Western comics is a

comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

genre usually depicting the American Old West frontier (usually anywhere west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

) and typically set during the late nineteenth century. The term is generally associated with an

American comic books An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'', ...

genre published from the late 1940s through the 1950s (though the genre had continuing popularity in Europe, and persists in limited form in American comics today). Western comics of the period typically featured dramatic scripts about

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...

gunfighter Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the t ...

s, lawmen,

bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...

s, and Native Americans. Accompanying artwork depicted a rural America populated with such iconic images as guns,

cowboy hat The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern Unit ...

s, vests, horses, saloons, ranches, and deserts, contemporaneous with the setting.

Origins

Western novel Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 20th century and ...

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, and

pulp magazines Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...

were extremely popular in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

from the late 1930s to the 1960s. Western comics first appeared in syndicated newspaper strips in the late 1920s. Harry O'Neill's ''

Young Buffalo Bill ''Young Buffalo Bill'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes. Plot The film takes place in the New Mexico Territory of the United States in the 1860s. Bill Cody and his friend ...

'' (later changed to ''Buckaroo Bill'' and then, finally, ''Broncho Bill''), distributed by

United Feature Syndicate United Feature Syndicate (UFS) is a large American editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1919. Originally part of E. W. Scripps Company, it was part of United Media (along wit ...

beginning in 1927, , and was a pioneering example of the form. Starting in the 1930s, ''

Red Ryder Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

'', '' Little Joe'', and ''

King of the Royal Mounted ''King of the Royal Mounted'' is an American comics series which debuted February 17, 1935 by Stephen Slesinger, based on popular Western writer Zane Grey's byline and marketed as ''Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted''. The series' protagonist ...

'' were syndicated in hundreds of newspapers across the United States.

Garrett Price William Garrett Price (November 21, 1896 – April 8, 1979) was an American artist, cartoonist and illustrator. He is remembered for cartoons and cover illustrations in ''The New Yorker'' and for children's book illustrations. Early life and ed ...

's ''White Boy'' (later changed to ''Skull Valley'') was another syndicated strip from the 1930s. The first Western stories to appear in the comics were in the mid-1930s: National Allied's ''

New Fun Comics ''More Fun Comics'', originally titled ''New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine'' a.k.a. ''New Fun Comics'',''N ...

'' #1 (Feb. 1935) ran the modern-West feature "Jack Woods" and the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

feature "Buckskin Jim";

Centaur Publications Centaur Publications (also known as Centaur Comics) was one of the earliest American comic book publishers. During their short existence, they created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett's Amazing-Man. History Comics Magazine Co ...

' ''The Comics Magazine'' #1 (May 1936) ran the feature "Captain Bill of the Rangers"; and

David McKay Publications David McKay Publications (also known as David McKay Company) was an American book publisher which also published some of the first comic books, including the long-running titles '' Ace Comics'', '' King Comics'', and '' Magic Comics''; as well a ...

's ''Feature Book'' #1 (May 1937) and a single issue of ''King Comics'' (also 1937) featured ''

'' reprints before Dell took over licensing of the character.

Dell Comics Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1974. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark"Wh ...

' ''

The Funnies ''The Funnies'' was the name of two American publications from Dell Publishing (Dell Comics), the first of these a seminal 1920s precursor of comic books, and the second a standard 1930s comic book. ''The Funnies'' (1929–1930) In 1929, George ...

'' published a run of short adaptations of

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

Westerns starting in vol. 2, issue #20 (May 1938).

Whitman Comics Gold Key Comics was originally an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated this way from 1962 to 1984. Currently, Gold Key Comics is owned b ...

' ''Crackajack Funnies'' ran regular Western features (including

Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...

stories) beginning with issue #1 in June 1938. The first stand-alone Western comics titles were published by

. ''Star Ranger'' and ''Western Picture Stories'' both debuted from the publisher in late 1936, cover-dated Feb. 1937. ''Star Ranger'' ran for 12 issues, becoming ''Cowboy Comics'' for a couple of issues, and then becoming ''Star Ranger Funnies''. The series ended in October 1939. ''Western Picture Stories'' ran four issues in 1937.

published ''Western Action Thrillers'' #1 shortly thereafter (cover-date Apr. 1937), and began publishing ''

Red Ryder Comics Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

'',Schelly, Bill and Keith Dallas. ''American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s'' (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2013), p. 17. initially reprinting the long-running comic strip, in 1941.

"Golden Age": 1948–1960

Western comics became popular in the years immediately following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, when superheroes went out of style. Adult readership had grown during the war years, and returning servicemen wanted subjects other than superheroes in their books. The popularity of the Western genre in comic strips and other media gave birth to Western comics, many of which began being published around 1948. Most of the larger publishers of the period jumped headfirst into the Western arena during this period, particularly

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

and its forerunners

Timely Comics Timely Comics is the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely Publications became the name ...

and Atlas Comics. '' Kid Colt Outlaw'' debuted in 1948, running until 1979 (though it was primarily a reprint title after 1967). The company soon established itself as the most prolific publisher of Western comics with other notable long-running titles, including ''

Rawhide Kid The Rawhide Kid (real name: Johnny Bart, originally given as Johnny Clay) is a fictional Old West cowboy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A heroic gunfighter of the 19th-century American West who was unjustly wanted a ...

