Paul Wheelahan
Encyclopedia
Paul Wheelahan is an Australian comic book writer, artist and illustrator, best known for his creations, The Panther and The Raven.
in 1930, the son of a mounted policeman. He grew up in Dalton, New South Wales
, during the great depression
, and was educated in Goulburn
and Muswellbrook
. In 1947 Wheelahan moved to Sydney
to find work and contact his idol
, Stan Pitt
, whose work, Silver Starr he had long admired. Wheelahan became friends with Pitt and from 1949 to 1950 Pitt employed him inking sections of Yarmak - Jungle King and Captain Power. Wheelahan also did artwork for H. John Edwards, including covers for the Fiction House line of reprints and fillers. One of these filler strips was 'Space Hawk', a science-fiction superhero, which appeared as a back-up feature in Edwards' reprints of Wings and Rangers comics.
At the age of twenty disillusioned by his lack of artistic success and unable to make a living from his artwork Wheelahan went back to live with his family in Armidale
, where he worked as a powder monkey
on the Oaky River
Dam project. During this time, Wheelahan's ten page Steve Ashley of Africa comic (about a big game hunter in the Belgian Congo) was published by H. John Edwards, as a back-up story in Len Lawson's The Hooded Rider comic book. Encouraged by this, Wheelahan returned to Sydney in 1954 to seek work in the comic industry. He worked as a foundry
labourer and process worker whilst freelancing for Edwards, illustrating covers and another two issues of Steve Ashley comics.
In 1955 Wheelahan joined Young's Merchandising and began a career as a full-time comic artist, where he drew Davy Crockett - Frontier Scout, which was first published in December 1955 running for two years and twenty two issues. Wheelahan's next title for Young's was The Panther, which commenced in May 1957 and ran for 73 issues until June 1963. The Panther, capitalised on the huge popularity of The Phantom
but was based on Tarzan
comics by Burne Hogarth
. As a small boy, The Panther was left abandoned in the Congo
after his parents had been killed by Mayzak warriors. He was adopted by a band of panthers and as he grew into manhood he was initiateded into a native tribe. Because his pale skin hindered him in hunting and stalking he took to wearing a fitted suit of panther skins to make him as dark as his fellow tribesman. Intially the stories were all set in the Congo but the character soon became involved in advenures all over the world.
Wheelahan followed this with a new comic, The Raven, which ran for ten issues commencing in July 1962. The Raven featured, Lord Ashley, the Seventh Earl of Ravenscourt, who lives in a ruined castle, Ravenscourt Manor, in England, a man wrongly accused of committing a crime, who dedicates himself to avenging injustice. Wheelahan also introuduced an evil brother Sebastian and was developing a storyline based on a Cain versus Abel theme.
By the early 1960s, however, Wheelahan's comics were amongst the last original Australian titles being published. Local reprints of American comic books had swamped the market throughout the 1950s. The situation was made worse by the introduction of television in Australia in 1956, followed by the resumption of imports of original, full-colour American comic books. These combined events forced most Australian comic book publishers out of business by the late 1950s. In 1963 the company folded following the death of its founder Charles Young.
In 1957 Wheelahan produced Rex Strong for Magazine Management and later developed both daily and Sunday versions of a newspaper strip based on Arthur Upfield
's Napoleon Bonaparte
but the strip failed to be syndicated.
Wheelahan then went on to Cleveland Press
in 1963 writing western novel
s, writing more than 500 novels under pseudonyms such as Brett McKinley and Emerson Dodge.
John Ryan in his Australian Comic anthology, Panel by Panel, describes Wheelahan' style as "sparse and devoid of un-needed detail and similar to US comic artist Steve Ditko
, with the strength of Wheelahan's comic lying in his storylines."
In 1996 Wheelahan wrote his last story for Cleveland Publishing, briefly becoming involved in television screenwriting
. He created and wrote the children's TV series Runaway Island, about two orphans living in Sydney during the 1830's, which screened on the Seven Network
in 1982. He also wrote several episodes of the soap opera
A Country Practice
and was also commissioned to collaborate with Michael Laurence to write a twenty-episode sequel to the TV mini-series, Return to Eden
, which was never produced.
