Richard Curtis Van Loan

Richard Curtis Van Loan made his debut in the pages of Thrilling Comics #53 in 1946, stepping onto the Golden Age stage courtesy of creator Ken Battefield and the Pines publishing stable. He's a character who keeps genuinely distinguished company — sharing adventures across Thrilling Comics, America's Best Comics, and Guns of the Black Bat alongside the likes of The Phantom Detective, Princess Pantha, and Doc Strange, which tells you something about the colorful, pulp-flavored world he inhabits. With appearances catalogued across a remarkable span stretching all the way to 2016, this Golden Age figure has proven quietly enduring, the kind of discovery that rewards the dedicated back-issue hunter. Fifteen catalog appearances make him a rarity worth chasing for any serious collector of Pines-era comics.