Black Diamond Western #20

Charles Biro's cover for this August 1950 issue puts the action front and center: a steam locomotive barrels through a chaotic train robbery scene, with masked outlaws on horseback and atop the cars, lasso swinging, as a bold defender confronts the gang with the warning that the train is under his protection. The cover promises two feature-length "illustories" — "Black Diamond Meets Billy the Kid in the Lincoln County War" and "The Death of Billy the Kid" — making this a generous 52-page package for a single dime. It's a lively snapshot of the Western genre at full gallop, with Lev Gleason's outfit delivering the kind of colorful, high-energy frontier drama that kept readers coming back.