kevin the bold

Sheriff Don’t Like It

The tale continues, and Robin Hood starts to get under the skin of his antagonist, the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Bows and arrows were a common theme in Kreigh Collins’ comics, especially in KEVIN THE BOLD, but the first time Collins illustrated an archery contest was in a mid-1949 episode of MITZI McCOY.

Another throwback to Collins’ earlier work is found in the third panel of the November 28 episode (below). Bathing by the stream, Robin’s pose harkens back to earlier work showcasing the artist’s skills in rendering figures and costumes. Sadly, in this example from late 1965, the results leave something to be desired, but the pose clearly seems to have been based on a piece of art from Collins’ illustration morgue.

With the third tier of each original episode now serving as an embellishment on the action shown in the third-page versions, the treatment the original’s “throwaway panels” has also changed. For the first 15 years of KEVIN THE BOLD’s run, the throwaway was a small panel generally found in the middle of the second tier (similar to the fifth panel, above). Now, a tabloid version was created by excising a tiny panel from the third tier—illustrated in a couple of black and white examples below.

To be continued…

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

Kevin the Red

A concise account of how young Robert Fitzooth became Robin Hood illustrates why the tale fits so nicely into the KEVIN THE BOLD narrative, and in the October 31, 1965 episode, Robin’s antagonist is introduced—the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Traveling through Sherwood Forest, Robin and his band are confronted by a formidable obstacle. It is Little John, who Kreigh Collins summarily rechristens with a name more appropriate for his comic strip—and his resemblance to the strip’s titular character no doubt helped casual readers stay interested in the action. (Two years later, in another story arc, a blond version of Kevin would appear!)

Collins’ chief antagonist for the 15 years he had been illustrating KEVIN THE BOLD was the abridged third-page abominations found in so many of his syndicate’s newspapers. The NEA created third-page versions by severely cropping the left and right edges of the strip’s panels, but toward the end of 1965 Kreigh took a new approach—laying out the episodes so that that the entire third tier was expendable. Half pages included it; third pages did not.

Collins generally captured the most relevant parts of each episode in the upper two tiers, but in many cases, readers were missing out on some lovely bonus material.

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

A Story of Robin Hood

As the 1960s progressed, several changes happened in regards to the production of KEVIN THE BOLD. In April, 1961, it sported a new logo, and for a couple years, Jay Heavilin took over the strip’s writing. By 1964, NEA Features Director Ernest Lynn had handed over supervision of the strip to NEA staffer Robert Molyneux. In 1965, the prevalence of newspapers running the dreaded one-third page format led to a brilliant new way of dealing with this unfortunate situation, and in another development, the name of the story arc occasionally started appeared in conjunction with the strip’s logo.

The first chapter to include this minor embellishment to the logo was “A Story of Robin Hood.”

On his way back from the New World settlement at Jamestown, Kevin begins recounting the tale of Robin Hood to Saigen, a young indigenous boy with whom he is traveling to England. Having an adult narrate a tale to a child was a device Kreigh Collins employed periodically, but Saigen’s appearance leads to some unfortunate stereotypes, language-wise. Looking beyond that, the reader sees a warm relationship between the two, as shown in the transitional episode from October 10.

Recounting the oft-told tale of Robin Hood could also be seen as a sign that original ideas for story arcs were beginning to dry up.

I’m not overly familiar with the story of Robin Hood—the last version I’ve seen was Mel Brooks’ Men in Tights—so perhaps I can benefit from a more traditional account, like learning how Robin and Marian were slated for an arranged marriage. Meanwhile, Robin is off to see the King.

Having been duped into killing the one of the King’s deer, the October 24 episode concludes with three ominous panels whose silence adds to the suspense.

To be continued…

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

Survival Instincts

A commotion caused by the apparent change in tournament combatants causes a delay, much to the King’s displeasure.

Following the knight’s code of conduct puts Kevin at a disadvantage, facing a scoundrel such as Bruce Black.

Saved by his impeccable instincts, Kevin witnesses his opponent self-destruct.

The matter of Conovanshire’s title is settled by the King who, despite his surprise in bumping into Kevin, has a new task for the him—which certainly helps move the story along. That action, posted previously, continues here.

