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{{Infobox comic book title
<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| image = Blue Ribbon Comics 1.jpg
| imagesize = 200
| caption = {{Descript-cvr| Blue Ribbon Comics|1|1|November 1939| feature=[[Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog]]| art =[[Norman Danberg]]}}
| schedule = Monthly (actually irregular)
| format =
| ongoing =
| publisher = [[MLJ Comics]]
| date = November [[1939 in comics|1939]] – March [[1942 in comics|1942]]
| issues = 22
| main_char_team = Mr. Justice<br>[[Captain Flag]]<br>[[Fox (comics)|The Fox]]<br>[[Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog]]<br>Loop Logan, Air Ace<br>Corporal Collins, Infantryman<br>Ty-Gor, Son of the Jungle
| writers =
| artists =
| pencillers =
| inkers =
| letterers =
| colorists =
| subcat = Archie Comics
| sort = Blue Ribbon Comics
}}
'''''Blue Ribbon Comics''''' is the name of two [[United States|American]] [[comic book]] anthology series, the first published by the [[Archie Comics]] predecessor [[Archie Comics|MLJ Magazines Inc.]], commonly known as MLJ Comics, from 1939 to 1942, during the [[Golden Age of Comic Books]]. The revival was the second comic published in the 1980s by Archie Comics under the [[Red Circle Comics|Red Circle]] and [[Archie Adventure Series]] banners.
''Blue Ribbon Comics'' was also the title of an unrelated six-issue comic book series published in 1948–1949 by [[St. John Publications]].
== MLJ Comics/Archie ==
===
The first series of ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' #1–22 (Nov. 1939 – March 1942) was a 64-page anthology comic published by MLJ Magazines Inc., commonly known as MLJ Comics, the precursor to what would become the publisher [[Archie Comics]]. Issues #9–18 and #22 were cover-titled ''Blue Ribbon Mystery Comics''. The series was edited by [[Harry Shorten]].<ref>Shorten in the 1960s was publisher of [[Tower Comics]] and also a comics writer, credited with creating MLJ/Archie characters the [[Black Hood]] and the [[Shield (Archie Comics)]]. He maintained his links with MLJ/Archie, whose ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' #12 (Sept. 1984) contained a story starring Tower property the [[T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents]] after Tower ceased publication.</ref>
The first title published by MLJ, ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' initially ran a mixture of content, in the manner of most early comic books. These included the [[science-fiction]] feature "Dan Hastings" (#1–2), [[crime comics|crime]], short [[humor]] fillers, and adventure tales such as, from issue #1, "Burk of the Briny" in #1 and Cliff Thorndyke's [[Africa]]n adventure "Village of Missing Men". "[[Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog]]", the tales of an intelligent dog in the [[Rin Tin Tin]] vein, written by Joe Blair and primarily drawn by Ed Smalle, was the only feature to appear in every issue. Another, "Corporal Collins, Infantryman", a [[war comics|war]] feature drawn by [[Charles Biro]], about a U.S. soldier stranded in [[France]] when [[World War II]] breaks out<ref>an almost identical premise to a later MLJ character, "Sergeant Boyle" in ''[[Pep Comics]]'', who was stranded in [[England]] at the start of the war</ref> was in every issue but the first. As all comic books did through the early 1960s, to satisfy [[U.S. Postal Service]] requirements for magazine rates, ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' also contained text stories, sometimes about characters from the comics features, such as the titular cowboy Buck Stacey.
With the exception of a reprinted ''[[Little Nemo]]'' newspaper comic strip story by [[Winsor McCay]] in #1, all stories in the comic were new. Reader participation was encouraged; in issue #3 (Jan. 1940) MLJ offered $5 for the prize letter of the month and $1 for 10 runners-up, and issue #4 (June 1940) introduced the [[Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog|Rang-a-Tang Club]], boasting its own registered [[veterinarian]] to answer questions on dog health and training.
