#Western Tales

[hbfmguy2]

Brave Fox and the Jake Black Gang, Part 14

As the kayoed Nate slowly came to, he found he had been securely bound by Brave Fox, and his face forced to lean forward into the buckskin material of the young woman’s belted knee-length dress while she stood either side of him and gagged him tightly. Charlie looked on in horror at this humiliation of his friend by the female warrior, but his angry protests just sounded like one anguished cry of “Mmmmmppppphhh!! as his threats and promises of revenge were muffled by the gag covering his mouth.

“You boys wait here and enjoy the evening air,” Brave Fox smiled, “I will be right back once I’ve discovered if your boss wants to come quietly, like.” The female brave’s prisoners looked on helplessly as Brave Fox left them, padding out of the forest grove on silent moccasined feet.

To be continued.

[comicsart3]

A great little jokey feminist Western scenario featuring a tough cowgirl named Gwen, being romanced by a ?Texas Ranger named Dick who has invited her to the town dance. The tomboyish Gwen is determined to make the date and preserve the party dress she had bought for the occasion. On her journey home she encounters a tough-guy outlaw who attempts to take Gwen hostage and commandeer her horse and trap. Despite his threats, the ruffian finds himself rather easily overpowered by the battling and trash-talking cowgirl, who trips him, whips him, lassos him as he tries to flee and rather brutally ties him to her trap’s buckboard and rides home at speed the captured and wailing outlaw trailing behind her.

Dick eventually turns up at Gwen’s house, apologetically preparing to cancel their date because a murderer is on the loose. Gwen, resplendent in her party dress, then takes the Ranger to her barn to reveal a battered and humiliated outlaw safely tied up and under lock and key. “Is this the outlaw you’re worryin’ about?” she asks her beau ironically. Dick is bowled over by his girlfriend’s prowess, but in typical early 50s fashion, Gwen claims she captured the outlaw simply to save her dress. All very feminine!

Annoyingly, I can’t source the comic’s title although I think it is from one of the several “Western Romances” comics that were around in the latter Golden Age. As a story of female victory, however, the never-repeated Gwen earns a place in this blog.

Source: comicbookplus

[tomoleary]

Jack Kirby Western Tales #31 page 1 splash Davy Crockett and Daniel (1955) Source

[submission4]

Wrongful Arrest

“You’ve got the wrong guy, ma’am,” Tenderfoot Paul protested in vain as Sheriff Kate Vance tied the newcomer’s wrists and then hauled him off to the Cactusville caboose. “That’s what they all say, my friend.” replied the stern blonde law woman. “But thing is, Cactusville ain’t had no robberies for six months before you showed up in town. I’m reckoning two and two makes four!” Paul looked over his shoulder plaintively, and pulled uselessly on his tight bonds. “But you’re making a mistake, sheriff….” he pleaded.

AI image created via Microsoft Bing.

[igiveupmiss3]

The Deputy

“Since paleface assholes lie you began raiding the tribal lands for buffalo hides, my friend.” replied Little Owl grimly as she handcuffed the glowering badman behind his back tightly.

AI image createsd by Microsoft Bing; caption mine.

[esonetwork]

'Benedict and Brazos' Book Review By Ron Fortier

New Post has been published on http://esonetwork.com/benedict-and-brazos-book-review-by-ron-fortier/

'Benedict and Brazos' Book Review By Ron Fortier

BENEDICT AND BRAZOS # 18 : Bo Rangle’s Boothill By E. Jefferson Clay Bold Venture Press 116 pgs

So we’re heading out the door about to go on a ten-day vacation in New England to view the magnificent Fall foliage. Hastily we scan the books on our shelf and grab two to stuff in our suitcase. One was “Benedict and Brazos # 18 : Bo Rangle’s Boothill. For those of you who came in late, this is one of the better western paperback series ever produced. Duke Benedict is a former Union officer while Hank Brazos is an ex-Confederate sergeant. Through a bloody encounter towards the end of the Civil War, the two become partners to hunt down a killer named Bo Rangle and his gang. Rangle stole a shipment of army gold and each new book in the series is part of this extended chase saga.

Which as it turns out terminates in this particular volume.  I.e. our two gritty heroes finally catch up with their prey in a gun blasting finale. But not before many other folks, good and bad become collateral damage. Watching the friendship develop between the main characters is one of the real pleasures of these action-packed books. And as luck would have, the kind folks at Bold Venture actually quoted one of our earlier reviews right there on the cover. This in no way prejudiced this review. “Bo Rangle’s Boothill” is a classic western from the first page to the last. Now we’re curious what will come next for these two rough-and-tumble-saddle pals.

