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About This Series
Issues
Pictures
About This
Series:
Issues:
Nyoka began life as a character somewhat created by Tarzan author Edgar
Rice Burroughs, although his participation in the creation of the
character was minimal. She appeared in a May, 1931 story titled The Land of the Hidden Men in the
pulp magazine called "Blue Book". Actually, the character was not
called Nyoka and there was no Nyoka-like character. The story's
heroine was an Asian princess named Fou-tan living in Cambodia.
Fou-tan and Nyoka lived in the jungle, but the similarities stop
there. The story was later published as a novel called, "Jungle
Girl" (1932). This, in turn, led to a movie serial adaptation of
the same name in 1941, based loosely on the book. The location
was changed to Africa.
Burroughs is credited in the film serial, "Jungle Girl", with six other writers, but it was these other six who really gave us the first prototype of Nyoka the Jungle Girl. By the second serial, Burroughs wasn't credited at all. The first movie serial was very popular, and starred Frances Gifford as the buckskin-clad heroine Nyoka Meredith. It was so popular that a sequel was in demand, but the rights to the character could not be obtained. Republic Pictures got around this by changing Nyoka's last name to Gordon, and moving her locale to the desert. There was also an all-around cast change, and Nyoka was now played by Kay Aldridge. On top of all this, Nyoka's costume was changed from the buckskin dress to a skimpy explorer's outfit consisting of long-sleeved shirt, shorts, and boots. In 1942, the movie serial "The Perils of Nyoka" came out and also did very well commercially.
It was the character of Nyoka Gordon, from the second serial, on which THIS comic series is loosely based. Nyoka was now a jungle girl, again. She was a world-famous explorer and operated a trading post. It didn't take long for Fawcett Comics to make Nyoka a bit sexier. In a lot of ways, Fawcett made Nyoka look more like the earlier Frances Gifford version than the Kay Aldridge version. Nyoka's brown hair got a bit longer, her shorts got shorter and tighter, and, to make her legs look longer, her boots were "shrunk down" to ankle boots.
Initially, the color of Nyoka's shorts was green. It was changed to red. Although I don't know the official reason, I assume it's because red showed better due to the rather limited printing processes of the day. This is what finally established the classic look of the Nyoka character.
What's interesting about Nyoka as a jungle girl is that she is not the displaced, nearly naked white woman dressed in animal skins. Nyoka is a civilized woman in regular clothes who uses guns as well as other weapons. Pretty much all other jungle girl characters are copies of the sexy blonde Sheena. Nyoka is truly a one-of-a-kind comic book heroine that deserves more recognition than what she's received.
Fawcett's Captain Marvel character was the first comic book character to be put into movie serials. Nyoka the Jungle Girl was the first movie serial character to be put into comic books! Neat, huh? Especially since Fawcett was her publisher. The first issue of her comic, simply titled "Jungle Girl", was released in Fall of 1942 and not meant to be anything more than a one-shot. In May, 1944, Nyoka returned as a back-up feature in the comic book series "Master Comics", where Captain Marvel, Jr. was the star. This began with issue #50 and continued through the last issue #132 (March, 1953). A few months after starting in "Master Comics", Nyoka was given her own regular series. Now called "Nyoka the Jungle Girl", numbering began with issue #2 (Winter, 1944-45) and lasted to #77 (June, 1953). What's so magical about the year 1953 that these appearances ended? That's the year Fawcett ceased publication.
Nyoka was later owned by Charlton Comics, and then AC Comics. But that's another story. "Nyoka the Jungle Girl", despite being a great comic, had and has continued to have a faithful following, but just never really took off. The regular series appeared irregularly for the entire run. Perhaps another film appearance would have boosted sales. Who knows? The series began with fully illustrated covers, then graduated to photo covers with models posing as Nyoka and other characters.
Burroughs is credited in the film serial, "Jungle Girl", with six other writers, but it was these other six who really gave us the first prototype of Nyoka the Jungle Girl. By the second serial, Burroughs wasn't credited at all. The first movie serial was very popular, and starred Frances Gifford as the buckskin-clad heroine Nyoka Meredith. It was so popular that a sequel was in demand, but the rights to the character could not be obtained. Republic Pictures got around this by changing Nyoka's last name to Gordon, and moving her locale to the desert. There was also an all-around cast change, and Nyoka was now played by Kay Aldridge. On top of all this, Nyoka's costume was changed from the buckskin dress to a skimpy explorer's outfit consisting of long-sleeved shirt, shorts, and boots. In 1942, the movie serial "The Perils of Nyoka" came out and also did very well commercially.
