Ringo Kid

The Ringo Kid is a fictional Western hero in the Marvel Comics' universe, whose comic book series was originally released by the company's 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. A lesser-known character than the company's Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, or Two-Gun Kid, he also appeared in a reprint series in the 1970s.

The character is unrelated to the actor John Wayne's "Ringo Kid" in the Western film Stagecoach.

Publication history

Atlas Comics' Ringo Kid debuted in the first issue of a series billed on its trademarked cover logo as Ringo Kid for all but two issues (#1 and #3, cover-billed as Ringo Kid Western).^[1] Created by an unknown writer and artist Joe Maneely, it ran 21 issues (cover-dated Aug. 1954 - Sept. 1957), drawn primarily by either Maneely or Fred Kida. Stories also ran occasionally in Wild Western, beginning with issue #38 (Nov. 1954), initially drawn by Maneely, with artist John Severin taking the reins in at least issues #46-47 (Nov. 1955 - Jan. 1956). Ringo was the lead feature in the two-issue anthology series Western Trails #1-2 (May & July 1957).^[2][3] He also appears on the cover of Wild Western #39 (Dec. 1954), but not in an interior story.^[4][5]

A five-page story entitled "The Ringo Kid" in Atlas' Western Outlaws & Sheriffs #73 (June 1952) is unrelated,^[6] as is the four-page story "Ringo Kid" in Wild Western #26 (Feb. 1953).^[7]

Marvel reprinted the series in Ringo Kid vol. 2, #1-30 (Jan. 1970 - Nov. 1976), often with the original Maneely covers. The Ringo Kid made his first appearance in present-day stories in a time travel tale in the superhero-team comic The Avengers #142 (Dec. 1975)

Marvel writer Steve Englehart planned a revival series at about this time, with art by Dick Ayers: "Every series I did took off so Marvel kept giving me more. I relaunched this classic Western — always my favorite of Marvel's true cowboy heroes (as opposed to the Two-Gun Kid, whom I also liked but who was more a superhero) — with classic Western artist Dick Ayres [sic]. But after this first issue was drawn and scripted, Marvel decided to do more superheroes and fewer cowboys, so it was set aside before inking".^[8]

Fictional character biography

The Ringo Kid, dressed all in black, is a heroic gunslinger of the 19th-century American Old West with a Caucasian father, Cory Rand, and a Native American mother, Dawn Star, variously referred to as a Comanche or a Cheyenne "princess of her tribe despite the fact that the very idea of princesses was alien to that culture, imagined by settlers of European extraction, projecting their notions of royalty onto the natives."^[9] He was treated as an outcast because of his mixed heritage, and on the run after being falsely accused of a crime. With his sidekick Dull Knife, of his mother's people, he roamed the frontier atop his horse, Arab. His specific mission or goal appears not to have been stated explicitly, but there is intimation of some law-enforcement function: As many covers note breathlessly, "Ringo!" is "The name that makes killers tremble!"

References

External links

• The Ringo Kid Western at The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
• Ringo Kid at the Comic Book DB
• Ringo Kid at An International Catalogue of Superheroes. Note: Gives incorrect data on first appearance.