Jungle Jim

Jungle Jim is an American newspaper comic strip first published January 7, 1934, by writer Don Moore and artist Alex Raymond, that starred the titular jungle adventurer. Unlike the protagonists of "Tarzan", "Ka-Zar", "Kaanga" and other comics with jungle themes, "Jungle Jim" Bradley was based in Southeastern Asia rather than Africa and was a hunter rather than a wild man in a loin cloth.

Other characters included the large, strong native Kolu (who served his white comrade Jim, similarly to Lothar in "Mandrake the Magician") and Lille DeVrille, who appeared two years after the strip's debut.

The comic's early years generally featured stories revolving around pirates, slave traders and other common jungle antagonists. As World War II approached, "Jungle Jim", like many American comics, developed a wartime theme, with Jim fighting the Japanese.

During WWII, artist Raymond enlisted as a Marine. Successors included John Mayo (creator of "Future Eye"), Paul Norris (creator of DC Comics' "Aquaman") and Don Moore. The strip ended in 1954.

Comic books

From 1937 to 1947, the comic strip was reprinted in Ace Comics, a comic book title, published by David McKay. From 1949 to 1951, there were 11 original Jungle Jim comic books produced by Standard Comics. Dell Comics published 20 issues of Jungle Jim comics from 1953-1959, of which the last eight issues (#13-20) were written by Gaylord Du Bois. King Features Syndicate published a single issue of "Jungle Jim" in 1967. This was labeled "#5", and was a reprint of Dell Comics' issue #5 with a new cover by Wally Wood. Charlton Comics then picked up Dell's numbering for another seven issues (# 22-28) from 1969-1970.

Other media

*Gerald Mohr and Mart Crowley had the title role in the "Jungle Jim" radio series which premiered November 2, 1935. Vicki Vola and Franc Hale portrayed Shanghai Lil, and Juano Hernandez was heard as Kolu.
*A 12-part movie serial by Universal Pictures, starring Grant Withers, followed in 1937.
*Columbia Pictures produced a series of 16 Jungle Jim B-movies, set in Africa and starring Johnny Weissmuller, from 1948 to 1955. Because the television series had the rights to the name "Jungle Jim", the licensed property was dropped for the last three features, and Weismuller played himself, in the same sense that Roy Rogers and Gene Autry did.
*A single-season Screen Gems television series ran from 1955-1956. There were 39 episodes, also starring Weissmuller. [ [http://www.geostan.ca/jjtv.html TV Series ] ]
*In 1957 Louis Marx and Company marketed a "Jungle Jim" playset with character figures and such generic jungle figures as hunters, natives and wild animals.

ee also

*United Features Syndicate
*"Jungle Jim" was first a code name and later a nickname of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron (CCTS) that later changed its name to the 1st Air Commando Group formed in early 1961. Members of the unit wore Jungle Jim style Slouch hats.

References

External links

* [http://www.toonopedia.com/jungljim.htm Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Jungle Jim]
* [http://www.comicsaccess.com/index.php Strickler, Dave. "Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924-1995: The Complete Index." Cambria, CA: Comics Access, 1995. ISBN 0-9700077-0-1]
* [http://www.comics.org/search.lasso?query=Jungle+Jim&type=title&sort=alpha&Submit=Search A database and cover gallery of Jungle Jim comic books]