Bobby Benson’s B-Bar-B Riders #1

Bobby Benson’s B-Bar-B Riders #1

Bobby Benson’s B-Bar-B Riders were more known for their hundreds of weekly episodes on the radio (the show that introduced actor Don Knotts to the public) than the 20 comic issues published between June 1950 and 1953. There were even two television shows produced for local airing in New York City.

Issue #1 below is one once owned and read from the ‘Ole man’s collection.  While not good girl by any stretch of the imagination, it is here because I ran across a copy and didn’t hesitate to pick it up.  The cover artist (and WWII veteran) Bob Powell had done some popular GGA work in his day, including earlier Sheena and later Cave Girl for the same publisher as this comic series, Magazine Enterprises.

Bobby Benson B-Bar-B Riders 14Powell and artist Dick Ayers both worked on a peculiar departure for Bobby Benson in issue #14, with a strange bondage and severed heads cover that mirrors more “classic horror” comic than western.  Frank Frazetta also has a hand in several other covers in the series.

Bobby is a young man who inherits a working ranch from his dead parents.  With the assistance friends and ranch hands he overcomes many would be evil doers.