Rulah, Jungle Goddess

Rulah, Jungle Goddess

Rulah on the cover of Zoot #7, June 1947. Art by Jack Kamen.
Publication information
Publisher Fox Feature Syndicate
First appearance Zoot Comics #7 (June 1947)
Created by Matt Baker (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego (originally) Jane Dogdge
(after Rulah, Jungle Goddess" #20) Joan Grayson
Species Human
Abilities Normal human strength

Rulah, Jungle Goddess is a fictional character, a jungle girl, in comic books published by Fox Feature Syndicate. She first appeared in Zoot Comics #7 (June 1947). The artist generally credited with creating Rulah is Matt Baker, although Jack Kamen and Graham Ingels were also associated with her. The character was ranked 79th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.[1]

Character background

Rulah's real name was given variously as either Jane Dodge[2] or Joan Grayson.[3] In the latter version, Rulah is a young aviatrix on a solo flight over Africa when her plane loses control and crashes. She replaces her clothes (which were destroyed in the crash) with a bikini made from the skin of a dead giraffe. Soon afterwards, Rulah saves a local tribe from an evil woman; the grateful tribespeople declare her queen. Rulah decides to remain in the jungle as its protector. Rulah is often accompanied by her pet panther Saber. Her boyfriend, Tim Pointer, is introduced in issue #20.

Publication history

Rulah appeared in each issue of Zoot Comics after issue #7. By issue #20, Zoot was retitled Rulah, Jungle Goddess. Rulah also appeared in All Top Comics, alongside Dagar, the Desert Hawk and the Blue Beetle. Rulah's last appearance in her own title was issue #27 (June 1949); the comic became a romance title and was renamed I Loved. All Top was canceled in July 1949.

After the demise of Fox Feature Syndicate, some of Rulah adventures were reprinted without permission by Star Comics (no relation to the Marvel Comics imprint), and I. W. Publications, under the Super Comics and Skywald Comics lines.

The last original story featuring Rulah is "Clash of Gods", written by Enrico Teodorani and drawn by Antonio Conversano, published in 2004 by AC Comics in Femforce # 129.

Notes

  1. Frankenhoff, Brent (2011). Comics Buyer's Guide Presents: 100 Sexiest Women in Comics. Krause Publications. p. 51. ISBN 1-4402-2988-0.
  2. Zoot #7 (June 1947)
  3. Rulah, Jungle Goddess #20 (Nov 1948)

External links

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