Small House of Everything

Small House of Everything

Friday, July 11, 2025

GHOST RIDER #46 (MAY 1956 - ESTIMATED)

This is not your American, Marvel Comics Ghost Rider in any of his various forms.  The American Ghost Rider began as Rex Fury in Tim Holt #11 in 1949 from Magazine Enterprises, and was created by Ray Krank and Dick Ayers; this one is not that guy, either.   After the trademark to the character's name expired, Marvel debuted its own near-identical character in Ghost Rider #1 (February 1967), drawn by original artist Ayers, with a script by Gary Friedwich and Roy Thomas.  In the 70s, Marvel introduced the supernatural Ghost Rider and renamed their western Ghost Rider Phantom Rider.  (At first Marvel renamed their original character Night Rider, but that name turned out to have bad connotations of the Ku Klux Klan,)  The original supernatural Ghost Rider was Johnny Blaze, complete with motorcycle and blazing skull, to be folowed by Danny Ketch, robbie Reyes, and others.

The Ghosr Rider of the Australian comic books was Steve Jarret (or Jarrett, depending on the mood of the letterer, I guess), who wore a white mask, believed in justice and was quick on the draw.  His horse is moonshine, who is either an Appaloosa, covered with bad tattoos, or has a terrible case of warts.  His sidekick is Mariposa, who, when he wears a teeny, tiny black mask and a large fancy Mexican sombraro is the Mariposa Kid.  Ghost Rider was created by J Morath; from issue #6 to the final issue #57, Terry Trowall wrote and drew the feature.

In this issue, The Ghost Rider must save unjustly accused young Charlie Westover from being lynched for robbery and murder.  The local sheriff has fitted young Charlie up because he was unable to catch the real bad guys -- it's an election, after all, and somebody has to pay.

Also in this issue are two stories about American Eagle (by Gevanter and Al Williamson, taken from the Prize comics stable).  In the first, evil Indian trader Hatlan Brody murders peaceful Indians to steal their pelts.  American Eagle chases the bad guys down the river, but their boat does not tire oput like American Eagle's horse does, so it's up to Laughiong Dog to save the day.  In the second American Eagle and his Army scout friend Buck Dolan come across a pair of crooked gamblers.   But how to prove they are crooks?  The decks they use are neither marked or shaved...

The stories aren't bad.  The artwork, for the most part, is good.  And it's interesting to see a different take on the Ghost Rider motif.

Check it out.

https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=96902&comicpage=&b=i

1 comment:

  1. I am amused. I did read one or two of the Marvel series as a kid that eventually hit celluloid with Nick Coppola, aka Cage.

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