Temple Houston Annual [1966]

[1965] Annual. Original price 9/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Based on the US television series starring Jeffrey Hunter.

Cover photograph (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Temple Houston Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 The Road to Valhalla text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

19 Boots & Saddles feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

20 The Civil War feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

21 Justice Before Breakfast text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

33 The Judgment of Houston text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

47 The Sheriff Who Rode Alone feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

48 The Battle board game; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

50 Nobody's Children text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

61 Paleface - Go Home! text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

75 Headgear feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

76 War Clubs feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

77 The Picture that Lied text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

87 Sleeping Dogs Tell No Lies text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

It is something of a minor miracle that the Temple Houston television series was as entertaining as it managed to be, given numerous obstacles which it had to overcome in getting to the screen, but - as both history and a western - it lacks a certain something. The sole annual based on the series is similarly constrained by a host of problems, most of which are inherited from the show. The production was rushed, inconsistent in tone, and contained numerous historical inaccuracies, and its annual is (comparatively) leisurely, uneven... and filled with more historically inaccuracies than an average Blackadder episode.

Ignoring facts isn't entirely a bad thing, giving creators the opportunity to elaborate and heighten known events for dramatic purposes. Unfortunately the author(s) don't stretch their meagre facts quite enough to create a sense that real-life circuit-lawyer Temple Houston, Jeffrey Hunter's character, is the cultured badass with a silver tongue he is meant to be. It is the minor, and unexplained, alterations which are the most telling - Temple isn't married, while the real Houston was married by the age of 23. An acceptable break, perhaps, as it gives the series room to explore romantic entanglements, but not addressing the fact is a point of contention.

Characters based on people of note should be presented with their life story intact, and not a shadowy semblance of their history. By depriving the character of aspects which were present in Houston's life, we are deprived of seeing the manner in which he approached different situations. The more facets present, the greater an understanding we can have of his assumed roles. Large additions and subtractions to his story reinforce the feeling that something is wrong. A reader could end up looking for cracks in the story rather than admiring the surface varnish.

It was probably the snazziest piece of gentlemen's haberdashery that had ever been paraded on the dirt streets of Lindley, Texas, and Temple Houston felt that by wearing it that bright morning he was raising the social tone of his adopted town several degrees. Always a sharp dresser, Houston's taste might have been considered on the flamboyant side, but then the Houstons were flamboyant stock, as the history of Texas showed. The fancy, brocaded silk waistcoat had set him back many good dollars. But every cent had been worth it, he decided, as he strolled along the boardwalk acknowledging with a flourish of his stetson the envious glances of the men and admiring ogles of the ladies. If you intended to be the town's best lawyer, Temple chuckled to himself, you have to advertise. The waistcoat, which put all other waistcoats in the shade, was a mighty good billboard of his qualities.

Straight from the start of The Road to Valhalla, the sense of playfulness which marked the second half of the series is brought to the fore, with the strutting peacock aspect of the character being highlighted. There is ample evidence of his propensity for what might be considered garish clothes, and this is actually a boon to the depiction here.

The major problem with the series - and, by extension, the annual - is that there is no sense Houston is a multi-lingual, extremely erudite, well-read walking legal encyclopedia. We instead get stories of a sickly horse which an entire town is wagering its financial future on, in what must be one of the dumbest stories to appear in a western context. By not depicting how sharp, and how fast, Houston's mind is, we are kept at arm's length from him, and distanced from anything resembling drama.

It is truly disappointing that so little is accomplished with so much material available.

Tales of Wells Fargo Annual [1960]

[1959] Annual. Original price 7/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Based on the US television series starring Dale Robertson.

Cover painting by Walt Howarth (signed).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Temple Houston Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 Pay-Off in Ghost Town text story by Douglas Enefer; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

21 The Man They Couldn't Drown w: Gaylord Du Bois (uncredited); a: Alerto Giolitti (uncredited).

r: Four Color (Dell) #1023 [Tales of Wells Fargo] (Aug 1959 - Oct 1959).

37 The Kentucky Kid text story by Douglas Enefer; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

47 The Last Stage from Gunsight text story by Douglas Enefer; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

53 Faro Billy's Surprise Packet text story by Douglas Enefer; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

61 The Skeleton Cave w: Gaylord Du Bois (uncredited); a: Alerto Giolitti (uncredited).

r: Four Color (Dell) #1023 [Tales of Wells Fargo] (Aug 1959 - Oct 1959).

77 Black Gold text story by Douglas Enefer; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

87 Sundown text story by Douglas Enefer; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

There are few cover artists able to so perfectly capture an actor's personality, and Howarth's depiction of Dale Robertson is among the best images of its kind. A stark and dramatic cover, perhaps, but with such a powerful image tying the design together it doesn't call out for further elaboration - a detailed background would have diminished the sense of immediacy we get, and (gun in hand) the character of Jim Hardie welcomes us in to the world of the series with a facial expression which cries out for explanation. What, we have to ask, is he looking at?

Tales of Wells
Fargo Annual

[1961]

Billy the Kid Western Annual [1961]

[1960] Annual. Original price 7/6.
96 pages. Tone art contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.

Painted cover by Walt Howarth (signed)

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by Walt Howarth (signed).

 4 Indicia

 5 Billy the Kid Western Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 The Drummer Boy and the Blackfeet text story by Hart Cooper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

17 Dynamite Pass w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

27 The Adventure of Running Deer text story by Richard Armstrong; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

35 The Mystery of Mandrake's Mine text story by Geoff Williamson; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

45 The Wreckers w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

55 Outlaw Canyon text story by T.A. Cooper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

65 The Last Great Scout text feature by A.W. Dalby-Phillips; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

73 Ransom on the River! w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

83 Renegades of Fort Laramie text story by Hart Cooper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by Walt Howarth (signed).