'', ''

Two-Gun Kid The Two-Gun Kid is the name of two Western fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first, Clay Harder, was introduced in a 1948 comic from Marvel predecessor Timely Comics. The second, Matt Hawk a ...

'', and ''

Wild Western ''Wild Western'' (originally titled ''Wild West'') was a Western comic book series published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s forerunner of Marvel Comics. The omnibus series published 57 issues from 1948 to 1957. Kid Colt stories were usually the lead ...

''. The six-issue 1950

Harvey Comics Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey World Famous Comics, Harvey Publications, Harvey Comics Entertainment, Harvey Hits, Harvey Illustrated Humor, and Harvey Picture Magazines) was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by A ...

series ''

Boys' Ranch ''Boys' Ranch'' was a six-issue American comic book series created by the veteran writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby for Harvey Comics in 1950. A Western in the then-prevalent "kid gang" vein popularized by such film series as "Our ...

'', by

Joe Simon Joseph Henry Simon (October 11, 1913 – December 14, 2011) was an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s–1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the ...

and

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gr ...

, was a seminal example of the Western comics genre.

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

published the long-running series ''

All-Star Western ''All-Star Western'' was the name of three American comic book series published by DC Comics, each a Western fiction omnibus featuring both continuing characters and anthological stories. The first ran from 1951 to 1961, the second from 1970 to 1 ...

'' and ''

Western Comics Western comics is a comics genre usually depicting the American Old West frontier (usually anywhere west of the Mississippi River) and typically set during the late nineteenth century. The term is generally associated with an American comic books ...

''.

Charlton Comics Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T.W.O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton ...

published ''

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

'', ''Cheyenne Kid'', ''Outlaws of the West'', ''Texas Rangers in Action'', and the unusual title '' Black Fury'', about a

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

that roamed the West righting wrongs. Both

and

Fawcett Comics Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s. Its most popular character was Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Captain Marvel, the alter ego of ...

published a number of Western titles, including ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' (Dell) and ''

Hopalong Cassidy Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He was ...

'' (Fawcett, later continued by DC after Fawcett folded in 1953). Many issues of Dell's ''

Four Color ''Four Color'', also known as ''Four Color Comics'' and ''Dell Four Color'', was an American comic book anthology series published by Dell Comics between 1939 and 1962. The title is a reference to the four basic colors used when printing comic ...

'' featured Western stories during the 1950s.

Avon Comics Avon Publications is one of the leading publishers of romance fiction. At Avon's initial stages, it was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. The shift in content occurred in the early 1970s with multiple Avon romance titles reach ...

published a number of Western comics, the most notable titles being based on historical figures like Jesse James and

Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvement ...

. Youthful published the Western titles ''Gunsmoke'', ''Indian Fighter'', and ''Redskin'' (later known as ''Famous Western Badmen''). And

Toby Press Toby Press was an American comic-book company that published from 1949 to 1955. Founded by Elliott Caplin, brother of cartoonist Al Capp and himself an established comic strip writer, the company published reprints of Capp's '' Li'l Abner'' s ...

published its own ''

Adventure Magazine''.

Characters

The first Western hero to have his adventures published in the comics was the

Masked Raider The Masked Raider is an alias of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original character went by the name of Jim Gardley and appeared in comic books published during the 1930s and 1940s pe ...

, published by

beginning in 1939. Timely/Atlas/Marvel favored Western characters with the word "Kid" in their name, including the

Apache Kid Haskay-bay-nay-ntayl ( 1860 – in or after 1894), better known as the Apache Kid, was born in Aravaipa Canyon (25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Carlos Agency) into one of the three local groups of the Aravaipa/Arivaipa Apache Band (in Apa ...

Kid Colt Kid Colt is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first is a cowboy whose adventures have taken place in numerous western-themed comic book series published by Marvel. The second is a ...

, the

Outlaw Kid The Outlaw Kid is a fictional Western hero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character originally appeared in the company's 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics. A lesser-known character than the company's Kid Colt, Raw ...

, the

Ringo Kid The Ringo Kid is a fictional Western appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. His comic book series was originally released by the company's 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. A lesser-known character than the company's Kid Colt ...

, the

, and the

Western Kid The Western Kid is a fictional Old West character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was the star of Western feature published by Marvel's 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics. Publication history Tex Dawson, ...

—as well as the more obscure heroes the Prairie Kid, the Arizona Kid, and the Texas Kid. Other companies followed suit, with DC's

Stuff the Chinatown Kid Stuff, the Chinatown Kid is a DC Comics fictional character, a sidekick to the original Vigilante. He first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #45 (February 1942). In ''American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944'', Kurt Mitchell and Roy Thomas say that ...

and the Wyoming Kid;

and the Cheyenne Kid; and Dell's the Cisco Kid. Black Rider and

Phantom Rider Phantom Rider is the name of several Old West heroic gunfighter characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was originally called Ghost Rider, and was renamed following the introduction of Marvel's moto ...

were two other Marvel company characters from the genre's peak. Other early

Western characters included

Johnny Thunder Johnny Thunder is the name of three fictional superheroes appearing in comics published by DC Comics. A fourth character has the variant name Jonni Thunder. The character appeared in the second season of '' Stargirl'' on The CW network played ...

Nighthawk The nighthawk is a nocturnal bird of the subfamily Chordeilinae, within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, native to the western hemisphere. The term "nighthawk", first recorded in the King James Bible of 1611, was originally a local name i ...

