How the West Was Mad!- "Varmint!"

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.

Star-Crossed Lovers and a Scout in White Pants.

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.

My First Encounter With Rawhide Kid

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.

Four out of Five Soldiers Who Tried Camels Preferred Horses

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.