A Month in the Life of the Comics 4 4

[adamstrange]

# 178

 

Rangers Comics # 63 - Bought from Doug Sulipa....

P.S.: Thanks for the kind words. I know you guys are reading and I hope you're still enjoying the posts. I know the PCW one was more image-heavy than usual.

 

Fantastic articles this week. How can you crank these out at the end of the semester? I don't even have time to finish reading them this week!

Like your women in flowered sarongs fetish or the women in tubes fetish over at BangZoom's place, you've found mine. Voluptous red-haired heroines front and center. If I were to get hooked on Golden Age collecting, Firehair and Rangers would probably be my starting point. Unfortunately, that would mean competing with hoards of GGA and Fiction House collectors.

 

That Murphy Anderson story is gorgeous!

 

More comments later, I hope.

 

Jack

 

I was thrilled when they finally identified this mystery FH artist (Bagnoli). He did beautiful work on interior stories for FH.

 

[rjpb]

By the way, any suggestions for help in identifying a coverless issue of Crime Does Not Pay? Apparently the GCD has huge gaps still waiting to be indexed. (Katy Keene is worse. )

 

The early issues tended to list the stories on the cover - and the lead story is sometimes referenced on the covers to the later issues. What's the lead story - I have a few issues I could check.

[Griz]

Scrooge, I just wanted to comment that this is a great thread and a great and unique collecting idea.

[Scrooge]

First, let me type the lead-in info from the previous page:

 

"The outlaw James boys had captured the imagination of Young Americans in a way that no other robbers, murderers or gunmen had done, and they were still very much alive when the dime novel was in its prime. What more natural thing than to turn the pair and their exploits into stories?

 

 

[...] The stories proved immensely popular with readers - but also drew the attention of Anthony Comstock (1844-1915), the self-appointed scourge of the dime novel."

 

Read on in this page -

 

There you have it: the 19th Century predecessor of Wertham using pretty much the same tactics including the threat to allow US Postal service to those publications. The world changes and stays the same!

 

As much as I hate quoting myself, this is a quick post as a follow-up on Comstock and his hatred of dime novels.

 

By the turn of the century most dime novel outfits were struggling to the enjoyment of Anthony Comstock. Aside from the beginning of the pulps taking over the readership of the dime novels, this is also the period during which Grosset & Dunlap among others such as Street & Smith, ... started to introduce into the market children's series for 25¢ or 50¢. Some early popular series were The outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed Boys or The Submarine Boys. An "innovation" of the time is that the publishers relied on syndicates to provide them with the series pre-packaged, very much in the style of comic shop in the '40s packaging books for publishers. The most famous syndicate was the Stratemeyer syndicate that gave us not only The outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed Boys but also The Hardy Boy and Nancy Drew among others.

 

Wholesome reading wouldn't you say? Think again!

 

Here's from Outlook, November 18, 1914 from no less than the recently appointed to this new position, Chief Scout Librarian, Franklin Matthiews. This takes place right around the time the Scouts purchased and started to publish Boys' Life -

 

 

Here's why this "literature" will blow out the boy's brains according to Matthiews who views these series as the evil successors to the dime novels.

 

[selegue]

As much as I hate quoting myself, this is a quick post as a follow-up on Comstock and his hatred of dime novels.

 

Whaddya think you're doing?

No posting content until people are done complaining about the new format!

 

By the turn of the century most dime novel outfits were struggling to the enjoyment of Anthony Comstock. Aside from the beginning of the pulps taking over the readership of the dime novels, this is also the period during which Grosset & Dunlap among others such as Street & Smith, ... started to introduce into the market children's series for 25¢ or 50¢. Some early popular series were The outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed Boys or The Submarine Boys.

 

Interesting comment about the dime novels, but this is puzzling. Why did "The R o v e r Boys" display as "The RevenueLinksCensoredToStopSpam Boys" in the post but not in the quote of it?

 

Is "RevenueLinksCensoredToStopSpam" the new *spoon*?

Is there something I don't know about the word R o v e r?

 

Jack

enjoying the lack of insipid smileyfaces today!

 

[Scrooge]

Interesting comment about the dime novels, but this is puzzling. Why did "The R o v e r Boys" display as "The RevenueLinksCensoredToStopSpam Boys" in the post but not in the quote of it?

