Best of the West #1 [A-1 #42] – #12 [A-1 #103] 1951-1954 Magazine Enterprises - Complete Series

Publisher: Magazine Enterprises

Publication Dates: [September-October] 1951 – April-June 1954

Number of Issues Published: 12 (#1 [A-1 #42] – #12 [A-1 #103])

Color: Color

Dimensions: Standard Silver Age U. S.

Paper Stock: Glossy cover; Newsprint interior

Binding: Saddle-stitched

Publishing Format: Was Ongoing Series

Pages: 36     Indicia Frequency:  quarterly

Best of the West includes the series of these 4 characters:

  Tim Holt, Durango Kid, Bobby Benson and Straight Arrow. 

Authors: 

Script

Carl Memling ?, 

Pencils

Fred Meagher; Joe Certa ?; Frank Frazetta; Bob Powell, Dick Ayers [as Ayers] (signed),

 Frank Bolle (signed), John Belfi (signed), Fred Guardineer (signed),

Inks

Fred Meagher; Joe Certa ?; Frank Frazetta; Bob Powell, Dick Ayers [as Ayers] (signed), 

Frank Bolle (signed),Ernie Bache [as RBA] (signed),John Belfi (signed), 

Fred Guardineer (signed),

Letters

Dick Ayers

Link👇👇

Straight Arrow #01 - #55 (1950 -1956) Magazine Enterprises [Complete Series]

Publisher: Magazine Enterprises

Publication Dates: February-March 1950 – March 1956

Number of Issues Published: 55 (#01 – #55)

Color: color

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

Binding: saddle-stitched

Publishing Format: was ongoing series
Pages: 36     Indicia Frequency:  Bi-Monthly

Authors: 

Script
Gardner Fox

Pencils
Fred Meagher (signed), Bob Powell (signed), Ogden Whitney (signed), 

Inks
Fred Meagher (signed), Bob Powell (signed), Ogden Whitney (signed), 

Letters

?

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.

Information thanks to the Grand Comic Database
and https://westerncomicsblog.wordpress.com/

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

Links ⇲⇲  #01 - 55#, Australian issue 16, Straight Arrow’s Fury #1

Robin Hood/The Adventures of Robin Hood - Magazine Enterprises, 1955 - #01 - #08 [Complete collection]

Robin Hood

Magazine Enterprises, 1955 Series

Published in English (United States) United States

Publication Dates:

    November 1955 - March 1957 

Number of Issues Published:

    8 (#52 [1] - #8) 

Color: color 

Dimensions: Standard Silver Age US 

Paper Stock: Glossy cover; newsprint interior 

Binding: Saddle-stitched 

Publishing Format: Was ongoing series 

Publication Type: Magazine
Pages 36      Indicia Frequency quarterly

Tracking:
numbering continues with The Adventures of Robin Hood (Magazine Enterprises, 1957 series) #6

The Adventures of Robin Hood
Magazine Enterprises, 1957 Series
Published in English (United States)  United States

Publication Dates:
June 1957 - November 1957
Number of Issues Published:
3 (#6 - #8)

Color: color 

Dimensions: Standard Silver Age US 

Paper Stock: Glossy cover; newsprint interior 

Binding: Saddle-stitched 

Publishing Format: Was ongoing series 

Publication Type: Magazine
Pages 36      Indicia Frequency quarterly

Tracking:
numbering continues from Robin Hood (Magazine Enterprises, 1955 series) #5

Note:
With #6 the title changes to match the title of the 1955-1958 TV show starring Richard Greene as Robin Hood. These issues include stills from the show and the stories use the likenesses of the actors
on the show.

Authors: Robin Hood/The Adventures of Robin Hood 

    Script:   ?
Pencils:
Frank Bolle (signed)
Inks:
Frank Bolle (signed)
Colors:  ?
Letters:  ?

Link: Robin Hood/The Adventures of Robin Hood #01 - #08 ⇲⇲

DURANGO KID (Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid) #01 – #41 (1949 - 1955) Magazine Enterprises [Complete Series]

Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid

Magazine Enterprises, 1949 Series
Published in English (United States)  United States
Publication Dates:
[October-November] 1949 - October-November 1955
Number of Issues Published:  41 (#1 - #41)
Color:  Color
Dimensions:  Standard Golden and Silver Age U. S.
Binding:  Saddle-stitched
Publishing Format:  Was Ongoing Series

Pages: 36       Indicia Frequency:  bi-monthly

Indicia Publishers:
Magazine Enterprises, Inc. (9 issues)
Magazine Enterprises (32 issues)

Notes

Title in indicia: Charles Starrett as THE DURANGO KID.

Authors: 

Script: Gardner Fox? |
Pencils: 

Joe Certa, Frank Frazetta (signed), Fred Guardineer (signed), Fred Meagher (signed),
Inks: 

Joe Certa,  John Belfi,  Frank Frazetta (signed), Fred Guardineer (signed),
Fred Meagher (signed),

To most people saddle tramp / ranch hand Steve (last name unknown as he gave a different one in every town he visited*) was just an another wandering cowpoke, however when the innocent were in danger he would don a black hat, suit of clothes, and mask and ride out as the Durango Kid.