Going out on a high, Walt Howarth's cover for the final edition of Billy the Kid Western Annual is a masterful, luxurious, and perfectly executed example of cover art. Capturing the essential elements of the character, and imbuing Billy with a handsome charm, it ranks as one of the finest covers to appear on a World annual - which points to the problems the title had experienced having been noted and acted on.

Jim Osborne shivered. And if there had been anyone about to confide in he would have been the first to admit that the spasm was as much fear as from the biting cold. If this was the New World, more and more he bitterly regretted having left the old.

Having left England with the 4th Regiment of Foot to drive the French from Canada, his troop was making its way slowly over a mountain when attacked, and as one of the few survivors he is desperately cold, lonely, and hungry, though thankful for being alive - as he attempts to keep warm, pondering the circumstances of his survival, he encounters a man named Mitch. Offered somewhere to keep warm, and a meal, he quickly succumbs to sleep. On waking he is surprised to witness two Indians walk up to the cave and enter, relaxing by the fire with cups of coffee. Walt returns, and informs Jim that they must travel to the Indian chiefs over the mountain to pass on news about Canada having yielded to the British crown, to cease lingering hostilities.

Far superior to most of the stories which have featured in the title, The Drummer Boy and the Blackfeet shows that courage, a cool head, and ingenuity can often be better than combat to rectify a problem, and gets things off to a fine start. With events of the story taking place farther in the past than the Billy the Kid strips, it is difficult to justify its inclusion, though it is a welcome addition nevertheless.

Wyoming - a young hard-working and fertile territory whose lush valleys attracted the returning gold-miners and captured them so much that they never returned to the thickly populated east from which they had come with such high hopes. And it was here that Billy the Kid came - to find himself caught up in the fierce wrangle between cattlemen and farmers that the new settlements had brought about.

When Billy happens upon a new town being constructed, and is surprised to see Lem Dacy - inveterate gambler, with a reputation as a gunman - has settled down to a life of farming. All seems peaceful in the town until cattle drivers arrive, informing the inhabitants that a herd of cattle are going to move through the valley, destroying everything in their way.

There were likely a list of laws which would have prevented such an action, and the means by which Billy saves the day seems to be far too extreme to hold credibility. The sound of the explosion would, surely, have a serious effect on the cattle - if the goal was to prevent a stampede, making such a racket would likely have precisely the opposite conclusion to the one desired.

The other strip, The Wreckers finds Billy two miles outside of Newtown, where the train tracks have been deliberately sabotaged - he manages to save the train, and its cargo, though is shot at for his trouble by those responsible. A rather pedestrian tale, told with slightly unattractive artwork, fails to live up to the earlier annuals' tales. Once again the strip introduces an old friend, never before seen, who has gotten into trouble. It is an annoying trend, and one which adds to the background of the character without clearing up his history.

The Last Great Scout, a text feature on William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, written with authority by A.W. Dalby-Phillips, might be a last throw of the dice, but it hits its mark with perfection. With a mere eight pages in which to cram as much information as possible, the economy of detail isn't particularly noticeable, minor incident given as much consideration as monumental event, and the sum total of the feature amounts to a fantastic insight into an amazing life.

Which begs the question - why couldn't this have been attempted throughout the title from the start?

The final strip, Ransom on the River opens with a dramatic image which is far more accomplished than most of the strip art in the issue.

When Micky O'Hearn struggles against odds too much for him, Billy the Kid happens to see the fight. Curiosity lead the Kid to follow a most unusual trail ... at one point every step along it could mean sudden death or slow drowning... but Billy corners desperate men and forces them to call off a diabolical plan to each make hundreds of dollars for themselves, at the expense of one young Irishman...

Jimmy Stewart wanted to start a new life in the West, and he got his chance when the wagon train he was travelling in was besieged by Indians...

Hart Cooper's Renegades of Fort Laramie uses a famous name for one of its characters with no perceivable reason, and distracts from the narrative. It is a story which, rather cheekily, features Kit Carson in a supporting role - in a manner which can be seen as emphasising the title's success over Kit Carson's Cowboy Annual, which ceased publication the previous year.

An improvement, with very impressive steps towards the sort of material it ought to have been containing, though constrained by having to maintain the stories which had been appearing in the title. More non-fiction features, and far better strips, could have improved the appearance of the annual to a greater degree.

[1960]

Billy the Kid
Western Annual

[1960]

Gunsmoke [1965]

[1964] Annual. Original price 7/6.
96 pages. B&W contents.
Purnell & Sons, Ltd.

Based on the US television series starring James Arness.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

 4 Thrilling New Adventures of Matt Dillon, Chester, Doc contents page, illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

 5 Gunsmoke title page; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin. / Indicia

 6 The Desperate Man text story by John Challis; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

14 Give a Dog a Bad Name text story by John Challis; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

20 The Bounty Hunter w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: Newspaper strip.

29 The Disappearance of Doc text story by John Challis; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

34 The Dead Skull Trail text story by John Challis; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

40 The Silent Rider text story by John Challis; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

47 Wagon Train of Trouble text story by John Challis; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

54 Freighter's War w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Barry Bishop.

r: Newspaper strip.

67 Rogue Stallion text story by John Challis; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

74 The Iron Fist text story by John Challis; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

83 Comanche Rising text story by John Challis; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by Denis McLoughlin.

Although the cover may be be the most enticing prospect for a potential reader, with a rather mundane photograph, and the title rendered in a very unimaginative manner, the contents contain, by far, the best artwork the series has ever seen. Denis McLoughlin, whose expert skill at capturing dramatic, and extremely realistic, scenes is evident throughout, provides a focus which allows the stories to draw readers in. If you aren't immediately entranced by the amazing endpapers, then there is something wrong with you.

A seriously impressive spread, playing with light and shadow in complex cross-hatching and chiaroscuro techniques, the initial image sets the stage for what is both a lesson in art, as well as a challenge to other artists - McLoughlin never shies away from tricky perspective, playing with light and dark to create a deep and visually stirring selection of memorable images. Among the highlights are a smoke-filled room, which uses negative space to build a feeling of the surrounding flames, and a beautiful image of two men on horseback under immense trees, the three-dimensionality of which is spectacularly well done.