 

Yeah, that's definitely odd! But then again, what do I know: I was an avid Nancy Drew reader, well Alice Roy actually as she was known to me (even though I preferred the Soeurs Parker (a.k.a. The Dana Girls in English) to Alice / Nancy), as a child so now I am crippled for life and have no hope of any achievement in business or the arts!

[BangZoom]

Is there an online resource that one can use to easily compile a list of the comics published in your birth month?

 

I realize that this topic has probably already been addressed somewhere in this thread, but so far it's eluded me.

 

I've considered going through the Gerber volumes and making a list but that seems so tedious.

[G.A.tor]

Is there an online resource that one can use to easily compile a list of the comics published in your birth month?

 

I realize that this topic has probably already been addressed somewhere in this thread, but so far it's eluded me.

 

I've considered going through the Gerber volumes and making a list but that seems so tedious.

http://www.dcindexes.com/

use the Time machine link...pretty nice set up

rick

[BangZoom]

Is there an online resource that one can use to easily compile a list of the comics published in your birth month?

 

I realize that this topic has probably already been addressed somewhere in this thread, but so far it's eluded me.

 

I've considered going through the Gerber volumes and making a list but that seems so tedious.

http://www.dcindexes.com/

use the Time machine link...pretty nice set up

rick

 

 

Thanks!

 

That's just what I was looking for.

 

Is there anything else out there for other publishers?

[Scrooge]

Is there an online resource that one can use to easily compile a list of the comics published in your birth month?

 

I realize that this topic has probably already been addressed somewhere in this thread, but so far it's eluded me.

 

I've considered going through the Gerber volumes and making a list but that seems so tedious.

http://www.dcindexes.com/

use the Time machine link...pretty nice set up

rick

 

 

Thanks!

 

That's just what I was looking for.

 

Is there anything else out there for other publishers?

 

www.atlastales.com for Timely / Atlas and www.comics.org for everything else. It will still require some sifting through but it's workable. PM me the Month and Year and I can generate the list for you. Call me crazy but I love going through the Gerber and the OSPG with one goal in mind. Last time I did was to create the definite list of Octopoid covers. :crazy:

[BangZoom]

Is there an online resource that one can use to easily compile a list of the comics published in your birth month?

 

I realize that this topic has probably already been addressed somewhere in this thread, but so far it's eluded me.

 

I've considered going through the Gerber volumes and making a list but that seems so tedious.

http://www.dcindexes.com/

use the Time machine link...pretty nice set up

rick

 

 

Thanks!

 

That's just what I was looking for.

 

Is there anything else out there for other publishers?

 

www.atlastales.com for Timely / Atlas and www.comics.org for everything else. It will still require some sifting through but it's workable. PM me the Month and Year and I can generate the list for you. Call me crazy but I love going through the Gerber and the OSPG with one goal in mind. Last time I did was to create the definite list of Octopoid covers. :crazy:

 

Thanks for the additional info.

 

I appreciate all the help.

[Scrooge]

# 182

 

Red Ryder Comics # 104 - Bought from Doug Sulipa

 

 

Content:

Photo Cover of Jim Bannon (1911 - 1984), fourth actor to portray Red Ryder on screen. Trivia: His son, Jack Bannon, is married to John Travolta's sister Ellen.

Inside Front Cover: Western Feature: The Buckboard by Till Goodan

Red Ryder by Fred Harman (?) 12 pgs

Auntie Duchess in The Chief's War Bonnet by ? 4 pgs

2 pg text feature: The West that Lives Forever: The Red Giants by Fred Harman

Little Beaver by Fred Harman (?) 12 pgs

2 pg illustrated feature: Wigwam Ways: Canoes for the Ocean by (?)

Inside Back Cover: Western Feature: The Freight Wagon by Till Goodan

Back Cover: Red Ryder subscription form

 

First, I should mention that photo covers for this title were rare. The issue above falls at the end of a short run of photo covers featuring Jim Bannon but the norm was drawn with a few painted covers for most of the run as can be seen in the gallery shot.

 

 

The emphasis of the write-up will be Fred Harman and his creation Red Ryder. More information concerning this strip can be found in the Little Beaver entry which focused on Little Beaver but also on the Daisy Red Ryder Carbine.

