Straight Arrow #9 – Key Highlights
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Publisher: Magazine Enterprises
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Publication Date: January 1951
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Editor: Raymond C. Krank
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Cover Artist: Fred Meagher
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Interior Artists: Fred Meagher and Bob Powell
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Genre: Western
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Pages: 36 (issue details; introductory description lists 32 pages)
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Original Cover Price: $0.10
🔥 Key Significance
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Features Straight Arrow, the Western hero who originated on a popular radio program before making the transition to comic books.
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The character's secret identity is Steve Adams, a rancher of Comanche heritage raised by white settlers.
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Features artwork by two notable Golden Age artists, Fred Meagher and Bob Powell.
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Includes three Straight Arrow adventures, a Red Hawk story, and several educational features exploring Native American archery and survival skills.
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The issue offers a blend of traditional Western adventure and informational material, including features on bow making and bow care.
📖 Story Highlights
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“Indian Bow Making” – 1-page filler: A typeset informational feature appearing inside the front cover.
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“The Claim Jumpers!” – 7 pages: Straight Arrow and Packy help a prospector reclaim his remote mountaintop mine from a gang of bandits. Written by an uncredited contributor and illustrated by Fred Meagher, who signed the artwork.
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“The Fight with a Grizzly” – 1-page filler: A short feature included in the issue.
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“The Trial of Flying Cloud!” – 8 pages: A Straight Arrow adventure illustrated by Fred Meagher. Flying Cloud braves a prairie fire to deliver an important warning to settlers.
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“The Magic Plant” – 7 pages: A Red Hawk adventure illustrated by Bob Powell. Red Hawk must travel through dangerous Cheyenne territory to find a magical plant capable of saving his chieftain.
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“Apache Terror!” – 8 pages: Another Straight Arrow adventure included in the issue.
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“Bow Stringing and Bow Care” – 1-page filler: An informational feature illustrated by Fred Meagher and appearing inside the back cover.
📌 Additional Details
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Cover Art: Fred Meagher.
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Straight Arrow Artwork: Fred Meagher signed the artwork for “The Claim Jumpers!” and “The Trial of Flying Cloud!”
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Red Hawk Artwork: Bob Powell signed the artwork for “The Magic Plant.”
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Educational Content: Includes informational features on traditional bow making, bow stringing, and bow care.
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Page Count Discrepancy: The introductory description lists 32 pages, while the issue details specify 36 pages.
Straight Arrow #9 is a strong example of Magazine Enterprises' early-1950s Western comics, featuring three adventures of the radio-born hero alongside Bob Powell's Red Hawk artwork and several distinctive educational features.
