Number 1 by Fawcett Publications, Inc.

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Image of Gabby from 'Public Outlaw No.1' and 'Plays the Dude'

 

Image of Gabby from 'Behind Bars' and 'Stampede to Doom'

 

 

Comic number: No. 1
   
   
Publishing info: November, 1948 by Fawcett Publications, Inc.
   
   
Comic's name: Gabby Hayes Western
   
   
Info:  
   
   
   
Contentss: 'Public Outlaw No. 1'---10 pages
   
  'Behind Bars'---8 pages
   
  'Stampede to Doom'---10 pages
   
  'Plays the Dude'---10 pages
   
  Gabby is the star in each of the above.
   
   
  Five-question general trivia quiz.
   
   
  Five-panel funny comic titled 'Hill Billy---Signed Up'
   
   
  Five-panel funny comic titled 'Cowboy Cal---Well Dressed'
   
   
  Two-page "Buck Desmond" Story by Dick Kraus titled 'Ricky Rover Finds A Pal'
   
   
 

Six-panel funny comic titled 'Saddlehead---A Drip'

   
   
  Six-panel funny comic titled 'Pistol Packin' Pattie---A Knock Out!'
   
   
  Four-page comic titled 'Musketeers of the West!---The Tests'
   
   
  Six-panel funny comic titled 'Pistol Packin' Pattie---Vanity'
   
   
  Six-panel funny comic titled 'Hill Billy---Hop, Skip and Jump'
   
   
  48 pages , 39 of whch are Gabby Hayes stories
   
   
   
Gabby's image: Characteristics common to all four stories
   
  The image of Gabby has long, pure white hair in all four tales.
   
  Gabby has a single-gun holster on his right side, like in the movies.
   
  Gabby's right pant leg is missing the characteristic patch.
   
  Gabby's wearing a green vest and pants, not the characteristic leather vest in the movies.
   
   
   
   
  'Public Outlaw No.1' & 'Plays the Dude'
   
  Like Gabby in the movies, his eyes are mere slits in most of the drawings, but he has a scary,
  Grinch-like grin in some panels. See images.
   
  Also, his hat is more tattered in that tale than in the other tales in this comic.
   
  I think both of these stories had the same illustrator as Gabby's nose 'just isn't right'.....doesn't have
  the characteristic large nostrils
   
   
   
   
  'Behind Bars' & 'Stampede to Doom'
   
  Appears to be the same illustrator for both of these stories as there's a band around the crown of his hat
  in both stories which is lacking in 'Public Outlaw No.1'
   
  The top of Gabby's hat is rounded.
   
  In some panels, Gabby's grin shows that he has two lower teeth in front.
   
  Gabby's nose has the characteristic large nostrils
   
   
   
Ads in USA  
version Radios, rifles, watches, etc.....all for selling Cloverine Brand Salve for 35 cents a box.
   
  "..easily sold to friends, neighbors, relatives.."
   
  Catalog of Lionel trains with magne-traction, eight billboards and track layout printing kit for 50 cents.
   
  Watches, including 'Gene Autry' ["see the gun move"], for $6.95, each.
   
  Two 1953 "Space Commander" Vibro-matic walkie-talkies for $1.
   
  Sound will travel over the conductor wire for 'hundreds of feet".
   
  "Helps overcome shyness, aids voice training."
   
  "..endless fun for the entire family."
   
  Prized foreign stamps from Littleton Stamp Co.
   
  Talking parakeet with cage.
   
   
   
Gabbyisms: Jehoshapat
   
  Pole cat
   
  Dad-blamed
   
  Hogwash
   
  Hoosegow
   
  Ding-busted
   
  Ding-buster
   
  City slicker
   
  Galoot
   
  Mazuma---money
   
  Hornswoggled
   
  Sneakin' sidewinder
   
  Battle-axe
   
  Great balls of fire
   
  Tarnation
   
  Uppity
   
  Ornery, snivelin', mule-eared pack o' buzzard bait
   
  Skeedaddle
   
  Locoed
   
  Blamedest
   
   
Characters in Gabby---foreman of the Bar O Ranch
all stories  
  Fred Larson---Gabby's ranch assistant & male friend of Ellie's
   
  Slim Daggle---the rather incompetent sheriff of Dry Gulch
   
  Ellie Hempstead---rich and pretty owner of the Bar O ranch
   
  Hester Hempstead---Ellie's aunt
   
  Bodkins---Sheriff Slim's wimpy assistant
   
  Corker---Gabby's talented horse that can side step and always kneels to help Gabby mount/dismount
   
   
Characters  
unique to this  
comic: Lynx Coy---bad guy
   
  Chester Hist---charming bad guy
   
  Mark Simmons---cattleman
   
  Boxhead Higgs and the boys from Hashknife Ranch
   

'Public Outlaw No.1'

In the process of escaping from Sheriff Slim Daggle's jail cell, outlaw Lynx Coy swaps a photo of Gabby for himself on a

wanted poster that's going to the printer.

