Repaneled is a most excellent blog where cartoonists/illustrators take a crack at reimagining classic or obscure comics panels. And this week they served up a doozy, above.
That’s the original from “Silver #22″ but the reimagining by Robert Goodin is even more disturbing — please click on the link to enjoy!But we couldn’t help wondering…what is this “Silver”? An early comic by Jim Woodring or Hans Rickheit? The work of an unknown cousin to Fletcher Hanks? Or a spin-off from KRAMERS ERGOT? Surely only the fecund imaginations of a contemporary indie cartoonist could imagine a calfskin giving birth to an Indian, face first, through a large vagina in its throat. Right?
After a bit of digging we found that the comic was actually about the Lone Ranger’s horse, Silver, and was called “Hi Yo Silver.” The issue in question was published in 1957 by Dell Comics. Of course, this called for a visit to Cover Browser
to learn more about the adventures of Silver, a beast intelligent enough to rescue the Lone Ranger on several occasions and star in 32 issues of his very own comic book.
He was, it seems, a fighter. Who was brave enough to take on a wildcat…
…or a bear…
….or another stallion…
…or another wildcat when they forgot what they had on the cover a few months earlier. Or maybe it’s the SAME wildcat — perhaps Silver has an ARCHENEMY.
But he did not shy away from protecting the weak, either, whether it was a trembling colt…
Ah, yes, the lesser complicated days of yore, when a comic could be about a horse. And there were no parallel universes or glorified creative teams. No multi-issue crossover arcs.
And when a comic starring a horse could probably sell, what, 60,000 copies?
A weird-ass idea for a comic? Yes. But MAN are those some pretty covers.
Damn, that’s a big cougar!!
Whoa!
Easy, girl!
Don’t be scared, it’s just a guy wearing a calfskin disguise.
Have a carrot …
so no one remembers “spirit”? what about “Black Beauty”? why is it weird to read or watch movies about horses?
You guys are weird!!!!
:D
>> And when a comic starring a horse could probably sell, what, 60,000 copies? >>
Way more than that. In 1970, X-MEN was canceled when it dropped below 200,000 copies.
60,000 would have been far below cancellation level in the 1950s.
Wasn’t there a companion comic starring Tornado the horse of Zorro?
Heidi, if I know anything about Rob, he’s going to absolutely love your interpretation of that panel.