Western novels, films, and magazines were very popular in the United States from the late 1930s to the 1960s.
The first cowboy-themed comic strip appeared in the United States in the 1920s, in the form of syndicated newspapers, and it was a notable success from the start. One of the pioneers was Young Buffalo Bill, written by Harry O’Neill. It was also one of the first collections offered by United Features. In the early 1930s, this became the Buckaroo Bill, which was later renamed the Broncho Bill. The story eventually focused on the adventures of the Rangers, a group of revolver-wielding youth vigilantes commanded by Bill.
Other episodes set in the Wild West were written by people who used to ride horses. Such was the case with Fred Harman (1902-1982), who grew up on his father’s ranch in Colorado. When he and his brother moved to Kansas City, Harman became interested in the new art of animation and for a time worked with the city’s other “cartoonist” (creator of cartoons), Walt Disney. But when Walt moved to Hollywood, Harman didn’t follow. He stayed on and did a very successful line called Bronc Peeler. Bronk was a lanky red-haired young man who, over time, became a cowboy with a talent for riding and a pistol, a good fighter, and, of course, very charming. Bronc got a young Indian partner named Little Beaver, also to appeal to a younger audience. Later, he created a similar hero, Red Ryder, who had an Indian companion named Little Beaver.
White Boy by Garreth Price (1896-1979) is a series of works of excellent quality. This is the adventure story of a boy who is captured by the Sioux and later rescued by a rival tribe. Price experimented a lot, and his paintings were very bold, so he couldn’t conquer a large audience. The series in question was renamed Skull Valley, and then went on to tell stories of galloping outlaws and masked heroes. It ended in 1936.
In the 1930s, there were more series that took place in the Old West. The Lone Ranger came on the radio, and Stephen Slessinger created King of the RCMP, a comic about the Canadian Mounted Police. In Mexico, Adelita and the guerrillas show up.
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