Future [[Plastic Man]] creator [[Jack Cole (artist)|Jack Cole]], then working for the [[Harry "A" Chesler]] studio, wrote and drew a number of one off-humor strips in the first issue: "Hold That Line", "Ima Slooth", "Foxy Grandpa" and "King Kole's Kourt." Issue #2 (Dec. 1940) had his "Knight Off". He additionally provided two "Crime on the Run" strips, subtitled "True Stories of Crime", in #1 and #3, and "Devils of the Deep", a two-part adventure in #2–3. [[Will Eisner]], future creator of the [[Spirit (comics)|Spirit]], produced a single humor strip, "Boodini the Great" in issue #1.<ref name=gcd>[http://www.comics.org/series/124/ ''Blue Ribbon Comics'', Archie, MLJ imprint, 1939 Series] at the [[Grand Comics Database]].</ref>
By issue #4, however, MLJ replaced the humor strips with more adventure and crime stories, and introduced [[fantasy]]-[[adventure]] characters such as the [[mythological]] Hercules in modern-day [[United States|America]] (#4–8); the [[Doc Savage]]-like [[Doc Strong]] by Sam Cooper, set on a desolate Earth 100 years in the future soon after [[World War II]] had ended (#4–12); and the [[Green Falcon]], a medieval adventurer whose feature was drawn by one of very few women then working in the comics, Ramone Patenaude (#4–15).<ref>Davin, Eric Leif. ''Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926–1965'', p. 172</ref> Two long-running features were "Loop Logan, Air Ace", about an American pilot in WWII prior to U.S. involvement (#4–20),<ref>echoing "Corporal Collins, Infantryman" and other MLJ characters: "Sergeant Boyle" in [[Pep Comics]] and "Wings Johnson of Air Patrol" in [[Top-Notch Comics]]</ref> and "Ty-Gor, Son of the Jungle", drawn by [[Mort Meskin]], about a jungle boy taken to America (#4–20).<ref name=gcd />
The first superhero introduced to ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' was in the two-issue feature "[[Bob Phantom]], the Scourge of the Underground" (#2–3), with early work by artist [[Irv Novick]]. Bob Phantom moved to ''Pep Comics'' and was shortly followed by the [[Fox (comics)|Fox]] (#4–22), a costumed adventure hero created by writer Joe Blair and artist [[Irwin Hasen]] who would return during the 1960s in several Archie comics series. Next was [[Mr. Justice (Archie Comics)|Mr. Justice]] (#9–22), a ghostly superhero also created by writer Blair although mainly scripted by Charles Biro with artist Sam Cooper. [[Inferno the Flame-Breather]], originally a supporting character seen in [[Shield (Archie Comics)|Steel Sterling]] tales in ''[[Pep Comics]]'', was given his own feature by writer Blair and artist [[Paul Reinman]] (#13–19). The patriotically themed [[Captain Flag]], created by Blair and artist Lin Streeter in #16 (Sept. 1941), completed the ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' superhero cluster. Mr. Justice was the cover feature from his debut in #9 (Feb. 1941), then shared the cover with Captain Flag from #16–18, and took over from #19 (Dec. 1941) until the end of the title's run.
''Blue Ribbon Comics'' #21 (Feb. 1942) introduced a new direction, advertising on the cover '' 'new sensational true life features' '', with an inside-front cover editorial explaining the title would now mix superhero and adventure stories with real-life tales: '' 'Just as many thrills, just as much red-blooded reading pleasure' ''. The last two issues had features on the life of [[Galileo]], [[Leonardo da Vinci]], and [[Beethoven]], and a tale about [[malaria]] in [[Cuba]]. Incongruously, MLJ also introduced a short [[horror fiction|horror story]] feature, "Tales from the Witches Cauldron" (#20–22) at this time. Despite the change of direction, ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' ended with issue #22 (March 1942).