[plasticsweets]

Royal Stewart lace cross OP, Summer Tales Boutique

[themousefromfantasyland]

I really enjoyed Wish's animation style, but I think they made a fundamental mistake with it.

When Jennifer Lee says that they were trying to mimic the watercolor style, they are speaking about taking inspiration of Gustaf Tenggren's art for Snow White and Pinocchio.

They tried to give this texture to the movie.

If you look at the films stills, you can see that it does have the same "watercolor on paper" texture as this concept art, although subdue.

They even had visual tests by making Asha's 3d model walk across Pinocchio's background.

However when it comes to the backgrounds they took inspiration from Sleeping Beauty, which was the biggest mistake they could ever have made, because Sleeping Beauty is the complete opposite of the watercolor effect they were trying to achieve.

Sleeping Beauty uses gouache, has bold colors, and is inspired by gothic, medieval tapestries.

The watercolor effect they were going for came from Snow White and Pinocchio, that are inspired by 19th century Storybook illustrations, with subdue color, rustic and earthly backgrounds, and a juxtaposition between light and shadows.

Here are also some illustrations from the same Gustaf Tenggren

Muted colors, juxtaposition of light and shadows, rustic, earthly, sketchy backgrounds.

This would dever fit in with the highly detailed and colorful Sleeping Beauty backgrounds

Basically Wish's biggest problem is that its two biggest stylistic sources just don't go together.

They should either went with the Snow White/Pinocchio's rustic and charming storybook visual, or the Sleeping Beauty's elegant medieval tapestry look.

[weaponizedmoth]

"Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is a vampire in love with a human. Better integration than I could possibly have dreamed."

(just some Sundown The Vampire in Retreat fanart. More details and B&W vers. under the cut, etc).

:)

[cgbcomics]

[hbfmguy2]

Brave Fox and the Jake Black Gang, Part 18

Less than half an hour later, Brave Fox, once again astride her faithful Moonflower, had Charlie, Zeke and Nate on their feet, but with their hands and arms still bound and gags in place. The humiliated but depressed and unresisting outlaws miserably accepted their fate as the young Dakota warrior slipped nooses of rope around their necks, tethering them to each other, and Charlie who was tied to Moonflower’s saddle horn. The grimly triumphant warrior woman, Winchester in hand and the sacks of plundered loot from the Silver Creek Great Western bank strapped to her steed behind her, urged her reluctant cavalcade of prisoners forward. “Get going, boys!” she ordered.

In front of her trotted the wounded, broken and naked figure of Jake Black - a shadow of the desperado who had terrorised the town and murdered its sheriff. Hands bound behind him, and tied to Moonflower’s bridle, the defeated former Confederate guerrilla sobbed quietly to himself, scarcely able to believe his mighty gang of veterans had been brought low by a single squaw.

To be continued.

[comicsart3]

Firehair will make frequent appearances in this blog, being one of the strongest and most uncompromising heroines of the Golden Age. The character featured prominently in Rangers Comics and eventually got her own title, Firehair, Warrior-Maid of the Wild Dakotas, and her adventures ran from 1945 to 1952. Firehair was a red headed white woman, named Lynn Cabot, whose wealthy parents headed west from Philadelphia to deliver a shipment of arms to the western township of Plainsville. Ambushed by apparently hostile Native American warriors (who were in fact renegade white men in disguise - a common storyline in the title) and left for dead along with her murdered mother and father, the young Lynn is rescued by the benevolent Dakota Sioux who raise the girl as one of their own, naming her “Firehair” after her distinctive red locks. Initially unable to remember her former life, Firehair embraces the life of the Dakotas with enthusiasm, but refuses to accept the restrictions of being an “Indian squaw” and soon excels at horse riding, roping, archery and hunting, frequently putting the braves to shame. Eventually Firehair’s memory returns, but despite being an heiress to her family fortune, Lynn elects to remain with the Dakotas, rapidly becoming a confidant of their wise chief, Tehema, and best friend to the young brave and Tehema’s son, Little Axe.