It isn't a wholly-impressive publication, however, with rather staid strips pulled from the newspaper adventures. Compared to the original material, these suffer in both scale and adventurous composition, though the narrative consideration assists in keeping the selection from being too off-putting.

Glorious art, which proves that no matter the subject, McLoughlin could make the material shine.

[1964]

Gunsmoke Annual

[1966]

Tenderfoot Annual [1963]

[1962] Annual. Original price 7/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Based on the US television series starring Will Hutchins.

Painted cover by Walt Howarth (uncredited), based on promotional photograph.

Contents:

 2 Riders of the Range endpaper; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Tenderfoot Annual title page; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

 7 Gunsmoke at Ghost Cayon text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

22 Buffalo Bill illustrated feature by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

23 A Volume of Trouble w: Eric Freiwald & Robert Schaefer (uncredited); a: Nat Edson (uncredited).

r: Four Color (Dell) #1209 [Sugarfoot] (Oct 1961 - Dec 1961).

34 Guns Along the Brazos! board game; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

36 Calamity Jane illustrated feature by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

37 Tumbleweed Terror text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

45 Strangers on the West-Bound Stage w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: Wagon Train (Dell) #12 (Jan 1962 - Mar 1962).

49 The Vanishing Twins text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

59 Trail to Justice w: Eric Freiwald & Robert Schaefer (uncredited); a: Nat Edson (uncredited).

r: Four Color (Dell) #1209 [Sugarfoot] (Oct 1961 - Dec 1961).

80 General George Crook illustrated feature by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

81 Lone Star Pay-Off text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

87 Secret of Red River Falls text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

94 Riders of the Range endpaper; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

Much changed in content, the annual also makes sure that readers are aware of its place among other titles available, playing on the Jeff Arnold strip with the name of its endpaper, displaying the clothes worn by three eras of ranchers - the Spanish vaquero, an 1830s Texas cowboy, and the modern clothing. The informative elements are continued through features of Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, and General George Crook, though as only a paragraph or two of text accompanies each page it is questionable if any of the title's readers learned anything new.

A lively board game, with extremely bright and attractive artwork, may feel as if it has been slipped in from another annual, but it does, at least, provide much amusement - play it with a competitive eight-year-old, and you will soon discover the appeal of these inclusions.

Tom sees a sign hanging over a shop which advertises books for sale. Told that the books come from the collection of Jud Baker, whose widow is selling them to raise money. After browsing, he purchases several titles, including one titled The History of Judicial Law in America, before riding off. Two men enter the shop looking for that specific book, and the shopkeeper informs them of the prior sale, and the direction Tom took when departing. The men chase after their quarry, and make their move when they see Tom sleeping.

Awakening, he reprimands the men for stealing, but before he can retrieve his property is knocked unconscious - deciding to retrieve his saddlebags, he trails the men...

With a rather straightforward story, only briefly touching on Tom's established personality as a student of the law, this doesn't play to the strengths of the series. Indeed, this could easily have been a tale penned for Bonanza, or Gunsmoke, or any number of series - while there is nothing wrong with generic tales (often a source of great enjoyment), it is a shame that so original a property fall so strongly to such storytelling.

The curiously-titled Strangers on the West-Bound Stage is an extremely simple story, though told well, concerning a prisoner's escape attempt. Almost a detective story dressed in western garb, it bears no relation to the series the annual ought to be covering, though is fine enough to warrant inclusion.

Newspaper impartiality, the rule of law, and wrongful sentencing are at the heart of Trail to Justice, which is the kind of story which perfectly suits Tom Brewster's character, and reminds the reader of the legal angle which has been such an integral part of the series. While there are slightly too many coincidences to make the narrative credible, the handling is intelligent and the art satisfactory,

Not as impressive as the inaugural edition, though with far more originated material to compensate for the dilution of ideas.

[1962]

Tenderfoot Annual

Billy the Kid Western Annual [1959]

[1958] Annual. Original price 6/.
96 pages. Tone art contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.

Painted cover by Walt Howarth (signed)

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Billy the Kid Western Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 The Black Rider of Sunset Pass text story by Tex Bland; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

21 "The Brand of Justice" w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

29 The End of Red Mask text story by Hart Cooper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

39 Red Mask "Death at Split Mesa!" w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Frank Bolle (signed).

r: Red Mask (Magazine Enterprises) #44 (Oct 1954 - Nov 1954).

45 The Sun Swallower text story by Jay Laurence; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

57 "Double Crossing Bandit!" w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

65 The Ransom of Little Bear text story by Dirk Saxon; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

75 Red Mask "The Man Who Rescued Redmask" w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Frank Bolle (signed).

r: Red Mask (Magazine Enterprises) #48 (Mar 1955 - Apr 1955).

81 A Bandit for Breakfast text story by Tex Bland; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

93 Guns of the West illustrated feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

An action-packed - although extremely bright - image of Billy the Kid fending off Indians attempting a stagecoach robbery adorns the cover, against an appropriately immense landscape of jutting mountains. While there are more than enough details present to provide the image with the correct level of authenticity, there is something a little off regarding the scene - perhaps the luminous quality of the image, although the simplicity of the landscape might play a part in undermining the solidity of the scene's credibility.

Billy the Kid Western Annual now looks like a second-string title when compared to other annuals from the company, and the feeling of fading interest in its fortunes continues to play out within its pages. Its endpaper features a cowboy encountering a bear which owes more to Rainbow than any living creature, and its stories display a dramatic decline in any sense of historical authenticity.

Was the stranger Billy the Kid, or wasn't he? If he was, how could he be in two places at once? It was a casual ride out into the hills that eventually led the boys to the answers to these questions.

