Presenting classic graphic stories in tribute to the amazing women and men of the medical profession...our front-line defenders from plagues, pandemics, and disease!
Let's return to the adventures of the "interne" who changes appearance with every story! ...and take note of the decidedly-different art style on this story by a "guest" artist!
What you've just read is the first of two never-reprintedDoctor Dan Dazzler stories penciled and inked by Gene Colan from Dell's Ben Casey Comics #6 (1963)!
He also did a couple of one-page fillers about real-life doctors!
You'll see those (and the other Dan Dazzler story) soon!
..."internes" had to do, including, serving as "physician-on-duty" when a circus comes to town!
Actually, I believe the esteemed interne is royally-pissed in this never-reprinted story, illustrated by John Tartaglione from Dell's Ben Casey #5 (1963)
Dr Bill Baxter is told that his elderly uncle David Sheldon has been murdered!
But he left a will with a lawyer mentioning an inheritance of a gold mine, of which Bill will receive half. The other half is to go to an orphanage run by Miss Mary Fuller. However, to locate the gold mine and fulfill the terms of the will, Baxter must journey to Canada, where his uncle lived and died, and meet with Miss Fuller since both he and the lady each have only 1/2 of the map that leads to the mine. What he doesn't know is that the criminals who murdered his uncle lie in wait to ambush him, steal the map along with his identification and little black bag, and pretend to be him. They waylay the sawbones, who barely survives, but manages to get to a nearby RCMP station. The doctor and policeman confront the imposter, who manages to bluff the Mountie into thinking Baxter is the imposter! But when a medical emergency happens to a child at the orphanage, the fake doctor is forced by his confederates to attend to the deathly-ill patient...
This adaptation of the episode "Storm Over King City" in Dell's Four Color Comics #877 (1958) was illustrated by Alex Toth, whom Old West comics fans remember as the artist on the comics based on Disney's Zorro TV series! The writer, however, is unknown, As for the 1958-59 syndicated TV series' protagonist... 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 nicknamed "The Arizona Cowboy", teamed up with comedy-relief sidekicks including Buddy Ebsen and Slim Pickens.
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.
A 1950s Old West TV series about a man who didn't carry a gun?
Yep, and this never-reprinted one-shot comic tale about an MD on the frontier is adapted from one of the broadcast episodes!
To Be Concluded Next Friday
This adaptation of the episode "Storm Over King City" in Dell's Four Color Comics #877 (1958) was illustrated by Alex Toth, whom Old West comics fans remember as the artist on the comics based on Disney's Zorro TV series! The writer, however, is unknown. Note: We already presented another tale from the TV show-based comic HERE! As for the 1958-59 syndicated TV series' protagonist... Though he did not carry a gun, Dr Bill Baxter was not a wimp by any measure. The MD 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 nicknamed "The Arizona Cowboy", teamed up with comedy-relief sidekicks including Buddy Ebsen and Slim Pickens.
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.
Undaunted, 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.
We Return to Our Monthly Installment of Dr Dan Dazzler...
...the interne (as they spelled it back then) who never looks the same two issues in a row!
Written by Carl Memling and illustrated by Norman Nodel, this third tale of Dr Dan Dazzler from Dell's Ben Casey #4 (1962) shows us a different visual for the character than his previous appearance HERE! Then, he's under 25, with a full head of blond hair! But in his premiere tale HERE, he looks as he does now...early-30s with receding brown hair! I wonder if this was meant to be a feature about a group of doctors working at a given hospital like "Internes of Central Hospital" or somesuch. But they decided, after the art was rendered, to just change the name and the captions and make several doctors just one doctor, with, easily, the silliest name they could think of! But they didn't modify the art to give the character a consistent look! It's just a theory, and we'll never know the answer.
We Close Out December and 2024 with Our Monthly Feature...
...about a young "interne" who may look too youthful for his own good!
Written by Carl Memling and illustrated by Norman Nodel, this second tale of Dr Dan Dazzler from Dell's Ben Casey #3 (1962) shows us a different visual for the character than his first appearance HERE! In this strip, he's under 25, with a full head of blond hair, but in the previous strip, he looked like early-30s with receding brown hair! I wonder if this was meant to be a feature about a group of doctors working at a given hospital like "Internes of Central Hospital" or somesuch. But they decided, after the art was rendered, to just change the name and the captions and make several doctors just one doctor, with, easily, the silliest name they could think of! But they didn't modify the art to give the character a consistent look! It's just a theory, and we'll never know the answer.
We're Taking Next Friday Off, But We'll be Back on January10th, 2025!
Tucked behind the comic book adventures of TV's Ben Casey...
...was a strip about a young interne (as they spelled it back then)!
This premiere appearance from Dell's Ben Casey Comics #2 (1963) was scripted by Carl Memling and illustrated by Norman Nodel who did several chapters before moving on to other assignments.
BTW, Doctor Dan Dazzler is our new ongoing feature, appearing monthly.
...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.
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).
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!