 

The other IDed artist is Tillman Goodan who worked for years for Dell on numerous Western features but primarily providing various spot illos and other features than really being identified with a single strip. His story work is generally associated to Gene Autry.

 

According to a short bio of Harman provided on the Fred Harman Western Art Museum, "Fred Harman, who died in 1982, was one of the founders of the Cowboy Artists of America. In addition to becoming one of the country's foremost painters of the American West, he was also the creator of the world-famous cartoon strip, "Red Ryder and Little Beaver." Fred Harman was also an established sculptor and illustrator. He was likewise a great humanitarian.

 

The gregarious Fred Harman lived and worked at one time or another in various parts of the U.S. but his heart was always in Colorado, particularly the Southwestern part known as "the four corners." He was truly a cowboy (and later rancher) who had a remarkable talent for capturing and interpreting his special world into artistic forms.

 

Recognition and real success came slowly to Fred Harman, but his optimism and perseverance never lagged. He was born in St. Joseph, Missouri in 1902, but his parents moved to Pagosa Springs, Colorado when he was just 2 months old. His father had previously homesteaded in Pagosa in 1891. His life really began in the land of cowboys and Indians what with Ute, Apaches and Navajos living in the same proximity as the ranchers.

 

During those early years, Harman seemed to be in and out of Missouri a great deal. Apparently he exercised his artistic talent from the very beginning as his first printed picture appeared in a St. Joseph newspaper when Harman was only 6 years of age. The self-taught painter was not as happy in school as he was on ranches or when he was drawing. After 7 years of formal education, he dropped out of school and ultimately joined the army. It was the time of World War I.

 

1922 found Fred Harman in Kansas City working at his first commercial art job. He was one of three cartoonists making film ads for a moving picture company. Fred and one of the other cartoonists, Walt Disney, formed their own company, but, alas, they went broke after a year. Disney went to California to pursue a career and Harman returned to his beloved Colorado.

 

 

Not much later, the struggling young artist was back in St. Joseph. The short-lived Pony express had been founded in that city in 1861 and though it only survived for a mere 18 months, it created enough interest and excitement to make its own niche in the lore of Western Americana. It was only natural that Fred would be interested in this brief chapter on history. He did a goodly amount of artwork related to that subject including illustrating pertinent books. He even designed the costumes for an MGM film about The Pony Express. It was during this period that he met pretty young Lola Andrews, a musician. On their very first date, Fred took Lola to the Premier of "The Pony Express" film.

 

A year later Fred married his Lola and in 1927 their son Fred was born, like his father, in St. Joseph. By the end of the 1920's the young family was in St. Paul, Minnesota where Harman entered a partnership to form an advertising business. All though this and after 3 years of it, he took his family to Colorado where he and Lola built their own log cabin on the San Juan.

 

Misfortune loomed again in the form of the National Depression. Fred Harman, like so many others was broke! Fred had two younger brothers, each of whom was a good artist in their own right. Earlier they had gone to Hollywood and made a success of animated cartoons. They had their own studio and produced the popular Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes. So, Fred loaded up his canvases and went to Hollywood.

 

Harman had a big exhibit of his work at the Stendahl Art Galleries in Los Angeles, but not one piece was sold. Not very encouraging for a young artist but it didn't get Harman down, instead he decided that he would do a comic strip and he created "Bronc Peeler". Since no one else was interested in presenting the strip, Fred syndicated it himself, and again went broke.

 

All was not in vain, however, as his work caught the attention of Eastern publishers and he went to New York City. Fred worked diligently in the big city during the winters until he made enough money to buy the land that became the nucleus of his ranch near Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The climax of this period was his creation of the cartoon strip, "Red Ryder and Little Beaver".

 

Success at last! The Scrips-Howard Newspaper chain presented Harman with a 10 year contract and "Red Ryder" was virtually an overnight sensation. The cartoon strip appeared in 750 newspapers with 40 million readers and then came a radio show, 38 movies and 40 commercial products. By 1938 Fred Harman had all the commissions he could handle.

