The Rise and Fall of Western Comics
Western Comics gained popularity after World War II when superhero stories began to fade dramatically. Veterans returning from overseas sought new forms of entertainment, and it’s no coincidence that Westerns continued to thrive in movie theaters and on the rapidly growing medium of television.
The Golden Age of Western Comics
Marvel Comics, then known as Timely Comics or Atlas Comics, was one of the biggest producers of Western material with titles like Kid Colt Outlaw, Rawhide Kid, Two-Gun Kid, and Wild Western. The legendary duo of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created Boys Ranch for Harvey Comics, while DC Comics offered All-Star Western and Western Comics. Not to be outdone, Charlton Comics published Billy the Kid, Cheyenne Kid, Texas Rangers in Action, Black Fury, and Outlaws of the West. Dell Comics brought The Lone Ranger to comic book pages, while Fawcett Comics published Hopalong Cassidy. Other popular titles from the Golden Age included Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok, Gunsmoke, and Indian Fighter.
Iconic Western Heroes in Comics
The Masked Raider is considered the first comic book Western hero published by Timely Comics, making his debut in Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939). Other notable characters appearing in Marvel and DC Comics included Black Rider, Phantom Rider, Johnny Thunder, Nighthawk, Pow Wow Smith, Tomahawk, The Trigger Twins, and The Vigilante—many of whom served as backup features in a variety of popular titles.
The Boom of Western Movie Star Comics
Between 1946 and 1949, comic books featuring Western movie stars saw a major expansion. Nearly every Hollywood cowboy star had his own feature in comic book form. Fawcett Comics published Monte Hall, Gabby Hayes, Allan Lane, Lash LaRue, Tom Mix, and Tex Ritter (father of John Ritter). Famous Funnies produced Buster Crabbe Comics. Dell published comics starring Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Red Allen, and Wild Bill Elliot. Toby Press released a John Wayne comic, while DC Comics produced a Dale Evans series.
The Creative Teams Behind Western Comics
Many of these titles provided lucrative and long-running work for their creators. Writer Paul S. Newman and artist Tom Gill had an impressive eleven-year run on Dell’s The Lone Ranger, producing 107 issues—one of the longest runs for any creative team in comic book history. Stan Lee’s brother, Larry Lieber, worked for nine years as writer/artist on Rawhide Kid. Frances Herron and Fred Ray collaborated on DC’s Tomahawk, while writer Gaylord DuBois wrote the entire run of The Lone Ranger’s Famous Horse Silver and a long stretch of National Velvet for Dell and Gold Key Comics.
The Decline and Brief Revival of Western Comics
By the 1960s, Western comics began to fall out of favor, eventually dying off. However, the genre saw a minor rebirth in the 1970s, inspired by Clint Eastwood’s gritty Italian Westerns directed by Sergio Leone. This renewed interest led to the rise of unconventional Western tales such as Weird Western Tales, which introduced DC’s own anti-hero Jonah Hex. Other notable titles included Scalphunter and El Diablo. Marvel Comics also contributed with mostly reprint titles like Mighty Marvel Western and Western Gunfighters Vol. 2.
The Legacy of Western Comics
While Western comics have lost favor with American collectors and fans, they continue to be popular in European markets. It’s only a matter of time before this great genre is rediscovered and prices heat up—so for now, savvy collectors can still pick up these classic titles at bargain prices!
