THE RIFLEMAN RETURNS TO THE COMICS
POSTED ON BLEEDING COOL WEBSITE
MAY 30, 2020
CRAIG E. SAWYER
You may know me as a
writer of comics, and sometimes writer of articles that appear in the hallowed
halls of Bleeding Cool, unless Rich Johnston hasn't had his morning tea,
then I receive the J. Jonah Jameson styled email telling me to write better,
and take better pictures of Spider-Man (they are always blurry). I have a few
subjects I want like to tackle today, the main one being the four-paneled
strip. They have existed since the early 20th-century, with early American
comic strips like Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland (1905—27),
and also the appearance of yonkoma (four-cell) manga in Japan. I have
always loved the four-paneled medium, and I feel they are making a huge come
back in the age of Instagram and other social media, especially after Instagram
introduced the Carousal in 2017, which allowed comic strips to thrive.
Our phones are
basically a one panel, right? We have become enamored with squares, so a four
panel strip fits perfectly in the age of quick bite entertainment. I am
all for standard comics, but a recent job has me drawing a four-panel western.
It's been challenging and fun to learn how to tell a captivating story with so
little space. And let's talk about what readers are reading. Recent data has
shown comic book readers are reading fewer superheroes and exploring other
genres. The once insular market is opening up to the arrival of a more diverse
audience with different tastes, like those of the western, sci-fi, and horror
genres. The popularity of the wild west comic is nothing new. The legendary
artist Jack Kirby cut his teeth on gun-wielding cowboys, on titles such as Kid
Colt Outlaw and The Two Gun Kid.
I am writing a new
four-panel with artist Luke Archey, which is based on The Rifleman TV
series from the late 50s and early 60s. It was created by Levy-Gardner-Laven
Productions Inc. The series was very well written and pretty progressive for
its time, with famous guest stars such as Sammy Davis Jr., a very young Dennis
Hopper, and the Dark Knight himself Adam West. There were also a series of
colored comics by Dell/Gold Key in the 60s.
The Rifleman Four Panel Episodes will be released
on The Rifleman's social media and website beginning every
Sunday in June. The series will follow the adventures of a Wild West rancher,
wielding a customized rapid-fire Winchester rifle, while raising his son in the
sometimes lawless New Mexico Territory. The Rifleman is an American
Western television program that ran from September 30, 1958—April 8, 1963. It
starred Chuck Connors, as rancher Lucas McCain, and Johnny Crawford as his son
Mark McCain.
You can 'follow' and
'like' The Rifleman—The Original Series on their official Facebook Page,
or at @theriflemanofficial on Instagram, or on their official website
www.therifleman.net/
www.therifleman.net/
