 “CISCO KID”O’Henry’s Robin Hood of the Old West, The Cisco Kid, first appeared in a comic book in the Winter of 1944. CISCO KID COMICS #1 was published by artist Bernard Bailey for Swappers Quarterly of Chicago. Besides a Cisco story (drawn by John Giunta with no real resemblance to Warner Baxter or Cesar Romero), the comic also contained Funnyman, Super Baby, etc. Apparently a sales failure, no further issues were published. Hard to locate, Fine copies run $129. Nothing more was done in print with Cisco and Pancho until Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carrillo made a series of five Cisco Kid movies for United Artists in ‘49-‘50 which directly led to “The Cisco Kid” TV series in Sept. ‘50. Dell published THE CISCO KID FC #292 in July ‘50. It sold well and #2 came out six months later in Jan. ‘51.
THE CISCO KID FC 292 (#1) through #36 featured painted covers, often by Ernest Nordli, with interior art frequently by Alberto Giolitti (1923-1993). John Buscema’s work represents Cisco and Pancho in #40, 41. Then there is the CISCO KID comic strip which began on January 15, 1951, obviously to cash in and coincide with the very popular TV series. Appearing in hundreds of newspapers through August ‘68, it was written by King Features staffer Rod Reed with superlative artwork by Argentine illustrator José-Luis Salinas.
Duncan Renaldo Cisco Kid fans will want Dell issues #37-41 for the photo covers which sell for around $24 in Fine condition.
CISCO KID COVER GALLERY
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Oddly, Dell didn’t make use of Duncan Renaldo for photo covers until #37 in Oct./Dec. ‘57, over a year after the TV series had ceased production in March ‘56. Of course, the TV series, having been filmed in color, continued in perpetual syndication. Renaldo photo covers ran for five issues until the comic series ended with #41 (Oct./Dec. ‘58). (#38, 39 also included inside front cover photos.) 
