated comic strip in 1938 and make his first appearance in a comic book in 1939. Most of his early comic book adventures were simply color reprints of the daily comic strip. In 1948, Dell comic began publishing a regular Lone Ranger comics series (again, mostly reprints at first) which would come and go as the company became first Gold Key and then Whitman.

Today's offering is Gold Key's Lone Ranger #23 from 1975. Notice that by this time the appearance of the Lone Ranger and Tonto are very deliberately modeled on Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels from the Lone Ranger TV show, still in syndicated re-runs at the time.

Update! I just found out that Pappy, over ta Pappy's Golden-Age Comics Blog, just posted a far cooler Dell Lone Ranger by Tom Gill. Be sure to check it out :

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2010/06/number-754-tom-gills-lone-ranger.html

New Stuff Reviewed: Jonah Hex #56, plus Rawhide Kid - The Sensational Seven

2010-06-12T19:26:00.008-04:00

As some of you already know, I don't read much in the way of new comics lately. However, today when I made the rounds at my local comics shops, I picked up a couple.

First off, I picked up the latest issue of Jonah Hex. I had had this comic in my monthly pull, back before I lost my job 16 months ago (I've finally reentered the workforce and have been back to work for almost a month) and was sad to drop it. I thought today was as good a day as any to re-acquaint myself with Mr. Hex.

Of course, this month's issue proudly announces that Jonah Hex is "Now A Major Motion Picture", came sealed in a polybag with a miniature movie poster and contains two short Jonah Hex stories and a four page interview with movie director Jimmy Hayward and comics writing team Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti (Who I am glad to see have stuck around) .

The cover is a nice piece by Darwyn Cooke. My wife and I chuckled as we observed that Warner Bros. can cast Josh Brolin if they like, but all the DC artists have cast a 70's Clint Eastwood since this series relaunched nearly five years ago.

Shortly after I picked up my Jonah Hex, I looked up to see a brand new Rawhide Kid sitting proudly on the shelf. Clearly, the good folks at Marvel were not going to pass up the potential Western market created by the release of a Jonah Hex movie and have swooped in (in true Marvel fashion) for the kill.

Now I don't know about y'all, but for years I've daydreamed of how great it would be if either DC or Marvel finally got it into their heads to do a full-out "Magnificent Seven"-style story featuring their stable of Western heroes. And this mini-series promises to deliver just that. I can't say as how I ever pictured that the posse of seven gunslingers would be recruited by Marvel's newly gay version of Rawhide.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti gay or anything. I just never, in all my years of reading Rawhide Kid, would have pictured a scene like this one where he's a-doin' Annie Oakley's hair:

He's still just as tough and just a quick on the draw, only now he's a little more "Queer Eye for the Cow Guy".

Anyway, the plotline centers around an old enemy with his own private army having kidnapped Wyatt and Morgan Earp. RK and Annie decide to round up some help and go rescue the Earps.

There's also a cameo by a new, scary version of the old West Ghost Rider.

I don't know how this will pan out, but I was fairly entertained and look forward to part two.

Sheriff of Tombstone. Sort of.

2010-06-11T09:16:00.010-04:00

Today's story comes from Charlton's Gunfighters #56, October 1979. I did a little research, wondering who had written and drawn this story, since it was completely uncredited. The GCD didn't have any information on this story, except that it featured Luke Spade (the "Sheriff of Tombstone") and was reprinted from Sheriff of Tombstone #16, July 1961.

original cover of Sheriff of Tombstone #16 by Dick Giordano

Even odder, I found out that the cover of Gunfighters # 56 was originally the cover for Sheriff of Tombstone # 1 from November 1958.

Also by Dick Giordano.

Sheriff of Tombstone ran 17 issues and the stories were heavily reprinted in Charlton's 1970's Westerns Gunfighters and Outlaws of the West .

Pick Yer Poison- Request Lines Are Open!

2010-06-10T11:12:00.002-04:00

Howdy, Y'all!

Any of y'all who read this h'yar blog (all six of ya!) this is yer opportunity to speak up! Just leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail (or telegraph me or send a letter via Pony Express) and let me know what westerns you'd like to see. If I have it, I'll post it. If'n I don't- I'll see about gettin' it.

Next week's posts are already scheduled as a tribute to a certain "Masked Rider of the Plains" and his associates. So shine up yer silver bullets and keep an eye out for that no-good Cavendish Gang!

Happy Trails!-

Aaron

By Request- Kid Colt by Jack Keller!

2010-06-09T10:26:00.012-04:00

Howdy!

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

Triple Threat "When The Harpers Rode"

2010-06-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

I found this little beaut' tucked away in the back pages of a 1972 Rawhide Kid I found yesterday. It was such a nice piece, I felt it needed to go up right away. It's only 6 pages long and it was writ by "Six-Gun" Stan Lee. I have no idee who a- drawed it. Whoever t'was ain't credited nohow. It were originally published in a 1954 issue (#15) of Western Outlaws by Atlas Comics.

Selected Short Subjects

2010-06-04T10:02:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to take a post and highlight some of the great one and two-page back-up features that appear in some of the great Western comics I've been reading. I hope y'all enjoy 'em.

