The cover of Blue Ribbon Comics #6 (Sept 1940), with Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog and Richy the Amazing Boy saving Charlie Chaplin from hooded Bundonian thugs
Intelligence, super-keen eyes, sensitive ears and unerring sense of smell
Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog is a fictional canine adventure hero who appeared in Blue Ribbon Comics, published from 1939 to 1942 by MLJ Comics (later renamed Archie Comics) during the Golden Age of Comic Books.[1] The character was created by writer Norman Danberg and artist Will Harr, although another creative team, writer Joe Blair and artist Ed Smalle, produced most of his adventures.[2]
Rang-a-Tang is a circus-trained German shepherd who solves crimes at a movie studio in Hollywood, California, with the help of detective Hy Speed and former child actor Richy the Amazing Boy. The unusually intelligent dog, described as having an "almost-human brain", can understand human speech, including the person's tone of voice and moral character. He was inspired by the famous canine silent film star Rin Tin Tin, a real-life German Shepherd considered intelligent and talented.[3] When Rang-a-Tang reaches Hollywood in issue #5, his stories feature thinly-disguised caricatures of 1940s film stars, including Nawson Swelles, Tana Lurner, Stark Brable and Harly Shaplyn.
Rang-a-Tang was the first cover star of Blue Ribbon Comics and therefore the first in Archie Comics' long history, premiering in issue #1 (Nov 1939) and running through the end of the title, issue #22 (March 1942).[4] Starting with issue #4, Blue Ribbon offered membership in the Rang-a-Tang Club for ten cents, as well as the Rang-a-Tang Honor Legion for young readers who performed an exceptional deed in the service of animalkind.[5]
History
"Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog" was introduced in Blue Ribbon Comics #1 (Nov 1939) in a story by Norman Danberg and Will Harr, who worked for comic book packagerHarry "A" Chesler's studio.[6]
"Running away from a cruel dog trainer with a small time carnival," the opening narration explains, "Rang-a-Tang shifts for himself."[1] Wandering the streets, Rang happens upon two hit men who have been paid to kill a detective. The dog, "trained to understand the human voice," immediately recognizes that the pair are bad people, and he saves the intended victim by jumping on the gunmen.[7] Grateful, detective Hy Speed instantly recognizes the dog's sterling qualities and takes him along on his stakeout outside the hideout of gangster Blackie Blade, who's kidnapped a young woman. Rang-a-Tang doesn't speak, but his mental state is described by the narrator; when Hy hatches a complex plan to save the girl, the narrator explains, "Rang understood very well. He knew the girl must be out of the building before Blackie and his men could be attacked." When the case is solved, Hy tells Rang that he's now an official member of the police force.[1]
Disappointed with the first few issues of Blue Ribbon Comics, which also introduced superhero Bob Phantom, the publishers took a six-month break between issues #3 and 4, during which they hired various staff members away from the Chesler studio to form their own in-house bullpen.[2]
When issue #4 was published in June 1940, Rang-a-Tang had a new focus, thanks to Joe Blair and Ed Smalle, making an abrupt move away from the original urban crime adventure premise.[7] In the book, Rang-a-Tang's heroics have earned him a "nation-wide reputation as the Wonder Dog", and he's invited with his master to come to Hollywood and become a film star for Mammoth Pictures.
Issue #4 also introduced the Rang-a-Tang Club, which was promoted with a two-page ad in every issue. Membership in the club cost ten cents, and members received a membership card and a Rang-a-Tang pinback button, as well as the advice and counsel of the club's veterinarian, who corresponded by letter with members who had questions about dog care. Members could also qualify for the Rang-a-Tang Honor Legion by writing a letter "relating an exceptional deed you performed involving kindness or courage toward any animal, be it dog, cat, horse, bird or wild life." Honorees were listed on the club page with excerpts of their letters, and received an engraved Rang-a-Tang Honor Legion diploma signed by Joe Blair, Ed Smalle and the club's veterinarian.[5]
In issue #5 (July 1940), Rang-a-Tang and Hy Speed arrive at the Mammoth Pictures studio, which is troubled because of mysterious accidents on the set of "boy wonder" Nawson Swelles' latest epic. The dog saves one starlet from a runaway horse and another from an uncaged lion, and finally deduces that Swelles himself is responsible for sabotaging the film. He indicates this to his partner by putting on a beret, glasses and pipe in imitation of Swelles, and the pair chase the villainous director up some scaffolding and make him fall to his death. Grateful, Mr. Wyngold offers the dog a film contract.
Issue #6 (Sept 1940) introduced the series' third regular cast member — Richy Waters, a former child star known as Richy the Amazing Boy.[1] Richy assists Rang and Hy with apprehending a gang of Bundonians threatening director Harly Shaplyn, and the trio become inseparable from then on.
Unfortunately for Rang-a-Tang, the coming vogue in comic books was superheroes, and by issue #9, he was pushed off the cover in favor of MLJ's new caped sensations, Mr. Justice and Captain Flag. Rang's adventures continued to appear as the second feature for the rest of the comic's run.[8]
In the last six months of the strip, the trio start to drift away from Hollywood to seek adventure elsewhere, including a circus, a racecourse and Washington, D.C., tracking down kidnappers, murderers and fraudulent spiritualists. In his final adventure in issue #22, Rang-a-Tang gets lost in the North Woods and has to kill and eat a bear.[9]
Related Research Articles
Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York. The company's many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle, Sabrina Spellman, Josie and the Pussycats and Katy Keene.
The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and many well-known characters were introduced, including Superman, Batman, Shazam, Captain America, and Wonder Woman.
