Weird Western Tales #39

Mar 1977 · DC · 0.30 USD

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“Scalphunter”

★ 1st appearance — Scalphunter

About this Issue

Weird Western Tales #39 marks the debut of Scalphunter (Brian Savage / Ke-Woh-No-Tay), a character whose identity as a white man raised by the Kiowa tribe gave DC's western anthology a morally complex, culturally liminal protagonist unlike the genre's typical frontier archetypes. His arrival directly followed Jonah Hex's graduation to his own solo series, ensuring that the title retained a distinctive lead rather than folding — a creative bet that kept Weird Western Tales running for more than three additional years. The story's Civil War–era setting and its unflinching portrayal of Brian Savage rejecting his white heritage while simultaneously being rejected by white society gave Bronze Age readers a genuinely ambivalent hero, one described by DC's own chroniclers as 'a man who lived in two worlds, but was at home in neither.' Scalphunter would go on to anchor the series for the remainder of its run and later resurface in DC continuity as the long-serving sheriff of Opal City.

"Scalphunter" in Weird Western Tales #39 (1977) delivers a gripping tale of identity and vengeance, as Ke-Woh-No-Tay, the last surviving Kiowa from a brutal clash, confronts a past he never knew. Written by Michael Fleisher and illustrated by Dick Ayers, with inks by George Evans and colors by Liz Berube, the story unfolds with quiet intensity, tracing Ke-Woh-No-Tay’s journey from imprisonment to retribution. The cover, by José Luis García-López and George Evans, captures the stark mood of a man caught between two worlds.

writer Michael Fleisher · artist Dick Ayers · inker George Evans · colorist Liz Berube · cover José Luis García-López, George Evans

ComicBooks.com Value

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Raw (Fine) $7

CGC 9.8 · 12 in census $283*

CGC 9.6 · 23 in census $77

CGC 9.4 · 10 in census $48*

CGC 9.2 · 7 in census $44

CGC 9.0 · 3 in census $28*

CGC 8.5 · 3 in census $23*

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CGC 8.0 · 2 in census $22*

CGC 7.5 · 2 in census $22*

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CGC 3.0 $22

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History

The character was conceived by the creative partnership of cartoonist Sergio Aragones and editor Joe Orlando, as confirmed in the issue's own letter column, which recounted the origins of the series. The strip was originally titled 'The Savage' but had to be renamed before publication for legal reasons, a detail documented in The Comic Reader fan-press newsletters #137 and #139. Writer Michael Fleisher, who had been the primary architect of Jonah Hex's acclaimed run on the same title, scripted the debut, while penciler Dick Ayers and inker George Evans handled the interior art; the cover was rendered by José Luis García-López. One notable continuity wrinkle the creators themselves later acknowledged: they had intended Brian Savage to be the biological son of DC western character Matt Savage, Trail Boss, but conceded in issue #45's letters column that the timelines were irreconcilable.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance and origin story of Scalphunter (Brian Savage / Ke-Woh-No-Tay), a white man abducted as an infant by Kiowa and raised within that nation's culture.
Scalphunter was created by Sergio Aragones and Joe Orlando; the debut story was written by Michael Fleisher with interior art by penciler Dick Ayers and inker George Evans.
The cover was illustrated by José Luis García-López, one of DC's premier artists of the Bronze Age.
The issue carries a cover date of April 1977 (on-sale date March 1977) and directly follows Weird Western Tales #38, the final issue starring Jonah Hex before his promotion to a solo title.
Scalphunter became the regular lead feature for the remainder of the Weird Western Tales run, carrying the title through issue #70.
Matt Savage, a pre-existing DC western character, appears and dies in this issue — framed as Brian's biological father, though the creators later retracted this familial link in issue #45's letters column due to an irreconcilable timeline.
The character was originally to be named 'The Savage' but was changed for legal reasons prior to publication.
The story was reprinted in Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales #1 (DC, September–October 1979), giving the debut additional exposure.