Although The Black Rider of Sunset Pass has ample opportunity to square the fictional account seen throughout the series with the real Billy the Kid, the risk of muddying the waters with any explanation is abandoned before it even has a chance to answer lingering questions surrounding the identity of the gunslinger we have been following. Could it, perhaps, be a well-intentioned wannabe? An amnesiac who believes himself to be Bonney? Or merely someone using the name for their own ends?

Do not, for one minute, think that this annual will answer such questions.

Young brothers Hank and Steve Mullins are out riding while everyone is busy chasing down Billy the Kid, though as they are without provisions it isn't long before their hunger becomes apparent. Running into the man they believe to be the bandit the whole territory is seeking, they are offered a meal and a place to rest at his camp. During the night they plan to overpower him, though the stranger doesn't seem inclined to sleeping. When Hank and Steve wake in the morning, their new acquaintance has already departed. After checking in at home, the boys go to town, where news of another hold-up is circulating.

Naturally, being Billy the Kid's annual, the raider isn't who you likely suppose it to be.

Brett Sawyer of the "Lazy S" ranch is the most hated foreman in northern Texas. His slave-driving methods are encouraged by his brutal employer, Ed Clarke, now sole owner of the "Lazy S" since his brother Tom had mysteriously disappeared while on a visit to Dodge City with Sawyer twenty years ago. Ed Clarke is also the most powerful figure in the neighbouring town of Yellow Gulch...

After twenty years in jail, after being framed for a murder by his brother, Tom is returning to the ranch for the first time - and looking for old hands who can prove his identity. Billy the Kid, naturally, crosses his path as he makes his way homeward, and it isn't long before he has to step in to save the former ranch owner's life.

Red Mask, replacing The Durango Kid, is a rather uninspiring character, sharing many of his traits with numerous likewise masked cowboy figures, yet without a defining trait to set him apart. Although there has obviously been some energy expended in bringing him to the page, there isn't enough laid out to render events interesting. Who is he? Why is he wearing a red mask? What is the point of his existence?

It is getting difficult to care about the contents when so little groundwork has been done.

[1958]

Billy the Kid
Western Annual

[1960]

Gunsmoke Annual [1964]

[1963] Annual. Original price 8/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Based on the US television series starring James Arness.

Painted cover by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Gunsmoke Annual title page; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

 6 Contents

 7 The Silver Arrow text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

19 The Train Robbery w: Paul S. Newman (uncredited); a: Alberto Giolitti (uncredited), assisted by Giovanni Ticci (uncredited).

r: Gunsmoke (Dell) #19 (Feb 1960 - Mar 1960).

33 The Bounty Hunters text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

38 Bounty Hunter illustrated feature by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

39 Skulduggery w: Paul S. Newman (uncredited); a: Alberto Giolitti (uncredited).

r: Gunsmoke (Dell) #19 (Feb 1960 - Mar 1960).

43 Kitty Kidnapped text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

57 Spurs! illustrated feature by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

58 Gunsmoke Showdown board game; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

60 Stirrups! illustrated feature by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

61 The Perilous Patient w: Paul S. Newman (uncredited); a: Alberto Giolitti (uncredited), assisted by Giovanni Ticci (uncredited).

r: Gunsmoke (Dell) #19 (Feb 1960 - Mar 1960).

73 A Dilemma for Dog text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

83 The Apple of His Eye text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

89 Small Bear Sign of Scorn w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Rex Mason (uncredited).

r: Cheyenne (Dell) #07 (May 1958 - Jul 1958).

93 The Feud text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: Gunsmoke (Dell) #19 (Feb 1960 - Mar 1960).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by Walt Howarth (uncredited).

The moody, dramatic cover, with brooding skies overhead, and Matt Dillon ready with his firearm, really sells the annual. A few gorgeous feature pages, along with a board game, allow some degree of originality to be displayed, and Howarth really comes through with memorable imagery. The endpaper, featuring a stagecoach robbery, is one of the best examples of the type, with superb balance in framing and execution.

Gunsmoke Annual

[1965]

Billy the Kid Western Annual [1957]

[1955] Annual. Original price 6/.
96 pages. Colour & tone art contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.

Painted cover by Walt Howarth (uncredited)

Contents:

 2 Fighting Men of the West endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Billy the Kid Western Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 Stagecoach Showdown text story by Duke Manton; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

21 Billy the Kid The Range Battle w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

29 Railroaded! text story by Frank L. Lester; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

39 Billy the Kid Ordeal by Fire w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

47 The Secret of Rancho Randall text story by J.L. Morrissey; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

63 The Durango Kid Whole Town Gone Loco! w: Gardner Fox (uncredited); a: Fred Guardineer (uncredited).

r: Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid (Magazine Enterprises) #39 (Jun 1955 - Jul 1955).

71 Rustlers Round-Up text story by Zed Montana; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

83 Billy the Kid "Six Gun Fandango!" w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

75 Black Bart's Big Plot! text story by Jay Masterson; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Billy the Kid had a long-standing score to settle, and it looked like he was using the overland stage route to settle it.

The annual opens with a text story which, wonderfully, actually features Billy the Kid. Not that I don't appreciate the stand-alone western stories, but tying the contents to the character is what the title should have been doing all along - although it takes its sweet time getting going. Appealing to the wish-fulfillment of readers, the story opens with Bob Britton and Tom Lawless staying in Arizona, though hailing from Langdale School in Berkshire.

The tone of the story is, sadly, very British. Those familiar with earlier boys' papers will find parallels in the text.

A tall black horse with magnificently-tooled saddle and bridle was tethered against a tree. On his heels beside the stream was a man. He was not big, nor was he very old. In fact, in some ways he looked little more than a boy.
   But as the chums rode up he raised his head and the eyes which looked out of the lean, tanned face were just about the coolest eyes the chums had ever seen.
   He was maybe twenty years old, very slimly built and his lithe body gave an odd impression of tremendous power - almost like an animal. He was dressed entirely in black and his hair rode thickly down to the back of his neck.
   The chums came to a standstill. Bob was the first to speak. "Er ... good morning ..."