, Pow Wow Smith,

Tomahawk A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Eur ...

, the

Trigger Twins The Trigger Twins are the names of two sets of fictional Western themed comic book characters published by DC Comics. Fictional character biography Walter and Wayne Trigger The Trigger Twins first appear in '' All-Star Western'' #58 (May 1951), t ...

, and

Vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...

featured the

Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

, and Dell's Lobo (debuting in 1965) was the medium's first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

character to headline his own series.

Cowboy actor comics

The years 1946–1949 saw an explosion of titles "starring" Western film actors and cowboy singers. Almost every star, major or minor, had their own title at some point; and almost every publisher got in on the action: Fawcett published

Allan Lane Allan "Rocky" Lane (born Harry Leonard Albershardt; September 22, 1909 – October 27, 1973) was an American studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV show ...

, Monte Hale,

Gabby Hayes Gabby is a given name, usually a short form of Gabriel or Gabrielle or Gabriella. Gabby or Gabbie may refer to: People with the name * Gabby Chaves (born 1993), Colombian-American racing driver * Guy Gabaldon (also "Gabby"; 1926–2006 ...

Lash LaRue Alfred "Lash" LaRue (June 15, 1917 – May 21, 1996) was a popular western motion picture star of the 1940s and 1950s. Biography Early life and education Born Alfred LaRue in Gretna, Louisiana in 1917, he was reared in various towns th ...

Tex Ritter Woodward Maurice Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American country music, a popular singer and actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son John, grandsons Jason and ...

, and

comics; Dell published

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

Rex Allen Rex Elvie Allen (December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999), known as "the Arizona Cowboy", was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his contribut ...

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

, and

Wild Bill Elliott Wild Bill Elliott (born Gordon Nance, October 16, 1904 – November 26, 1965) was an American film actor. He specialized in playing the rugged heroes of B Westerns, particularly the Red Ryder series of films. Early life Elliott was born Gor ...

comics;

Magazine Enterprises Magazine Enterprises was an American comic book company lasting from 1943 to 1958, which published primarily Western, humor, crime, adventure, and children's comics, with virtually no superheroes. It was founded by Vin Sullivan, an editor at Co ...

published

Charles Starrett Charles Robert Starrett (March 28, 1903 – March 22, 1986) was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the ''Durango Kid'' westerns. Starrett still holds the record for starring in the longest series of theatrical features: ...

and

Tim Holt Charles John "Tim" Holt III (February 5, 1919 – February 15, 1973) was an American actor. He was a popular Western star during the 1940s and early 1950s, appearing in forty-six B westerns released by RKO Pictures. In a career spanning mo ...

comics;

published a John Wayne title; and DC produced short-lived

Dale Evans Dale Evans Rogers (born Frances Octavia Smith; October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers. Early life Evans was born Frances Octavia Smith on ...

and

Jimmy Wakely Jimmy Wakely (February 16, 1914 – September 23, 1982) was an American actor, songwriter, country music vocalist, and one of the last singing cowboys. During the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, he released records, appeared in several B-Western movies ...

titles. (Dale Evans and Reno Browne were the only two Western actresses to have comics based on their characters.) Most of the cowboy actor titles featured photo covers of the stars; most series had been canceled by 1957.

Creators

Since Westerns were such a popular genre in the 1950s, many of the period's notable creators spent at least some time doing Western comics. Writer

Paul S. Newman Paul S. Newman (April 29, 1924 – May 30, 1999) was an American writer of comic books, comic strips, and books, whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s. Credited in the '' Guinness Book of World Records'' as the most prolific comic-book wr ...

and artist Tom Gill had an 11-year stretch on

Dell Dell is an American based technology company. It develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services. Dell is owned by its parent company, Dell Technologies. Dell sells personal computers (PCs), servers, data ...

's ''

'', a 107-issue run that marks one of the longest of any writer/artist team on a comic-book series.

Larry Lieber Lawrence D. Lieber (; born October 26, 1931) (Scroll down) is an American comic book artist and writer best known as co-creator of the Marvel Comics superheroes Iron Man, Thor, and Ant-Man; for his long stint both writing and drawing the Marvel ...

spent nine years as writer-artist of Marvel's ''

''.

France Herron Francis Edward Herron (July 23, 1917 – September 2, 1966) was an Americans, American comic book writer and editor active in the 1940s–1960s, mainly for DC Comics. He is credited with co-creating Captain Marvel Jr. and the Red Skull, as well a ...

and

Fred Ray Frederic E. "Fred" Ray, Jr. (February 4, 1920 – January 23, 2001)Dates and spelling of name peFrederic E.Ray Social Security Number 204-03-7262, aSocial Security Death Index Source gives birthplace and "Jr." was an American Comic book creator, c ...

were the long-time writer and artist of DC's ''

''.

Gaylord DuBois Gaylord McIlvaine Du Bois (sometimes written DuBois) (August 24, 1899 – October 20, 1993) was an American writer of comic book stories and comic strips, as well as Big Little Books and juvenile adventure novels. Du Bois wrote ''Tarzan'' for De ...

excelled in writing Western comics featuring realistic animals: he wrote the entire run of ''

The Lone Ranger's Famous Horse Hi-Yo Silver ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', the entire run of ''

National Velvet ''National Velvet'' is a novel by Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), first published in 1935. It was illustrated by Laurian Jones, Bagnold's daughter, who was born in 1921. Plot summary ''National Velvet'' is the story of a 14-year-old girl named ...