While not as well known today, save for a small group of fans, The Durango Kid was a character played exclusively by Charles Starrett in a series of 68 B-movies produced from 1940 to 1952, and noted for their stunt work (aided in some cases by also speeding up the film).

The Durango Kid also appeared in a comic book series starting in 1948 which benefited from the early comic artwork of Frank Frazetta.

Later in the series it is revealed that he is the ancestor of the other feature of the comic Dan Brand The White Indian, and while never stated as such we can then assume that his last name must also be Brand.

Written by westerncomicsblog

Links:  #01 – #41  [Complete collection] ⇊⇊

Dan Brand and Tipi [White Indian] from Durango Kid (M.E.) by Granada XV

White Indian was the collection of comics in which Frazetta had worked on for the  longest time.

In November of 1949, it was first published in the comics’ magazine Durango Kid (Magazine Enterprises) with an unknown scriptwriter.

In this period, Frazetta unleashed his fascination for strong and muscular heroes  and hand-to-hand fighting.

Story line

White Indian, the title of the collection, tells the story of Dan Brand, a wealthy citizen from Philadelphia whose bride has been killed on the day of their wedding by a bloody and dangerous admirer.

After this terrible event, Brad is going to chase the killer through the interior of the United States which is rebelling against the British Empire. In this adventure, Brad will join an Indian tribe that has been the victim of the same villain.

Dan Brand and his young Indian mate Tipi will have to use their brain and athletic skills to stop British bandits, pirates and British soldiers in entertaining adventure stories, which have been illustrated by one of the great icons of folk art of the twentieth century, the great Frank Frazetta.

The scriptwriter is not officially accredited, but it is suspected of being a collaborator of Frazetta called Ray Krank. He will show us different Indian tribes moving alternately between the Seven Years War and the War of Independence. A Historic character allied with the White Indian will be the protagonist: he is George Washington.

Magazine Enterprises made a reissue in Comic Books in 1953 with 12 of the 17 stories published in Durango Kids magazine.

Frank Frazetta

(Brooklyn, N.Y., February 9, 1928 - May 10, 2010) was an American painter, cartoonist and illustrator specializing in science fiction and fantasy.

His designs marked an epoch in series such as Conan and Mad Max, which were copied by genre illustrators around the world.

He published his first stories in comic books (The Snowman) in 1944, when he was 16. Later he made series for DC Comics ("The Shining Knight" in Adventure Comics), ME ("White Indian" in Durango Kid), the classic covers of Buck Rogers and he also worked with Dan Barry in the Flash Gordon series.

Between 1965 and 1973, his creative explosion took place while working for Warren Publishing. He has left his mark on many of the current Sci-Fi illustrators (Jeff Jones, Bernie Wrightson, Michael Whelan, Don Maitz, Boris Vallejo, etc.) with a new and dynamic ¨Frazetta¨ style. At this time, he also worked as a posterist in various films.

Frank Frazetta died on May 10, 2010, at the age of 82, a victim of a stroke.

More information:

http://www.frankfrazetta.net/Bio.html

https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/White_Indian_(Magazine_Enterprises)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Frazetta

https://books.google.es/books

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/white-indian/4005-74467/

Summary

·         Durango Kid 01      "Way back, when our country was young..." (7 pages).Script: Gardner Fox | Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed). [October-November] 1949.

·         Durango Kid 02 Blood on the Frontier! (7 pages) Script: Gardner Fox? | Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed).[December] 1949 - [January 1950]

·         Durango Kid 03 The War of the River! (7 pages) Script: Gardner Fox? | Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed, pp 1, 4-7);? (pp 2, 3) February-March 1950.

·         Durango Kid 03 Dan Brand and Tipi [White Indian] Script: Gardner F. Fox? | Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed)    April-May 1950.

·         Durango Kid 04  Brothers of the Wilderness (7 pages)Script: Gardner F. Fox? | Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed) April-May 1950.

·         Durango Kid 05 Trees of Death! (7 pages) Script: Gardner Fox? | Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed). June-July 1950.

·         Durango Kid 06 Pirate Fury! (7 pages) Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed)August-September 1950.

·         Durango Kid 07 The Battle of the Dungeons! (7 pages) Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed) October-November 1950

·         Durango Kid 08 Massacre! (7 pages)cript: Gardner Fox? | Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed); Al Williamson  December-January 1950

·         Durango Kid 09 Tory Treachery (7 pages) Script: Gardner Fox | Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed);? February-March 1951

·         Durango Kid 10 Sleep of Death (8 pages) Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed) April-May 1951

·         Durango Kid 11 The Blood of Valley Forge! (7 pages) Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed)  June-July 1951

·         Durango Kid 12 Shootin' Through! (8 pages) Script: Gardner F. Fox? | Pencils: Joe Certa | Inks: John Belfi August-September 1951

·         Durango Kid 13 The Trail of the Traitor! (7 pages)   Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed);? October-November 1951

·         Durango Kid 14 Voyage into Danger! (8 pages) Script: Gardner Fox | Pencils: Frank Frazetta | Inks: Frank Frazetta December 1951-January 1952

·         Durango Kid 15 The White Wolf (6 pages) Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed) | Inks: Frank Frazetta (signed);? February-March 1952

·         Durango Kid 16 The Underworld of the Wilderness! (7 pages) Pencils: Frank Frazetta (signed)