"Knights of the Round Table" - March 1954

"M-G-M's Knights of the Round Table" comes from Four Color No. 540, March 1954. This comic is an adaptation of the 1954 movie starring Robert Talyor as Sir Lancalot (cover). This post goes out to Four Color expert, Gary Brown, who remembers this great comic as being the first he ever read (more about Gary after the story). Download THIS POST!

"Knights" has a very fine script by Paul S. Newman as well as spectacular art by long time Milton Caniff collaborator and Steve Canyon artist, Dick Rockwell. Rockwell's artwork is stunning throughout; and his layouts achieve a beautifully formal structure appropriate to this romantic take on England's emergence from the Dark Ages. "Knights" is also a fine example of the kind of exquisite coloring seen in Four Color during the title's heyday.

Comic collector and Four Color expert, Gary Brown, has been publishing and distributing the comic book fanzine, Ibid, since 1967. I've been reading every issue for a while now and recommend it highly. Recently, Gary and frequent cohort and comic expert, Alan Hutchinson, have undertaken the publication of the Four-Color Four Color Index - a beautiful, multi-volume effort cataloging cover and contents of every, single issue of Dell's Four-Color. The volumes also contain articles about Four Color comics and artists. Volume I is available now. I have it and love it. Please click on flyer thumbnail for contact and purchase information.

HERCULES in Four Color

Western Publishing loved movie adaptations. Over the years they did many dozens, employing some the greatest comic book artists and writers who ever worked in the beloved medium. Before we get to the story, let’s enjoy this unusual painted cover (photo-covers were the norm for the movie tie-ins). The artist is, sadly, unknown.

During the silver age, John Buscema did several movie adaptations for Western Publishing. “Hercules” - from Four Color No. 1006, July 1959 – is one of my favorite Buscema adaptations as it showcases the artist’s ability to render mortals of amazing density, weight, power, and (most importantly) action – a rare skill put to good use during his Conan years at Marvel. Paul S. Newman provides the concise, poetic script.

Also on grand display in this issue is the superb coloring for which Four Color was so famous.