Four Color #584 Values

Title: The Killer's Trail

Characters: Johnny Mack Brown; Rebel (horse)

Synopsis: Arriving in Grande Mesa late at night, Johnny pays a visit to an old friend, Jim Murdock, who is managing a theatre. Two robbers break in to steal the payroll, shoot Jim, and knock Johnny unconscious. When Johnny recovers consciousness in the doctor's office, he finds that Jim is dead. The next morning, Johnny and Tom Murdock, Tom's son and town sheriff, ride out to pick up the trail of the killers.

Pages: 18.000

Pencils: John Ushler

Inks: John Ushler

Notes: Art identification by Hames Ware and Mike Barrier (March 2011). Originally credited to "Sparky Moore ?" and "John Ushler ?". The first panel points to both pencils and ink by Ushler because of the very high hatbrim with flat underside in level with the eyebrows. This is a sure sign of Ushler's pencil layout, and also the horse with rounded neck, almost like a chess piece Knight. Faces and action are Ushler too. He had many western stories for Dell on Roy Rogers and Rex Allen. There is nothing of Sparky Moore in the pencilwork.

Title: The Avenging Avalanche

Characters: Johnny Mack Brown; Rebel (horse)

Synopsis: Johnny interrupts a stage coach robbery, but the guard is shot. Spike Nash, the driver, and Johnny take the wounded man to a nearby Navajo village, where Spike is well-known. The bandits sneak up on the village and kill a Navajo. Johnny trails the bandits to a box canyon.

Pages: 16.000

Pencils: Sparky Moore

Inks: Sparky Moore

Notes: Story continues on inside back cover in black and white and concludes on back cover in color. Navajo sand-painting ceremonies and burial customs are presented in a respectful manner. Art identification by Hames Ware and Mike Barrier (March 2011).