Lash LaRue Western #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeLash LaRue Western #1 (Summer 1949) marks the debut of one of Golden Age comics' most distinctive movie-tie-in titles, translating a genuinely unconventional screen hero — a black-clad, whip-wielding roving marshal who looked more like a Humphrey Bogart antihero than a singing cowboy — directly onto the four-color page at the height of the B-Western craze. The series it launched proved to be among the most commercially successful Western comics of its era, eventually running 84 issues across two publishers over twelve years and reportedly moving 12 million copies in 1952 alone. It also stands as an early example of a comic book's cross-media cultural reach feeding back into Hollywood mythology: LaRue's real-life bullwhip mastery, first popularized through his films and then reinforced issue after issue on the stands, contributed to an enduring cultural archetype that would later inspire Indiana Jones.
In "The Fatal Roundups," Lash LaRue confronts the villainous Red Frisby and his gang, who are stealing cattle and committing murders across the territory. Using his signature whip, Lash defeats Frisby's men in a series of battles. The story reveals a plot involving a disputed ranch inheritance, with Lash ultimately working to protect young Lamont and recover the stolen cattle while bringing the criminals to justice.
Chief Gray Matter watches a nervous newcomer struggle on horseback at sunset, offering bemused commentary as the man declares it’s his first time riding since sunrise. The humor stems from the man’s exaggerated discomfort and the chief’s deadpan warning that watching the sunset might make one jealous—though the real reason remains delightfully unclear.
Wagonwheels returns to the camp, visibly shaken, claiming he’ll never get over a terrifying experience from the previous night. His friends press him for details, only to be met with a dramatic reveal that the source of his distress is the moon—much to their amusement.
Lash LaRue arrives in Peaceful Corners to investigate a wave of cattle rustling tied to the outlaw Red Frisby, who has been eluding capture. When a local rancher’s wife reports her husband missing after a suspicious trip to Red River Junction, Lash follows the trail, only to stumble upon a deadly ambush disguised as a welcoming party. As the trap snaps shut, Lash’s quick thinking and signature whip save the day—but the real test of his resolve is just beginning.
Kidder Kidd boasts to a stunned crowd that he’s the greatest marksman around—claiming he shoots first and draws the targets afterward. The townspeople marvel at the perfect bull’s-eyes, unaware of the joke behind his outrageous claim.
Big Bow and Little Arrow, exhausted from walking, sneak into a carnival stable to nap—only to be caught by the owner, who offers them a deal: work cleaning the stables and feeding the horses in exchange for a place to sleep. As they labor through the night, Little Arrow hatches a plan to get even by washing off the carnival’s painted horses, turning their carefully applied makeup into a costly mess.
Lash LaRue arrives at the Lamont Ranch to comfort Bill Lamont Jr., who’s returning home just before his 21st birthday to claim his inheritance. As Bill begins to uncover signs of sabotage—first a falling boulder, then a rigged floor in his geology lab—Lash realizes someone is trying to kill him, and the only suspect with everything to gain is the ranch’s foreman, Sledge.
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Fawcett Publications launched the series in the summer of 1949 as part of a robust slate of Western comics tied to then-popular B-movie cowboys, a strategy that also yielded titles for Tom Mix and Monte Hale. The arrangement between Fawcett and LaRue involved no royalty payments to the actor; like other Western stars of the era, LaRue accepted the deal purely for the promotional value it offered his film career. When Fawcett shuttered its comics division in 1953–54, the title transferred seamlessly to Charlton Comics, which continued the numbering from issue #47 through #84, keeping the character on newsstands until 1961. AC Comics published two reprint editions drawing on the Fawcett run in 1990, extending the title's archival life.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First issue published Summer 1949 by Fawcett Publications; cover price 10 cents, 32 pages, full color.
- Fawcett published issues #1–46 (Summer 1949–January 1954); Charlton Comics continued the run with issues #47–84, ending in 1961 — a combined span of twelve years.
- All 46 Fawcett issues are reported to have featured photo covers of Alfred 'Lash' LaRue rather than illustrated cover art.
- The in-comic version of Lash is depicted as a 'roving U.S. Marshal' dressed entirely in black, whose signature weapon is an 18-foot bullwhip — mirroring the actor's screen persona.
- LaRue received no royalties from Fawcett for the use of his name and likeness; the promotional exposure was considered sufficient compensation.
- The series was a major commercial success: the comic sold 12 million copies in 1952 alone across its various issues.
- Many stories in the run featured LaRue's real-life godson, child actor J.P. Sloane, as a recurring character.
- AC Comics issued two reprint editions from the Fawcett run in 1990; individual issues from the series have also been reprinted in the modern era under public-domain reprint imprints.
Reprints
Reprinted in Lash LaRue Western #1 (1950), Tex Ritter Western #32 (1956), Jim Bowie #18 (1957), Black Fury #10 (1957)
Key issues in Lash LaRue Western
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