 

Fred Harman on his horse, Thunder (also Red Ryder's horse's name) circa 1949 -

 

Fred Harman continued to draw "Red Ryder" until 1963. By then he needed all the time he could have in order to do his painting. His first series of paintings sold out quickly including the preliminary sketches. By 1965 he was the most widely known living artist portraying the American West. Also by this time, Harman was well known and loved by his fellow "cowboy artists". In that same year, 1965, 5 of them came together in Sedona, Arizona and founded the "The Cowboy Artists of America". In addition to Harman, the group included Joe Beeler, Charlie Dye, John Hampton and George Phippen. Fred was chosen as the first president of the new organization but deferred to Phippen.

 

Fred Harman loved his fellow man and it seemed that the greater his success became, the more time he somehow found to help others. He was particularly effective with children to whom he was a living hero. Organizations all over the country clamored for his attention and got it. This activity resulted in many awards and commendations. One of the many honors that he was especially proud of was being adopted into the Navajo Nation; one of only 75 white men in history to receive this unusual tribute."

 

There is much to tell about Red Ryder on the screen and I'll let you refer to the write-up at the Old Corral for more info on that aspect of Red Ryder's career (as well as his adventures on the radio): Red Ryder on the Silver Screen. Note that in all 4 actors portrayed Red Ryder:

 

Don 'Red' Barry in the 1940 Republic serial,

 

'Wild' Bill Elliott in 16 Republic features,

 

Allan 'Rocky' Lane in 7 Republic features,

 

and Jim Bannon in 4 Eagle-Lion features.

 

Red Ryder's history in the comics dates back to its first "appearance in Dell Publishing's Crackerjack Funnies #9 (dated March 1939) with a cover featuring Red Ryder astride his horse Thunder billed as 'The Famous Fighting Cowboy'. Red Ryder continued to appear along with many other characters, through issue #35 (dated May 1941) and was mentioned on every cover in that period except #15. However, he made only one other cover illustration - #28, which featured overlapping page facsimiles of Red Ryder and three other strips. Soon, all the covers were devoted to an original comic book superhero called The Owl, just one of a flood of superheroes dominating comics after the appearance of Superman in 1938.

 

Meanwhile, in 1940, Republic Pictures produced the 12 chapter serial ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER starring Donald Barry, ever after known as 'Red' in the title role. The film was tagged as 'based on the famous NEA newspaper cartoon'. Dated September of the same year Hawley Publications presented Red Ryder Comics #1, featuring newspaper reprints starting with the first meeting of Red and Little Beaver. Many other unrelated newspaper strips, including King of the Royal Mounted appeared as backup features. The cover was a line drawing by Fred Harman.

 

In 1941, Whitman Publishing released the Red Ryder Paint Book, an oversized 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 book with 148 pages. Hawley Publishing had not immediately followed up their initial issue of Red's comic, but Red Ryder #3 (#2 was devoted to other material) finally appeared dated August 1941. With the tag line 'At last Red Ryder in his own comic magazine!' A wide array of backup features was included once again.

 

Starting with issue #6 (April 1942), Dell Publishing took over the comic which otherwise continued as before. Beginning with #33 (April 1946), most of the backup features were gone, and the majority of the comic belonged to Red (King of the Royal Mounted reprints continued through #73). In May 1944, Republic released the first of their Red Ryder film series with Wild Bill Elliott as Red and Bobby Blake as Little Beaver. As far as I know, no mention of their 16 films appeared in Red's comic. In September 1946, a pre-'Rocky' Allan Lane assumed the part of Red and with issue # 41 (dated December 1946 but probably out in September), Allan appeared in a photo back cover. These continued through #57 (April 1948). The exceptions were #49 and #52, featuring back cover photos of Fred Harman, as did #59.

 

A more important change came with #47 (June 1947). At last there were brand new stories of Red and the gang in place of the now fairly uncommon newspaper reprints.

 

Red's comic just kept going strong, year after year. Harman illustrations adorned covers #1, 3-98 and 107-118, a few were painted covers though most were line drawings. Issues #100 through 106 had Jim Bannon photo covers (he had taken over the role for Eagle-Lion Pictures in 1949). Bannon also appeared dressed as Red Ryder sitting around a campfire with starlet Nancy Saunders on the cover of D.C. Comics' Romance Trail #2, dated September-October 1949 but as is usually the case with these Western Romance comics, they probably don't figure in the stories.

