Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns
Page 11
Cocco Bill ja kummitukset
[Comic album: Finland; WW]
First publication: 1978; Story-Art: Benito Jacovitti; Translation: Maija Holmen-Bärlund; Publisher: Lehtimiehet Oy.
Finnish reprint of the story that first appeared in the Italian children's comic magazine Corriere dei Piccoli #30 (1969).
See: Cocco Bill
Coeur Blessé
[Comic book character; France; SFW]
First appearance: Kiwi #232 (1974); Story: Franco Frescura; Art: Renzo Restani; Publisher: Editions Lug.
A young Native American travels through time to the Old West to come to the aid of his ancestors.
See: Wounded Heart
Coffin
[Comic book character; WW]
First appearance: Eerie #61 (November 1974); Story: Budd Lewis; Art: Jose Ortiz; Publisher: Warren Publishing.
Arizona, 1889. Rifle salesman John Meek a.k.a. Coffin is cursed with immortal life by an elderly Indian medicine man for killing members of his tribe. The Indians proceed to torture Coffin by staking him in the dry heat of the desert and waiting for the flesh-eating ants to feast on his face. Coffin subsequently roams the Old West seeking release from his physical torment and emotional guilt over the deaths of innocent Indians even though he knew he killed them in error.
Coffin's story was told over four issues of Eerie (61, 67, 68, 70).
“The Cold Gray God”
[Pulp fiction; SFW]
Author: C. L. Moore; First publication: Weird Tales (October 1935).
On Righa, pole city of Mars, Northwest Smith encounters the beautiful Judai of Venus. Asked to retrieve a mysterious ivory box, Smith discovers it contains a talisman that acts as the key to opening a gateway for the entity known as the Unnamable One to enter the world of Mars. The cold, gray entity had taken control of Judai and now inhabits Northwest Smith as he struggles to regain control of his own body.
The Spaceman's Rest was crowded. Smith made his way through the maze of tables toward the long bar at the end of the room, threading the crowd of hard-faced men whose wide diversity of races seemed to make little difference in the curious similarity of expression which dwelt upon every face. They were quiet and watchful-eyed and wore the indefinable air of those who live by their wits and their guns.
Cold Harvest
(1998) [Film; SFW]
Premiere: 1998; Main Cast: Gary Daniels as Roland/Oliver Chaney, Barbara Crampton as Christine Chaney, Bryan Genesse as Little Ray; Executive Producers: Danny Dimbort, Avi Lerner, Trevor Short; Story: Frank Dietz; Director: Isaac Florentine; 89 min.; Nu World/New Image Films; Color.
Following a lethal meteor strike that brings a plague to Earth, a bounty hunter (Daniels) tracks down the murderer of his twin brother, warlord Little Ray, and protects his pregnant sister-in-law, who is immune to the plague, from harm.
Western action in a post-apocalypse landscape with kung fu-style fighting.
The Collegium
[RPG book; WW]
Author: John Goff; First publication: 2000; Setting: Deadlands: The Weird West; Publisher: Pinnacle Entertainment Group.
Mad science equipment guide, plot and background book for the town of Gomorra and the Collegium.
Colt the Armadillo
[Comic book; WW]
First appearance: KZ Comics Presents, August 1985; Story: Tom Zjaba; Art: Dan Berger; Ryan Brown; Publisher: KZ Comics.
This short-lived, independently published comic book featured an Old West armadillo bounty hunter named Colt.
Copperhead
(2008) [Telefilm; WW]
Premiere: June 28, 2008; Main Cast: Brad Johnson as “Wild” Bill, Billy Drago as Jesse Evans, Wendy Carter as Jane, Atanas Srebrev as Josiah; Executive Producer: T.J. Sakasegawa; Story: Rafael Jordan; Director: Todor Chapkanov; Unified Film Organization (UFO), Universal Television; Color.
Supernatural poisonous snakes terrorize a Western town.
Il Corsaro Cocco Bill
(2002) [Animated TV series; Italy; WW]
Premiere: 2002; Voice Cast: Gregory Snegoff as Cocco Bill, Executive Producer: Pietro Campedelli; Story: Oscar Avogardo, Sergio Crivellaro; Director: Pierluigi De Mas; RAI Radio Televisione Italiana, Raifiction-EM.TV & Merchandising AG; Color.
The animated adventures of Cocco Bill include many Weird Western titles:
“Cocco Bill Ritorna al Futuro,” “Cocco Bill Jurassic,” “Cocco Bill e il Figlio di Moby Dick,” “Cocco Bill e il Fratello di Frankenstein,” “Cocco Bill e il Mostro del Lago,” Cocco Bill e i Fantasmi.”
