The Best Cover You've Never Seen--Ghost Rider #4 (1951)

So, you've always wanted to see Frank Frazetta draw the western Ghost Rider?

Your wish is my command:
:

HOLY SCHNIKES!!!!

If I weren't already honest, I'd be scared off from crime forever after that!!

Manic Monday--Do Not FRAK With The Western Ghost Rider!!

You know whom you don't want to mess with?

This guy!

Now, this was the original Ghost Rider from Magazine Enterprises, and Rex Fury wasn't supernatural (although he occasionally ran up against supernatural menaces)--he just liked to pretend that he was to spook the owlhoots.

So what's up with the flaming eyes?

Well, it's not just a symbolic splash panel. Nope it's 1870s special effects!!

And so, we're off to freak out our perp--after a sensible precaution:

It's scaring time!

So, yeah, Slymes confessed after that bit of thriller theater.

Olde Tyme western Ghost Rider--much better than the actual supernatural motorcycle-riding dude. Just sayin.'

From Ghost Rider #13 (a.k.a. A-1 #84) (1953)

Manic Monday--Born Too Late Again!!

We've spoken before of the Magazine Enterprises version of the western hero Ghost Rider.

But did you know that, if you were born at the right time and had understanding parents, you actually could have owned THIS:

Holy crap, an actual glow in the dark Ghost Rider scarf/mask!!!! I most certainly would have bought that for a dollar--if it weren't a more than a decade before I was born.

Seriously, Marvel--you own your own version of this guy. Revive him, and market this!! There are lots of dollars to be made...

Ad appeared in Best Of The West #11 (1953)

Do NOT Mess With The Original Ghost Rider!!

The original Ghost Rider--no, not the Marvel version, the Magazine Enterprises version that debuted in 1949--could be one scary cowboy.

Villainous rancher Mort Blackstone has a thing against "nesters"--settlers coming via wagon train--moving into "his" valley.

I mean, just look at the guy--

--he's EVIL.

And his men are willing to slaughter the nesters!

Ouch!

But to the rescue rides...

Yeah, Rex Fury had a super fast horse. Yeah, he covers his costume in phosphorescent paint so he glows in the dark. Pretty spooky.

But he also has...


Phosphorous-tipped bullets?!? OUCH!!

Well, Ghost Rider scares away the bad guys...

Yet he has one more trick up his sleeve!

SHAZAM!!

Luminous streamers that kill. Ghost rider, you were a badass!!

FYI, this Ghost Rider was created by Ray Krank and Dick Ayers. Magazine Enterprises went belly up in 1958, and in after their trademark lapsed, Marvel published their pretty-much-completely-identical Ghost Rider, "created" by Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich and...Dick Ayers, who was now at Marvel!

There should be a Ghost Rider movie starring Nic Cage as Rex Fury...

From Black Phantom #1 (1953)