It is no bad thing for culture clashes to inform narrative, as this can lead to otherwise unspoken revelations being voiced, but it is handled so politely, with so proper and cultured characters, that there is no sense of the youths relaxing into the landscape they find themselves in.

A lot of rustling went on West of the Pecos, and the most vicious gang leader of the rustlers was Gringo Bengston. And when Billy the Kid caught him one day in the very act of changing the brand on a stolen steer... Six guns began... "The Range Battle"

An extremely simplistic strip, which spells out every action with text boxes, leaving no room for ambiguity or subtlety, this is a frustrating story due to its opening scene - stopping a group of rustlers caught in the act, Billy sets upon them. This doesn't seem the act of an individual whose well-reported rustling exploits is an integral part of the Billy the Kid legend. Is it because he's not getting a cut? Is it because he's connected to the ranch? The prose accompaniment to the strip doesn't inform us why he intervenes so, leaving a hole at the centre of the telling.

Railroaded! looks back to the early days of Billy the Kid, finding Billy Bonner (as he was then known) looking forward to a fishing trip with Alton 'Tall' Canlon, the sheriff of Bucktown. Before they head out, the sheriff pins a notice, from Tucson, Arizona, to the wall of his office:

WANTED

$10,000 Reward will be paid for the capture, dead or alive, of Dan Qualey, alias Trigger Dan, for armed robbery, rustling and robbery with violence. Trigger Dan is wanted by the Sheriff of Tucson, is believed to have headed for Shelton County, Texas, in the company of Lefty Louie, stagecoach robber and horse-thief.

The trip is set aside while Tall goes out in search of Qualey, as the bandit goes out in search of Tall for plastering his image around.

An oddity, which ignores the fact that Billy's criminal career started when he was so young, this has the audacity to throw in a carnival to complicate matters, and plays out with predictable results. The end is a complete surprise, I must admit, with a conclusion which doesn't seem to have taken into account a single iota of Billy's real personality or sense of place in the world.

   The Sheriff dropped a kindly hand on Billy's shoulder.
   "Sump'n else, too - there's a ten thousand dollar reward for you kid for capturing this hombre!"
   Billy's eyes twinkled.
   "I'll give it to the new school fund, Sheriff ... on one condition."
   "And what might that be, young feller?" asked the Sheriff.
   "That you take me fishin' every day for the rest of the summer," said Billy.

It isn't quite the slap-up feast which ended so many stories, but might as well have been. The opportunity to lay hints about the future of the character is neglected, and any sense that this is actually about William Bonney is missing. While such tales of the younger lives of characters can provide wonderful glimpses into both personality and things which occurred later in life, but without clear parallels to events which would define his activities in later years there is a chasm which cannot be surmounted by the narrative alone.

Billy the Kid is being escorted through Indian country by a young Indian brave, Wa-Ha Jim. Wa-Ha is friendly and responsible for white man's safe conduct in his tribal territory. But a great forest fire turns the Indians hostile. The king of the west has to think fast and act even quicker, to save two strangers from a terrible... Ordeal by Fire

Downright ugly art, a horribly problematic story, and some of the most racist caricatures seen in the annuals, this strip is a low point in the saga of Billy the Kid's comic strip adventures. While I try to find something positive in works which appeal to me through genre or thematic elements, this strip fails in every regard, and compromises the title's otherwise entertaining stories. Regardless of the accompanying prose elements conformity to historical fact, at least they attempt to maintain an internal consistency. This strip is simply bad.

Six Gun Fandango!, the other Billy the Kid strip, is similarly set out, and I would hazard a guess that all three of his strips here originate from the same source, all three suffering from a lack of finesse and confidence. There were enough great strips to fill three such annuals, and falling back on these poor relations is a sign that something has gone wrong in the editing of the annual.

The Durango Kid has had a few strips which stretch credulity, and isn't a character whose adventures immediately promise much in the way of tantalising historical accuracy, but the title of his first strip in this annual - Whole Town Gone Loco - holds up the possibility that there may be reference to tainted rye bread causing hallucinations and odd behaviour. What we actually get is, sadly, more along the lines of the Avengers episode The Town of No Return, with the prospect that this strip might have played some small part in the inspiration for that script.

Black Bart's Big Plot! sees Billy the Kid going up against "Black Bart," though it isn't clear if this is, indeed, Charles Earl Boles or not. I'm tempted to chart their respective locations throughout their careers, to determine if they might have encountered each other someplace, though I fear that the results would confirm the unlikelihood of such a meeting. An extremely brief piece on which to conclude the annual, and altogether too simple a tale to hold much appeal beyond the obvious.

A real disappointment as far as the strips go, yet with its prose stories are improving year-on-year, this Billy the Kid Annual is difficult to recommend due to the unfortunate elements within certain strips.

[1956]

Billy the Kid
Western Annual

[1958]

Sgt. Bilko Annual [1960]

[1954] Annual. Original price 7/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.

Based on the US television series starring Phil Silvers.

Cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited); photograph of Phil Silvers by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Sgt. Bilko Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 Lord Bilko Grabs a Castle text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

17 Gold Rush w: Cal Howard (uncredited); a: Bob Oksner (uncredited).

r: Sergeant Bilko (National Comics Publications Inc.) #15 (Sep 1959 - Oct 1959).

41 Bilko and the Tender Tonsil text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

47 Bronco Bilko text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

55 Sgt. "Ooh Ooh" Ritzik's Lucky Day w: Cal Howard (uncredited); a: Bob Oksner (uncredited).

r: Sergeant Bilko (National Comics Publications Inc.) #16 (Nov 1959 - Dec 1959).

