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Tweak says, "carlson is my 80's teen dream"

dr_hermes (dr_hermes) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-09-02 22:02:00

Entry tags:

char: rawhide kid/johnny bart, creator: jack kirby, creator: stan lee, era: silver age, publisher: marvel comics, title: rawhide kid

Teenage outlaw cowboys in love

Lee and Kirby's RAWHIDE KID featured a lot of human interest plots. This was a trademark of TV Westerns of that era. In addition to all the shootouts and fistfights and galloping horses, much of the plotting involved the Kid getting involved with regular folks and their problems. (Of course, he usually solved their problems with more shootouts and fistfights and galloping horses but hey, this was a Silver Age comic book.) This is from RAWHIDE KID# 19, December 1960, well before those four got in the rocket ship or that student got bit by a spider.

It's important to remember that the Rawhide Kid WAS a kid. He had just turned eighteen when his foster father was killed and he set out to roam the West. Being that age, with the chip on his shoulder of being noticeably short (5'3" or so) AND redhaired, his attempts to settle down incognito never came to much. And, once in a while, being human he felt the twinges of romance, whether he wanted them or not. The fact that he was on the run, with a price on his head (I forget if he was framed or what, but the general population thought he was a murderous criminal), which meant he had to move on whenver his identity was revealed. Being a short redhead teenager made him easy to identify, eh?

Aside from the way he routinely thrashes bad guys a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier, it's nice to see the Kid taking good care of his horse. Details like that add a lot. Notice the blacksmith or livery keeper watching the young stranger.

As much as I love Jack Kirby's art as a whole, there were some things he had trouble with. Dick Ayers said he always had to rework horses and six-shooters when inking. Even so, Nightwind in the first panel doesn't look quite kosher to me. And, naturally, of all the young women in that town, the Kid HAS to tumble for the sheriff's daughter.

Stan used this type of plot quite a bit. The Rawhide Kid would meet a young boy who idolized him and wanted to be an oulaw, too. So the Kid would act vicious and low, then get cowardly as he let the boy's father beat him in a fight. This way, the boy would drop his outlaw worship and only the father would understand why the Kid had acted that way. This was quite a sacrifice, as a man's reputation counted for a lot in that era and it showed real nobility to play the loser.

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	ashtoreth 2009-09-03 05:09 am UTC (link)
	He'll never not be gay for me! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	dr_hermes 2009-09-03 06:12 am UTC (link)
	He wasn't gay to the people who created him. Marvel owns the character and can decide he was actually a shape-changing android from the future if they like, but luckily those early issues done by Lee and Kirby are safely beyond tampering. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	galateus 2009-09-03 07:56 am UTC (link)
	Because creator intent is totally the final word in character interpretation...? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	dr_hermes 2009-09-03 09:00 am UTC (link)
	Don't overstate things. I prefer the original concept. Certainly many people dislike how characters get revised and reworked (Cassandra Cain might be a good example). It's a valid preference, although publishers will still do as they please. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

psychop_rex
2009-09-05 07:23 am UTC (link)

I don't have any particular problems with retcons like that when things are left relatively ambiguous, but saying that the Rawhide Kid was gay when here he is head over heels in love with a girl and agonizing over how to break up with her is just ignoring the original source material - and that ain't cool. I have no problem with a gay cowboy, but they should've picked someone who actually might have BEEN gay, not someone who was clearly heterosexual.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

dr_hermes
2009-09-05 07:55 am UTC (link)

That's how I feel. Still, I try to be realistic enough to realize that publishers will treat their characters as they please, in an attempt for profit or publicity.

A good writer might have done an interesting story where the Rawhide Kid feels uncomfortable when he finally does settle down with a girlfriend, and slowly realizes his real orientation is not what society taught him to feel. It could be handled well if done with some respectfulness and I'd read it to see what happened. (Especially since the Old West was not a culture friendly to gays.)But it would need a creative team that didn't treat it as a joke.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

psychop_rex
2009-09-05 09:54 am UTC (link)

I suppose - but retcons, in my way of looking at things, are supposed to be used to clear up ambiguity and confusion. I see no ambiguity here - it seems pretty straightforward to me. Maybe if he was a 'Man with No Name' type who was surly towards everyone and didn't show much interest in women, I could see him being retconned as a gay guy - but to me, this looks like plain ol' heterosexual love (especially considering that the Kid's a teenager, a period during which hormones rage and disguising ones feelings is not easy). I think Marvel was just indulging in the practice commonly known as 'tossing the minorities a bone' - someone complained that they didn't have enough gays in their comics and they went 'holy crap, he's RIGHT; we gotta make someone gay, quick quick quick!'

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	jlroberson 2009-09-03 12:27 pm UTC (link)
	That's why I'm looking forward to Avengers Babies. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	jlroberson 2009-09-03 12:26 pm UTC (link)
	That's because you're not his type. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	galateus 2009-09-03 07:57 am UTC (link)
	Oh yes, the classic "I must make you hate me for your own good!" angst-gambit. A lot of heroes resort to that. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	dr_hermes 2009-09-03 09:02 am UTC (link)
	It's a form of self-sacrifice for someone else's sake. Probably it shows more character than "What do I care what they feel?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	galateus 2009-09-03 12:24 pm UTC (link)
	It's definitely selfless--and yet, if the deceived party ever finds out they're being manipulated, they'd be rightly pissed off, Good Cause or no. Deciding what's best for other people is pretty condescending even if it's spot-on. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jlroberson 2009-09-03 12:27 pm UTC (link)
	But often fun! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	dr_hermes 2009-09-03 07:26 pm UTC (link)
	Some might be pissed off, some might be perceptive enough to appreciate what was given up for them. It's a judgement call and there's no way to be sure. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	lang_ea 2009-09-03 03:31 pm UTC (link)
	I actually had an inkling while reading this over how much Susan looked like Disney's Belle. Then I remembered the recent news and thought, "Oh." Though, I still think having Belle in a western would be awesome though. :3 /fangirlsquee (Reply to this)

	ar_feiniel_ 2009-09-04 12:34 am UTC (link)
	Kirby drew a hot Kid. I hate the whole, "better that she thinks I used her than that I really care about her" bit though. Personally I'd be more upset feeling like the man I loved was taking advantage of me than that he loved me but didn't want to hurt me by being together. (Reply to this)