From Gunfighters #56 - October, 1979 - Charlton Comics

From Outlaws of the West #64- 1969- Charlton Comics

From Texas Rangers in Action #72- June, 1969- Charlton Comics

From Gene Autry #75- May 1953- Dell Comics

From The Lone Ranger's Famous Horse Hi-Yo Silver #30- April-June, 1959- Dell Comics

Tall Tales and a Short Story- Rawhide Kid

2010-06-02T09:35:00.004-04:00

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.

A Disabled American Vet

2010-05-31T00:00:00.003-04:00

I bet y'all thought ol' Jonah Hex was the only disfigured, ex-Confederate gunfighter floatin' around the comic book West. But he ain't! (Although I'm sure there were plenty in the real West.) Captain Doom debuted in Outlaws of the West #64 back in May of 1967. That's five whole years before Jonah Hex rode his way into All-Star Western #10!

Captain Doom would last for 11 issues of Outlaws of the West before ridin' off into the sunset.

Here we have his debut (albeit in a Modern Comics reprint from 1977). The writer is uncredited but the artwork is by Charles Nicholas with inks by Vince Alascia, Cover art by Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio.

CSI- Wild West!

2010-05-29T22:02:00.004-04:00

Homer Fleming's Buck Marshall, Range Detective debuted in Detective Comics #1, in March of 1937. Buck would remain a regular feature up until issue #36. Detective Comics was the first comic book dedicated entirely to a single theme. In this case, detective stories. Each issue was 64 pages with various features. Most of them in color, but a few, like Buck were in black and white.

The story reprinted below hails from a later issue, #27. A comic book which is most often reprinted only because it marks the debut of another, more famous detective, Batman.

As you can see, Buck has moved on from being strictly black and white, to black, white and one color. Also, unlike his first appearance, Buck now has a pinto horse named "Pepper".

On a sidebar, I have a reprint of Buck's first appearance in Detective #1, but this just seemed like a better story to me. It is worth noting, however that in the previous story, Buck is also tipped off to the fact that someone has moved a murdered man's body by the presence of yellow clay.

What The HEX Goin' On Here? All-Star Western #10

2010-05-28T12:13:00.004-04:00

The recurring heroes in Western comics were traditionally cut from heroic cloth. Guys like Red Ryder, The Lemonade Kid, NightHawk... Maybe some of them wore masks, but they weren't outlaws or bandits, just guys with secret identities. And even the guys who were "outlaws" were never really bad. Guys like The Rawhide Kid, Kid Colt, The Outlaw Kid, the Two-Gun Kid (Weren't there any grown-ups in the West?) were branded as outlaws, but they were all falsely accused.

Sure, there were a few misfits, mostly Indians or "half-breed" characters who weren't accepted by the folks they tried to help. But the reader knew about their troubled, noble hearts and so that was okay.

This approach lasted from the Golden Age of the late 30's all the way through the 1960's. And then, in 1971, a new type of hero began to surface in the fabric of American Western comics. The ANTI-hero. What's an anti-hero?

"In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis." - Wikipedia

Jonah Hex is not a typical hero. He is not handsome (although he may have been once). He is not noble (He kills men for money). Jonah Hex is a horribly disfigured Confederate veteran who makes his living as a bounty hunter. And he's mean. Plumb, mad-dog mean.

Enjoy his debut in All-Star Western #10, "Welcome to Paradise"

A Hero With Horse Sense!

2010-05-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

Howdy folks! My amigo, Mykal "Two-Gun" Banta over ta "The Charlton Story" has posted a nifty piece of Western comics history! Be Sure to check out

The Charlton Story: BLACK FURY No. 33, November 1961

Not only do you get a great Western story starring a horse, there's also a back-up feature about one-a them masked hombres! So mosy on over an' tell 'em Marshal Bias sent ya!

Four out of Five Soldiers Who Tried Camels Preferred Horses

2010-05-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

In 1856, the United States Army imported 34 camels to be utilized in the American Southwest. The cavalrymen who were assigned to the animals had no understanding of how to ride them, how to care for them, or even the slightest notion of camel psychology. To complicate matters further, the American Civil War broke out and the majority of the Camels (which had been delivered to Texas) were in the hands of the Confederate Army, who ignored them altogether as potential mounts.

When the War ended, the Military had lost all interest in its camels and they were sold or turned loose. Eventually all of the former Army camels either died or were shot.

The following story is set in 1874. Which is not only nearly a decade after the last camel saw military service in the U.S., it's also far too late for the Shako hats the troopers are wearing. But, I'm not here to be the anachronism police, so please enjoy this unusual yarn from Amazing High Adventure #3 , October 1986. Story by Mike Baron, art by John Severin.

His Name is RIO...

2010-05-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

Doug Wildey is probably best remembered for his role designing the distinctive look of Hanna-Barbera's "Jonny Quest". Wildey also worked on numerous comic books including Jonah Hex, Sgt. Rock and Tarzan.

Wildey was a fantastic draftsman with a real flair for realistic anatomy and characterization.

Here we get a look at Wildey's own Western creation, RIO. My best guess is that Wildey did his inks and an ink wash over his pencils, then went back in with watercolor. The results are tremendous, giving a very believable feeling of light to the piece. From 1984's Eclipse Monthly #5, here's "Satan's Doorstep!":