Yosemite Sam #1

History

The issue was produced by Western Publishing Company — the behind-the-scenes manufacturing arm whose output reached the newsstand under the Gold Key imprint — continuing a Looney Tunes comic-book relationship that stretched back to Dell Comics in 1941. The lead story, 'Gold-Plated Goldfish,' was scripted by Don R. Christensen, a veteran Warner Bros. storyboard artist who had worked under directors Bob Clampett and Frank Tashlin before spending decades writing and drawing for Dell and Gold Key; the art on that story, as well as on the closing 'All A-Board,' was handled by Phil De Lara, himself a former Warner Bros. animator who had worked on Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig cartoons before transitioning to comic-book work for Dell/Western starting around 1950. The issue also includes a reprint drawn from Bugs Bunny (Dell, 1952 series) #71 (February–March 1960), a common practice for Gold Key humor books of the period that allowed the editorial office to pad page counts with proven material.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First issue of the first solo ongoing comic book series headlined by Yosemite Sam, published by Gold Key (Western Publishing) with a cover date of December 1970.
• The series ran for 81 issues, concluding in February 1984, making it one of the longest-running single-character Looney Tunes titles under the Gold Key/Whitman banner.
• Despite Sam's solo billing, Bugs Bunny appeared on every cover and in nearly every story — the official indicia title was simply 'Yosemite Sam,' but covers consistently featured Bugs as co-star.
• Lead story 'Gold-Plated Goldfish' (16 pages): script by Don R. Christensen, art by Phil De Lara — both veterans with direct ties to Warner Bros. animation production.
• Daffy Duck also appears in this debut issue in two separate stories ('The Beef Beef' and 'All A-Board'), establishing the wider Looney Tunes ensemble that the series would draw on throughout its run.
• The issue includes a reprint of material originally published in Bugs Bunny (Dell, 1952 series) #71, blending new original content with archival Dell-era stories.
• The issue was published quarterly at launch (per GCD indicia data), reflecting Gold Key's standard practice for humor titles before moving to a more frequent schedule as the series matured.
• Phil De Lara, the lead artist, was a former Warner Bros. animator who had worked on Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Speedy Gonzales, and the Tasmanian Devil cartoons, lending the comic book an uncommon degree of on-model authenticity.

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