Thursday, September 29, 2011

Ghost Rider

Created by editor Vincent Sullivan, writer Ray Krank and artist DICK AYERS, his name inspired by the lyrics of the song "Riders In The Sky", the ORIGINAL Ghost Rider was U.S. Marshal Rex Fury. Published my Magazine Enterprises, he often battled real supernatural menaces until the Comics Code put a stop to it...

The Calico Kid  and his sidekick Sing-Song appeared in 5 issues of TIM HOLT without his real identity being known. Written by Ray Krank, art was supplied by Ernie Bache, Fred Guardineer, and DICK AYERS, who did episodes 2, 4 & 5 (in issues #7, 9 & 10).

After 5 episodes, Ray Krank, Gardner Fox & DICK AYERS revealed The Kid was really U.S. Marshal Rex Fury-- who, following a murder attempt on himself & Sing-Song, created a new identity as The GHOST RIDER!  Before long, the "Haunted Horseman" became a hit and gained his own book...


A-1 #27  /  GHOST RIDER 1  /  art by DICK AYERS   (1950)
A-1 #29  /  GHOST RIDER 2  /  art by FRANK FRAZETTA   (May 1950)
A-1 #31  /  GHOST RIDER 3  /  art by FRANK FRAZETTA   (1951)
A-1 #34  /  GHOST RIDER 4  /  art by FRANK FRAZETTA   (1951)
A-1 #37  /  GHOST RIDER 5  /  art by FRANK FRAZETTA   (1951)
A-1 #44  /  GHOST RIDER 6  /  art by DICK AYERS   (1951)
A-1 #51  /  GHOST RIDER 7  /  art by DICK AYERS   (1952)
A-1 #57  /  GHOST RIDER 8  /  art by DICK AYERS   (August 1952)
A-1 #67  /  GHOST RIDER 9  /  art by DICK AYERS   (October 1952)
Still have a few of these to tackle yet...

A-12 #112  /  GHOST RIDER 14  /  art by DICK AYERS   (1954)


Artwork (C) Magazine Enterprises
Raw scans of #1-9 from the Heritage Auctions site
Raw scan of #14 from "Freddyfly" / "Josemas"
     at the Comic Book Plus site
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa

For More:
Read all 14 issues of GHOST RIDER at the Comic Book Plus site!
See more GHOST RIDER covers on the TIM HOLT pages
Read the GHOST RIDER article at Don Markstein's Toonopedia site
Read the GHOST RIDER article at the International Hero site
Read the Dick Ayers interview at the Twomorrows site
Read the Dick Ayers interview at the Adelaide Comics And Books site