Classics Illustrated Special Issue #147A - Crossing the Rockies
(December 1958)

Gilberton, 1955 Series
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Volume
?
Price
0.35 USD
Pages
100
Indicia Frequency
June and December
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Gilberton Company Inc.
Brand
Classics Illustrated Special Issue
Editing
Roberta Strauss

Issue Notes

Indexed with information supplied by Saltarella via the GCD Error Tracker.

Crossing the Rockies (Table of Contents)

cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Gerald McCann (signed) (painting)
Inks
Gerald McCann (signed) (painting)
Colors
Gerald McCann (signed) (painting)
Letters
?

Characters
Mountain man; pioneers
Reprints
Keywords
Covered wagon

Indexer Notes

Painting: McCann's signature (in the lower right part) read by Stephen Gong

Contents (Table of Contents: 1)

table of contents / 1 page (report information)

Letters
Typeset

Crossing the Rockies (Table of Contents: 2)

illustration / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Norman Nodel
Inks
Norman Nodel
Colors
?
Letters
?

Reprints
Keywords
Covered wagon; wagon train

The Oregon Trail (Table of Contents: 3)

comic story / 19 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Don Perlin
Inks
Don Perlin
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
non-fiction; biography; western-frontier
Characters
Marcus Whitman; Narcissa Whitman [Narcissa Prentiss]; Henry Spalding; Eliza Spalding; Joe Meek; Squire Ebberts; Tom Fitzpatrick; Jim Bridger; Reverend Samuel Parker; Cayuse Indians
Synopsis
Dr. Marcus Whitman has a passion to go to the Oregon country as a missionary. With another couple he and his wife make the journey; the wives are reputedly the first white women to cross the Great Divide. Their route becomes the Oregon Trail, and Whitman helps other parties make the trek. Cayuse Indians kill the Whitmans and others, after which the federal government takes steps to police and organize the territory.
Reprints
Keywords
American Indian; Amerind; Cayuse; covered wagon; explorer; massacre; missionary; Native American; Oregon Trail; wagon train

Death and the Donners (Table of Contents: 4)

comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
non-fiction; history; western-frontier
Characters
George Donner; Tamsen Donner; immigrants; mountain man; Charles Stanton; James Reed
Synopsis
Putting unfounded trust in their guidebooks, the Donner party takes a treacherous route west and squanders a chance to cross the mountains before snow falls. Starvation takes its toll as they are trapped in snow, and only 47 survive out of 89 souls.
Reprints
Keywords
Blizzard; covered wagon; Rocky Mountains; snow; wagon train

Indexer Notes

Although cannibalism is a famed aspect of the Donner history, it is not mentioned in this story.

This Is the Place (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Norman Nodel
Inks
Norman Nodel
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
non-fiction; history; western-frontier
Characters
Joseph Smith; Brigham Young; Jim Bridger; Sam Brannan; Mormon pioneers
Synopsis
When Joseph Smith is killed, Brigham Young leads refugee Mormons to the west. He has no destination, but promises he will know the place when he sees it. He approves a site in the Great Salt Lake Valley, and the settlement grows to a rich new community.
Reprints
Keywords
Great Salt Lake; L.D.S.; Latter-day Saints; LDS; Mormons; religious persecution; Salt Lake City; Utah

The Gold Rush (Table of Contents: 6)

comic story / 29 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
George Evans
Inks
Reed Crandall
Colors
?
Letters
?

Characters
John Sutter; James Marshall; Juliet Brier; Dan Hill; Lucky Bill Thornton; Rattlesnake Dick Brier; George Skinner; Sam Brannan; John Jenkins; Charles Cora; James P. Casey; James King of William; con men; prospectors; 49ers [Forty-Niners]
Synopsis
Discovery of gold in California leads to a rush of immigrants, many of whom die from poor preparation, and few of whom actually strike it rich. Sam Brannan and James King of William are among the citizens who fight against the rampant lawlessness. Some of them are killed, but eventually law, order, and democracy prevail. Mining moves to Nevada, and California becomes a peaceful farming state.
Reprints
Keywords
49ers; Assassination; California; Forty-Niners; Gold Rush; prospector; vigilante