 

With #145, the title was changed to Red Ryder Ranch Magazine and featured multiple photos. Issue #149 changed that to Red Ryder Ranch Comics. Issue #151 (April-June 1957) was the last regular appearance.

 

This phenomenal run from #3 (August 1941) to #151 is the longest continuous newstand run of any Western comic. In July 1957, Red appeared one last time in issue 915 of Dell's Four Color anthology series (possibly a leftover issue from the regular run?)."

 

Definitely a major unsung run. Here's your chance to peek inside and I'll throw in a Baker bonus or two

 

Red Ryder Story Splash -

 

Note how the "school marm" is called Lorna Doone. Here's a close-up panel of Lorna -

 

Of course, the name is familiar to all as the "Classic" novel by R. D. Blackmore ... or more likely to comics collector for its rendition by Matt Baker. Here's the cover and a page from said adaptation -

 

Red Ryder Story Page -

 

Auntie Duchess Story Splash -

 

Little Beaver Story Splash -

 

Little Beaver Story Page -

[Scrooge]

# 183

 

Rex Allen Comics # 4 - Bought from Doug Sulipa

 

Content:

Photo Cover featuring Rex Allen

Inside Front Cover: Western Feature: Riding Gear Care; illo by August Lenox

Rex Allen in Rustlers of the Pacific by ? 24 pgs

Rex Allen in The Shadow by ? 8 pgs

Inside Back Cover: Western Feature: Horse Points to Know; illo by August Lenox

Back Cover: Photo of Rex Allen on Koko

 

Rex Allen, as we'll see, a late entry into the singing cowboy genre did earn his comic-book series fairly early on in his career and the series lasted for a nice 30-issue run.

 

 

Again, much thanks to the Old Corral website, here's an edited overview of Rex's career:

 

"When Rex Allen rode his horse Koko into the sunset at the end of a movie called THE PHANTOM STALLION in 1954, it marked the end of the singing cowboy Westerns.

 

 

Roy Rogers, in whose footsteps Allen followed at Republic Pictures, had moved on to television. So had Gene Autry, who pretty well started the singing cowboy series in the 1930s. Monte Hale, Jimmy Wakely, Tex Ritter and Eddie Dean had ended their movies at their various studios, too.

 

Rex had come along later than any of them in movies. The first of his 19 pictures at Republic, THE ARIZONA COWBOY was released in 1950. During an interview at a 1988 film festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, he admitted that this first picture was not a favorite of his. "That turkey wasn't released," he joked. "It escaped!"

 

Rex Elvie Allen was born December 31, 1920, in Willcox, Arizona. He grew up on a ranch where life was anything but easy. He lost a younger brother to a rattlesnake bite, another to scarlet fever. The local Rotary Club raised money for his medical treatment when he suffered a detached retina. A teacher encouraged his singing.

 

"My Dad was a fiddle player. He used to play for all the dances and stuff, and I learned to play guitar when there was nobody to accompany him. And then I sang in all the church choirs and glee clubs in the school," he said." Basically, all I ever wanted to do was try to be a singer and make a living at that. And then, went into radio and the recording field, and had a few hit records. Roy Rogers was getting ready to leave Republic Pictures and get into television, and they were looking around for another poobah in a white hat, so I got my foot in the door there."

 

He had moved to Phoenix, Arizona, after high school to work as a plasterer with his father, and got on radio station KOY there. By the mid-1940s, he had gone to the WLS National Barn Dance radio show out of Chicago. He also had his own 'The Rex Allen Show', which moved to California when he signed with Republic Pictures. The radio show ran on CBS from 1950 - 1952.

 

Rex had also gotten some rodeo experience by then. "Yeah, I rode bulls and buckin' horses for about two years when I first got out of high school, but I got tired of pickin' myself up off the arena floor, and I found that a guitar never kicked me, never hurt me a bit, so I decided I better stick with that."

 

 

In his first movie outing, Rex rode an unnamed horse with something of the look and color of Gene Autry's Champion. In all his other pictures, he would ride Koko, a Morgan with a dark-brown coat (which looked black in the black-and-white films, and was colored blue-black in the Rex Allen comics published by Dell) with a strikingly-white mane, tail and blaze. Rex would be billed as 'The Arizona Cowboy' and Koko as 'The Miracle Horse of the Movies'.

