The Resurgence of Western Comic Books in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s Part One

After over a decade of popularity, Western comic books went into decline in the late Fifties and early Sixties. While Charlton Comics and Marvel Comics would continue publishing Western titles throughout the Sixties, after 1961 there would be a lull in the debut of any titles for a few years. As for National Periodical Publications (now known as DC Comics), they entirely stopped publishing their Western titles with the cancellations of Western Comics and All Star Western in 1961. It was in the mid to late Sixties and into the early Seventies that new Western titles began to appear. These Western comic books differed from earlier Western comic books in that they were often grittier, often cynical, and often more historically accurate. Women played a more prominent role and Native Americans were treated more sympathetically.

The Western genre had a long history in comic books nearly from the beginning of the medium. New Fun Comics no. 1 (January 1935), the first comic book ever published by the company that would become DC Comics, featured several Western stories (including one centred on cowboy star Tom Mix). Centaur Publications published the first comic books devoted entirely to the Western genre, Star Ranger (February 1937) and Western Picture Stories (February 1937). Dell Comics closely followed with their own Western comic book, Western Action Thrillers (April 1937). It was in 1941 that Dell began publishing Red Ryder Comics, which included reprints of the popular newspaper strip before starting to include original material with its 47th issue (June 1947).

While Western stories appeared in comic books nearly from the beginning, it would be after World War II that the genre truly became popular. With superheroes declining in popularity following the war, comic book publishers turned to other genres, among them the Western. In 1946 Dell Comics launched a Gene Autry title that would run for years. That same year Fawcett Comics began a successful run of Hopalong Cassidy that DC Comics took over once Fawcett shuttered its line of comic books and ultimately lasted until 1959. It was in the year 1948 that Western comic books proved to be a big trend in the comic book industry. DC Comics launched the simply titled Western Comics, the first issue cover dated January/February 1948. At the same time Dell Comics published the first issue of The Lone Ranger, which would ultimately run into the Seventies. Other publishers would soon follow suit with their own Western titles, among them what would become Marvel Comics. Their first Western comic book was Two-Gun Kid no. 1 (March 1948).

The heyday of the Western comic book would only last about ten years. Starting in the mid-Fifties many of the cowboy star comic books ended their runs. Given B-Western movies had been in decline for some time (Universal had ceased making them in 1946, while United Artists released their last one in 1950), this probably was not a surprise at the time. In the late Fifties other types of Western comic books would also be cancelled. Prize Western, Red Ryder, and Straight Arrow all ended in 1956. Dell Comics cancelled The Cisco Kid in 1958. DC Comics cancelled Western Comics with issue no. 85 (January/February 1961) and All-Star Western with issue no. 62 (July 1961), effectively getting out of the business of publishing Western comic books.

That many Western titles were cancelled in the late Fifties and early Sixties did not mean that there were no more Western comic books. Marvel continued to publish Western comic books and even debuted two new characters in the early Sixties. They introduced a new version of The Rawhide Kid with Rawhide Kid no. no. 17 (August 1960) and a new version of The Two-Gun Kid with Two-Gun Kid no. 60 (November 1961). Ultimately, Marvel would publish Western comic books until the cancellations of Kid Colt, Outlaw and Rawhide Kid in 1979. Charlton Comics also continued to publish Western titles as well, with Outlaws of the West lasting until 1980 and Billy the Kid until 1983.

While Marvel and Charlton continued to publish Westerns in the Sixties, after 1961 it would be a few years before new titles would emerge. These initial new Western titles could be considered harbingers of the resurgence in the Western comic book. It was Charlton that would publish the first of these new Western titles, although it featured a character who had existed for a few years. The Gunmaster first appeared in Six-Gun Heroes no. 57 (June 1960). It was in 1964 that the character received his own title, Gunmaster (September 1964). The title would only last four issues, ending with issue no. 4 (March-April 1965). Afterwards, The Gunmaster would go back to appearing in Charlton's various other Western titles. As to The Gunmaster, he was Clay Boone, a travelling gunsmith who would don a mask to fight crime as The Gunmaster.

A more important title that would presage the resurgence in Western comic books in the late Sixties was published by Dell Comics, although it only lasted briefly. Lobo was historic as the first comic book in which an African American character headlined. Lobo centred on a wealthy, Black gunslinger who would be given the name "Lobo" by the villains in the first issue of the title. Lobo would leave a gold coin with the images of an "L" and a wolf on the foreheads of the villains he defeated. Lobo was created by writer Don "D. J." Arneson and artist Tony Tallarico, although the two men disagree on the character's creation.. Mr. Arneson has said that Mr. Tallarico only illustrated the comic book. He denies that Mr. Tallarico created the character, and has said that he plotted the stories and wrote the scripts. According to D. J. Arneson, he had read the book  The Negro Cowboys by Philip Durham and Everett L. Jones and used that as inspiration for the character.  Tony Tallarico claims that he approached D. J. Arneson with the idea.

Sadly, Lobo only lasted two issues, dated December 1965 and September 1966. It should come as no surprise that Tony Tallarico and D. J. Arneson also disagreed on why Lobo ended. According to Tony Tallarico, distributors were returning bundles of the comic books unopened. He claims that after some investigating he discovered that many sellers opposed the idea of a Black Western hero. D. J. Arneson's explanation for the cancellation of Lobo is much simpler. It was simply discontinued because of sales. Regardless, Lobo was historic. He was the first Black character to have his own title and the first Black Western comic book hero. Lobo also indicated the direction the resurgence of Western titles would take. In the Western titles of late Sixties, African Americans would play a bigger role, having largely been absent from the Western comic books of the Fifties and Sixties.

It was in 1966 that Charlton introduced another new Western title, although technically it was the continuation of another title. Gunfighters had begun its life as Kid Montana. It was with issue no. 51 that it was retitled Gunfighters. Gunfighters was an anthology title and relied upon Western characters already published by Charlton. It introduced no new characters. Regardless, it proved to be a success for Charlton. It ran until July 1984.

If it there is a point where one can say the resurgence in Western comic books began, it might well be with Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider no. 1 (February 1967). Marvel's Ghost Rider was not the first comic book character to bear the name. Starting in 1950 Magazine Enterprises published a character named Ghost Rider.  Ghost Rider was  Rex Fury, a masked crimefighter who often found himself facing supernatural menaces. Magazine Enterprises went out of business in 1958 and eventually their trademark on the name "Ghost Rider" lapsed. Marvel then published their own title featuring a different character by that name. Marvel's Ghost Rider was Carter Slade, who donned a mask and a phosphorescent costume to fight crime.  Unlike Magazine Enterprise's "Ghost Rider," Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider was a straight forward Western and Carter Slade never faced supernatural opponents.

Ghost Rider only lasted for seven issues, and the character would later appear in issues of Marvel's anthology title Western Gunfighters. While Ghost Rider might not have been successful, it can be considered the first title in the resurgence of Western comic books in the late Sixties. It would be a little less than a year after Ghost Rider ended publication that a new Western character would be introduced. This time it would be DC Comics introducing a new Western character, their first foray into Westerns since 1961.