More Wild Western Wonderment from artist Frank Bolle!
(and-- Dick Ayers!!)
Early in 1954, the "3D" fad that had swept the movies came to comics. Not every publisher went the complicated 2-color route. Magazine Enterprise-- and artist Frank Bolle in particular-- came up with a style to emulate "3D without the glasses"! You can see the results below on the covers of #39-43.
At some point, Tim Holt stopped appearing in RKO films. This was reflected on his licensed comic-book when the banner "R.K.O.'S Western Star" vanished. Some months later, his comic-book was retitled RED MASK. Other than that, things continued as they had before. Each issue had 3 Tim Holt or Red Mask stories with Frank Bolle art, and 1 Ghost Rider story with Dick Ayers art.
However, the "witch-hunt" aimed at (ALLGEDLY!!!) stamping out "juvenile delinquency" (which was more like "the other media" trying to stamp out a source of COMPETITION) saw the formation of the Comics Code Authority. One of the casualties was GHOST RIDER. Even though the vast majority of his stories were of the "GHOST CHASERS" or "SCOOBY-DOO" variety (supposed supernatural elements which turned out to be explainable hoaxes), the drive to stamp out "horror comics" saw the cancellation not only of his solo book, but of the series entirely.
Since GHOST RIDER had clearly been one of the main reasons for the long-term success of the TIM HOLT comic (and obviously the reason for the creation of his own "masked identity"), it must have become apparent the handwriting was on the wall. Before long, Magazine Enterprises became one of many comic-book publishers that closed its doors, one more example of an entire HIGHLY-SUCCESSFUL industry that went under, putting countless thousands of people out of work, without the slightest objection or lament heard from the "general public" (barring the readers-- and WHO listened to them?).
Of course, in Magazine Enterprises' case, I have heard that Vincent Sullivan blamed television for the downfall of his comic-book company...
TIM HOLT 29 / inset art by FRANK BOLLE (May 1952)
TIM HOLT 32 / art by FRANK BOLLE (November 1952)
If anyone could supply me with a much bigger images of #14, 16, 28, #33, #44, #45 & #47 to work with, I'd appreciate it.(There's only so much one can do-- or am inclined to try to do-- with SOME real horrific messes.)
TIM HOLT 37 / art by FRANK BOLLE (Sep'53)
RED MASK 47 / art by FRANK BOLLE (February 1955)
If anyone could supply me with a much bigger images of #44 & #45 to work with, I'd appreciate it.(There's only so much one can do-- or am inclined to try to do-- with SOME real horrific messes.)
Artwork (C) Magazine Enterprises
Raw scans from Heritage Auctions site, except...
Raw scans of RED MASK #47, 50, 51, 52, 53 & 54 from "Freddyfly"
at the Comic Book Plus site
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa
For more:
Read the complete contents of TIM HOLT comics at Comic Book Plus!
Visit the Frank Bolle Studio site
See Frank Bolle's work on the BOYS' LIFE BIBLE Stories series!
Read "Pappy"s TIM HOLT article at the Insomnia Notebook blog
Read the TIM HOLT biography at the IMDB site
Read the RED MASK article at Don Markstein's Toonopedia site
Read the GHOST RIDER article at Don Markstein's Toonopedia site
Read the GHOST RIDER article at the International Hero site
Read The Presto Kid article at Don Markstein's Toonopedia site
Read the Dick Ayers interview at the Twomorrows site
Read the Dick Ayers interview at the Adelaide Comics And Books site
Buy BEST OF THE WEST reprints from the AC Comics website!
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