Old-fashioned Comics: Straight Arrow #01

Publisher: Magazine Enterprises

Publication Dates: February-March 1950 – March 1956

Number of Issues Published: 55 (#1 – #55)

Color: color

Dimensions: standard Golden Age US; then standard Silver Age US

Binding: saddle-stitched

Publishing Format: was ongoing series

Information thanks to the Grand Comic Database

The Straight Arrow radio program was a western adventure series for juveniles which was broadcast, mostly twice weekly in the United States from 1948 or 1949 through 1951. A total of 292 episodes were aired. Although first broadcast only in California, in early 1949 it was broadcast nationally on the Mutual Broadcasting Network. All the programs were written by Sheldon Stark. The protagonist, rancher Steve Adams, became the Comanche Indian, the Straight Arrow, when bad people or other dangers threatened. In fact, Adams was a Comanche orphan who had been adopted by the Adams ranching family and later inherited the ranch. His dual identity was known to only one friend. Internal evidence places the ranch in the vicinity of the Colorado Rockies in the 1870s. Howard Culver played both Adams and Straight Arrow. The program was sponsored by Nabisco Shredded Wheat.

Like many other children’s programs, this one soon had cross-over presence. The Straight Arrow Comic book. published by Magazine Enterprises, first came out in February 1950. Most of the stories were written by Gardner Fox. In addition, there was a Straight Arrow comic strip for which Fox wrote all the scripts as well as and Straight Arrow collectible cards of Indian crafts inserted in the boxes of Nabisco Shredded Wheat.

Also 1 Australian issue 16
Also 1 issue Straight Arrow’s Fury #1

Publication February-March 1950 | Price: 0.10 USD | Pages: 36 | Frequency: Bi-Monthly

Featuring Straight Arrow

Credits Pencils: Fred Meagher | Inks: Fred Meagher

Content Genre: Western-frontier

Illustration Indian Horse Recognition (1 page)

Synopsis Facts about horses: the Palomino; the Paint; the Pinto; the Appaloosa; the Piebald.

Credits Pencils: Fred Meagher (signed) | Inks: Fred Meagher (signed)

Content Genre: Non-fiction

Notes On the inside front cover.

Comic Story Straight Arrow! (8 pages)

Featuring Straight Arrow

Credits Script: Gardner Fox | Pencils: Fred Meagher | Inks: Fred Meagher

Content Genre: Western-frontier

Comic Story Lodge Pole Lore (1 page)

Credits Pencils: Bob Powell (signed) | Inks: Bob Powell (signed)

Content Genre: Non-fiction; Western-frontier

Comic Story Roaring River (8 pages)

Featuring Straight Arrow

Credits Script: Gardner Fox | Pencils: Fred Meagher | Inks: Fred Meagher

Content Genre: Western-frontier

Comic Story White Comanche (6 pages)

Featuring Tales of the Tipi

Credits Script: Gardner Fox | Pencils: Ogden Whitney (signed) | Inks: Ogden Whitney (signed)

Content Genre: Western-frontier

Notes Signed in first panel. Ogden Whitney and Gardner Fox are credited to this series in Jerry Bails' Who's Who. Art ID by Steinar Ådland December 2010