Tom Mix Commandos Comics

A three-issue run from 1942, Tom Mix Commandos Comics was a promotional giveaway from the Ralston-Purina Company, tying the cowboy star's heroic image to wartime patriotism. Illustrated primarily by Fred Meagher, the series cast Mix and his allies as a commando unit battling Axis enemies in exotic locales. Though short-lived, it's a fascinating artifact of the Golden Age, blending celebrity endorsement, cereal marketing, and WWII propaganda into a single, pulpy package.