Richie Rich Cash #1

History

Richie Rich Cash #1 was published by Harvey Comics with a September 1974 cover date, arriving as part of a cluster of new Richie Rich spin-off titles Harvey launched that same month and season — including Richie Rich Gems and, shortly after, Richie Rich Billions and Richie Rich Vaults of Mystery — reflecting what collectors have come to call the 'Richie Rich explosion' of the mid-1970s. Harvey had identified Richie as its single most lucrative property as early as 1972, when it launched five new Richie Rich titles simultaneously, and the 1974 wave pushed the brand even further. The creative talent behind the series drew from the same pool that defined the entire Harvey line: Warren Kremer, the artist and art editor who had shaped Richie Rich's visual identity since the character's 1953 debut, was the franchise's dominant illustrator, with writers including Sid Jacobson and colleagues contributing scripts.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Published by Harvey Comics with a September 1974 cover date; 32 pages, full color.
• First appearance of Dr. N-R-Gee (also spelled Dr. N-R-Gee/NRG in sources): a mad-scientist villain whose head is a giant red light bulb, the result of a freak electrical accident in his laboratory — his real name is Phil Lament, a pun on 'filament.'
• Dr. N-R-Gee's debut story, 'The Dr. N-R-Gee Crisis,' involves the villain and his gang attempting to hijack a dump truck loaded with worn, discarded currency.
• The issue also features a story in which Irona, the Rich family's robot maid, is damaged in a fall and Richie attempts repairs using spare parts from a junk pile — an early appearance of Irona in the Cash series.
• The series ran for 47 issues, concluding with its final issue in August 1982 — the same year Harvey Comics ceased publishing operations.
• Cash #1 was part of Harvey's mid-1970s expansion wave, launching the same month as Richie Rich Gems #1 (September 1974), with Richie Rich Billions and Richie Rich Vaults of Mystery also debuting within weeks.
• The Richie Rich character himself was created by Alfred Harvey and artist Warren Kremer, first appearing in Little Dot #1 (September 1953); Kremer remained the franchise's defining visual artist throughout the Cash run.
• Dr. N-R-Gee proved a durable enough villain to return in Richie Rich Cash #2 and multiple subsequent issues, establishing him as one of the more recurring antagonists in the Harvey villains roster.