Godwin, Frank - Rusty Ryan ( Rusty Riley prototype strip circa 1947 )

Frank Godwin's Rusty Riley strip was a definite milestone in comic strip history. There were a few adventure strips that skewed towards realism, but nothing quite as illustrative as Rusty. Godwin's prior work in books, newspapers and pulps provided the skills to produce something extraordinary. The small batch of Rusty Ryan strips he produced to pitch the concept (30 strips in all were completed and fortunately all survived) were likely little more than a formality. King Features was already well aware of Godwin's abilities. The Rusty Riley writ large that would unfold over the next 11 years is very much there in the Rusty Ryan strips. Elements of Rusty's orphanage background, mystery, deceit and camaraderie are already apparent in the short storyline. It's an honor to present a few of those seminal works here as a harbinger of greatness to come!