I've mentioned here before how fond I am of Milton Caniff's work on TERRY AND THE PIRATES. I've never liked STEVE CANYON
So I didn't hesitate when I came across a trade paperback reprinting roughly an entire year of STEVE CANYON China
There are five storylines in this year's worth of strips, none of which I had ever read before. Steve and his Gabby Hayes-like sidekick, Happy Easter, help a British missionary and some Chinese orphans escape from the Red Chinese army, then Steve gets separated from his friends and winds up in an espionage plot when an American traitor tries to sell a "mechanical brain" (obviously an early computer) prototype to the Communists. The scene shifts back into the hills for some more adventures with the Chinese guerrillas, but the hero in these is young Reed Kimberly, a friend of Steve's. Finally, Steve travels to Vietnam
This is fine stuff, full of plot twists and action and humor, and Caniff's artwork is packed with details the likes of which you won't find in many comic strips today. It certainly doesn't hurt anything that several beautiful femme fatales such as Madame Lynx, Cheetah, and Herself Muldoon show up in these yarns. They don't quite reach the same level of sultry dangerousness that Caniff's previous creation The Dragon Lady did, but who could?
For my money, TERRY AND THE PIRATES is the best adventure comic strip of all time, just as Milton Caniff is the best adventure comic strip creator of all time. But STEVE CANYON Steve Canyon
27 comments:
I followed the Canyon strips for years in the comic pages. It was a favorite of mine.
Caniff was a little before my time, but I'm going to have to look him up.
Steve Canyon was number 2 for me in the papers, right after Buz Sawyer
I had a deprived childhood, never having followed either Steve Canyon or Terry and the Pirates; neither strip appeared in newspapers my family read. For some reason neither television series drew my attention. Like Keith, I'm going to have to remedy this.
IDW's Library of American Comics is going to be doing a nice hardcover reprint series of Steve Canyon starting in January. It's supposed to be in the same format as their gorgeous Terry & the Pirates series, so larger strips than the Checker books, better reproduction, and Sundays in color. I'm looking forward to that.
Our local newspaper never carried STEVE CANYON, but I remember George Wunder's continuation of TERRY AND THE PIRATES being on the front page of the comics section every Sunday when I was a kid. I never read it then, didn't care for Wunder's art, and the stories didn't appeal to me at that time. I read some of his work reprinted years later and thought it was pretty good, though not up to Caniff's level. The adventure strips I liked as a kid were DICK TRACY, BUZ SAWYER, SMILIN' JACK, and a long-forgotten one called PETER SCRATCH.
I'm a fan of Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon. I need to start buying these reprints!
Steve Canyon was carried in the paper we got each day back when I was a kid. It was far tamer by then (the 1960s till the strip ended) than those knuckle-bustin' early days of the strip. But it stood out to me, even as a little kid, for the interesting art. Also running the funny papers at that time was Nancy (with the true hero of the strip, Sluggo), Kerry Drake, and prolly some other interesting things (if I can recall after all these years). Canyon was the most interesting, after B.C., for me.
I'd almost forgotten Steve Canyon. I used to enjoy these a lot.
He is the fictional character and US Air Force officer during World War 2 and Korean War & later the Cold War noted for his exploited adventures & the saga continues based from the story by Milton Caniff serialized in TV films comics animation and media throughout the world.
Steve Canyon created by Milton Caniff moving to King Features Syndicate/Hearst Media Group in June 2025.
He is the fictional character and US Air Force officer during World War 2 and Korean War noted for his exploited adventures during the Cold War era & the saga continues based from the story by Milton Caniff serialized in TV films comics animation and media throughout the world.
Rip Kirby Mandrake the Magician The Phantom Flash Gordon Terry & The Pirates & other joined forces fighting for freedom justice democracy and peace saves the world against the forces of evil and protect mankind the saga continues a crossover story.
Crossover stories joined forces to save the world from the forces of evil and save mankind and the saga continues.
A fictional character and US Air Force officer during World War 2 and Korean War noted for his exploited adventures during the Cold War era created by Milton Caniff in 1947-88 serialized in TV films comics animation and media throughout the world.
Let's bring back Steve Canyon to comics after 37 years of absence moving to IDW Comics & Dynamite Comics in June 2025.
Let's bring back Steve Canyon to comics after 37 years of absence moving to IDW Comics and Dynamite Comics in June 2025.
Steve Canyon meets Flash Gordon in outer space joined forces against Ming the Merciless to Planet Mongo/State of Mongovia.
Steve Canyon joined forces with The Phantom Mandrake the Magician Jungle Jim & other heroes united to save the world from the forces of evil and save mankind.
Return of Steve Canyon to comics after 37 years of absence & reinstated to newspapers in June 2025.
Steve Canyon literary character and comicbook series.
Steve Canyon is back on the comic strip after 37 years of absence.
A possible remake of the classic 1958-59 action adventure espionage melodrama TV series with new actors actresses new characters new setting & A new look filming takes place to be filming underway in Atlanta Georgia Baltimore Maryland Washington DC United States and Hollywood California United States by Universal Studios coming soon summer 2025.
Steve Canyon joins Popeye the Sailor crossover story.
Steve Canyon joins Hearst Media/King Features Syndicate in June 2025 soon after 37 years of absence returns to comicbooks and newspaper strips.
Steve Canyon literary character and comicbook series returns in June 2025 after 37 years of absence now joins King Features Syndicate/Hearst Media Group.
I am the collector of comicbooks and cartoons in popular media throughout the world my name is Wayne Moises from California United States. waynemoises@gmail.com. rockwaynemoises@gmail.com.
Post a Comment