Friday, February 08, 2008

Rip Kirby - Part 2

(* Update: Saturday... Thanks to Fortunato (see 'Comments'), who was able to i.d. all bar one of the Rip Kirby reprints. And that one, entitled The Crooked Mile, I now believe to be the story from 05/21--08/28/56. The checklist (see link below) gives the (unofficial) title as Zero Hour and the story features one Madame Zero who is using a model to smuggle a microfilm hidden in a satin rose; I also found a tiny 1956 copyright notice. So that's all of 'em!)

More Rip Kirby stories that I need identified. Since posting the previous batch of Kirbys, I've had a comment that the original stories didn't have titles which makes it a little more tricky. Just to make it clear, the titles I'm giving are from when the stories appeared in the British comic Super Detective Library in 1958-59. What I need to know is when the stories originally appeared -- i.e. the original syndication dates. I've been using this checklist of Rip Kirby stories to establish dates and, as there are no official titles for stories, I've been using these unofficial titles. If you can i.d. which stories these are the openings to, please drop me a line with either the start date or 'story 33' or whatever... just as long as I can tie the reprint to the original.

So, first up, 'Rip Kirby in Design for Murder'... maybe the The Human Gorilla and Uncle Twinkle will ring some bells with Kirby fans. The story dates from 1954

Next: 'Rip Kirby and the Devil's Henchman', which features The Mangler. This one starts off in Africa and involves the Mangler disguising himself as Ernest Welles and a search for a fortune in diamonds. I'm pretty sure this is the story also known as 'The Missing Key' (02/20--05/19/56) but I need confirmation.

This one is from issue 150, 'Rip Kirby and the Case of the Crooked Mile', the last of the Kirby reprints in Super Detective Library.

And that's it for the Rip Kirby reprints. Any help you can offer tracking down when these tales originally appeared would be very welcome.

(* Rip Kirby © King Features Syndicate)

1 comment:

  1. If you want dates, I’ll try.

    Duel with danger!: December 6 - September 9 1950
    Race of death: May 11 – September 5 1953
    Dangerous manhunt: May 26 – September 27 1952
    The prisoner of Doom Castle: July 12 – December 25 1954
    Design for murder: December 27 1954 – April 9 1955
    The devil’s henchman: February 20 – May 19 1956
    The croocked mile: ?

    ---Fortunato

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