Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid #1
Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid #1 is a foundational entry in the Golden Age western boom, bringing one of Columbia Pictures' most popular masked B-movie heroes directly onto the printed page in October–November 1949. Its greatest long-term significance, however, lies in the back-up strip it quietly launched: the origin and first appearance of Dan Brand (the 'White Indian') and his young companion Tipi, drawn and inked entirely by a young Frank Frazetta in what would become the longest continuing series of his comic-book career. The issue thus simultaneously anchors the film-tie-in western tradition at Magazine Enterprises and serves as the debut stage for one of the medium's most gifted visual artists.
In "Fraud on the Hoof," The Durango Kid, aka Steve Brand, rides into Gun Hammer Gulch to uncover a devious scheme: a banker using hired guns to stage robberies at his own bank, driving local ranchers into ruin so he can buy their land cheap. Written by Gardner Fox and illustrated by Joe Certa, this 1949 western thriller blends sharp plotting with the rugged honesty of the frontier, all wrapped in a cover by Joe Certa.
In Gun Hammer Gulch, The Durango Kid, known as Steve Brand, rides in to uncover a slick fraud: a banker using hired guns to rob his own bank, driving ranchers into ruin so he can buy their land cheap. With sharp eyes and a steady hand, he sets out to expose the scheme before the whole valley falls under Jagger’s grip.
ComicBooks.com Value
Find on ebay
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
Magazine Enterprises, guided by publisher Vincent Sullivan and editor Raymond C. Krank, had already demonstrated the commercial viability of movie-cowboy comics with the Tim Holt title launched a year earlier in 1948; that success led the company to approach Columbia Pictures in 1949 about a Durango Kid companion title. Krank edited the entire 41-issue run of the series, with the Durango Kid lead stories scripted (at least in part) by prolific pulp and comics writer Gardner Fox and drawn by Joe Certa, while Frazetta handled the Dan Brand back-up solo. The cover of issue #1 — like those of the first five issues — used a colorized publicity photograph of Starrett rather than illustrated art, a deliberate strategy to keep the licensed actor's likeness front and center for movie fans browsing newsstands.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and origin of Dan Brand ('White Indian') and his companion Tipi, presented as a colonial-era back-up strip set during the French and Indian War era.
- Frank Frazetta penciled and inked the 7-page Dan Brand and Tipi debut story — the beginning of his 16-issue run on the feature and the longest continuing series of his comic-book career.
- The Durango Kid lead story introduces Steve Brand's dual identity as a wandering ranch hand who dons a black hat, suit, and mask to ride as the Durango Kid when the innocent are threatened.
- The Durango Kid lead story was scripted by Gardner Fox (attribution marked as probable in GCD records) with art by Joe Certa.
- Editor Raymond C. Krank oversaw the issue under publisher Vincent Sullivan at Magazine Enterprises, the same editorial team behind the earlier Tim Holt western series.
- The cover features a colorized photograph of actor Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid rather than drawn art — a format used on the first five issues of the series.
- The series ran for 41 bi-monthly issues from October–November 1949 through October–November 1955, outlasting Starrett's own film run as the character, which ended in 1952.
- The Dan Brand origin story from this issue was later reprinted in White Indian #11 (Magazine Enterprises, 1953), and the 'Dan Brand and Tipi' feature title was retroactively rechristened 'White Indian' for those 1953 reprint issues.
Cast · 6 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in White Indian #11 [A-1 #94] (1953), Seriemagasinet #21/1953 (1953), Superman Presents Wonder Comic Monthly #3 (1965), Sheriff Classics #9169 (1971), Ranchserien #61 (1971), Ranchserien #107 (1973), Sheriff Classics #9215 (1973), Great American Western #2 (1988), Best of the West #5 (1999), The Complete Frazetta White Indian #[nn] (2011), Charles Starrett #10, Sheriff Klassiker #169
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.