The Ringo Kid is a

fictional Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

character appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

s published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

. His

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

series was originally released by the company's 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. The character is depicted as having a Caucasian father and a Native American mother. 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 Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

's "Ringo Kid" in the Western film ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

''.

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''). Created by an unknown writer and artist

Joe Maneely Joseph Maneely (; February 18, 1926 – June 7, 1958) was an American comic book artist best known for his work at Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics (1950s), Atlas Comics, where he co-created the Marvel characters the Black Knight (Si ...

, it ran 21 issues (

cover-date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...

d 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 John Powers Severin (; December 26, 1921 – February 12, 2012) was an American comics artist noted for his distinctive work with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics '' Two-Fisted Tales'' and ''Frontline Combat''; for Marvel Comics, e ...

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). He also appears on the cover of ''Wild Western'' #39 (Dec. 1954), but not in an interior story. A five-page story entitled "The Ringo Kid" in Atlas' ''Western Outlaws & Sheriffs'' #73 (June 1952) is unrelated, as is the four-page story "Ringo Kid" in ''Wild Western'' #26 (Feb. 1953). Marvel reprinted the series in ''Ringo Kid'' vol. 2, #1-30 (Jan. 1970 – Nov. 1976), often with the original Maneely covers. Issues #8 and #9 had new stories in the form of inventory stories from the 1950s only published in that volume. The Ringo Kid made his first appearance in the broader Marvel Universe in a

time travel Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...

tale in the

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

-team comic '' The Avengers'' #142 (Dec. 1975) Marvel writer

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early li ...

planned a revival series at about this time, with art by

Dick Ayers Richard Bache Ayers (; April 28, 1924 – May 4, 2014) was an American comic book artist and cartoonist best known for his work as one of Jack Kirby's inkers during the late-1950s and 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comics, including on s ...

: "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 ic 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". Additiona
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Fictional character biography

The Ringo Kid, dressed all in black, is a heroic

gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...

of the 19th-century American

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

with a Caucasian father, Cory Rand, and a Native American mother, Dawn Star, variously referred to as a

Comanche The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...

or a

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

"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." He was treated as an outcast because of his mixed heritage, and on the run after being falsely accused of a crime. He traveled with his sidekick Dull Knife. Dull Knife was of the same heritage as his mother's people. Ringo roamed the frontier atop his horse named 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 *

at An International Catalogue of Superheroes. Note: Gives incorrect data on first appearance. {{Marvel Western Characters 1954 comics debuts 1957 comics endings Atlas Comics characters Atlas Comics titles Characters created by Joe Maneely Comics characters introduced in 1954 Fictional Cheyenne people Fictional Comanche people Fictional gunfighters in comics Fictional Native American people in comics Marvel Comics male characters Marvel Comics titles Marvel Comics Western (genre) characters Western (genre) comics Western (genre) gunfighters