It was the character of Nyoka Gordon, from the second serial, on which THIS comic series is loosely based. Nyoka was now a jungle girl, again. She was a world-famous explorer and operated a trading post. It didn't take long for Fawcett Comics to make Nyoka a bit sexier. In a lot of ways, Fawcett made Nyoka look more like the earlier Frances Gifford version than the Kay Aldridge version. Nyoka's brown hair got a bit longer, her shorts got shorter and tighter, and, to make her legs look longer, her boots were "shrunk down" to ankle boots.
Initially, the color of Nyoka's shorts was green. It was changed to red. Although I don't know the official reason, I assume it's because red showed better due to the rather limited printing processes of the day. This is what finally established the classic look of the Nyoka character.
What's interesting about Nyoka as a jungle girl is that she is not the displaced, nearly naked white woman dressed in animal skins. Nyoka is a civilized woman in regular clothes who uses guns as well as other weapons. Pretty much all other jungle girl characters are copies of the sexy blonde Sheena. Nyoka is truly a one-of-a-kind comic book heroine that deserves more recognition than what she's received.
Fawcett's Captain Marvel character was the first comic book character to be put into movie serials. Nyoka the Jungle Girl was the first movie serial character to be put into comic books! Neat, huh? Especially since Fawcett was her publisher. The first issue of her comic, simply titled "Jungle Girl", was released in Fall of 1942 and not meant to be anything more than a one-shot. In May, 1944, Nyoka returned as a back-up feature in the comic book series "Master Comics", where Captain Marvel, Jr. was the star. This began with issue #50 and continued through the last issue #132 (March, 1953). A few months after starting in "Master Comics", Nyoka was given her own regular series. Now called "Nyoka the Jungle Girl", numbering began with issue #2 (Winter, 1944-45) and lasted to #77 (June, 1953). What's so magical about the year 1953 that these appearances ended? That's the year Fawcett ceased publication.
Nyoka was later owned by Charlton Comics, and then AC Comics. But that's another story. "Nyoka the Jungle Girl", despite being a great comic, had and has continued to have a faithful following, but just never really took off. The regular series appeared irregularly for the entire run. Perhaps another film appearance would have boosted sales. Who knows? The series began with fully illustrated covers, then graduated to photo covers with models posing as Nyoka and other characters.
Issues:
#9: July,
1947. Stories include: "Flying Jungle" and "Burmese
Expedition". At this point in the series, Nyoka stories were
often written to be silly. A bit later on, Nyoka became a
"serious" character (although in a rather light-hearted vein).
Backup features include short strips of standard humor characters like
Trader Tom, Witless Witmore, and anonymous jungle-related comics.
Nyoka got knocked out a lot in her comics, and sees naptime once in
this issue in the second story. Other neat things about this
issue include a comic ad for Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal featuring a
very early Snap! Crackle! and Pop!, the heavily published Charles Atlas
ad, and an ad for Curtiss' Baby Ruth Candy Bar. There are more
ads, too, but those are the highlights.
I actually got this issue on eBay in extremely excellent condition and for a low price. The seller obviously didn't know or care about what he was selling. Early numbered issues of Nyoka, such as this, normally command pretty high prices. Issues numbered from about #30 onward seem to be fairly reasonable to obtain.
#10: August, 1947. Stories include: "Terrors From the Past" and "The Human Robots". Already by this time, the Nyoka stories were starting to be written a bit more "serious". At least they weren't trying to be outright silly. Nyoka gets knocked out once in "Terrors From the Past". Backup features include: Giggle Gags, Mighty Mickey and his Mighty Mutt, Muscle Hedd, and Trader Tom. Neat ads of special mention include: Kellogg's Rice Krispies Snap! Crackle! and Pop! comic page, Roy Rogers & Trigger for Schwinn Bicycles, Sam Spade for Wildroot Hair Tonic comic page, Wheaties comic page ad featuring George Case.
#16: February, 1948. Story is: "Vultures of Kahari". Nyoka goes to dreamland twice in this story. Once when she's dropped on top of a mountain, and the second when she's hit on the head with a club. Backup features include: Kanvasback, Lion-Hearted Leo, and Trader Tom. Neat ad of special mention: Wheaties comic page ad featuring Bud Foster.
#37: November, 1949. Stories include: "The Bridge to Death" and "The Jungle Racketeers". A great photo cover with a pretty Nyoka model. Who is this lady? If you know, please CONTACT ME. Nyoka gets KO'd once in the first story, twice in the second story. Supporting jungle-themed humor comics include Trader Tom, Egbert the Explorer, and the circus comic Ballyhoo Barney. For back-up features to "Nyoka the Jungle Girl", Fawcett usually picked something jungle or animal-themed for comics and text stories. That was good thinking, because they still fit the overall theme of the title. Most publishers of the time were not as smart about that.