==== Features ====
* "Rang-A-Tang the Wonder Dog" – (#1–22) titled "with Richy the Amazing Boy" from #6
* "Dan Hastings" – science fiction adventure (#1–2)
* "Buck Stacey" – cowboy story (#1–2)
* "Sugar, Honey and Huggin" – [[cartoon animal]] (#1–3)
* "Scoop Cody, Ace Reporter" – detective story (#2–3)
* "Bob Phantom, the Scourge of the Underground" – superhero (#2–3)
* "Devils of the Deep" – marine adventure strip (#2–3)
* "Secret Assignments" – spy strip (#2–3)
* "Silver Fox" – police strip (#2–4)
* "Corporal Collins, Infantryman" – war strip (#2–22)
* "Hercules" – superhero (#4–8)
* "Gypsy Johnson, adventurer" – adventure strip (#4–8)
* "The Fox" – superhero (#4–22)
* "Ty-Gor, Son of the Jungle" – jungle boy, sometimes in city (#4–20)
* "Doc Strong" – [[Doc Savage]]-type science fiction character (#4–12)
* "Loop Logan, Air Ace" – war adventure (#4–20)
* "The Green Falcon" – medieval knight (#4–15)
* "Mr Justice" – superhero (#9–22)
* "Steve Stacey, Sky Detective" – action/detective series (#9–12)
* "Penny Parker" – action/detective series (#13–15)
* "Inferno the Flame-Breather" – superhero (#13–19)
* "[[Captain Flag]]" – superhero (#16–22)
=== Volume 2 (1983–1985): Archie Comics ===
{{Infobox comic book title
<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| title = Blue Ribbon Comics vol 2
| image = Blue Ribbon Comics 2 1.jpg
| imagesize = 200
| caption = {{Descript-cvr|Blue Ribbon Comics|2|1|Nov 1983| art = [[Steve Ditko]] & [[Rudy Nebres]].}}
| schedule = Monthly
| format = standard
| ongoing = Y
| genre = [[superhero]]
| publisher = [[Red Circle Comics]] (issues #1–4)<br /> [[Archie Comics]] (issues #5–14)
| date = November [[1983 in comics|1983]] – December [[1984 in comics|1984]]
| issues = 14
| main_char_team = [[The Fly (Archie Comics)|The Fly]]<br />[[Shield (Archie Comics)|The Shield]]<br />Mr. Justice<br />The Fly and [[Flygirl (Archie Comics)|Flygirl]]<br />[[Jaguar (Archie Comics)|Jaguar]]<br />[[Black Hood]]
| writers = [[Joe Simon]], Robin Snyder, [[Bill DuBay]], [[Rich Buckler]], Stan Timmons, [[Martin L. Greim]], [[Paul Kupperberg]]
| artists = [[Jack Kirby]], [[Trevor Von Eeden]], [[Gray Morrow]], [[Steve Ditko]], [[Martin L. Greim]], [[Pat Boyette]]
| pencillers = [[Trevor Von Eeden]], [[Dick Ayers]]
| inkers = [[Alex Niño]], [[Tony DeZuniga]]
| letterers =
| colorists =
| editors = [[Rich Buckler]]
| subcat = Archie Comics
| sort = Blue Ribbon Comics
}}
The second series to carry the ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' name was initially published by the [[Archie Comics]] imprint Red Circle Comics. It ran for 14 issues [[cover date|cover-dated]] November 1983 to December 1984. After four issues, the imprint, initially directed at the "direct-sales market" of comic-book stores, repositioned to newsstand distribution and changed the imprint name to [[Archie Adventure Series]], which Archie Comics had used for its [[superhero]] line in the 1960s. Concurrently, the printing format changed from glossy Baxter paper to standard comics print.<ref>"''Blue Ribbon'', Red Circle's monthly $1.50 Baxter Book will be downgrading to Mando", ''[[The Comics Journal]]'' #84 (1983)</ref>
''Blue Ribbon Comics'' vol. 2 published a combination of new and reprinted work featuring a variety of Archie superheroes. Reprints including [[Joe Simon]] and [[Jack Kirby]] stories from ''[[The Fly (Archie Comics)|Adventures of the Fly]]'' #1–2 (Aug–Sept. 1959), and Simon/Kirby [[Shield (Archie Comics)|Lancelot Strong: Shield]] stories primarily from ''The Double Life of Private Strong'' #1 (June 1959).
However, the second volume largely comprised new stories of previous MLJ/Archie characters: a Mr. Justice origin story by writers Robin Snyder, who also provided a ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' checklist over various issues of the comic's run, and [[Bill Dubay]], with art by [[Trevor Von Eeden]] and [[Alex Niño]] in issue #2 (Dec. 1983). An origin for Steel Sterling followed, in issue #3 (Dec. 1983), leading into a backup feature in another Archie title, ''The Shield''. There were also two new stories of The Fly and [[Flygirl (Archie Comics)|Flygirl]], featuring [[Jaguar (Archie Comics)|Jaguar]], by writers [[Rich Buckler]] and Stan Timmons, with art by [[Trevor Von Eeden]] in #4 (Jan. 1984), and a two-part Fox story by Buckler and Timmons, with art by [[Dick Ayers]] and [[Tony DeZuniga]], in #6–7 (March–April 1984). A revival of [[Black Hood]] by [[Gray Morrow]] took up issue #8 (May 1984).<ref name=gcd2>[http://www.comics.org/series/2731/ ''Blue Ribbon Comics'', Archie, Red Circle / Archie Adventure Series imprint, 1983 Series] at the Grand Comics Database</ref>