Thus, Gabby's face ends up on $5,000 Lynx Coy wanted posters distributed all over the West.

Gabby and Lynx accidently meet in the town of Dry Gulch where Lynx decides to kill Gabby and collect the reward before

anyone discovers the problem with the wanted posters.

Gabby 'heads for the hills', with Lynx and a posse in pursuit, after Lynx tries to shoot Gabby with one of Gabby's worn

out guns which blows up.

Gabby attaches a note to Corker, asking for Sheriff Slim's help, and sends him on his way.

Sheriff Slim arrives just in time to prevent Gabby from being hanged.

Lynx tries to escape but is knocked out of the saddle by a kick from Gabby who'd climbed a rock for that very purpose.

 

'Behind Bars'

Charming con-man Chester Hist, with fellow con-man Peebles, have arrived at the Bar 0 ranch owned by the rich

and pretty Ellie Hempstead.

Ellie's aunt, Hettie, convinces Ellie to allow Chester to take her to the dance instead of male friend, Fred Larson.

Gabby tries to scare the two Easterners off by telling them about the dangers of the West, but to no avail.

In one last try to scare Chester, Gabby 'robs' Fred Larson of the payroll in front of Chester.

Gabby looses a spur which Chester recognizes as Gabby's.

Chester and Peebles follow Gabby and rob him of the payroll.

Gabby calls on the multi-talented Corker to trackdown the robbers, who have returned to the Bar 0 ranch.

Gabby confronts Chester in front of Hester but is, in turn, charged with being the person that robbed Fred

of the payroll, with the lost spur as evidence.

Gabby and Fred end-up in Jail as Sheriff Slim had to 'go with the evidence'.

The sheriff's assistant, Bodkins, brings a telegram for the sheriff which warns him of the possibility that two

slick crooks are headed his way-----Hist and Peebles.

The sheriff lets Gabby and Fred out of jail, wherein the confront Hist and Peebles counting the loot.

Gabby and Fred duke it out with and subdue the the con-men for a happy ending.

 

'Stampede to Doom'

Ranch foreman Gabby Hayes, with a large supply of firecrackers, and his assistant Fred Larson go on a cattle buying trip.

Gabby, just about to sign a contract with cattleman Mark Simmons on a 'deal' for 2,000 head of cattle, is stopped in

the nick of time by Fred after he realizes that the herd has hoof-and-mouth disease.

A fight ensues between the team of Gabby & Fred and the Simmons crew.

Gabby and Fred are subdued and trussed up.

A Simmon's crew member tries Gabby's gun which starts a stampede.

Gabby's talented horse chews through the bonds.

Corker takes care of a Simmon's crew member, who's about to plug Gabby, with a swift kick to the breadbasket.

Gabby and Fred try to head the stampede over a cliff but can't turn them until Gabby remembers his firecrackers.

That takes care of the herd.

Gabby, having lit his last firecracker, throws it back over his head, hitting Simmons with a direct shot.

Simmons, thinking it was intentional, gives up.....a man beaten at every turn by Gabby.

 

'Plays the Dude'

Aunt Hester won't allow Gabby to eat in her kitchen unless he wears the suit she gave him for Christmas.

Gabby is torn between wanting Hester's delicious vittles and having to wear the dad-blamed suit.

Gabby decides to 'head for the hills' and hide so Sheriff Daggle, arriving for Hester's social, won't see him.

While hiding out, Boxhead Higgs and the boys from Hashknife Ranch confront and taunt Gabby.

Gabby, to show he's still rough and tough, makes a bet with Boxhead that he can still out-shoot,

out-ride and out-rassle him.

Gabby wins the shootin' match as his big revolver destroys the target with the first shot.

Boxhead secretly ties Gabby's spur to Ticklish, the untamable bronco, when it's Gabby's turn to

ride in the bucking bronc contest.

Out of sight of the spectators, Ticklish finally manages to throw and drag Gabby....through the cactus.

But, in the process, Ticklish gets so tired that he allows Gabby to ride him back to the ranch...another

win for Gabby!

The final contest is a rassling match between Gabby and Boxhead.

Gabby, like a walking cactus plant, wins the match when Boxhead tries to give Gabby a bear-hug, gets

stuck with thorns for his effort and gets konked in the head as he falls against a rock.

Gabby heads back to the Bar O where he partakes of Hester's vittles at the social.

Hester insists that he live up to his bargain of wearing the new suit.

Gabby wins the argument when he points out the fact that he is wearing the new albeit dirty suit