Richie Rich #4
Richie Rich #4 (May 1961) is one of the earliest issues of Harvey Comics' flagship solo title for their signature character — a series that had only launched in November 1960 and would eventually run 254 issues, spawning more than fifty spin-off titles and making Richie the most prolific character in American humor comics. Appearing barely six months after the debut issue, #4 demonstrates the rapid creative rhythm Harvey had established for the series, with multiple short-form stories per issue that blended slapstick wealth-based comedy with gentle moral undercurrents. The issue's lead story — Richie scheming to get the autograph of the first man to walk on the moon, at a time when the Space Race was electrifying American popular culture — shows Harvey's writers tapping directly into the national imagination. Its stories were considered strong enough to be reprinted across multiple later Harvey titles, confirming the issue's standing within the early run.
In "His Wonderful Wallet," Richie Rich discovers his new wallet can hold far more than money—like a bicycle or a radio—though he’s quick to hide it when Gloria calls attention to the display as tacky. When she insists he put it away, he surprises her by pulling out one impossible item after another, proving the wallet’s magic in the most unexpected way.
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The self-titled Richie Rich series was born from nearly a decade of the character appearing as a backup feature, first in Little Dot #1 (September 1953) and later in Harvey Hits before finally earning his own title in November 1960. The creative team for the early run centered on Warren Kremer — the artist most closely identified with the character's visual identity and one of the principal claimants to his creation — alongside writers including Sid Jacobson and Lennie Herman. The cover of issue #4 was drawn by Kremer himself, making it one of his earliest surviving cover originals for the series. By the time #4 appeared, Harvey had the anthology format for the title well established: Richie-led lead stories supplemented by backup features starring Little Dot and Little Lotta, the publisher's other marquee characters.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover-dated May 1961; the fourth issue of the Richie Rich self-titled series, which launched in November 1960.
- Cover art drawn by Warren Kremer, the artist most closely associated with Richie Rich and a co-creator of the character.
- Lead story: Richie devises a plan to obtain the autograph of the first man to walk on the moon — a timely Space Race–era premise.
- Second lead story, 'His Wonderful Wallet': Richard Rich Sr. gives Richie a wallet with seemingly infinite holding capacity; Gloria Glad's running distaste for ostentatious displays of wealth is a central gag.
- Also includes 'Quicker Than The Eye,' in which Richie out-pranks rival Reggie Van Dough.
- Backup features star Little Dot (nightmare story) and Little Lotta ('Not Wanted' — Lotta helps capture crooks), reflecting Harvey's anthology approach to the title.
- Stories from this issue were reprinted in at least four later Harvey publications: Richie Rich #48 (August 1966), Richie Rich #59 (July 1967), Richie Rich Millions #34 (April 1969), and Richie Rich Bank Book #13 (October 1974).
- The flagship Richie Rich series this issue belongs to ultimately ran 254 issues (with a 1982–1986 hiatus) and generated over fifty spin-off titles — more individual comic book appearances than almost any other American comics character.
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Sad Sack Comics #38 (1954), Pat Sullivan's Felix the Cat #93 (1958)
Reprinted in Richie Rich Millions #42 (1970), Richie Rich Digest Magazine #27 (1991), Harvey Comics Classics #2 (2007)
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