The Apache Wars (Table of Contents: 7)

comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Joe Orlando
Inks
Joe Orlando
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
non-fiction; history; war; western-frontier
Characters
Cochise; Lieutenant Bascom; cavalry troopers; Apaches
Synopsis
An arrogant cavalry officer falsely accuses Cochise of kidnapping and tries to arrest him, touching off 25 years of war.
Reprints
Keywords
American Indian; Amerind; Apache; cavalry; Native American; New Mexico

The Overland Mail (Table of Contents: 8)

comic story / 11 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Joe Orlando
Inks
Joe Orlando
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
non-fiction; history; western-frontier
Characters
Samuel H. Woodson; George Chorpenning; John Butterfield; Waterman Lily Ormsby; Indians; travelers; stagecoach drivers
Synopsis
After several fitful starts, a true transcontinental mail route is established by John Butterfield. He sets up way stations all along the route, while his drivers fight off Indians and contend with the elements.
Reprints
Keywords
American Indian; Amerind; mail; Native American; stagecoach

The Pony Express (Table of Contents: 9)

comic story / 16 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Reed Crandall
Inks
George Evans
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
non-fiction; history; western-frontier
Characters
William Russell; Billy Richardson; Major Howard Egan; Warren Upson; Bill Hamilton; Pony Bob Haslam; Jack Keetley; Billy Fisher; Johnnie Frey; Jules Reni; Captain Jack Slade; McCanless; James Butler Hickok [Wild Bill Hickok]; Ben Holliday; Paiute Indians
Synopsis
For eighteen months, through punishing conditions and sometimes under Indian attack, Pony Express riders carry rapid mail across the west. They help keep the nation together as the Civil War approaches, but are soon superseded by the transcontinental telegraph.
Reprints
Keywords
Mail; Paiute; Pony Express; telegraph

Indexer Notes

Pencils/inks:
1) Crandall/Evans stated by Stephen Gong and original art dealer.
2) Orlando previously stated by original indexer.

Bound by Rails (Table of Contents: 10)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Joe Orlando
Inks
Joe Orlando
Colors
?
Letters
?

Genre
non-fiction; history; western-frontier
Characters
Railroad construction workers; Sioux Indians; General Grenville Dodge; Leland Stanford; Thomas C. Durant
Synopsis
Crews working from both sides of the country complete a transcontinental rail line in 1869.
Reprints
Keywords
Railroad; Sioux; train

Meanwhile, Back in the East… (Table of Contents: 11)

text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Genre
non-fiction; history
Synopsis
Even as white population is expanding in the west, New York State and New York City are growing and maturing.
Reprints
Keywords
New York City; New York State

The Magic Wire (Table of Contents: 12)

text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Alex Blum ?
Inks
Alex Blum ?
Colors
?
Letters
Typeset

Genre
non-fiction; biography
Characters
Linemen; Samuel F. B. Morse
Synopsis
Samuel F. B. Morse travels widely. He develops the Morse Code and a system for sending it via telegraph.
Reprints
Keywords
Morse Code; telegraph

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 13)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
?
Inks
?
Letters
Typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Special Introductory Offer
Characters
Moses; the Wise Men; launching pad crew; Theodore Roosevelt

Indexer Notes

Promo, with order coupon, for Classics Illustrated Special Issues. Several cover thumbnails.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 14)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
Typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Read the best in the world's finest juvenile publication
Characters
Julius Caesar

Indexer Notes

Promo, with order coupon, for back issues of Classics illustrated. Cover thumbnail of issue 130.

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. Crossing the Rockies
  2. 1. Contents
  3. 2. Crossing the Rockies
  4. 3. The Oregon Trail
  5. 4. Death and the Donners
  6. 5. This Is the Place
  7. 6. The Gold Rush
  8. 7. The Apache Wars
  9. 8. The Overland Mail
  10. 9. The Pony Express
  11. 10. Bound by Rails
  12. 11. Meanwhile, Back in the East…
  13. 12. The Magic Wire
  14. 13. ["Special Introductory Offer"]
  15. 14. ["Read the best in the world's finest juvenile publication"]
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Merlin Haas
  • Kirk House
  • Per Sandell
  • Jim Van Dore