WESTERN PICTURE STORIES #1 (FEBRUARY 1937)

Western Picture Stories may have been the first western themed comic book produced.  The 67 page comic was put out by Centaur Publishing (Comics Magazine Company) beginning with the February 1937 issue.  One very familiar name in this issue was Will Eisner, called "Bill Eisner" on the table of contents and "William Eisner" on the story itself.

Contents (roughly in this order) are:

• "Treachery on the Trail" by H. Mulheim
• "Windy Park's Kettle of Gold," a tall tale by Victor J. Dowling
• "Blood and Iron" by H. David & W. M. (Bill) Allison
• "A Tense Moment," a two page centerfold by Rodney Thompson
• "Weapons of the West," a text article by Milt Wilcox
• "Guns of Revenge" by Arthur Pinajian
• "Top Hand," a "Wild Tex" Martin story by Will Eisner
• "A Killer's Conscience," a very silly story by G. G. Lewis
• "Famous Frontiersmen:  Buffalo Bill" by R. A. Burley
• "The Lucifer Trail," a Tex Maverick story by Matt Wilcox; Tex Maverick, of course, is a "happy-go-lucky, quick-shootin' wandering young cowpoke"
• "Tracks in the Snow," a Northwestern by H. L. Hastings
• "Punchers," a western illustration by Bill Allison

Fair warning:  This link starts about 17 pages into the comic book with "Guns of Revenge," then follows the comic book in order through to page 49, after which comes the comic's cover and the first few stories in the book.  So, to get the original feel of the comic, start at page 50.

Saddle up, pardner!

http://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=15517