Decades before Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman, there was...
...in this one-shot comic based on a 1958-59 syndicated TV series starring former singing cowboy star Rex Allen.
Though he did not carry a gun, Dr Bill Baxter was not a wimp by any measure.
The medical man used his wits, medical knowledge, his fists, and, occasionally, other people's shooting irons, to aid those who needed help.
Rex Allen, who played Baxter, performed as a rodeo rider while in high school.
After graduation, he took up singing, first in vaudeville, then on radio, becoming a popular country/Western singers.
Like most of his contemporaries, he soon was doing Western b-movies as a singing cowboy, teamed up with comedy-relief sidekicks including Buddy Ebsen and Slim Pickens, and nicknamed "The Arizona Cowboy".
After a couple of dozen films, Rex tried to make the transition to TV with Frontier Doctor, but the show was cancelled after a single season.
But Allen made yet another transition, and became a successful voice-over artist and narrator, primarily for Disney film and tv productions.
TRIVIA:
Besides Frontier Cowboy, Rex had his own self-titled comic book series from Dell Comics that ran for thirty-one issues!
Allen was a cousin of Gunsmoke cast member Glenn Strange, who played bartender Sam Noonan.
Rex's son, Rex Allen, Jr., is a successful singer.
There's a Rex Allen Museum in Willcox, Arizona!
Both stories in this issue of Dell's Four Color Comics (#877) from 1958, were adaptations of tv episode scripts, illustrated by noted illustrator Alex Toth (though the adaptation scripter is unknown).
There's a kool page about Frontier Doctor HERE.
Note: Due to the long lead time to create and print the comic so it would be available when the show aired, the story is based on an early version of the script, and no photo reference of the actors (except Rex Allen's Dr Bill Baxter)was available to Toth.
Also note that both versions of the tale emphasize the stupidity of the settlers' racism!
BONUS:
Here's the actual episode this comic story was adapted from.Note: Due to the long lead time to create and print the comic so it would be available when the show aired, the story is based on an early version of the script, and no photo reference of the actors (except Rex Allen's Dr Bill Baxter)was available to Toth.
Also note that both versions of the tale emphasize the stupidity of the settlers' racism!
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