Cosmic Cowboys
(2003) [Animated TV series; France; SW]
Premiere: 2003; Creator: Eddy Marx; 52 × 13 min; Producers: Christian Davin, Clement Calvet; Alphanim-France 3, Tooncan Productions VI Inc., Europool; Color.
Comedy Space Western spoof featuring two intergalactic bounty hunters, Curtis the cat-goat mutant and his partner Dook, a humanoid mule who lives by a strict code of honor. They work for the enigmatic Sheriff Mammy who transmits from her cozy home. Their nemesis and public enemy number one is Cereal Bob, a pink rabbit who always finds ways to escape from Deputy Roscoe's jail.
Season One
The Cereal Brothers (1:01); Vacation Drill (1:02); Luck Out Below (1:03); Cosmics in the Blizzard (1:04); A Cereal Christmas (1:05); Spaced Out Momma! (1:06); Twiddle Dee Dumb (1:07); Star-Strangled Banter (1:08); Hot Dog Bob (1:09); The Pig Escape (1:10); Good Lux Charm (1:11); A Shrinking World (1:12); Ecomaniac (1:13); A Mysterious Tale (1:14); Momocop (1:15); Grabbit and Run! (1:16); Liar's Lair (1:17); Space Fan-atic (1:18); Friend or Fiend? (1:19); Malicious Malicia (1:20); Space Castaways (1:21); Trading Spaces (1:22); Trading Spaces (1:23); Debt or Alive (1:24); Debt or Alive (1:25); Pumpkin Dispatch (1:26); Superguy (1:27); Split Poisonality (1:28); Cosmic Cast (1:29); Diploma Dilemma (1:30); Spatial Agent (1:31); Flying Rodeo Cowboy (1:32); Boxing Day (1:33); The Ties That Blind (1:34); Galactic Voodoo (1:35); The Tortoise and the Hare! (1:36); Statue of Imitations (1:37); So Long Saloon (1:38); Hallowed Hologram (1:39); Promotion Commotion (1:40); Vase That? (1:41); Double Trouble (1:42); Genie in a Throttle (1:43); Heros Tolerance (1:44); Psycho Switch (1:45); Bad Baby (1:46); Guest Work (1:47); Pyramid Scheming (1:48); Running Joke (1:49); The Ghost Ship (1:50); Game Over (1:51); Mission Implausible (1:52).
Cosmic Cowboys (2003) promotional artwork. © 2003 Alphanim, France 3, Tooncan Productions VI Inc., Europool. All Rights Reserved.
Cosmo Warrior Zero
(2001) [Animated TV series; Japan; SFW]
Premiere: July 6, 2001; Creator: Leiji Matsumoto; Story: Mugi Kamio, Nobuyuki Fujimoto; Director: Kazuyoshi Yokota; AT-X, Tsuburaya Eizo, Vega Entertainment; 30 × 13 min.; Color.
In the late 30th century, Warrior Zero is assigned by the Machine Men to track down rogue pirate Captain Harlock, who still resists the victors of the Earth-Mechanized war.
Season One
[Episodes set in the town of Gun Frontier]
“THE IMMORTAL SAMURAI TOCHIRO” (1:05)
Premiere: August 4, 2001; Captain Zero sends scouting party members Grenadier, Ishikura, Rai and mechanized soldier Acceluter to the town of Gun Frontier on the planet Heavy Metal to meet with bounty hunter Le Sylviana for information on Harlock. But Tochiro is blamed for an incident that nearly destroys the town and is threatened with death by Le Sylviana.
“MY FRIEND HARLOCK” (1:06)
Premiere: August 11, 2001; Captain Zero visits Gun Frontier to check on his crew while Captain Harlock rescues Tochiro from Le Sylviana.
Cowboy Bebop
[Manga-Anime; Japan; SFW]
1. First appearance: Asuka Fantasy DX, 1997; Creators: Hajime Yatate, Shinichiro Watanabe; Story: Dai Saitou, Hajime Yatate, Yutaka Nanten; Art: Yutaka Nanten; Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten-Tokyopop
Intergalactic bounty hunters Spike and Jet roam the solar system in the Bebop spaceship tracking down outlaws and criminals.
2. Animated TV series; Premiere: April 3, 1998; Stories: Keiko Nobumoto, Sadayuki Murai, Dai
Sato, Ryota Yamaguchi, Michiko Yokote, Akihiko Inari, Aya Yoshinaga, Shoji Kawamori; Director: Shinichiro Watanabe; 26 × 25 min.; Sunrise Inc.-Bandai Visual; Color.
Based on the manga by Shinichiro Watanabe and the Sunrise animation team under the collective pseudonym of Hajime Yatate.