79 Bilko Bangs the Drum text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

89 Bilko's Space Academy text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Capturing the sense of the series' madcap antics with a wonderful cover image, the first Sgt. Bilko annual starts off on the right footing - which is a great relief, given that The Phil Silvers Show is still up there as one of my favourite shows. Although the cartoony illustration accompanying Phil Silvers' photograph isn't quite up to the same standard as other tie-in annuals, it is, at least, representative of what is inside. What, you are probably wondering, is inside? Well...

Lord Bilko Grabs a Castle may sound as if it features a suspiciously similar ancestor of Bilko taking the spotlight, though in fact we are treated to a reprise of the Roger Tichborne case. Doberman sees a newspaper report about the hunt for the long-missing heir of Frothingham Castle, which Bilko immediately identifies as a perfect money-making opportunity. Learning that the missing heir has a distinctive birth-mark under his left shoulder-blade, Bilko sets out to take the place of the heir.

Paying a visit to the City Editor's desk at Freemont News, Bilko gives hints of his past while discussing the story. Having laid the groundwork, he then approaches Mr. J.M. Bloodline, an eminent expert in tracing genealogical ancestries, to let slip, "accidentally," that he is Lord Frothingham. Swearing Bloodline to secrecy, Bilko requests duplicates of family papers to be delivered, before leaving, secure in the knowledge that Bloodline won't be able to keep from speaking on the matter to the editor.

The next morning sees another story appear in the Freemont News regarding the heir, with his location rumoured to be at Camp Freemont. When English lawyers appear at the camp, to talk with the Colonel, Bilko decides to help events move along. Dropping the papers in front of the men, he is asked to remove his shirt for the colonel - and is soon declared to be Hubert, Lord of Frothingham and Duke of Essex.

As hokey as this take on the much-documented historical fraud is, there is much to enjoy. That everybody accepts without question Bilko's lineage is but one of the inexplicable-but-surprisingly-accurate quirks which made Arthur Orton's story so compelling, and Bilko's mischievous behaviour throughout is perfectly in character. What is less easy to accept is how well Bilko's plan seems to be going - there simply isn't enough obstacles for him to manoeuvre around, The slippier aspects of Bilko's personality aren't exploited to their fullest, nor his ability to think on his feet, which is a great joy to see on the screen.

A newspaper account of gold being discovered in the area a hundred years earlier, by a man named Sutter, catches Bilko's eye. A new arrival at the camp, who happens to be a geologist, tells Bilko that there is plenty of gold to be found running through nearby hills, which - luckily - coincides with a war game taking place, giving Bilko the perfect opportunity to get off the base for a while. Requisitioning enough supplies to go on a gold dig, including pickaxes, shovels, dynamite, and fuses, Bilko prepares to strike gold as soon as he can.

Things, predictable, go awry as soon as Bilko gets dollar signs in his eyes, but Gold Rush isn't quite up to the standards I had expected. Its very loose style of illustration is more in line with the Jerry Lewis comics, and doesn't capture the energy or intelligence that the show displayed, and a few of the plot twists are a little far-fetched to be satisfying.

The odd formatting of the original comics is replicated in the annual, with a gap on the final page being filled with two pocket cartoons courtesy of Henry Boltinoff. That they are coloured in the same flat style as the main strip makes it appear, initially, that they are connected to the full-length strip. Far better use of the space would have been a B&W illustration rendered in a single colour, to contrast against the rest of the page, and to act as a break into the next story.

Minor formatting gripes, yes, but it speaks to a lack of precision and style.

Hypnotism is an easy target, and it isn't employed to the most of its potential in Bilko and the Tender Tonsil, especially as the story has an overall sedate tone. Lively artwork attempts to make something of the text, but it isn't near the quality of the previous prose tale. Bronco Bilko is an improvement, while adding to the character with western elements - Bilko, it appears, considers himself to look a ringer for Matt Dillon¹, or Wyatt Earp², or Jim Hardie³. Corporal Barbella once caught him gazing into a mirror, announcing he could be Flint McCullough⁴ just as easily as Robert Horton.

When Al Chesham, director of Three-Star Western, announces that he is shooting location sequences in the area, Bilko gets the notion to be a western star, arranging for his men to appear as extras, dressed as United States Fifth Cavalry soldiers.

This story distances the annual from its western stablemates, explicitly regarding those series as fictional. While it doesn't do much with the notion, it is amusing to see the western fad being given appropriately twisted play here. It would have been much funnier had there been a real western series involved, and the narrative they are filming referenced with a straight take elsewhere - linking annuals in such a way seemingly hadn't occurred to the authors of any of World's stories, but it might have encouraged readers to purchase more annuals in the hunt for interconnected elements.

I would have loved a sequence with Bilko coming face-to-face with Amanda Blake.

...and being put soundly in his place.

C'mon, she's stared down some of the most intimidating-looking actors of the era, so she could easily have him quaking in his regulation-issue boots. Her put-downs are amongst the most sumptuous deliveries in television history.

Rupert Ritzik wins a contest for his cooking skills, landing him with five hundred dollars in prize money. Bilko, never one to pass up an opportunity, decides to get his hands on the money, and his machinations soon have dire consequences. Another middling strip, which doesn't seem to be as madcap or funny as its set-up dictates such a story to be, and although there are several amusing incidents along the way (including a ridiculous disguise), it lacks bite.

Doubles are prime comedy fodder, and a private eye from LA named Slim Harlon - who happens to be a dead ringer for Bilko - creates many opportunities for Bilko Bangs the Big Drum to really embrace the themes of the television series. The story stumbles, rather than leaps, across its plot points, and has a few entirely obvious moments which detract from what ought to be up there with the finest moments of comedy.