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

Tournament Day

Instead of a weakened Malcom Keith, Bruce Black will face Kevin in the tourney.

Malcom hastens to the tournament field, but will he arrive in time?

As the tournament begins, Malcom fears he will forfeit Conovanshire.

So far, so good for Malcom’s replacement…

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

Fatal Attraction

Malcom makes the best of his situation.

Motivated by finding booze, the guards make some questionable decisions.

As previously mentioned, much of my comics collection was given to me by Kreigh Collins’ son Kevin. Uncle Kevin gave me tons of Sundays, plus numerous black and white bromide proofs. I have most of the bromides for this story arc, but one is missing—March 30. The episode was a favorite, and the framed proof hangs Kevins dining room.

The April 6 episode starts with a gorgeous silhouetted splash panel and includes a lovely closeup of the conniving Kay. In between, Kevin’s good nature lands him in a world of pain.

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

The King’s New Armor

The following chapter is from the spring of 1958, and most its scans were provided by my friend Arnaud. The first several episodes introduce new characters, and while Kevin is mentioned at the end of the second, he doesn’t make an appearance until the fourth one.

With a name like Bruce Black, he is clearly the villain—yet the loutish thug certainly has a comely, yet conniving, lady friend.

To be continued…

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

Big Horn No. 3

Published in late 1957, issue No. 3 of the French comic book Big Horn follows the same format as its two predecessors. In addition to Warren Tufts’ title comic, it also features John Wheeler’s KID COLORADO, a short story, and Kreigh Collins’ KEVIN LE HARDI (“Kevin the Bold“).

Because these comic books are so thick (132 pages), they don’t scan very well. These images are photos I took outside with the comic book spread flat beneath a piece of plexiglass. Sorry about the glare. First up is BIG HORN.

BIG HORN is followed by KID COLORADO.

A three-page short story, likely a space filler, buttresses the comic book’s non-titular features.

KEVIN LE HARDI brings up the rear of the book with the action picking up where it left off in BIG HORN No. 2. Originally published on November 25, 1951, the episode features someone I like to call the original Princess Lea.

The KEVIN LE HARDI episodes cover the second half of the chapter featuring Baron Von Blunt. That chapter begins here; the action in BIG HORN No. 3 begins here.

The final (complete) KEVIN THE BOLD episode covered in BIG HORN No. 3 is particularly dramatic.

Unlike the previous BIG HORN titles in which KEVIN LE HARDI appeared, the KEVIN sequence wraps up at the comic book’s ending, with the next chapter being featured in Big Horn No. 4.

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

Sweet 116

I have a soft spot for comics from the Indianapolis Times—it is the newspaper from which the first six months of my MITZI McCOY collection originated. I also appreciate the paper’s solid reproductions.

The remaining two episodes are represented by third-page versions, which is a shame—for me the only bonus are the identifying labels. Initially thinking it was the handwriting of Kreigh’s wife Theresa, I was mistaken—it was written by Kreigh’s mother, Nora. Because Nora and Stephen Collins lived in a small cabin on Kreigh and Teddy’s property, all the mail was co-mingled, and since the cabin was closer to the mailbox than the house, Nora took charge of the mail. No doubt she felt enormous pride in her son’s career, and many of the saved copies of his comic strips include Nora’s handwritten labels. I have no memories of my great-grandmother—she died when I only two or three.

At any rate, today is the birthday of Nora’s daughter-in-law, Teddy—sweet 116. (She lived to be 101).

At her 99th birthday party with some of her sons and grandsons (L–R, Brian, Josh, Glen, Kevin, David, and Brett (absent are oldest son Erik, youngest grandson Wes, and granddaughters Karen and Lauren).

Meanwhile, Pedro is still in custody, and Carmine has an audience with the King.

As Carmine charms King Henry, the chapter quickly draws to a close…

…with the suddenly freed Pedro gaining both a job and a fiancée.

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

Pushing Pedro’s Buttons

While Del Sarto gives orders to his goons, Pedro experiences love at first sight.

Del Sarto doesn’t realize how misguided his plan is…

…nonetheless, it is successful, and Pedro’s beloved and beautiful Carmine is in serious peril.

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