Richie Rich Zillionz #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeRichie Rich Zillionz #1 (October 1976) marks Harvey Comics formally doubling down on its most commercially successful franchise at the peak of the character's mid-1970s publishing dominance, when Richie was appearing in roughly 32 different titles on a bi-monthly cycle. The launch of Zillionz — named by escalating the wealth-themed title sequence that ran from Millions through Billions — signaled that Harvey still had room to expand the line even further, adding yet another anthology platform for the character. Crucially, the series debuted as a 68-page publication, the first Richie Rich comic to carry that page count since the early 1970s, briefly restoring the format that had once defined the publisher's premium anthology feel. The series logo itself would later be adapted, with only the final letter changed, for the 'Zillion Dollar Adventures' segment branding on the Hanna-Barbera animated television series that premiered in 1980 — a direct, traceable line from this comic's visual identity to Saturday-morning television.
In "The Richest Poor Kid in the World: Part 1," Richie Rich finds a mysterious coin in a storm sewer, accidentally landing himself in the spotlight when a TV producer seeks a real "poor kid" for a commercial—something Richie’s more than qualified for, even if he’s not actually poor. As he starts pulling money and jewels out of the most unexpected places, the attention only grows, and soon everyone’s after what he’s found.
In this playful 1976 gem from *Richie Rich Zillionz #1*, Richie’s idea of a romantic gesture takes a delightfully oversized turn when he surprises Gloria with a single, enormous flower—after she asks for a bouquet. The moment captures the silly charm of childhood crushes and big gestures, all in a single page of classic humor.
In "null," Dot gets a surprise when Lotta offers her the punching bag, and she’s quick to enjoy a few rounds. But while Dot’s away, Lotta sneaks back in and decides to decorate the bag with her signature dots. When Dot returns and catches her in the act, she’s devastated—because now she can’t bring herself to punch something covered in dots.
In "The Time Machine," Mr. Codger unveils his latest invention—a portable time machine—prompting Reggie to seize the chance to journey back to the prehistoric era, hoping to bring back live dinosaurs for the Adventurers Club's zoo. The story follows the wild idea as it unfolds, full of whimsy and the kind of playful chaos only Richie Rich's world can deliver.
In "Time Marches Back!", Richie and Reggie find themselves in prehistoric times, dodging dinosaurs and scrambling for safety—only to be rescued by Cadbury, who crashes his limousine through Codger's time machine. The trio is then whisked away by curious cavemen and brought into their hidden cave, where the real adventure begins.
In "The Animals," Richie Rich, Reggie, and Cadbury find themselves stranded in prehistoric times, where they must outwit cavemen and dodge dinosaurs in a frantic bid to return to the 20th century. Reggie’s excitement over the living dinosaurs quickly turns to disbelief when they stumble upon their fossilized remains—only to learn that Codger sacrificed his time machine to build something far more useful.
In "The Cherry Tree," Dot’s nap takes a whimsical turn when she dreams of Lotta playing George Washington leading a daring river crossing—only to crash into an iceberg. Waking up confused, she immediately blames Lotta for chopping down the tree, unaware the real culprit was a lumberjack.
In "The Expert," Lotta takes on a surprisingly literal challenge when she tries to prove her car-testing skills after seeing a buyer’s unorthodox method—only to learn the hard way that brute force isn’t the answer. When her father complains of a sore neck, Lotta’s well-meaning instincts clash with her fear of causing more harm, leading her to seek a quick fix with liniment. Written by an unknown author and illustrated by an unknown artist, this short, lighthearted tale captures a classic moment of kid-sized overconfidence and quiet family care.
In "null," Richie Rich, ever the imaginative tycoon, sets out to upgrade his flower bed with a touch of grandeur—only to stumble upon an art auction. With his usual flair, he bids a staggering $50,000 on a piece, not for the artwork itself, but for the gold frame, which he plans to repurpose as a dazzling border for his garden.
In this whimsical 1976 tale from *Richie Rich Zillionz #1*, Mrs. Polka worries about Dot’s metal dollhouse rusting in an approaching storm—only to find the next morning that the rust has formed perfect little dots, turning an accident into a delight.
In a lighthearted 1976 tale from *Richie Rich Zillionz #1*, Richie’s playful moose head from a school play takes an unexpected turn when it accidentally scares off crooks trying to abduct Dollar—just as the head lands on his head, leaving the intruders convinced they’ve encountered a real live moose.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The series launched under Harvey Publications Inc. in October 1976, with its on-sale date confirmed via a copyright registration recorded in the U.S. Copyright Office Catalog of Copyright Entries (Third Series, Volume 30, copyright number B146667). It emerged amid the broader mid-1970s Richie Rich publishing surge that historian Mark Arnold documented as seeing the character starring in over 30 separate titles at once — an almost unparalleled output concentration for a single comics character. Writers associated with the Harvey Richie Rich line during this era included Sid Jacobson, Lennie Herman, Stan Kay, and Ralph Newman, while Warren Kremer — who co-created the character and served as Harvey's top art editor for 35 years — was the franchise's defining visual architect, pencilling covers and interior art across the line. No single credited writer or artist for the specific stories in this debut issue is confirmed in the sources consulted.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published October 1976 by Harvey Publications Inc.; on-sale date confirmed by U.S. Copyright Office registration, copyright number B146667.
- Launched the Richie Rich Zillionz series, which ran 33 issues from October 1976 through September 1982, concluding when Harvey ceased publication.
- Debut issue carried 68 pages — the first Richie Rich publication to use that page count since the early 1970s; the series was subsequently reduced to 52 pages by 1977, then to a consistent 36-page format in fall 1979.
- The title name escalates Harvey's existing 'wealth' branding sequence: the series followed Richie Rich Millions (launched 1961) and Richie Rich Billions (launched 1974), with 'Zillionz' representing the logical — and hyperbolic — next step.
- Issue #1 contains multiple story threads featuring core cast members Richie Rich, Reggie Van Dough, Cadbury the butler, Dollar the dog, Freckles Friendly, Pee Wee Friendly, and supporting cast including Regina Rich and Richard Rich Sr., plus backup stories starring Little Dot and Little Lotta.
- The lead anthology includes a three-part time-travel story ('The Time Machine' / 'Time Marches Back!' / 'The Animals') in which Mr. Codger's portable time machine carries Richie, Reggie, and Cadbury to the prehistoric era, where they encounter live dinosaurs and are captured by cavemen.
- The series logo was later directly adapted — with only the final letter altered — to create the visual branding for the 'Zillion Dollar Adventures' segments on the Hanna-Barbera–produced Richie Rich animated television series, which aired on ABC from 1980 to 1984.
- Richie Rich's most prominent illustrator across the franchise was Warren Kremer, who co-created the character, pencilled the majority of Harvey's humor-title covers, and served as art editor at Harvey for approximately 35 years; other franchise contributors included Ernie Colón, Sid Couchey, Dom Sileo, and Steve Muffatti.
Reprints
↩ Reprints Richie Rich Millions #7 (1963), Little Dot #119 (1968)
Reprinted in Richie Rich Money World #55 (1982), Richie Rich Riches #56 (1982)
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