'' under both the Dell and Gold Key imprints, and many other animal stories for a number of publishers.

Carl Pfeufer Carl T. Pfeufer (September 29, 1910 – May 5, 1980Carl Pfeufer

comics. Artist

Fred Guardineer Frederick B. Guardineer (October 3, 1913 – September 13, 2002)Frederick B. Guardineer

had a long run on

' ''The

Durango Kid Charles Robert Starrett (March 28, 1903 – March 22, 1986) was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the ''Durango Kid'' westerns. Starrett still holds the record for starring in the longest series of theatrical features: ...

''. Pete Tumlinson illustrated most of

's early stories. Later, Tumlinson drew Western stories for Atlas Comics' ''Outlaw Fighters'', ''Two-Gun Western'', and ''

''.

Russ Heath Russell Heath Jr. (September 29, 1926 – August 23, 2018), was an American artist best known for his comic book work, particularly his DC Comics war stories and his 1960s art for ''Playboy'' magazine's "Little Annie Fanny" feature. He also prod ...

drew a corral-full of Western stories for such Marvel titles as ''

,'' ''All Western Winners,'' ''Arizona Kid,'' '' Black Rider,'' ''Western Outlaws,'' and ''Reno Browne, Hollywood's Greatest Cowgirl.'' Vic Carrabotta worked on such Marvel Westerns as ''

'', '' Kid Colt: Outlaw'',

The Outlaw Kid The Outlaw Kid is a fictional Western hero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character originally appeared in the company's 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics. A lesser-known character than the company's Kid Colt, Raw ...

, and ''Western Outlaws''. Artist

John Severin John Powers Severin (; December 26, 1921 – February 12, 2012) was an American comics artist noted for his distinctive work with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics ''Two-Fisted Tales'' and ''Frontline Combat''; for Marvel Comics, ...

was known for his 1950s Western comics art for Atlas. Artist

Mike Sekowsky Michael Sekowsky (; November 19, 1923 – March 30, 1989) was an American comics artist known as the penciler for DC Comics' ''Justice League of America'' during most of the 1960s, and as the regular writer and artist on ''Wonder Woman'' during th ...

drew such characters as the

, the Black Rider, and

for Atlas; he later freelanced for other companies, drawing the

TV-series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed bet ...

spin-offs ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' and '' Buffalo Bill, Jr.'' for

. Artist

Rocke Mastroserio Rocco A. "Rocke" Mastroserio (June 8, 1927 — early March 1968Dates per AdditionaWebCitation archivemade June 15, 2010. Note: The Social Security Death Index lists Rocco Mastroserioof New York City, born September 15, 1901, died December 1966.) w ...

specialized in Western stories for such

series as ''

'', '' Black Fury'', ''

Jim Bowie James Bowie ( ) ( – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American pioneer, slave smuggler and trader, and soldier who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Stories of h ...

'', ''Rocky Lane's Black Jack'', ''Sheriff of Tombstone'', ''Six-Gun Heroes'', '' Texas Rangers in Action'', and ''

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which l ...

, Frontier Marshal''.

Pat Boyette Aaron P. "Pat" Boyette (July 27, 1923 – January 14, 2000) was an American broadcasting personality and news producer, and later a comic book artist best known for two decades of work for Charlton Comics, where he co-created the character the Pe ...

worked on such Charlton Western series as ''

'', ''Cheyenne Kid'', and ''Outlaws of the West''.

1960s decline

The Western genre in general peaked around 1960, largely due to the tremendous number of Westerns on American

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

. Increasingly, the genre reflected a Romantic view of the American West—and American history in general. As the country grappled with the cultural issues of the 1960s and the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, the genre seemed increasingly out of touch. As the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

public's interest in the genre waned, Western literature—including comics—began to lose its appeal as well. At the same time, the comics industry was shifting back to superheroes (entering its " Silver Age") and away from some of the other genres which had flourished during the 1950s. In fact, of the original Western comics series begun in the late 1940s and early 1950s, only a handful of titles survived the 1950s. Charlton's low production costs enabled it to continue producing a number of Western titles, but otherwise Dell's ''

'', and Marvel's '' Gunsmoke Western'', '' Kid Colt Outlaw'', and ''

'' were the only Western titles to make it through the 1960s.

Gary Friedrich Gary Friedrich (; August 21, 1943 – August 29, 2018) was an American comic book writer best known for his Silver Age stories for Marvel Comics' '' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos'', and, in the following era, for the series '' The Monster o ...

, Mike Esposito, and

Ogden Whitney John Ogden Whitney (May 1, 1919 – August 13, 1975) was an American comic-book artist and sometime writer active from the 1930s–1940s Golden Age of comics through the 1960s Silver Age of comics, Silver Age. He is best known as co-creator of t ...

are three of the few notable Western comics creators from the 1960s.

Weird West and continuing appeal

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the rise of

revisionist Western The revisionist Western (also called the anti-Western, sometimes revisionist antiwestern) is a sub-genre of the Western film. Designated a post-classical variation of the traditional Western, the revisionist subverts the myth and romance of th ...

film. Elements include a darker, more cynical tone, with focus on the lawlessness of the time period, favoring realism over romanticism, and an interest in greater historical authenticity. Anti-heroes were common, as were stronger roles for women and more-sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans and Mexicans. The films were often critical of big business, the American government, and masculine figures (including the military and their policies). Reflecting the trend, in 1968 DC debuted the new character

Bat Lash Bartholomew "Bat" Aloysius Lash is a fictional Western superhero character in the DC Universe. A self-professed pacifist, self-professed ladies' man, and gambler, Bat Lash's adventures have been published by DC Comics since 1968. Character or ...

