Space Western 40 - Gender, ... uh, something 0

[gozer]

Space Western 40 (1952) is one of those oddball genre comics.
"Let's blend science fiction and westerns!"  It can't miss.

The cover has an evil troll/gnome/something carrying a woman in the
foreground, a person on horseback behind them, and a space ship in the background.

Ok, seems sane.

Here's the cover -- but with the figure on horseback hidden.

x

 

 

So let's zoom in a little.  Here's a closeup of the rider -- but with the face hidden.

 

Hmmm.  Showing LOTS of leg.  Vibrantly colored clothes - RED short shorts, and a bright
yellow shirt.  Small waist? (hard to tell).  And some odd, almost-hairy cleavage.  But cleavage nevertheless.

So who is that mystery person on the horse?

 

It's your standard, stalwart Robert Taylor kind of macho guy.  Holding a whip.
Rescuing the damsel.

Just dressed very ... oddly?

What the heck?  The artists were bored and having fun?  Some sort of in-joke?
The hero was going to be a woman, but that got changed at the last moment?

Maybe that's how he-men dress in their alternate world?  As a fashion statement,
this did not seem to catch on.

[telerites]

 

Lest we not forget about our hero's bad hair.

[KirbyJack]

Our Hero is Spurs Jackson; that’s super-famous Space Vigilante Hank Roper!

 I love and collect this series, and I had noted Spurs’ odd attire, but never noticed how femininely he’s drawn!

[catman76]

I always thought this cover was odd and he is not dressed like that in the comics at all and never again anywhere and the cover has nothing to do with any stories inside, which isn't too unusual,.but I always assumed it was originally a female and then they pasted a male head on it for some reason. Maybe the cover was intended for something else and they just used it for this title and quickly slapped spurs jackson's head on it? It's very strange.

[KirbyJack]

As good an explanation as any!

And BTW, Ix-nay on bringing attention to this title! I don’t need any more people hunting it!