Here is a story, 14 episodes long, that ran in the summer of 1960. It starts with another collaboration between Kreigh Collins and an unknown artist. I have no recollection of ever coloring or painting on these bromide proofs but who knows, it could’ve been me. Visiting Ada as an eight- or or nine-year old, I recall hanging out in my grandfather’s studio on a couple of occasions. I remember paging through the stacked copies of the NEA Daily and Sunday Comics. This would have been around 1975, after my grandfather had died. If I had to guess, the colorization was the work of one of my cousins, Josh or Karen. Whomever it was, it was no doubt sanctioned by Grandma Collins. My collection of these bromides is incomplete so I suspect that many, probably “better” examples, were taken home by the young artist as a keepsake.

When King Henry VIII has pirate trouble, there’s only one man for the job.

Apparently, it’s a shock that nice Brian Hudson has taken to such a life of crime. But what catches my attention is Kevin’s reference to his own childhood. Ten years in, almost nothing has been revealed about Kevin’s backstory, except that as an orphaned child he was found, raised, and trained for battle by the character Stub (MacTavish Campbell MacGregor, a regular character at the strip’s onset).

Seen in the final two panels of the June 12, 1960 episode, keep an eye on the blonde mademoiselle. With her mask off, she’s certainly something to behold (as Kevin soon learns).

I’m not exactly sure how Kevin leapt down from from that gizmo (seemingly hoisting him onto the ship) faster than the barrel and crates could fall, but his efforts were rewarded quite handsomely.

To be continued…

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For more information on the career of Kreigh Collins, visit his page on Facebook.