Romance on the Range ADVENTURES IN ROMANCE "Stopgap: the Saga of Coby Nash"

Though not strictly a "Western romance" title......St John's anthology Adventures in Romance was an attempt to mix several genres with romance...including contemporary high adventure, swashbuckling pirates, and, as you'll see, Westerns...to attract both male and female readers!

Despite running romance strips in almost every genre (except horror and sci-fi), the book only lasted two issues.

Illustrator Leonard Starr spent a decade in comics before moving on to newspaper comic strips, first as an assistant on Flash Gordon, then as the creator/writer/artist of the long-running Mary Perkins: On Stage!
He's best known to contemporary audiences as the creator/writer/designer of the animated TV series ThunderCats!

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TALES OF THE GHOST RIDER "A Thirst for Blood!"

Besides frightening and apprehending owlhoots and blackguards...

...the original Ghost Rider also narrated a series of supernatural-themed Western tales he didn't actually appear in!

This chapter of the ongoing Tales of the Ghost Rider strip from Magazine Enterprises' Ghost Rider #8 (1953), like almost all of the Tales series, has never been reprinted!

Pity, because it's pretty damned good!

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ORIGINAL GHOST RIDER "Coffin of Snow"

Did you know the original Ghost Rider was as adept using skis as he was riding a horse?

Me neither!

But it just goes to show you what you'll find out when the Polar Vortex inspires you to look for a Western comic story set in a frigid envrioment!

As shown in this Dick Ayers-illustrated tale from Magazine Enterprises' Best of the West #3 (1952). the Ghost Rider was ideally-suited to operating in snow-bound enviroments thanks to his all-white costume!
Of course, if you're a historical nit-picker seriously-concerned with accuracy, you'd note that skiers of the era used only one pole, not two!
Nonetheless, this story's a kool change of pace for our favorite Western Wraith.

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ALERT: VALLEY OF GWANGI, LETTERBOX, UNCUT, AND COMMERCIAL-FREE !!!

We interrupt this blog to alert you!!!

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on Saturday Morning!
November 9th, 6:45 AM (Eastern)

NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD!

Heat up the DVRs or DVD recorders!

PLUS, you can read the comic book adaptation of the movie HERE!

ALARMING TALES "Monster from 1977 A.D."

Western/fantasy tales can be fun...

...especially this intriguing 1958 tale involving both a monster and time travel!

There is a problematic aspect to this tale: how did we know the gila monster that mutated into a giant didn't come along later?

Despite that, this poignant, never-reprinted little story from Harvey's Alarming Tales #4 (1958), written by Carl Wessler & Bob Powell, and illustrated by Powell and his studio has a lovely melancholy feel.

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THE LONE RANGER Comic Cover Art

One of the rarest Lone Ranger comics wasn't sold on newstands...

Art by Murphy Anderson

...but in connection with the reissue of the 1960s model kits seen above!

Thse kits originally came out at the time of the first Lone Ranger cartoon series, which is why "Taka the Eagle", (who only appeared in the cartoon series) is shown with Tonto!

In the mid-1970s, Aurora re-released many of their comic-themed kits with new cover art plus newly-created comic book inserts under the name Comic Scenes.
Besides the Ranger and Tonto (both of whom featured art by Gil Kane), all the exisiting DC and Marvel kits were re-released with new art by stalwarts like John Romita Sr, Dick Giordano, and Herb Trimpe.
The cover to the Lone Ranger comic is below...

And here's the original art for this kool Gil Kane cover...

FRONTIER DOCTOR "Apache Uprising"

Decades before Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman, there was...

...in this one-shot based on the 1958-59 syndicated TV series starring Rex Allen.

Though he did not carry a gun, Dr Bill Baxter was not a wimp by any measure.

The medical man used his wits, medical knowledge, his fists, and, occasionally, other people's shooting irons, to aid those who needed help.

Rex Allen, who played Baxter, performed as a rodeo rider while in high school.

After graduation, he took up singing, first in vaudeville, then on radio, becoming a popular country/Western singers.

Like most of his contemporaries, he soon was doing Western b-movies as a singing cowboy, teamed up with comedy-relief sidekicks including Buddy Ebsen and Slim Pickens, and nicknamed "The Arizona Cowboy".

After a couple of dozen films, Rex tried to make the transition to TV with Frontier Doctor, but the show was cancelled after a single season.

But Allen made yet another transition, and became a successful voice-over artist and narrator, primarily for Disney film and tv productions.

TRIVIA:

Besides Frontier Cowboy, Rex had his own self-titled comic book series from Dell Comics that ran for thirty-one issues!

Allen was a cousin of Gunsmoke cast member Glenn Strange, who played bartender Sam Noonan.

Rex's son, Rex Allen, Jr., is a successful singer.

There's a Rex Allen Museum in Willcox, Arizona!

Both stories in this issue of Dell's Four Color Comics (#877) from 1958, were adaptations of tv episode scripts, illustrated by noted illustrator Alex Toth (though the adaptation scripter is unknown).

There's a kool page about Frontier Doctor HERE.

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DVR ALERT: VALLEY OF GWANGI !!!

We interrupt this blog to alert you!!!

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on Saturday Morning!
June 16th, 7:30 AM (Eastern)

NOT AVAILABLE ON DVD!

Heat up the DVRs or DVD recorders!

PLUS, you can read the comic book adaptation of the movie HERE!

THE VALLEY OF GWANGI Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Heroes...

Art by Frank McCarthy from the American release poster.

It's 1910, and a palentologist, along with members of a traveling rodeo, have stumbled on a lost valley in the American Southwest that harbors presumed-extinct prehistoric creatures who do not take kindly to strangers!

(You want more? Go reread the previous chapters!)

Let the mayhem ensue...

Though the comic adaptation writer is unknown, the art is by Jack Sparling, who handled everything from Westerns to romance to sci-fi/fantasy, so he was well suited to a movie adaptation with all three elements!

The last half of the movie is a real showcase for Ray Harryhausen's classic stop-motion animation techniques as he handles both real and imaginary creatures with equal aplomb, making them really come alive!

There's a kool site HERE by Jim Rodkey, a serious Ray Harryhausen aficionado, giving all sorts of fascinating background info and pix about the movie!

Oddly enough, the movie is not currently available on DVD, except as an expensive OOP disc from 2003.
With literally everything else by Harryhausen currently out in both solo releases and themed collections, why isn't this flick included?

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