, who starred in a short-lived series. They also revived the ''

'' title, starting volume two of the series in 1970. In 1972, ''All-Star Western'' changed its name to ''

Weird Western Tales ''Weird Western Tales'' is a Western genre comics anthology published by DC Comics from June–July 1972 to August 1980. It is best known for featuring the adventures of Jonah Hex until #38 (Jan.–Feb. 1977) when the character was promoted to hi ...

'', with many stories featuring the newly created Western antihero

Jonah Hex Jonah Woodson Hex is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is scarred on the ...

(debuting in 1975 in his own title). ''Weird Western Tales'' (sister title of ''

Weird War Tales ''Weird War Tales'' was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics. It was published from September–October 1971 to June 1983. Publication history The original title ran for 12 years and 124 issues. It was ...

'') defined a new multi-genre form: "

Weird West Weird West (aka Weird Western) is a term used for the hybrid genres of fantasy Western, horror Western and science fiction Western. The term originated with DC's '' Weird Western Tales'' in 1972, but the idea is older as the genres have be ...

," a combination of the Western with another literary genre, usually horror,

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

, or

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

. Other Western characters DC created during this period include the heroes Scalphunter and El Diablo, and the villains El Papagayo, Terra-Man, and

Quentin Turnbull Jonah Woodson Hex is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is scarred on the r ...

. Marvel also attempted to capitalize on the renewed interest in the Western with two mostly reprint titles, ''

The Mighty Marvel Western ''The Mighty Marvel Western'' was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. A Western anthology that ran 46 issues, it consisted of reprint stories of the Marvel Old West heroes the Rawhide Kid, Kid Colt, the Two-Gun Kid, and Matt S ...

'' (1968–1976) and ''

Western Gunfighters ''Western Gunfighters'' is the name of two American Western-anthology comic book series published by Marvel Comics and its 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics. That initial Atlas series ran eight issues, from 1956 to 1957, and featured artists includi ...

'' vol. 2 (1970–1975). The short-lived publisher

Skywald Publications Skywald Publications was an American publisher of black-and-white comics magazines, primarily the horror anthologies ''Nightmare'', ''Psycho'', and ''Scream''. It also published a small line of comic books and other genre magazines. Skywald's or ...

attempted a line of Western titles in the early 1970s, but nothing came of it. ''Weird Western Tales'' survived until 1980, and ''Jonah Hex'' until 1985. By then no major publishers were producing Western titles, though iconic characters from the DC and Marvel canons would occasionally make cameo appearances in other books. The

imprint

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

reintroduced the Western genre in 1995 with ''

Preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach components such as a ...

'', set in a contemporary version of the West. In the 1990s and 2000s, the Western comic leaned toward the Weird West subgenre, usually involving supernatural monsters. However, more traditional Western comics are found throughout this period, from ''

'' to '' Loveless''. Series like '' Desperadoes'', ''

High Moon ''High Moon'' is a horror Western webcomic series featuring werewolves. It was developed in 2004 with a debut in 2007 as a part of Zuda, DC Comics' webcomic imprint. The first season concluded on July 8, 2008. Season two ran from August 16 to N ...

'', and '' Scalped'' demonstrate the genre's continuing appeal. Creators like Joe R. Lansdale,

Michael Fleisher Michael Lawrence Fleisher (November 1, 1942 — February 2, 2018) was an American writer known for his DC Comics of the 1970s and 1980s, particularly for the characters Spectre and Jonah Hex. Biography Early life and career Fleisher was raise ...

, and

Tony DeZuniga Antony de Zuñiga (November 8, 1932 – May 11, 2012) who worked primarily under the name Tony DeZuniga, was a Filipino comics artist and illustrator best known for his works for DC Comics. He co-created the fictional characters Jonah Hex and ...

were notable contributors to Western comics from this period. In addition, publishers like

America's Comics Group Charlton Media Group (CMG) is a Montreal-based publisher owned and operated by Canadian entrepreneur Roger Broughton. CMG has published Charlton Comics and American Comics Group reprint comics, under several names, including Sword in Stone, A+, a ...

and

AC Comics AC Comics (formerly known as Paragon Publications and Americomics) is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black.

have reprinted a number of Western comics from the genre's "Golden Age." ''

The Goodbye Family ''The Goodbye Family'' are a fictional family of undertakers created by fantasy Western author and illustrator Lorin Morgan-Richards. The Goodbye Family comprises Pyridine Goodbye, matriarch and mortician, Otis, father and driver of the hears ...

'', about a family of Weird West undertakers, started in 2015 and continues in both online and print formats.

