Search the Western Clippings Site

An Interview With…
        - Archives

Will "Sugarfoot" Hutchins
    - Archives

Do You Remember?
    - Archives

Comic Book Cowboys
    - Roy Rogers (Pt. 3)
    - Roy Rogers (Pt. 2)
    - Roy Rogers (Pt. 1)
    - Joel McCrea
    - Rocky Lane's Black Jack
    - Clint Walker
    - George O'Brien
    - Frontier Doctor
    - Casey Jones
    - Wild Bill Hickok
    - Randolph Scott
    - Zorro
    - The Deputy
    - Will Rogers
    - Sgt. Preston of the Yukon
    - Rin Tin Tin and Rusty
    - Gunsmoke
    - Tex Granger
    - Range Busters
    - Vaughn Monroe
    - Tombstone Territory
    - Hawkeye
    - Bob Baker
    - Johnny Ringo
    - Shotgun Slade
    - Straight Arrow
    - Colt .45
    - Steve Donovan
    - Bob Colt
    - Early Marvel Westerns
    - Reno Browne
    - Red Ryder
    - Sheriff of Cochise
    - Wild, Wild West
    - Tales of the Texas Rangers
    - Fury
    - Tom Mix Western
    - Tom Mix Comics
    - Cody of the Pony Express
    - Audie Murphy
    - Outlaws
    - Iron Horse
    - Circus Boy
    - Buckskin
    - Annie Oakley and Tagg
    - DC’s Hopalong Cassidy
    - Hopalong Cassidy
    - The Big Valley
    - George Montgomery
    - Daniel Boone
    - The Rebel
    - Jim Bowie
    - Restless Gun
    - Laramie
    - Dale Evans
    - Gray Ghost
    - Lawman
    - Buffalo Bill Jr.
    - Rocky Lane Western
    - Have Gun Will Travel
    - Wagon Train
    - Cisco Kid
    - Wyatt Earp
    - Oneshot Comics: The Virginian, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, The Legend of Jesse James, Cowboy in Africa
    - Lancer
    - Alan Ladd
    - Tales of Wells Fargo
    - Maverick
    - Bonanza
    - Jack Randall and Tom Keene in POPULAR COMICS
    - Stoney Burke, Laredo, High Chaparral, Cimarron Strip, Custer
    - Rawhide
    - The Lone Ranger
    - Rex Allen
    - Walt Disney Presents... Andy Burnett, Texas John Slaughter, Elfego Baca and Swamp Fox
    - Smiley Burnette, Andy Devine
    - Gabby Hayes
    - Brave Eagle, Broken Arrow, Boots and Saddles
    - Gene Autry
    - John Wayne
    - Rod Cameron
    - Bat Masterson
    - Durango Kid
    - Cheyenne
    - Johnny Mack Brown
    - Buck Jones
    - Range Rider
    - Tim McCoy
    - Buster Crabbe
    - Bob Steele
    - Monte Hale
    - Sugarfoot
    - Ken Maynard
    - Jimmy Wakely
    - Hoot Gibson
    - The Rifleman
    - Whip Wilson
    - Wanted Dead or Alive, Texan, Mackenzie's Raiders
    - Lash LaRue
    - Tim Holt
    - Tex Ritter
    - Bill Elliott
    - Sunset Carson

Westerns of...
    - Archives

Heavies and Characters
      - Archives

The Stuntmen - Neil Summers
    - Archives

Western Treasures
    - Archives

Circus Cowboys
    - Archives

Radio Range Riders
    - Archives

Rangeland Elegance
    - Archives

Western Artifacts
    - Archives

Film Festival Fotos
    - Archives

Silent Western Reviews
    - Archives

Serial Report
    - Archives

Subscribe to Western Clippings

COLLECTIBLES FOR SALE

Western Clippings Back Issues

Daily Comic Strips
    - Page 1 (1910-1949)
    - Page 2 (1950-1979)

Sunday Comic Strips
    - 1907-1990

Books

Miscellaneous Collectibles

Autographs

Lobby Cards

Movie Posters

Home

Cover to COLT .45 FC#1004.COLT .45

“Colt .45” starring Wayde Preston debuted on ABC-TV in October 1957.

Dell picked up licensing rights and issued COLT .45 Four Color #924 (#1) in August ‘58. Four Color #1004 (#2) followed a year later in June/August ‘59 with Four Color #1058 (#3) in November/January ‘60. Selling well, regular numbering began with #4 (Feb./Apr. ‘60). Published quarterly, the series ran through #9 (May/July ‘61), about a year after the TV series ended.

All stories were originals, many written by the prolific Eric Freiwald and Robert Schaefer. Although on TV Chris Colt was a government agent who posed as a salesman for the Colt Firearms Company, he was never seen in a Cavalry uniform. However, many of the comic stories place him in uniform.

Colt as drawn by Bill Ziegler in COLT .45 FC#924.There were photo covers on all nine issues and all but #9 had inside front cover photos of Wayde Preston. The back cover to FC #1004 was a photo-pinup with a facsimile signature by Preston. For the record, covers of FC #924, #5, #6, #7 showed Wayde sans mustache. The others featured Wayde in his bib shirt sporting a mustache.

Artwork in FC #924 was by Bill Ziegler (1925-1993) who also worked on ANNIE OAKLEY, CASEY JONES, REX ALLEN, DALE EVANS, LAWMAN, JOHNNY MACK BROWN, BILL ELLIOTT and RANGE RIDER for Dell.

Dan Spiegle (1920-  ), best known for the HOPALONG CASSIDY newspaper strip from ‘49-‘55, drew FC #1004 (#2) and FC #1058 (#3). An excellent western artist, Spiegle also contributed to issues
Colt as drawn by Dan Spiegle in COLT .45 FC#1004. of ANNIE OAKLEY, BAT MASTERSON, BRAVE EAGLE, CIRCUS BOY, TALES OF WELLS FARGO, GENE AUTRY, JOHNNY MACK BROWN, JIM BOWIE, DALE EVANS, RAWHIDE, RESTLESS GUN, REX ALLEN, RIN TIN TIN, ROY ROGERS, TEXAN and TOMBSTONE TERRITORY at Dell.

Colt drawn by John Ushler in COLT .45 #4.COLT .45 #4 and #5 were drawn by John Ushler (192?-  ) who also worked on Dell’s ZORRO, TEXAS JOHN SLAUGHTER, ELFEGO BACA, DALE EVANS and REX ALLEN.

Colt as drawn by Edson in COLT .45 #8.Dell settled on one of their workhorse artists, Nat Edson (1909-2001), for #6-9. For Dell, Edson also drew issues of BUCK JONES, BUFFALO BILL JR., GENE AUTRY, RANGE RIDER, JOHNNY MACK BROWN, ANNIE OAKLEY, ZORRO, RESTLESS GUN, SUGARFOOT, REX ALLEN, RIFLEMAN, WAGON TRAIN and HIGH CHAPARRAL.

In Fine, FC #924 (#1) brings $27 while the rest in Fine price out at about $21. (#6 may bring a few dollars more due to a filler story by the collectible Alex Toth.) A good TV series and a too often overlooked comic. (Thanx in part to Steiner Adland.)

COLT .45 Cover Gallery

Covers to COLT .45 FC#924 and #4.

Covers to COLT .45 #7 and #9.