Wheelahan subsequently set up his own business, Dodge Publishing, in order to print and distribute his own work, releasing three self published novels, Savage Texas, Arizona Psycho and Sons of Cain. Unable to compete with Cleveland Publishing's popular range of western 'pulp' novels, he began writing for the British book publisher, Robert Hale Ltd, which produce the Black Horse Western
series in the UK and North America. Wheelahan now resides in Emu Plains, New South Wales
and is writing his autobiography
(nominally titled Never Ride Back, which was also the title of his first story for Cleveland Press).
Biography
Paul Wheelahan was born in Bombala, New South WalesBombala, New South Wales
Bombala is a town in the Monaro region of south-eastern New South Wales, Australia, in Bombala Council. It is located approximately south of the state capital, Sydney, and south of the town of Cooma. The name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "Meeting of the waters". The town lies on the...
in 1930, the son of a mounted policeman. He grew up in Dalton, New South Wales
Dalton, New South Wales
Dalton is a small inland country town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Upper Lachlan Shire. Its claim to fame is that it is reputed to have the nation's highest rate of earthquakes and tremors....
, during the great depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, and was educated in Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
and Muswellbrook
Muswellbrook, New South Wales
Muswellbrook, a corruption of 'Muscle Brook', is a town and Local Government Area in New South Wales, Australia. The original spelling and etymology of the town's name is a matter of some debate...
. In 1947 Wheelahan moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to find work and contact his idol
Idol
An idol is an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed or any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.More specific terms include:Worship...
, Stan Pitt
Stan Pitt
Stanley John Joseph Pitt , was an Australian cartoonist and commercial artist. Pitt was the first Australian comic book artist to have original work published by a major American comic book company...
, whose work, Silver Starr he had long admired. Wheelahan became friends with Pitt and from 1949 to 1950 Pitt employed him inking sections of Yarmak - Jungle King and Captain Power. Wheelahan also did artwork for H. John Edwards, including covers for the Fiction House line of reprints and fillers. One of these filler strips was 'Space Hawk', a science-fiction superhero, which appeared as a back-up feature in Edwards' reprints of Wings and Rangers comics.
At the age of twenty disillusioned by his lack of artistic success and unable to make a living from his artwork Wheelahan went back to live with his family in Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
, where he worked as a powder monkey
Powder monkey
Powder monkeys were a part of warships' crews during the Age of Sail that carried bags of gunpowder from the powder magazine in the ship's hold to the gun crews. Powder monkeys were usually boys or young teens selected for the job for their speed and height — they were short and would be...
on the Oaky River
Oaky River
The Oaky River is a river of the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales in Australia. This river rises below Round Mountain and flows approximately in a mostly south westerly direction to its confluence with the Chandler River. The Ponds Creek is the main tributary of the river...
Dam project. During this time, Wheelahan's ten page Steve Ashley of Africa comic (about a big game hunter in the Belgian Congo) was published by H. John Edwards, as a back-up story in Len Lawson's The Hooded Rider comic book. Encouraged by this, Wheelahan returned to Sydney in 1954 to seek work in the comic industry. He worked as a foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
labourer and process worker whilst freelancing for Edwards, illustrating covers and another two issues of Steve Ashley comics.
In 1955 Wheelahan joined Young's Merchandising and began a career as a full-time comic artist, where he drew Davy Crockett - Frontier Scout, which was first published in December 1955 running for two years and twenty two issues. Wheelahan's next title for Young's was The Panther, which commenced in May 1957 and ran for 73 issues until June 1963. The Panther, capitalised on the huge popularity of The Phantom
The Phantom
The Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
but was based on Tarzan
Tarzan (comics)
Tarzan, a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in 23 sequels. The character proved immensely popular and quickly made the jump to other media, including comics.-Comic strips:...
comics by Burne Hogarth
Burne Hogarth
Burne Hogarth was an American cartoonist, illustrator, educator, author and theoretician, best known for his pioneering work on the Tarzan newspaper comic strip and his series of anatomy books.-Biography:...