Outside of the United States

The Western genre's overall popularity in Europe spawned a Western comics trend, particularly in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Many European countries published reprints of American-made Western comics (translated into the respective country's native language). The Italian publishers

Sergio Bonelli Editore Sergio Bonelli Editore (formerly CEPIM and other names) is a publishing house of Italian comics founded in 1940 by Gian Luigi Bonelli (1908–2001). It takes its name from its former president, comic book writer Sergio Bonelli (1932–2011), son of ...

and Editorial Novaro led the field—Editorial Novaro's ''

'' title ran 424 issues from 1954 to 1984. The Norwegian publisher Se-Bladene and the British publisher L. Miller & Son were also particularly known for their Western comics reprint titles. Se-Bladene's ''Texas'' ran 606 issues between 1954 and 1975. The Australian publishers Ayers & James, Cleland, Federal Publishing, Gredown, and

Horwitz Publications Horwitz Publications is an Australian publisher primarily known for its publication of popular and pulp fiction. Established in 1920 in Sydney, Australia by Israel and Ruth Horwitz, the company was a family-owned and -run business until the earl ...

all published reprints of American Western comics during the 1950s and 1960s.

Italy

The most popular and long-running Italian-produced Western comic is

Gian Luigi Bonelli Giovanni Luigi Bonelli (22 December 1908 – 12 January 2001) was an Italian comic book author and publisher, best remembered as the co-creator of ''Tex Willer'' in 1948, together with artist Aurelio Galleppini Aurelio Galleppini (28 August 1 ...

and

Aurelio Galleppini Aurelio Galleppini (28 August 1917 – 10 March 1994), better known with his nickname Galep, was an Italian comics artist and illustrator, best known as graphic creator of ''Tex Willer'' in 1948. Biography Galleppini was born at Casale d ...

's ''Tex'' (starring

Tex Willer Tex Willer is the main fictional character of the Italian comics series ''Tex'', created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini, and first published in Italy on 30 September 1948. It is among the most popular characters ...

), first published in 1948. ''Tex'' is among the most popular characters in Italian comics, and has been translated into numerous languages, including

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

, Tamil, Turkish,

Slovenian Slovene or Slovenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Slovenia, a country in Central Europe * Slovene language, a South Slavic language mainly spoken in Slovenia * Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Sloven ...

, Croatian, Serbian and

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

. '' Captain Miki'', by the trio

EsseGesse EsseGesse was an Italian team of cartoonists, most famous for their Western (genre), Western comics, which were popular in the 1950s. The comics were translated to French language, French, Serbo-Croatian language, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish language, T ...

, was published in

(and translated into many other languages) throughout the 1950s. Characters in the comic were inspired by

and the popular 1939 Western film ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

''. EsseGesse also produced the popular series ''

Il Grande Blek ''Il Grande Blek'' is an Italian Western comic book, first published in Italy on October 3, 1954, by Editoriale Dardo. ''Blek'' was written and illustrated by Giovanni Sinchetto, Dario Guzzon and Pietro Sartoris, a trio also known as EsseGesse. ...

''.

Benito Jacovitti Benito Jacovitti (; March 19, 1923 – December 3, 1997) was an Italian comics artist. Biography Benito Jacovitti was born in Termoli, Molise. He was still a kid when he started drawing on the pavement of the village's streets. The son of a ra ...

's ''

Cocco Bill Cocco Bill is an Italian comics character by Benito Jacovitti. He is the star of a parody Western comic set in hypothetical places in the Far West. He is a hot-tempered gunslinger who drinks chamomile Chamomile (American English) or camomile ...

'' is a Western humor comic produced since the mid-1950s.

Sergio Bonelli Sergio Bonelli (2 December 1932 – 26 September 2011) was an Italian comic book writer and publisher. He is best known as creator of '' Zagor'' (1961) and ''Mister No'' (1975), as well as a comics publisher through the publishing house Sergio ...

and

Gallieno Ferri Gallieno Ferri (21 March 1929 – 2 April 2016) was an Italian comic book artist and illustrator. He was born in Genoa. In 1960 Ferri met writer Sergio Bonelli Sergio Bonelli (2 December 1932 – 26 September 2011) was an Italian comic book ...

's '' Zagor'' was first published in Italy by

in 1961. Carlo Boscarato and

Claudio Nizzi Claudio Nizzi (born 9 September 1938 in Sétif, Algeria) is an Italian comic author. He started his career as comic scriptwriter in 1963, writing for the comics magazine '' Il Vittorioso''. During 1969 he started working for ''Il Giornalino'' ...

's Larry Yuma was a popular character in the Italian magazine ''

Il Giornalino ''Il Giornalino'' is an Italian comics magazine published in Italy. History and profile ''Il Giornalino'' was founded by the Catholic publisher Edizioni San Paolo of Alba in 1924. During its history, the magazine has published the Italian tran ...

'' throughout the 1970s.

Giancarlo Berardi Giancarlo Berardi (born 15 November 1949) is an Italian comic book writer. Born in Genoa, he is most famous as creator of comics '' Ken Parker'' (1977) and ''Julia Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of th ...

and

Ivo Milazzo Ivo Milazzo (born 20 June 1947) is an Italian comic book artist. Born in Tortona, Milazzo worked mainly for Sergio Bonelli Editore. He debuted in 1971, drawing some ''Tarzan'' stories for the French market. Together with his friend, writer Gianc ...

's Ken Parker is a popular Western hero appearing in Italian comics since 1977. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, writer Gianfranco Manfredi's ''

Magico Vento Magico or Mágico may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Magico'' (manga), a Japanese manga series * ''Mágico'' (album), an album by Charlie Haden * '' Mágico: Carta de Amor'', an album by Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti and Charlie Haden * M ...