Firehair’s adventures involve defending her people against Native American enemies and crooked and exploitative white men. Usually clad in a well-fitting belted green buckskin dress, Firehair is as sensual as she is brave, but, although secretly longing for love, finds it forever denied her. Strong-willed, intelligent but sometimes reckless, the western heroine is highly skilled in unarmed combat and, frequently aided by the Dakotas, brings numerous villains, renegades, traitors and outlaws to justice. In truth, Firehair is of a piece with the numerous and contemporaneous Golden Age jungle woman comic book characters. She is white, beautiful, from a wealthy background and intent of defending what she views as a noble life from encroaching white settlers. She can rightly be accused of being a paternalistic figure in respect of the Native American tribespeople she fights with and against, but the title is free of the racism that often permeates the jungle girl genre, with the Native characters rarely portrayed as savage caricatures. Also, to the squaws of her tribe, she is a feminist role model, puncturing male pretensions and demonstrating daily, that she is indeed a warrior-maiden and the equal of any man.

Firehair first appeared in Rangers Comics #21 (February 1945) and featured in every issue until #65 (May 1952). Her own title lasted eleven issues from Winter 1948 until Spring 1952. The Firehair stories were usually well-plotted, often with a moral, and were written by John Starr, and illustrated by Lee Elias and Bob Lubbers. The cover above, featuring Firehair in typical combative style intercepting and capturing two male Pony Express robbers, and aided by Little Axe, is from Firehair #11 (Spring 1952).

All Firehair’s adventures can be found on comicbookplus, either in the original titles or in a five volume archive.

[western-magical-girl-confessions]

“In a good show, you're angry at the characters. In a bad show, you're angry at the writers. I don't hate Chloe, Zoe, Luka, Kagami, Lila or Marinette, because none of them are being written consistently and so instead I feel vaguely bad for all of them, like I would a friend who has crappy parents.”

[rovky]

What even is this?! More Western AU stuff?! More experimenting?! I don’t know 😭 this is what happens when I don’t draw for a month 👎👎

[comicsart32]

Tess Dean

“Tess, you don’t know what you’re doing!”

I reckon she does, Duke!

[esonetwork]

'Blood On The Trail' Book Review By Ron Fortier

New Post has been published on http://esonetwork.com/blood-on-the-trail-book-review-by-ron-fortier/

'Blood On The Trail' Book Review By Ron Fortier

BLOOD ON THE TRAIL A Jeremiah Halstead Western By Terrence McCauley Pinnacle Books 315 pgs

Mystery writer Terrence McCauley burst on the Western scene several years ago with his first Sheriff Aaron Mackey novel, “Where the Bullets Fly.” At the end of that four-book series, Mackey was sworn in as Montana’s U.S. Marshal and residing in Helena, the state capital. We cannot say enough good things about that series and happily reviewed every one of them. Though we were led to believe that after the fourth book that would be the last we’d see of Mackey and his likable cast of characters.

Happily, we’ve been proven wrong as McCauley has now returned to Montana and begun a second series this time featuring one of Mackey’s Deputy Marshals, Jeremiah Halstead, who had first appeared in the previous books as a supporting character. Young Halstead was the son of one of Mackey’s closest friends from the war. In this first story, Deputy Halstead is sent down to the small town of Rock Creek to locate the whereabouts of the murderous Hudson Gang. That he manages to do easily enough. It is only after he captures the gang’s leader, John Hudson, that his trouble begins. Fleeing Rock Creek with the rest of the killers chasing him, Halstead manages to escape but not before killing two of them; one being Hudson’ younger brother.

Desperate to get back to Helena with his prisoner, the Deputy Marshal stops in the town of Silver Cloud, a halfway point on his trip. But when goes to the local jail to lock up his prisoner, he’s confronted by the mean-spirited Sheriff Boddington and his two dimwit deputies. Halstead has no patience for men like these and quickly puts all three out of commission with the use of his rifle butt; an action guaranteed not to endear him with the good people of Silver Cloud. Then he gets a telegram from Marshal Mackey telling him not to return immediately, but to remain in the burgeoning mining camp, Halstead’s situation becomes less than enviable.

Then within twenty hours of his arrival, a popular prostitute is murdered, her body discovered in the alley behind the saloon. Thus our hero is forced to stay in a town where he has already antagonized the sheriff, is embroiled in a murder investigation, and is very much aware that the remainder of the Hudson gang is most likely to attempt to free their boss at any time. Suspense builds upon suspense as McCauley skillfully weaves his narrative at a remarkably well-established pace. There is plenty of action throughout the tale skillfully interwoven with genuine characterizations of believable people. As a series debut, “Blood On The Trail,” is a magnificent launch that only has us hoping the sequel isn’t too far off. This is what good Westerns are all about.