Secondary Action Heroes of Golden Age Comics

The 1940s saw the birth of many enduring superheroes like Superman, Batman, Captain America and Captain Marvel. Outside of the superhero genre, the golden age of comics also featured a host of lesser-known, evil-fighting action figures, and this book contains a wealth of information about these heroes without capes. Covered here are jungle heroines like Sheena, Rulah and Princess Pantha; science fiction stalwarts including Spacehawk, Hunt Bowman and Futura; adventurers such as Kayo Kirby, Werewolf Hunter and Senorita Rio; and Western heroes ranging from Tom Mix to the Ghost Rider.

The late Lou Mougin was a comics writer, historian, and interviewer with credits at Marvel, Heroic, Claypool, Warrant, Lucky, Charlton Arrow, and others. He lived in Abilene, Texas.

Lou Mougin
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 319
Bibliographic Info: 124 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2023
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9152-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4990-0
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction 1
Not all the heroes of the Golden Age of Comics wore masks, costumes, and capes. Prepare for the lowdown on their ­non-super brethren (and sisters).
The Jungle Line 3
Take a jungle lord, turn him into a jungle lady, put him in a skimpy ­leopard-skin suit, and you have Sheena. And Camilla. And Tiger Girl. And Taanda. And Rulah. And … well, go ahead and read about ’em, already.
Science Fiction Theater 62
Think Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers were the only space guys in comics? It’s time you met the interplanetary idols of Planet Comics and all their ­rocket-riding cohorts!
The Adventurers 113
Possibly the most basic (and no less exciting) heroes of all. Pirates, spies, detectives, soldiers, sailors, and all the other guys and gals who made trouble their business, and business was booming back then.
Once Upon a Time, in the Westerns 180
Cowboy heroes were massive in the media of the 1930s to the 1960s, and comics brought them to ­four-color life. The Vigilante, the ­Two-Gun Kid, American Eagle, Annie Oakley, and tons of others made their presence known (including a long ton of movie and TV adaptations), and we’ve rounded up all the ones that started before 1950.
Conclusion 307
Bibliography 309
Index 311

“Excellent… A thorough (and thoroughly entertaining) scholarly rundown of lesser-known do-gooders from the 1930s through the 50s.”—The Media Tourist