 

Here's a panel from Rex Allen # 4 featuring Koko prominently -

 

"I bought him when I first went out there," Rex said. "And a great trainer named Glen Randall trained him for me. Glen also trained Trigger and several other of the great motion picture horses."

 

Besides providing his own horse, Rex brought his own outfits to his pictures -- a white hat with curved brim, and a stag-handled six-shooter worn butt-forward on his right side (except in DOWN LAREDO WAY where he wore two guns, butts forward, the only picture in which he did so; ironically, he was disarmed for much of the story and so had two empty holsters on his gunbelt).

 

"I didn't want anybody to say, well, he's copying Roy Rogers or he's copying Gene Autry or he's copying Hoppy. So purposely I looked for a horse that was different, that no cowboy had used -- I turned my guns around backwards, and didn't know for two years that Bill Elliott did it, too," Rex said. "I just didn't want to be accused of copying anybody else, so I tried to go in as opposite a direction in everything that I could."

 

And one six-shooter was plenty, he said. "You strap two guns on, they're heavy, and it's like wearin' a girdle. And then they say 'Run, jump on that horse,' go do so-and-so and so-and-so, and you got all that gear and it's in your way, and I was happy to go with just one gun, just so you could get off and on a horse."

 

Rex had different leading ladies and comic sidekicks in each of his 1950 movies, including Carl Switzer (the former Alfalfa from the Little Rascals), Buddy Ebsen (1908-2003), future star of TV's BEVERLY HILLBILLIES and BARNABY JONES, would co-star with Rex in his four movies in 1951, and Slim Pickens (1919-1983), who joined the series in 1952, stayed with Rex through 11 pictures. Mary Ellen Kay was his most frequent leading lady.

 

 

After PHANTOM STALLION in 1954, Rex Allen's last Republic B western movie, Rex then became Dr. Bill Baxter for the television series, FRONTIER DOCTOR, which used a lot of Republic stock footage for its action. There were 39 half-hour episodes in all.

 

Aside from some low-profile other movie appearances, Rex's career continued due to his deep Western-accented voice which was around for some 150 film and short subject narrations, mainly for Walt Disney's nature shorts and features like THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY.

 

"Actually started by accident," Rex said. "I ran into Walt at a banquet one night. I had never met him and, throughout the conversation, he said 'Have you ever thought about maybe narrating some films?' And I said 'No, not really,' and he said 'Well, I'd like to try you out.' He said 'We're doing one now that I'd like to try you on and, if the opportunity comes around, drop by the studios sometime.' And I beat him back to the studio!" Rex said. "Over the years, I've done probably over 150 of those natures things there," he said. "It's been a nice 30-year relationship. They're beautiful people."

 

Rex passed away December 17, 1999 at the age of 78.

 

Money-wise, Allen was under term player contracts at Republic from March 1, 1949 through October 6, 1953 at an initial salary of $300 per week, that later escalated to $1050 a week after negotiation of a contract extension. Along with the salary hike, Republic also paid a $500 per picture fee to Allen for furnishing costumes for himself and his stunt double, the use of saddles, horse transportation vans, etc., and for the 'rental' of Koko." (Scrooge note: In early Hollywood, cowboys were paid $1 a day and an extra $2 a day for providing their horse for the picture!).

 

Comic-wise, Rex Allen's first comic appearance was an unusual one. He graced the cover of Standard Comics Western Hearts issue #3 dated June 1950, holding hands with an attractive cowgirl.

 

Rex's next appearance was in Dell Publishing's Four-Color anthology series #316, February 1951. Dell continued with Rex Allen #2 September/November 1951. The series concluded with issue #31 December/February 1958-59.

 

All 31 issues have photo covers; some have typical action shots while others have relaxed, offbeat shots of Rex pouring a cup of coffee (#15), playing the banjo (#9), or polishing his boots (#3) which accurately reflect his laid back charm. Issues FC #316, 2-12, 20 and 21 have photo back covers.

