Small House of Everything

Small House of Everything

Saturday, March 28, 2020

THE RIFLEMAN #2 (JANUARY-MARCH 1960)

The Rifleman was a classic western television series that ran for 168 episodes from September 30, 1958 to April 8, 1963.  It starred Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain, a rancher in New Mexico in the 1880s, and Johnny Crawford as his young son Mark.  It was one of the first westerns that featured a single parent trying to raise a child.  Lucas McCain used a customized Winchester Model 1892 rifle that allowed rapid fire, which brings up two questions.  First, an 1896 rifle being used in the 1880s?  Second, was this a progenitor of the bumpstock?  Anyway, Lucas was a straight-shooter in every sense of the word.

As with many other western shows of the time, The Rifleman spawned its own comic book.

Issue #2 begins with "Gunman from Laredo."  Zander, a hired killer, has come to North Fork but no one knows who he was sent to kill.  Another episode featuring the Rifleman is "The Key," which has two saddlebums offer to cut wood in exchange for water and food.  When they try to welch on the deal and pull a gun on Lucas, he teaches them a hard lesson and sends them on their way; later the two implicate young Mark in a robbery of the local grocery store.  Bad move.  You won't like it when Lucas McCain gets mad.

Aslo in this issue, a 4-pager titled "The Desert Trap."  Two owlhoots stop off at a desert trading post, rob the place, and force the owner to fill up their canteens.  They thought they got away with it but there was something in the water...

Do you have fond memories of watching The Rifleman?  If so, you may enjoy this.


https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=38978

No comments:

Post a Comment