'' was a popular title from

. Since the late 1990s, Enrico Teodorani's

Djustine ''Djustine'' is an Italian comic book series created by Enrico Teodorani. The Djustine character was created from a fusion of Sergio Corbucci's film character Django, and the Marquis de Sade's titular " Justine". Publication history In the ...

has been featured in erotic "

" stories in Italy and the United States.

Franco-Belgian Western comics

The Western humor comic ''

Lucky Luke ''Lucky Luke'' is a Western ''bande dessinée'' series created by Belgian cartoonist Morris in 1946. Morris wrote and drew the series single-handedly until 1955, after which he started collaborating with French writer René Goscinny. Their par ...

'', published since 1946, debuting in '' Spirou'' magazine, is one of the most popular and best-selling comics series in continental Europe. Popular in Canada, about half of the series' adventures have been translated into English. ''Lucky Luke'' comics have been translated into 23 languages, including many European languages, and some African and Asian languages. ''

Tintin Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to: ''The Adventures of Tintin'' * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series ** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...

'' magazine featured Western-themed comics starting in 1947 with Le Rallic's various series, and later, between 1955 and 1980 the humor-based

Chick Bill ''Chick Bill'' is a Belgian humorous Western comic book series created by Tibet. It was first published in 1953 in the magazine ''Chez Nous Junior'', and its Dutch language counterpart '' Ons Volkske'', and began serial publication on October 19, 1 ...

Greg Greg is a masculine given name, and often a shortened form of the given name Gregory. Greg (more commonly spelled " Gregg") is also a surname. People with the name *Greg Abbott (disambiguation), multiple people *Greg Abel (born 1961/1962), Canadi ...

and

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

. The competing magazine ''Spirou'' published

Jijé Joseph Gillain (), better known by his pen name Jijé (; 13 January 1914 – 19 June 1980), was a Belgian comics artist, best known for being a seminal artist on the ''Spirou et Fantasio'' strip (and for having introduced the Fantasio character) a ...

's ''

Jerry Spring ''Jerry Spring'' is a Franco-Belgian Western comics series created by the Belgian comics creator developed specialized terminology. Some several attempts have been made to formalize and define the terminology of comics by authors such as ...

'', in a realistic vein, beginning in 1954. Albums from the ''Jerry Spring'' series were published until 1990.

Jean-Michel Charlier Jean-Michel Charlier (; 30 October 1924 – 10 July 1989) was a Belgian comics writer. He was a co-founder of the famed Franco-Belgian comics magazine ''Pilote''. Life Charlier was born in Liège, Belgium, in 1924.De Weyer, Geert (2005). ...

and

Jean Giraud Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (; 8 May 1938 – 10 March 2012) was a French artist, cartoonist, and writer who worked in the Bandes dessinées, Franco-Belgian ''bandes dessinées'' (BD) tradition. Giraud garnered worldwide acclaim under the pseu ...

's ''

Blueberry Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' within the genus ''Vaccinium''. ''Vaccinium'' also includes cranberries, bi ...

'' is a Western series published beginning in 1963 and continuing until 2005. The series were inspired by ''Jerry Spring'', and the artist Giraud had been mentored by

. Charlier and Giraud created the '' Jim Cutlass'' series in 1981; subsequent volumes were written by Giraud and drawn by

Christian Rossi Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρισ ...

. Greg and

Hermann Huppen Hermann Huppen (born 17 July 1938) is a Belgian comic book artist. He is better known under his pen-name Hermann. He is most famous for his post-apocalyptic comic ''Jeremiah'' which was made into a television series. Biography Hermann was bo ...

's ''

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...

'' was published from 1972 to 1983 (with the series being continued by Rouge for four more stories). The Belgian publisher

Le Lombard ''Le Lombard'', known as ''Les Éditions du Lombard'' until 1989, is a Belgian comic book publisher established in 1946 when ''Tintin'' magazine was launched. Le Lombard is now part of Média-Participations, alongside publishers Dargaud and Dupuis ...

produced the title ''

Buddy Longway Buddy Longway is a Western (genre), western comic book written by the Swiss people, Swiss comic book writer Derib. It is published under the Le Lombard publishing house. The first issue came out in 1972, and 16 issues were published until 1987. Der ...

'', by Swiss comics creator

Derib Derib (born Claude de Ribaupierre on August 8, 1944, in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland) is a Swiss francophone comics creator. He is most well known for creating the comics Buddy Longway and Yakari. Awards * 1974: ''Best Comic'' at the Prix Sai ...

, from 1972 to 1987, and from 2002 to 2006. Durango is a western series created by the Belgian Yves Swolfs in 1981. Currently 17 tomes are available.

Other countries

England's L. Miller & Son's original Western comics titles included ''Colorado Kid'', ''

Davy Crockett David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Re ...

'', ''Kid Dynamite Western Comic'', ''

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa (,"Villa"
''Collins English Dictionary''. ; ;

Western Comic'', and ''Rocky Mountain King Western Comic'', all published in the 1950s. Jim Edgar and

Tony Weare Tony Weare (1 January 1912 – 2 December 1994) was an English comics artist best known for drawing ''Matt Marriott'', a daily Western strip written by Jim Edgar, which ran in ''The Evening News'' from 1955 to 1977. Tony Weare was born at ...

's "Matt Marriott" was a daily strip which ran in the ''

London Evening News The ''London Evening News'' was a newspaper whose first issue was published on 14 August 1855. Usually, when people mention the ''London Evening News'', they are actually referring to '' The Evening News'', published in London from 1881 to 1980, ...