As well as revivals of MLJ/Archie inventory characters, volume two introduced the underwater adventures of "Agents of Atantis" in #9 (June 1984). On the [[Comic book letters page|letters page]] of issue #10 (July 1984), Buckler signaled another editorial change, to "more lighthearted stories", with more Simon/Kirby reprints from the early 1960s ''Adventures of the Fly'', followed by a reprint in issue #11 (August 1984) of a [[Black Hood]] story from ''Archie Superhero Special Digest Magazine'' #2 (Aug. 1979), originally written for the unpublished ''Black Hood'' #1. The story had already been reprinted in ''[[JC Comics]]'' #1 (1981). [[John Carbonaro]] appears to have bought the work from Archie to publish in JC, then paid Archie to reprint the tale in Archie/Red Circle Comics.<ref>Interview with Carbonaro in Cooke, John B., ''The Thunder Agents Companion'' (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2005) pp. 113–117. {{ISBN|1-893905-43-8}}</ref>
Characters from other publishing companies were featured in the following issues: First came [[Tower Comics]]' [[T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents]] in #12 (Sept. 1984),<ref>The best-selling issue of ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' vol. 2, according to Carbonaro in Cooke, p. 116</ref> with art by [[Steve Ditko]] on a back-up story starring [[NoMan]], one of the Agents. [[Martin L. Greim]]'s company-hopping [[Thunder Bunny|Thunderbunny]] starred in #13 (Oct. 1984), in a story also featuring Archie Comics' [[Mighty Crusaders]] superhero team. The last issue, #14 (Nov. 1984), teamed the [[The Web (comics)|Web]] and the Jaguar. A "next-issue" box in #14 announced that a planned but ultimately unpublished issue #15 would feature a sword-and sorcery adventure, "The Cat Queen", featuring Catgirl by writer [[Paul Kupperberg]] and artist [[Pat Boyette]]. The series by then had been canceled, along with the rest of the Archie Adventure Comics" line.
== St. John Publications ==
[[St. John Publications]] produced six issues of an umbrella series, ''Blue Ribbon'' comics, that featured highly disparate contents each issue. It was published from late 1948 to mid-1949, with only issue #4–5 given [[cover dates]] (June & Aug. 1949) but postal [[indicia (publishing)|indicia]] given as February to August 1949. The series starred the movie studio [[Terry Toons]]' [[talking animals in fiction|talking animal]] characters [[Heckle and Jeckle]] in issues #1 & 3; the [[romance comics|romance]]-themed ''Diary Secrets'' in issues #2, 4 & 5 (the last two fully titled ''Teen-Age Diary Secrets''), and, in the final issue, the talking-animal feature "Dinky", starring [[Dinky Duck]].<ref>[http://www.comics.org/series/12454/ ''Blue Ribbon Comics'', St. John, 1949 Series] at the Grand Comics Database</ref>
== ''Blue Ribbon Fanzine'' ==
In the 2000s came two issues of a fan publication, ''Blue Ribbon Fanzine'' (Nov. 2005 & March 2006), published by Mike Bromberg and dedicated to ''Blue Ribbon Comics''. These reprinted selected Mr. Justice, Captain Flag and Fox stories from the 1940s MLJ ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' that were then in the [[public domain]].<ref>.[http://www.comics.org/series/31688/ ''Blue Ribbon Fanzine''] at the Grand Comics Database</ref>
==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}
==References==
* Goulart, Ron. ''Comic Book Culture: An Illustrated History'', pp. 100–103
* Goulart, Ron. ''Ron Goulart's Great History of Comic Books, pp. 184–185
* Overstreet,Robert M., ed. ''Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide'', 38th Edition (Gemstone Publishing, 2008) {{ISBN|978-0-375-72239-4}}
* Thompson, Maggie, Brent Frankenhoff and Peter Bickford, eds. ''Comic Buyer's Guide Standard Catalog of Comic Books'' (Krause Publications, 2008)
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130522131818/http://www.mightycrusaders.net/
* {{gcdb series|id= 124 |title=''Blue Ribbon Comics'' (vol. 1)}}
* {{comicbookdb|type=title|id= 16136 |title=''Blue Ribbon Comics'' (vol. 1)}}
* {{gcdb series|id= 2731 |title= ''Blue Ribbon Comics'' (vol. 2)}}
* {{comicbookdb|type=title|id= 4393 |title=''Blue Ribbon Comics'' (vol. 2)}}
{{Archie Comics titles}}
[[Category:Comics magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Archie Comics titles]]
[[Category:1942 comics endings]]
[[Category:1983 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1985 comics endings]]
[[Category:Golden Age comics titles]]
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