With westerns already covered, the other big genre of the time, SF, is given an opportunity to shine within the constraints of Camp Freemont. Bilko's Space Academy, closing out the annual, delivers a nice - and unusual - proposition for the character, and even features a pie-dish spacecraft on the first page of the story. Doberman constructs a machine which consists of a tangle of aerial masts, with a microphone grafted on:

"Are you there? Repeat, are you there? Come in - come in!"
   Bilko couldn't make head or tail of this until Doberman explained that he was talking to outer space.
   "Outer space?" Bilko boggled on the words. "Tell me you know somebody out there?"
   "Not yet, sarge, but I'm trying to make their acquaintance. You think flying saucers are real, don't you, sarge?"

When Sergeant Hogan shows Bilko a picture of the Space Academy uniform, the Army's new billion-dollar agency, Bilko attempts to get himself transferred. Although not played out by the surest of hands, the story is a fine conclusion to the annual, looking to the future as it takes Bilko down yet another road to failure. A moment of hope within the story could have allowed for the possibility of alien life to remain a tantalising prospect, rather than a scam perpetuated to allow Bilko his wishes, but one can't have everything...

I ought not to be so surprised at the skill and talent on display, but there are aspects of the annual which really shine. The Phil Silvers Show doesn't provide obvious opportunities for an annual to really shine, yet there are stories here which capture aspects of the series with precision - not always, but with a good enough ratio to consider it a resounding success.

^{1. James Arness' character in Gunsmoke, which ran from 1955 to 1975.}

^{2. The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ran from 1955 to 1961, with Hugh O'Brian starring as the titular lawman.}

^{3. Dale Robertson's character in Tales of Wells Fago, which ran from 1957 to 1962.}

^{4. On Wagon Train, which ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC, before moving to ABC until 1965. Horton did not make the transition to the ABC run.}

Sgt. Bilko Annual

[1961]

Billy the Kid Western Annual [1956]

[1955] Annual. Original price 5/.
96 pages. Colour & tone art contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.

Painted cover by Walt Howarth (uncredited)

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 Billy the Kid Western Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 The Streets of Laredo text story by Jesse Allard; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

17 Billy the Kid Outlaw's Code w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Jack Sparling (uncredited).

r: Billy the Kid Adventure Magazine (Toby Press) #02 (Dec 1950).

25 Billy the Kid The Last Bullet w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: Billy the Kid Adventure Magazine (Toby Press) #03 (Feb 1951).

33 Sundown! text story by Cal Gundon; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

49 The Durango Kid Under the Skull and Crossbones w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Joe Certa (uncredited).

r: Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid (Magazine Enterprises) #10 (Apr 1951 - May 1951).

58 The Durango Kid Blackmail Terror! w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Joe Certa (uncredited).

r: Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid (Magazine Enterprises) #10 (Apr 1951 - May 1951).

65 Outlaws at the Rodeo text story by Zed Montana; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

75 Fancy-Pants Takes a Ride text story by Clinton Stewart; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

82 Two-Gun Promise! w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Tom Gill, lettering by Ed Hamilton.

r: Billy the Kid Adventure Magazine (Toby Press) #01 (Oct 1950).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Despite another wonderful cover, there's an awkwardness to the endpaper and title page's art, with Billy the Kid appearing to be slightly double-jointed. As the rest of the illustrations are better, it seems to indicate a rush for the annual to be completed in time for publication - not, one has to admit, the most encouraging sign. A very strong illustration of a dreamcatcher encircling the contents is, although only barely embellished in red tone, displays what can be done with very simple graphical adornments. While not as brave or adventurous as the Buffalo Bill Wild West Annual illustrations, it is extremely effective.

As I was riding through the streets of Laredo,
   As I rode down to Laredo one day;
I saw a young cowboy all dressed in white linen,
   All dressed in white linen and cold as the clay ....

Jesse Allard knows well to use the perennially-popular traditional ballad to open his story, and it is mirrored in the plot - not especially dramatically, despite being long enough to develop events in a suitably complex way, though strongly enough to avoid accusations of being overly simplistic. There aren't enough details provided to really get a sense of the people involved. This is another story which uses sound effects in prose to create tension, and it works as well here as elsewhere - which is to say it doesn't work.

And really, the Circle-O ranch? Puh-lease. It's brand would be two circles, one inside the other, and utterly useless at preventing rustling. A little more care and attention could have made this so much better.

Terror was hanging over like a threatening cloud over Red Mesa Valley, when Billy the Kid drifted into the valley! Bullets whistled through the air when he came, and bullets splattered around him when he left! But in-between, the Kid found a use for his head and his blazing guns and showed the strange workings of his "Outlaw Code"!!

Splattering bullets? Are they made of Plasticine? Toby Press are usually better than this, and the use of such an incongruous word in an otherwise fine little strip really stand out as being misplaced.

Racing after bushwhackers, who are attempting to murder a man named Russ Clayton under orders from another man, but stops to take Clayton to someone who can provide medical assistance. When Clayton is brought to his men, Billy is informed that Beef Brent is behind the attempt on Clayton's life. A rustler, Brent has been raiding the ranch nearly to breaking point, and the ranchers aren't strong enough to drive their cattle to market while protecting their stock.

Riding into town, Billy wounds the two hired killers when they draw on him, though the sheriff is reluctant to arrest them. Preferring to stay out of trouble, the elderly lawman doesn't want to tangle with Brent's toxic influence on the area. Billy makes a deal with Brent to tae the cattle to market, and finds himself facing death from every corner.

The plates used for Outlaw's Code had seen better days, and the rough appearance of the strip, despite being in full colour, detracts slightly from the tale's appeal. There's a fine twist, and some energetic artwork, which mitigates the poor reproduction, yet there isn't enough depth to the tale - it is, for all the narrative strengths, a rather easy adventure. The Last Bullet fares slightly better in print quality, but is also lacking in crispness.

Wanted for murder! Wanted for robbery! Wanted for practically every crime in the book! That was Billy the Kid, king of the outlaws! Promotion and reward awaited the law officer who could bring him in dead or alive! An ambitious young deputy-sheriff, named Al Mooney was determined to use any method to get the Kid and get him - dead!

