CSBG Archive
Scott’s Classic Comics Corner: Ned Kelly’s Impact on Western Comics
After re-reading Peter Carey’s excellent, True Story of the Kelly Gang, I decided to look up Australia’s notorious 19th Century outlaw on Wikipedia. I learned that a new Batman villain, the Swagman has a design based on Kelly gang’s armor. That’s all fine and dandy, but we should not forget the earlier impact of the iron wearing outlaw on the funny books of yesteryear.
Iron helmets and/or masks are fairly common in comic books, as The Man in the Iron Mask has also been used quite often as a springboard for a story (see Blackhawk #72 and Wonder Woman #80), but those are a story for another day. The specific Ned Kelly influence is typically seen in western comics, although I did make one exception. Here are a few examples.
The Iron Mask is probably the best candidate for Kid Colt’s archenemy. He made a few appearances in a genre renowned for its ‘one and done’ villains. His armor on the cover to Kid Colt Outlaw #114 is much more in line with the bulky Kelly gang armor than the mere mask and lightweight armor his wore for his initial appearance in issue Kid Colt #110. He kept the body armor for his third appearance in Kid Colt #127, but it seemed less bulky, by which time he had become leader of the western version of the Circus of Crime.
Marvel proclaimed itself to be the House of Ideas in the 60s, but some of those ideas were borrowed. A villain named Iron Mask first appeared in Magazine Enterprises Tim Holt #32 (October-November, 1952), more than a decade before the Kid Colt villain. I really dig this period of Tim Holt, as he (and the other heroes featured in the title) faced a variety of colorful villains, serving as a template for much of what Marvel would do with the various ‘Kids’ in the 60s. I also like these Frank Bolle covers, as it is always fun looking for he initials.
The cover to Hillman’s Dead Eye Western Volume 1 #11(August-September, 1950) seems to be an homage to the confrontation between the Kelly Gang and police at Glengowan. I cannot quite place who drew this cover, but it is very well rendered. Hillman Periodicals employed a number of terrific artists including Berni Krigstein, Al Williamson and Bob Fujitani. This series, along with Western Fighters are some of the best westerns put out during this period and they are relatively inexpensive as compared to Marvel and DC westerns.
Finally, I’m going to step into the Code crime genre here with the ‘Killer in the Iron Mask’ from Mr. District Attorney #24 (November-December 1951). Howard Purcell was responsible for a lot of stylish cover at DC during the 50s and 60s and this one is no exception. The story doesn’t really have much of a connection to the Ned Kelly premise, but it’s a bad guy with an iron mask. I’ll use any excuse to discuss Mr. District Attorney. It’s a shame that you don’t see double breasted yellow suits anymore.
I am actually surprised that, as far as I can tell, the Ned Kelly story has not been used more often in comic books, as it is such a stunning visual. I reviewed many ‘true’ and ‘real fact’ titles from the Golden Age, and didn’t see him come up at all. I should mention two Australian newspaper strips from the 70s. Ned Kelly was a fairly straightforward telling to the outlaw’s story, whereas Iron Outlaw, a satirical strip that used the iron helmet as a launching pad. A good summary of these strips can be found at this site: Iron Outlaw – Comics
For more comic book chatter – stop by my blog: Seduction of the Indifferent
12 Comments
Matt Bird
January 12, 2010 at 9:42 am
Great topic, Scott!
As a true crime fan, I always love to trace how certain crimes get recreated in fiction over and over again, whether consciously or unconsciously, like the Ruth Snyder execution, the Goodman-Chaney-Schwerner killings, all the way to the west Hollywood shootout.
I think certain certain cases are embraced by fiction writers not so much because they want to make an homage, but because that one true case proves that such outrageous crimes are actually possible, giving the writers license to go a little wilder.
Omar Karindu, with the power of SUPER-hypocrisy!
January 12, 2010 at 9:58 am
I’d guess that the killer in the Iron Mask is far more likely a reference to the Victor Hugo novel than to Ned Kelly.
Scott
January 12, 2010 at 10:03 am
Omar, I assume you mean Dumas’ “Man in the Iron Mask”.
I hear what you’re saying – but as I noted, those are a whole different kettle of fish in my personal categorization system. I see “Man in Iron Mask” comics as one in which a hero or innocent person is somehow trapped in an iron mask.
I’ve put this Mr. DA one in with Ned Kelly covers as the mask is part of the criminal activity.
Omar Karindu, with the power of SUPER-hypocrisy!
January 12, 2010 at 10:37 am
D’oh! Yes, Dumas. (And don’t ask me if it’s fils or pere!)
How widely known was the Ned Kelly story outside Australia, I wonder? I mean, I’m not disputing that the creators of the comics above knew it, but I wonder how recognizable the influence was to the readers. (The Swagman, for instance, seems to have sailed past several people on the ‘Net and this is in the Age of Google and Wikipedia.)
Mary Warner
January 12, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Yeah, I think the reason the Ned Kelly story hasn’t been used much in comics is simply because few Americans know much about it. I’ve heard of Ned Kelly a few times, but I had no idea he wore armour until just now.
FunkyGreenJerusalem
January 12, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Really?
Being an Australian, I groaned a little when I first saw him as it was such an obvious basing of him.
But… that’s really the biggest thing his notable for!
Well that and the fact the public loved him both before and after his capture – he was one murder who got the power of publicity… just tip your hat to the idea of Robin Hood and the people will love you!
(If you ever end up in Victoria, in Australia, you can go see the actual armour on display, It’s interesting, but y’know, you’re standing there looking at what really is a dinged up bit of metal crudely shaped into something someone could uncomfortably wear).
I’m surprised, bland though it was, that the Heath Ledger film from a few years back didn’t make any headway into the US.
It seemed way more aimed at telling the story to people who had never heard it before than those who had.
MarkAndrew
January 12, 2010 at 6:54 pm
The Kid Colt Man in the Iron Mask is actually one of my favorite Marvel characters. I own all his comic appearances, the poster, the novelty toothbrush, the underoos….
Simmie
January 12, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Good overview, I’ve always thought a good Elsewords-type project would be Iron Man/Ned Kelly mashup. BTW its Glenrowan not Glengowan
Scott
January 13, 2010 at 6:38 am
Yes – it is Glenrowan. I have no idea why I typed Glengowan.
As I said, I am quite surprised that this ‘visual’ wasn’t used more in westerns. I am not sure how well the Ned Kelly story was known out of Australia. There were several film adaptations, including the 1970 Mick Jagger movie.
stavner
January 13, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Don’t forget “Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such.”
Eric
January 14, 2010 at 3:56 pm
That Jagger film version of the Ned Kelly has a fantastic soundtrack sung, not by Jagger surprisingly, but by Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, with lyrics by Shel Silverstein!
Not really pertinent to the comics conversation, but since we’re talking Ned Kelly….
MDG
January 18, 2010 at 9:03 am
That Jagger film version of the Ned Kelly has a fantastic soundtrack sung, not by Jagger surprisingly, but by Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, with lyrics by Shel Silverstein!
Not really pertinent to the comics conversation, but since we’re talking Ned Kelly….
Yeah, and the movoe is the only reason I’ve heard of him. Did he wear armor in that?
I love how the stagecoach driver and guard on the DEAD-EYE cover aim for the outlaws’ faces–wonder if they did that all the time?