The series qualifies as a Space Western but owes as much to other genre influences including crime, mystery and film noir. Music and animation are often combined to great effect. The fusion of jazz and rock is by composer Yoko Kanno. Director Watanabe cites Dirty Harry and Enter the Dragon as the main sources of inspiration for Cowboy Bebop with the one-eyed Spike influenced by Western cowboy characters.
Season One
Asteroid Blues (1:01); Stray Dog Strut (1:02); Honky Tonk Women (1:03); Gateway Shuffle (1:04); Ballad of Fallen Angels (1:05); Sympathy for the Devil (1:06); Heavy Metal Queen (1:07); Waltz for Venus (1:08); Jamming with Edward (1:09); Ganymede Elegy (1:10); Toys in the Attic (1:11); Jupiter Jazz: Part 1 (1:12); Jupiter Jazz: Part 2
(1:13); Bohemian Rhapsody (1:14); My Funny Valentine (1:15); Black Dog Serenade (1:16); Mushroom Samba (1:17); Speak Like a Child (1:18); Wild Horses (1:19); Pierrot le Fou (1:20); Boogie-Woogie Feng-Shui (1:21); Cowboy Funk (1:22); Brain Scratch (1:23); Hard Luck Woman (1:24); The Real Folk Blues: Part 1 (1:25); The Real Folk Blues: Part 2 (1:26)
Cowboy Gorilla
[Comic book character; WW]
First appearance: Megaton Man (1984); Creator-Story-Art: Don Simpson; Publisher: Kitchen Sink Press.
Texas-born Cowboy Gorilla was originally a member of the crimefighting Metropolis Quartet led by Megaton Man. He later joined the VW Gang. After an initial run in the superhero parody title Megaton Man, Cowboy Gorilla resurfaced in Don Simpson's Bizarre Heroes comic book.
Cowboy Heaven
[Novel; SFW]
Author: Ron Goulart; First publication: Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1979.
Published as part of the Doubleday Science Fiction series.
Cowboys & Aliens
[Web comic; Graphic novel; SFW]
First appearance: 2006; Creator: Scott Mitchell Rosenberg; Story: Fred Van Lente, Andrew Foley; Art: Luciano Lima; Publisher: Platinum Studios Inc.
When hostile aliens land outside of Dodge City in 1873, cowboys and Apache Indians must join forces and learn to live together in order to save the Earth.
This online serialized comic strip was published as a graphic novel in 2006 by Platinum Studios. Commenting on it, Dan Forcey, vice president of Content Development at Platinum Studios, said,
We are all western fans at Platinum and are of the general opinion that not as much has been done with the genre as is possible. In the early days of western comics (or even going back to the pulp novels of the previous century), while they were great, the boundaries weren't really stretched into what they could be. We're all fascinated with the time of the Old West, so why not push it to the extreme? Why not add an element of science fiction, as we do in Cowboys & Aliens? Why not throw the occult in there like we do in Gunplay? We think if we keep pushing the edges of what this genre is, we can use it to really tell stories that are going to grab people's attention.
Cover of Cowboys & Aliens. Cover art: Dennis Calero, Luciano Lima. © Platinum Studios Inc. Used with permission.
Cowboys & Aliens: Worlds at War
[Web comic; SFW]
First appearance: 2007; Creator: Scott Mitchell Rosenberg; Story: Alana Joli Abbott; Art: Rick Hershey; Publisher: Platinum Studios Inc.
In this sequel to Cowboys & Aliens, the tale of trail masters Zeke Jackson and Verity and Chiricahua Apache Chief War Hawk is concluded as the Earth faces new threats from the Angaarans.
Cowgirls from Hell
[Comic book characters; WW]
First appearance: Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death #1 (February 2008); Story: Matt Fraction; Art: Russ Heath (Part Two); One-shot; Publisher: Marvel.
Four short stories with an arc involving John Aman a.k.a. Prince of Orphans in pursuit of seven mystical golden coins stolen by Orson Randall and his Confederates of the Curious. In Part Two, the busty Cowgirls from Hell use their charms to trap some of the Confederates of the Curious in an Old West town. Writer Matt Fraction has stated that he wrote the strip specifically for artist Russ Heath as a tribute to his infamous National Lampoon strip Cowgirls at War.
Coyote Ragtime Show
(2006) [Anime; Japan; SW]
Air date: July 6, 2006; Director: Takuya Nonaka; Studio: Ufotable, Licensors: ADV, FUNimation; Color.
With ten days left until his release “Mister,” a space “coyote” outlaw, breaks out of jail and attempts to locate the Pirate King Blues' treasure with the help of the Pirate King's daughter. Federal investigators Angelica and Chelsea plus the android assassins from the Criminal Guild, Madame Marciano's Twelve Sisters, are on his trail. And to complicate matters further, the planet is about to be annihilated.