'' from 1955 to 1977. Spanish cartoonist Manuel Gago Garcia's ''The Little Fighter'' was a popular series of Western comics between 1945 and 1956. ''Yuki the Bold'' (debuting in 1958) is another popular Spanish series, as were the shorter-lived series ''Apache'' and ''Red Arrow''. Other Spanish Western comics include ''Sheriff King'' (beginning in 1964), ''Sunday'' (1968), and ''Kelly Hand'' (1971).

Hugo Pratt Ugo Eugenio Prat, better known as Hugo Pratt (15 June 1927 – 20 August 1995), was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as ''Corto Maltese''. He was ind ...

and

Héctor Germán Oesterheld Héctor Germán Oesterheld, also known as his common abbreviation HGO (born July 23, 1919; disappeared and presumed dead 1977), was an Argentine journalist and writer of graphic novels and comics. He has come to be celebrated as a master in his ...

's '' Sergeant Kirk'' was a popular Western comics title in Argentina during the 1950s. Additional Sergeant Kirk stories were published into the early 1970s. Western comics were popular in Japan in the early 1950s, both translations of American titles like ''

Straight Arrow The ''Straight Arrow'' radio program was a western adventure series for juveniles which was broadcast, mostly twice weekly in the United States from 1948 or 1949 through 1951.Anderson, Roland. A total of 292 episodes were aired. Although firs ...

'', the

, and

; and original Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

. The story goes that during the American occupation of Japan directly after World War, General Eisenhower forbade Japanese publishers to publish

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

comics, and that the next best thing were Western stories of adventure.FALK, RAY
"Howdy! Pardner-San,"
''New York Times'' (May 3, 1953), p. 296.

Hyung Min-woo Hyung Min-woo (born 14 April 1974) is a South Korean manhwa artist best known for ''Priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one ...

manhwa (; ) is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to South Korean comics. is greatly influenced by Japanese Manga comics. Modern Manhwa has extended its reach to many other countries. ...

series ''

Priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

'' was published in Korea and the U.S. from 1998 to 2007.

Notable American Western comics

Golden Age of Comic Books

Cowboy actor comics

* ''

as the Durango Kid'', 41 issues (Magazine Enterprises, 1949–1955) * ''

Comics'', 24 issues (DC, 1948–1952) * ''

Western'', 50 issues (Fawcett/Charlton, 1948–1957) * ''

'', 121 issues (Dell, 1946–1955) * ''

'', 18 issues (DC, 1949–1952) * '' John Wayne Adventure Comics'', 31 issues (Toby Press, 1949–1955) * ''

Western'', 84 issues (Fawcett/Charlton, 1949–1961) * '' Monte Hale Western'', 60 issues (Fawcett/Charlton, 1948–1956) * ''

'', 30 issues (Dell, 1951–1959) * ''

Rocky Lane Allan "Rocky" Lane (born Harry Leonard Albershardt; September 22, 1909 – October 27, 1973) was an American studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows ...

Western'', 87 issues (Fawcett/Charlton, 1949–1959) – many issues featured

Slim Pickens Louis Burton Lindley Jr. (June 29, 1919 – December 8, 1983), better known by his stage name Slim Pickens, was an American actor and rodeo performer. Starting off in the rodeo, Pickens transitioned to acting and appeared in dozens of movies and ...

backup stories * ''

Comics'', 91 issues (Dell, 1948–1961) * ''Six-Gun Heroes'', 83 issues (Fawcett/Charlton, 1950–1965) – featured cowboy actors like

Allan "Rocky" Lane Allan "Rocky" Lane (born Harry Leonard Albershardt; September 22, 1909 – October 27, 1973) was an American studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows ...

, Monte Hale,

Smiley Burnette Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 – February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, a ...

, and

* ''

Western'', 46 issues (Fawcett/Charlton, 1950–1959) * ''

'', 41 issues (Magazine Enterprises, 1948–1954) * ''

Western'', 61 issues (Fawcett, 1948–1953) * ''Western Hero'', 112 issues (Fawcett, 1948–1952) – featured cowboy actors like

and Monte Hale; formerly known as ''Real Western Hero'' * ''

'', 14 issues (Dell, 1950–1955)

Contemporary titles

* ''

'' (DC, 1972–1980) – began in 1970 as volume two of ''

'' * ''

'' (DC, 1977–1985; DC/Vertigo, 2005–2011) * ''

'' (DC/Vertigo, 1995–2000) * '' Desperadoes'' (Homage/Wildstorm, 1997–2002; IDW, 2005–2007) * '' Loveless'' (DC/Vertigo, 2005–2008) * '' Scalped'' (DC/Vertigo, 2007–2012) * ''

'' (DC/Zuda, 2007–2017) * ''

'' (2015–present)

References

Notes

Sources

Grand Comics Database
* Horn, Maurice. ''Comics of the American West'' (New Win Publishing, 1977)

External links

* Grost, Michael E
"Western Comics,"
MikeGrost.com. Accessed July 4, 2011. * Smith, Troy D

Western Fictioneers: Official Blog of the Western Fictioneers, Professional Authors of Traditional Western Novels and Short Stories (Apr. 25, 2011)

The Old Corral. Accessed July 10, 2011. {{Comics Comics genres