 

Here's # 4's Back Cover -

 

Rex also appeared in Dell's Western Roundup beginning with issue #1, dated June 1952. Rex appeared through issue #21, published in early 1958. All these issues featured head shots of Rex and his compadres Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Johnny Mack Brown and Wild Bill Elliott. The first 14 issues and issues 16 and 18 also have photo back covers.

 

Rex appeared once again in Dell's Four-Color series with issue #877 dated February 1958 devoted to his TV series FRONTIER DOCTOR. The cover shows Rex with medical bag in hand under the title 'Frontier Doctor featuring Rex Allen'." (Scrooge note: that issue was illustrated by Alex Toth)

 

According to Jerry Bails' Who's Who, the -script was written either by Philip Evans or Jean Klinordlinger and several artists could be considered for this issue: Pete Alvarado, Hi Mankin, Jesse Marsh and Al Gleicher. I'll go ahead and say that the first story is by Alvarado and the second by Mankin but who knows? Alberto Beccatini maybe?

 

At 22 pages, the first story is better than most. It's interesting how the story evolves. We find Rex and his sidekick Borax on the trail of murderer Shoats who's trying to cross the border into Mexico. After apprehending Shoats, Allen decides to nab also El Jefe, the smuggler Shoats was trying to contact. In the mix, Allen goes under cover and end up shangaied onto a cargo direction Hawaii, the Big Island to be specific, for a rustle job! The story progresses and expands in this manner until Allen and Borax stops the rustlers on the Big Island. The 2nd story is more clichéd as Allen must deliver cash before sundown. When he arrives seemingly late, he takes the money and the person he needs to deliver it to on a wild ride up the hillsides to catch the last sun rays on the horizon so as not to break the contract.

 

Rustlers of the Pacific Splash -

 

Rustlers of the Pacific Page: Rex and Borax on the Big Island - (Note: Allen isn't riding Koko at this point in the story)

 

The Shadow Splash -

 

The Shadow Page -

[Blind Owl]

Great Stuff; Scrooge!!!!

 

You don't see this kind of stuff on the SA threads!!! Very Informative!!! Thanks!!!

[adamstrange]

Great Stuff; Scrooge!!!!

 

You don't see this kind of stuff on the SA threads!!! Very Informative!!! Thanks!!!

 

Agreed.

 

Interesting that Allen chose a Morgan for his horse -- that was most definitely an unusual choice.

[skypinkblu]

Wonderful, Scrooge! thanks so much for all the work!

[Scrooge]

Interesting that Allen chose a Morgan for his horse -- that was most definitely an unusual choice.

 

Alright, educate me anyone here. I know sadly not the first thing about horses. AS, you seem to know at least a little. What should I be reading into this Morgan versus other horse breed? I really should learn more. All I can say is that Koko was a pretty horse. Beyond that

[adamstrange]

 

I didn't think that Morgan's were used much out West, nor could I recall seeing one on film, but but it looks like I was mistaken:

 

From Wiki: "In the post-civil war era, Morgans were also used in the Pony Express and as mounts for the cavalry in the western United States."

 

For some background on this "American" breed:

 

link

Edited March 15, 2008 by adamstrange

[selegue]

# 182

 

Red Ryder Comics # 104 - Bought from Doug Sulipa

 

 

Yay! Return of the feature that attracted me to the CGC boards. I either owe Scrooge my thanks or he owes me the hundreds of hours I've spent here.

 

 

 

Little Beaver Story Splash -

 

 

I like Harman's sketchy, semi-cartoony style a lot now, but it's nothing that would have attracted me as a kid. I've got a handful of Red Ryders, Little Beavers, etc., in my accumulation, since they often show up cheap in lots. I don't think I've read any of them, nor seen any of the films.

 

That lose-um, play-um, rob-um shtick sure gets tiresome fast.

 

Great write-up, Scrooge.

 

Jack

[Scrooge]

Yay! Return of the feature that attracted me to the CGC boards. I either owe Scrooge my thanks or he owes me the hundreds of hours I've spent here.

 

Let's say that's your way of thanking me.

 

As most of you might remember, I am also collecting photos of these cowboys and their horses for my office wall. Today, I was in and so was able to scan the ones for Red Ryder with Alan "Rocky" Lane in the role and Rex Allen seen with Koko -