The series shows influences of Cowboy Bebop with its mix of genres and stylistic approach.
Season One
Jailbreak (1:01); The Girl of the Pirate Hideout (1:02); The Man That Was Like a Right Arm (1:03); The Days Gone By (1:04); Never Change (1:05); Fierce Fighting (1:06); Marciano the Traitor (1:07); The Road Goes On to Gigabanks (1:08); Jupiter (1:09); Angelica Burns (1:10); Fading Memories (1:11); Coyote (1:12)
Coyote Silk
[Novel; WW]
Author: Gino Sky; Illustrator: Elia Haworth; First publication: Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1987.
Sequel to Appaloosa Rising: or, The Legend of the Cowboy Buddha.
Creeping Dread: The Fantastic Journals of Luther Henry
[Novel; WW]
Author: Terry Lloyd Vinson; First publication; 2008; Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing.
A decade after the conclusion of the Civil War, Luther Henry finds himself pursued by a supernatural assassin hunting and killing former members of his Confederate unit “The Phantom Rebs.”
Creepy
[Comic book]
Horror anthology title that escaped the Comics Code Authority seal of approval by adopting a black & white magazine format. Its success spawned Eerie, Vampirella, The Rook, The Spirit, The Goblin and 1984 before Warren Publishing went out of business in 1983.
“SPAWN OF THE CAT PEOPLE”
First publication: #2 (April 1965); Story: Archie Goodwin; Art: Reed Crandall.
Todd, a New Mexico cowboy, rescues a girl from a rowdy gang accusing her of inheriting a curse from her father. But Todd soon begins to wonder if the men were correct in saying she could turn into a panther.
“REVENGE OF THE BEAST!” [WW]
First publication: #5 (October 1965); Story: Archie Goodwin; Art: Gray Morrow.
“You'll have a real howl as Uncle Creepy digs his spurs into a Weird Western.”
A group surveying the route for a stagecoach come across the sacred burial ground of the Wikasha tribe and discover the soil is full of gold. Despite warnings from an elderly Indian, they dig the soil and risk the wrath of the devil-beast Kwi-Uktena.
“THE SANDS THAT CHANGE” [WW]
First publication: #16 (August 1967); Story: Clark Dimond, Terry Bisson; Art: Steve Ditko.
Comic book artist Tom Newman, on his honeymoon in the Mojave Desert, shows his new wife his latest “monster” creation only to find it come to life and pursue him thanks to an ancient American Indian curse.
“BUFFALOED” [WW]
First publication: #62 (May 1974); Story: Larry Herndon; Art: John Severin.
Buffalo-bagger Hawkins is thrown from his horse and knocked unconscious, awakening in an Indian settlement. But first appearances can deceive.
The Crimson Skull
(1921) [Film; WMW]
Premiere: 1921; Main Cast: Anita Bush as Anita Nelson, Lawrence Chenault as Bob Calem, Bill Pickett, Steve Reynolds; Producer: Richard E. Norman; Norman Film Manufacturing Company; B/W.
This early silent Weird Menace Western had the distinction of fea
turing an African-American cast, the one-legged Steve “Peg” Reynolds and world champion rodeo rider Bill Pickett. It was a companion piece to The Bull Dogger (1921), also filmed in Boley and featuring Pickett. The white-owned independent Norman Film Manufacturing Company based in Jacksonville, Florida made films specifically aimed at the black movie audience between 1921 and 1928.
The promotional circular from Norman Film Manufacturing Company provided a detailed synopsis.
The opening scenes of this epic of Wild Life and Smoking Revolvers shows the peace loving, All-Colored City of Boley, Oklahoma, snuggling itself on the great Oklahoma Prairie. Its peace has been disturbed by a Band of Outlaws. “The Skull,” and his “Terrors,” have sown mortal fear into the hearts of the less intrepid of the Countryside, and they have the Sheriff in their power. “The Law and Order League” force his resignation and offer $5,000.00 for the capture of “The Skull,” Dead or Alive. Lem Nelson, fearless Cattleman and owner of the Crown C Ranch, is persuaded to take the Sheriff's job. Bob Calem, his ranch foreman, is in love with Nelson's daughter, Anita, and he volunteers his aid to help capture “The Skull.” In order to effect the capture of “The Skull,” Bob joins his “Gang.” While a member, Anita and Steve Reynolds, a one-legged cowboy, are captured by “The Skull.” Bob aids them to escape and is accused of being a traitor. As there is no definite proof of his guilt, and opinion is equally divided between members of the “Gang,” he is tried by the test of “The Crimson Skull.” One drop of blood decides his fate, if he shall live or die.