#48: October, 1950. Story is: "The Jungle Blackmail". Another great photo cover with a Nyoka model. Who is this lady? If you know, please CONTACT ME. Nyoka gets KO'd once. Humor back-up features include: Ballyhoo Barney, Colonel Corn and Korny Kobb, Egbert the Explorer, Mad Maddern, Trader Tom, Troubled Trommer. Neat ads include Allen "Rocky" Lane for Carnation Malted Milk, Daisy's Red Ryder B.B. Gun, and more.
#51: January, 1951. Stories include: "The Crocodile Calamity" and "The Lost Civilization". A great photo cover with a pretty Nyoka model. Who is this lady? If you know, please CONTACT ME. Nyoka gets KO'd once in "The Lost Civilization". That story pits her against Dr. Zanzere, a character that the writers were trying to make into a regular nemesis for our courageous jungle girl. Backup humor features include: Ballyhoo Barney in "The Gorilla Hunt", Egbert the Explorer in "Rich Retort", Freshman Freddy in "Birthday Gift", and Trader Tom in "Speaks Up". Neat ads of special mention include: Captain Video comic book ad, Cracker Jack ad, Daisy's Red Ryder Air Rifle, Dubble Bubble Gum comic featuring Pud and gang, Erector Set comic page ad, Lionel Trains, Scotch Tape Indian Headdress, Television Bank, Viewmaster featuring Cisco Kid/Gene Autry/Hopalong Cassidy/Roy Rogers.
I actually got this issue on eBay in extremely excellent condition and for a low price. The seller obviously didn't know or care about what he was selling. Early numbered issues of Nyoka, such as this, normally command pretty high prices. Issues numbered from about #30 onward seem to be fairly reasonable to obtain.
#10: August, 1947. Stories include: "Terrors From the Past" and "The Human Robots". Already by this time, the Nyoka stories were starting to be written a bit more "serious". At least they weren't trying to be outright silly. Nyoka gets knocked out once in "Terrors From the Past". Backup features include: Giggle Gags, Mighty Mickey and his Mighty Mutt, Muscle Hedd, and Trader Tom. Neat ads of special mention include: Kellogg's Rice Krispies Snap! Crackle! and Pop! comic page, Roy Rogers & Trigger for Schwinn Bicycles, Sam Spade for Wildroot Hair Tonic comic page, Wheaties comic page ad featuring George Case.
#16: February, 1948. Story is: "Vultures of Kahari". Nyoka goes to dreamland twice in this story. Once when she's dropped on top of a mountain, and the second when she's hit on the head with a club. Backup features include: Kanvasback, Lion-Hearted Leo, and Trader Tom. Neat ad of special mention: Wheaties comic page ad featuring Bud Foster.
#37: November, 1949. Stories include: "The Bridge to Death" and "The Jungle Racketeers". A great photo cover with a pretty Nyoka model. Who is this lady? If you know, please CONTACT ME. Nyoka gets KO'd once in the first story, twice in the second story. Supporting jungle-themed humor comics include Trader Tom, Egbert the Explorer, and the circus comic Ballyhoo Barney. For back-up features to "Nyoka the Jungle Girl", Fawcett usually picked something jungle or animal-themed for comics and text stories. That was good thinking, because they still fit the overall theme of the title. Most publishers of the time were not as smart about that.
#48: October, 1950. Story is: "The Jungle Blackmail". Another great photo cover with a Nyoka model. Who is this lady? If you know, please CONTACT ME. Nyoka gets KO'd once. Humor back-up features include: Ballyhoo Barney, Colonel Corn and Korny Kobb, Egbert the Explorer, Mad Maddern, Trader Tom, Troubled Trommer. Neat ads include Allen "Rocky" Lane for Carnation Malted Milk, Daisy's Red Ryder B.B. Gun, and more.
#51: January, 1951. Stories include: "The Crocodile Calamity" and "The Lost Civilization". A great photo cover with a pretty Nyoka model. Who is this lady? If you know, please CONTACT ME. Nyoka gets KO'd once in "The Lost Civilization". That story pits her against Dr. Zanzere, a character that the writers were trying to make into a regular nemesis for our courageous jungle girl. Backup humor features include: Ballyhoo Barney in "The Gorilla Hunt", Egbert the Explorer in "Rich Retort", Freshman Freddy in "Birthday Gift", and Trader Tom in "Speaks Up". Neat ads of special mention include: Captain Video comic book ad, Cracker Jack ad, Daisy's Red Ryder Air Rifle, Dubble Bubble Gum comic featuring Pud and gang, Erector Set comic page ad, Lionel Trains, Scotch Tape Indian Headdress, Television Bank, Viewmaster featuring Cisco Kid/Gene Autry/Hopalong Cassidy/Roy Rogers.