When Billy rides into Rock Ridge, Mooney and the Sheriff go after him. The sheriff is wounded when he attempts to arrest Billy, and Mooney races out after the fleeing outlaw. Billy's horse dies in his race from the town, and he is forced to take shelter at a farmstead.

There's something to be admired in the storytelling risks taken with the conclusion, but how Mooney is able to so rapidly come to the correct conclusion is left to the reader to work out. Much better than a precis could get across, the story's charm lies in the ultimate act of humanity Billy performs, saving a child's life at the potential cost of his own.

A minor note of concern has to be raised at the description of Billy being "wanted for practically every crime in the book," although this can be squared with historical documents as being the adventures of the fictional Billy the Kid. The real Billy was hardly the compulsive breaker of laws he is presented as, and it would have been nice to have a clear distinction between the two.

He was merely friends with the horse. Honest. Any allegations are spurious.

Sundown! - a Cal Gundon Frontier special - which stars Sal Sundown, is unfortunate that it opens with a character named Clarence Aloysius Jones, which makes me think of parody westerns published a decade or so after the release of this annual. It is refreshing that Sundown can smoke and shoot without the text making criticism of such behaviour, and the realism which manages to creep into the telling makes other elements less irritating.

It's something different when The Durango Kid, scourging nemesis of the plains, takes to the high seas in pursuit of a band of cutthroat buccaneers! Six-gun justice takes a new and perilous turn Under the Skull and Crossbones

Western and pirate adventures in one strip - while this might sound as if it holds potential, wrangling the Durango Kid into such a tale is a complete disappointment. The pirate, imaginatively called "One-Eye" by his men, wears standard pirate regalia, which is difficult to square with the time period of the western hero Durango Kid, and there is further problems with the ship depicted - horribly out of place, the clash of genres simply does not work here.

You have to admire a story titled Fancy-Pants Takes a Hike, and the plot - a kitchen equipment salesman, travelling with an extensive wardrobe, is different enough to stand out among gun-slinging adventures. Of course, there is more to the telling than that, and a suitably painful punishment to conclude the tale. It raises a major problem for me, as far as suitability is concerned - this is meant to be a Billy the Kid Western Annual, not a random selection of vaguely western material brought together under a generic banner. As entertaining as such a diverting tale is, it doesn't advance anything about Billy the Kid.

Another problem with the stories is that they are so disconnected. As with all of World's prose, there is no attempt to build something greater - had the stories they commissioned taken the opportunity to mesh original characters into a shared world, showing the development of the ranches and small towns through the years, then there might have been more of an emotional connection when a random character is gunned down. As it is, whenever the stories feature a death there is no attachment, and thus no sense of loss associated with the act.

Not, by any means, a classic, though there is enough reading within its pages to make it a worthwhile purchase. If only it was slightly more polished...

[1955]

Billy the Kid
Western Annual

[1957]

Kid Slade Gunfighter #1

### 1957. Cover price 1/.
68 pages. B&W contents.
Thorpe & Porter

Cover by UNKNOWN.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 Top the Charts Every Month With Cannon Records in-house advertisement.

 3 Gun Crazy w: Stan Lee; a: Venon Henkel.

r: Kid Colt Outlaw (Marvel Comics) #25 (Mar 1953).

 7 Kid Colt Outlaw UNTITLED [B676] w: UNKNOWN; a: Ed Smalle, Jr.

r: Kid Colt Outlaw (Marvel Comics) #25 (Mar 1953).

13 American Eagle The City of Death! w: UNKNOWN; a: Joe Gevanter.

r: Prize Comics Western (Prize) Vol.13 #03 (Jul-Aug 1954).

21 The Cop Went West! text story by UNKNOWN; illustrated by Pete Morisi.

r: Kid Colt Outlaw (Marvel Comics) #25 (Mar 1953).

23 Kid Colt Outlaw UNTITLED [D587 ?] w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

r: UNKNOWN.

30 Rico's Secret Saddle w: UNKNOWN; a: George Olesen.

r: Dead-Eye Western Comics (Hillman) Vol.2 #08 (Feb-Mar 1952).

36 Prayer Works Wonders (public service announcement) a: Frank Frazetta.

r: Real Clue Crime Stories (Hillman) Vol.7 #06 (Aug 1952).

37 Kid Colt Outlaw UNTITLED [B-675] w: UNKNOWN; a: Jack Keller.

r: UNKNOWN.

44 The High Steppers [Show Bucker / Grandstander and The Pile Driver] illustrated feature; a: UNKNOWN.

r: Dead-Eye Western Comics (Hillman) Vol.2 #09 (Aug 1952).

45 Seal of Lightfoot w: UNKNOWN; p: Paul Reinman, i: Dan Zolnerowich.

r: Dead-Eye Western Comics (Hillman) Vol.2 #09 (Aug 1952).

51 Gun Battle! text story (uncredited); illustrated by Russ Heath (uncredited).

r: Kid Colt Outlaw (Marvel Comics) #45 (Feb 1955).

53 American Eagle Wildcat Hunters! w: UNKNOWN; a: Joe Gevanter.

r: Prize Comics Western (Prize) Vol.13 #03 (Jul-Aug 1954).

59 The Saga of Daisy Mae text story by Bob Young; illustrated by UNKNOWN.

r: UNKNOWN.

60 Kid Colt Outlaw UNTITLED w: UNKNOWN; a: Jack Keller.

r: UNKNOWN.

66 Fast Job (half page) w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN. / The Best in Thrilling Comics in-house advertisement for Race for the Moon.

r: UNKNOWN.

67 Which has the Atlas Built Body? advertisement for Charles Atlas.

68 Fear no Man advertisement for Ketsugo Complete Self-Defense.

Note: Cover is "Kid Slade, Gunfighter" while the spine reads "Kid Slade Comics" - I have chosen to use the cover title.

One of the titles not to hand at present - a review will be included when I'm set up properly.