Weird Western Tales

From Hey Kids Comics

Weird Western Tales
250x450px
Weird Western Tales #14 (October–November 1972), featuring Jonah Hex. Art by Tony DeZuniga.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
Schedule Bi-monthly/Monthly
Format Ongoing series
Publication date Vol. 1: June/July 1972-August 1980
Vol. 2: April 2001 - July 2001
Number of issues Vol. 1: 59
Vol. 2: 4
Main character(s) Jonah Hex
Scalphunter
Cinnamon
Creative team
Writer(s) John Albano, Cary Bates, Gerry Conway, Michael Fleisher, Roger McKenzie
Artist(s) Neal Adams, Dick Ayers, Tony DeZuniga, Luis Dominguez

Weird Western Tales is a Western genre comic book title published by DC Comics which ran from June–July 1972 to August 1980. It is perhaps best known for featuring the adventures of Jonah Hex until #38 (1977) when the character was promoted to his own eponymous series. Scalphunter then took Hex's place as the featured character in Weird Western Tales.

Publication history[edit | edit source]

Original series[edit | edit source]

The original title ran for eight years and 59 issues.[1] It started with issue #12, continuing the numbering from the second volume of All-Star Western two issues after the first appearance of Jonah Hex.[2] The title's name was partially inspired by the sales success of Weird War Tales.[3] When Jonah Hex received his own eponymous series,[4] he was replaced as the lead feature of Weird Western Tales by Scalphunter as of issue #39 (March–April 1977).[5] The character Cinnamon was introduced in issue #48 (September–October 1978) by writer Roger McKenzie and artist Dick Ayers.[6] The final issue was #70 (August 1980).[1]

Revival[edit | edit source]

Weird Western Tales was revived in 2001 as a four-issue limited series.[7] The mini-series had no relation to the earlier title, instead featuring a series of one-shot Western-based stories.

Blackest Night[edit | edit source]

A one-shot revival of the series, utilizing the original numbering, #71 (March 2010),[8] was published as a Tie-in to the Blackest Night event.[9]

Collected editions[edit | edit source]

  • Showcase Presents: Jonah Hex
    • Volume 1 includes Weird Western Tales #12-14 and 16-33, 528 pages, November 2005, ISBN 1-4012-0760-X

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Weird Western Tales at the Grand Comics Database
  2. McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. An instant hit with fans, Jonah Hex quickly overshadowed the other stars of All-Star Western. The series was renamed Weird Western Tales two issues later. 
  3. Daniels, Les (1995). DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes. Bulfinch Press. p. 153. ISBN 0821220764. 'Carmine Infantino and I found out that the word weird sold well.' [editor Joe] Orlando recalls. 'So DC created Weird War and Weird Western.' 
  4. McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 173: "In true nomad fashion, disfigured gunman Jonah Hex rode his horse out of Weird Western Tales and into his own comic."
  5. McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 173: "With scarred gunslinger Jonah Hex riding off into his own series, writer Michael Fleisher and artist Dick Ayers produced a new outcast to headline Weird Western Tales. Scalphunter was 'a man who lived in two worlds, but was at home in neither.'"
  6. Beatty, Scott (2008), "Cinnamon I", in Dougall, Alastair, The DC Comics Encyclopedia, Dorling Kindersley, p. 83, ISBN 0-7566-4119-5 
  7. Weird Western Tales vol. 2 at the Grand Comics Database
  8. Weird Western Tales #71 at the Grand Comics Database
  9. Schedeen, Jesse (October 12, 2009). "DC Reveals Plans for Blackest Night in January". IGN. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012. 

External links[edit | edit source]