Topper

Topper rode onto the Golden Age comics scene in 1948, brought to life by artist Frank Bolle in the pages of Fawcett's Hopalong Cassidy #22 — a debut that planted this character squarely in one of the most beloved Western franchises of the era. Sharing those sun-baked pages with the legendary Hopalong Cassidy himself, alongside a cast including Pud, Sis, Tim, and Vic, Topper was part of a rich world of frontier storytelling that kept young readers coming back. What's genuinely remarkable is the breadth of that publishing footprint — from Hopalong Cassidy to Five-Score Comic Monthly and the evocatively titled Hopalong Cassidy and the Five Men of Evil — across a span that stretches all the way to 1991, a 43-year trail that few Golden Age supporting players can match. For collectors who love the warm, pulpy charm of mid-century Western comics, Topper is a small but enduring thread woven through a classic corner of Fawcett's legacy.