Plus, three bonus covers!
By PETER BOSCH
Hey, it’s the 70th anniversary of the Rawhide Kid. No, not that Rawhide Kid. The first one. The one who went unnamed for the entire 16-issue run of Atlas’ Rawhide Kid.
The Rawhide Kid introduced in the first issue (released 70 years ago December 14, 1954) was a tough-looking gunslinger (but a good guy) who, as shown on the cover, came riding into town extremely well-armed with two gunbelts, a rifle, and a whip, along with a mean side-glance at all those stalking him.
Rawhide Kid #1 (Mar. 1955). Cover art by Joe Maneely.
Co-creators Don Rico (writer) and Bob Brown (artist) gave the Rawhide Kid a sidekick in that first story, young Randy Clayton whose father was killed by outlaws in order to gain control of his ranch.
Rawhide Kid #2 (May 1955). Sidekick Randy on the left. Art by Maneely.
Subsequent issues were never much to brag about, but they did have excellent covers by Maneely and John Severin. Dick Ayers took over the interior art with the sixth issue (Jan. 1956) and remained on the title through the final issue, #16 (Sept. 1957).
Rawhide Kid #3 (July 1955). Art by Maneely.
Rawhide Kid #4 (Sept. 1955). Art by Russ Heath.
Rawhide Kid #5 (Nov. 1955). Art by Maneely.
Rawhide Kid #6 (Jan. 1956). Art by Maneely.
Rawhide Kid #7 (Mar. 1956). Art by Fred Kida.
Rawhide Kid #8 (May 1956). Art by John Severin.
Rawhide Kid #9 (July 1956). Art by Severin.
Rawhide Kid #10 (Sept. 1956). Art by Severin.
Rawhide Kid #11 (Nov. 1956). Art by Severin.
Rawhide Kid #12 (Jan. 1957). Art by Maneely.
Rawhide Kid #13 (Mar. 1957). Art by Severin.
Rawhide Kid #14 (May 1957). Art by Maneely.
Rawhide Kid #15 (July 1957). Art by Severin.
Rawhide Kid #16 (Sept. 1957). Art by Kida.
It would be three years before the title would return to the newsstand, but it featured a revamped Rawhide Kid, this one in a story by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, with the teenage hero out to get revenge for the murder of his Uncle Ben! (“Wait – what?” you ask? Well, come back in 2025 to find out more when we celebrate that momentous issue, #17, on its 65th anniversary. Yee-haw!)
The Rawhide Kid #17 (Aug. 1960). Jack Kirby, pencils. Dick Ayers, inks.
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MORE
— JOE MANEELY’s BLACK KNIGHT: A Birthday Feast. Click here.
— 13 COVERS: JOE MANEELY Could Draw Anything. Click here.
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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. A sequel, about movie comics, is coming in 2025. Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.
December 14, 2024
John Severin really nails it for me. Issue 9’s cover is in-your-face and really impactful. Issue 13’s cover is absolutely iconic, a classic Western scene.