Dark Circle Comics is an imprint of Archie Comics Publications, Inc. Under its previous name, Red Circle Comics, it published non-humor characters, particularly superheroes in the 1970s and 1980s, and was a digital imprint from 2012 to 2014. In 2015, it was converted back to a print imprint and was completely revamped as Dark Circle Comics, featuring darker and more mature content than previous incarnations of Archie's superhero line.
The Shield is the name of several superheroes created by MLJ. Appearing months before Captain America, the Shield has the distinction of being the first superhero with a costume based upon United States patriotic iconography. The character appeared in Pep Comics from issue #1 to #65.
The Black Hood is a fictional character created by MLJ Comics during the period known as the "Golden Age of Comic Books". The Black Hood first appeared in Top-Notch Comics #9, October 1940 and became one of MLJ's most popular characters. He has been in four self-titled series as well as in his own radio show, Black Hood (1943–1944). In recent decades, the Black Hood has been sporadically licensed and published by DC Comics. However, the character reappeared under Archie Comics' Dark Circle Comics line in 2015.
Pep Comics is the name of an American comic book anthology series published by the Archie Comics predecessor MLJ Magazines Inc. during the 1930s and 1940s period known as the Golden Age of Comic Books. The title continued under the Archie Comics imprint for a total of 411 issues until March 1987.
The Fox is the name of two fictional superheroes that appear in periodicals published by MLJ Comics and later Dark Circle Comics.
Captain Flag is a superhero created by MLJ Comics' writer Joe Blair and artist Lin Streeter. He first appeared in September 1941, in issue #16 of Blue Ribbon Comics. He continued until the last issue, Blue Ribbon Comics #22.
Black Hood Comics was the name of an American anthology comic book series published by MLJ Magazines Inc., more commonly known as MLJ Comics, for eleven issues between Winter 1943 and Summer 1946. The series featured MLJs costumed hero Black Hood, and "Boy Buddies", featuring Shield's partner 'Dusty the Boy Detective' and Wizard's side-kick 'Roy the Superboy', together with humor strips.
Blue Ribbon Comics is the name of two American comic book anthology series, the first published by the Archie Comics predecessor 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 and Archie Adventure Series banners.
Super Duck was a comic book character created in 1943 for what was then MLJ Comics by staff artist Al Fagaly. As his name implies, Super Duck was originally a parody of Superman, even down to a red and blue costume. But his time as a superhero was short, and by late 1944 his stories became more conventional, in the Disney/Carl Barks mode.
Firefly is a fictional comic book character created by Harry Shorten and Bob Wood for MLJ Comics in 1940. He first appeared in Top-Notch Comics #8. Artist Warren King and writer Joe Blair loaned their talents to many of the Firefly's installments.
The Wizard is a fictional superhero character created by Will Harr and Edd Ashe, Jr. for MLJ Comics, which later became Archie Comics. He first appeared in Top-Notch Comics #1 in December 1939, and he was one of the headliners of that title until its cancellation in 1944. He was one of the earliest superhero characters to appear after the debut of Superman in 1938.
Harry Frank Sahle was an American comic book artist who drew for such publishers as Archie Comics—helping create the defined look of Archie Comics' breakout character, Archie Andrews—Quality Comics and the Marvel Comics precursor company Timely Comics during the 1930s-1940s period historians and fans call the Golden Age of Comic Books.
Jackpot Comics was the name of an American anthology comic book magazine series published by MLJ Magazines Inc., more commonly known as MLJ Comics, for nine issues between Spring 1941 and Spring 1943. It featured new stories of a number of characters previously seen in other MLJ publications.
Top-Notch Comics is an American comic book anthology series that was published by MLJ Magazines Inc., more commonly known as MLJ Comics, during the 1930s and 1940s period known as the Golden Age of Comic Books. From issue #28 it was re-titled Top-Notch Laugh Comics.
Shield–Wizard Comics was the name of an American comic book series published by MLJ Magazines Inc., more commonly known as MLJ Comics, for thirteen issues between Summer 1940 and Winter 1944.
Zip Comics was the name of an American anthology comic book series published by MLJ Magazines Inc., more commonly known as MLJ Comics, for 47 issues between February 1940 and Summer 1944. It featured a number of adventure, humor and costumed hero stories throughout the series, including the first appearance of superhero "Steel Sterling" and the earliest appearances of the humor strip Wilbur, who later had his own long-running series for Archie Comics.
Norman Arthur Danberg, better known as Norman A. Daniels and other pen names, was an American writer working in pulp magazines, radio, and television. He created the pulp hero the Black Bat and wrote for such series as The Phantom Detective and The Shadow.
Bob Phantom was a costumed crime-fighter who debuted in the December 1939 issue of Blue Ribbon Comics making him one of the earliest costumed superheroes MLJ/Archie Comics published. He was written by Harry Shorten and illustrated by Irv Novick.
1 2 Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp.45–47. ISBN978-1605490892.
↑ Offenberger, Rik; Castiglia, Paul (2016). The MLJ Companion: The Complete History of the Archie Super-Heroes. TwoMorrows Publishing. p.79. ISBN978-1605490670.
↑ Mougin, Lou (2020). Secondary Superheroes of Golden Age Comics. McFarland & Co. p.89. ISBN9781476638607.
1 2 "The Rang-a-Tang Club". Blue Ribbon Comics (7): 12–13. November 1940.
↑ Sadowski, Greg, ed. (2012). Action! Mystery! Thrills! Comic Book Covers of the Golden Age. Fantagraphics Books. ISBN978-1606994948.
1 2 Markstein, Don. "Rang-a-Tang". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
↑ Duncan, Randy; Smith, Matthew J. (2013). Icons of the American Comic Book: From Captain America to Wonder Woman. Greenwood. p.523. ISBN978-0313399237.
↑ "Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog... and Richy the Amazing Boy". Blue Ribbon Comics (22): 16. March 1942.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