. As a small boy, The Panther was left abandoned in the Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
after his parents had been killed by Mayzak warriors. He was adopted by a band of panthers and as he grew into manhood he was initiateded into a native tribe. Because his pale skin hindered him in hunting and stalking he took to wearing a fitted suit of panther skins to make him as dark as his fellow tribesman. Intially the stories were all set in the Congo but the character soon became involved in advenures all over the world.
Wheelahan followed this with a new comic, The Raven, which ran for ten issues commencing in July 1962. The Raven featured, Lord Ashley, the Seventh Earl of Ravenscourt, who lives in a ruined castle, Ravenscourt Manor, in England, a man wrongly accused of committing a crime, who dedicates himself to avenging injustice. Wheelahan also introuduced an evil brother Sebastian and was developing a storyline based on a Cain versus Abel theme.
By the early 1960s, however, Wheelahan's comics were amongst the last original Australian titles being published. Local reprints of American comic books had swamped the market throughout the 1950s. The situation was made worse by the introduction of television in Australia in 1956, followed by the resumption of imports of original, full-colour American comic books. These combined events forced most Australian comic book publishers out of business by the late 1950s. In 1963 the company folded following the death of its founder Charles Young.
In 1957 Wheelahan produced Rex Strong for Magazine Management and later developed both daily and Sunday versions of a newspaper strip based on Arthur Upfield
Arthur Upfield
Arthur William Upfield was an Australian writer, best known for his works of detective fiction featuring Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte of the Queensland Police Force, a half-caste Aborigine....
's Napoleon Bonaparte
Bony (Fictional Character)
Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte is a half Aboriginal, half-white detective character created by Arthur Upfield. Bony appeared in dozens of Upfield's novels from the late 1920s until the author's death in 1964.-Early life:...
but the strip failed to be syndicated.
Wheelahan then went on to Cleveland Press
Cleveland Press
The Cleveland Press was a daily American newspaper published in Cleveland, Ohio from November 2, 1878, through June 17, 1982. From 1928 to 1966, the paper's editor was Louis Seltzer....
in 1963 writing western novel
Western fiction
Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 1900s and Louis L'Amour from the mid 20th century...
s, writing more than 500 novels under pseudonyms such as Brett McKinley and Emerson Dodge.
John Ryan in his Australian Comic anthology, Panel by Panel, describes Wheelahan' style as "sparse and devoid of un-needed detail and similar to US comic artist Steve Ditko
Steve Ditko
Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....
, with the strength of Wheelahan's comic lying in his storylines."
In 1996 Wheelahan wrote his last story for Cleveland Publishing, briefly becoming involved in television screenwriting
Screenwriting
Screenwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is a freelance profession....
. He created and wrote the children's TV series Runaway Island, about two orphans living in Sydney during the 1830's, which screened on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
in 1982. He also wrote several episodes of the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
A Country Practice
A Country Practice
A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
and was also commissioned to collaborate with Michael Laurence to write a twenty-episode sequel to the TV mini-series, Return to Eden
Return to Eden
Return to Eden is an Australian television drama series starring Rebecca Gilling, James Reyne, Wendy Hughes and James Smillie. It began as a three-part mini-series, shown on Network Ten in 1983. Gilling and Smillie would reprise their roles for a 22-part weekly series screened in 1986.-Mini-series...
, which was never produced.
Wheelahan subsequently set up his own business, Dodge Publishing, in order to print and distribute his own work, releasing three self published novels, Savage Texas, Arizona Psycho and Sons of Cain. Unable to compete with Cleveland Publishing's popular range of western 'pulp' novels, he began writing for the British book publisher, Robert Hale Ltd, which produce the Black Horse Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series in the UK and North America. Wheelahan now resides in Emu Plains, New South Wales
Emu Plains, New South Wales
Emu Plains is a town, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Emu Plains is located 58 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region....
and is writing his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
(nominally titled Never Ride Back, which was also the title of his first story for Cleveland Press).