COLLECTOR’S NOTES:
Near the end of 1933, King Features Syndicate, asked Alex Raymond to create a topper for his popular Flash Gordon Sunday feature. Alex agreed to do so, and Jungle Jim made his first appearance in January of 1934.
The idea for the stip was derived from the genre of 1930s jungle films. Trader Horn, an autobiography of an African explorer, released by MGM in 1931, was a major influence. Frank Buck's 1932 Bring 'Em Back Alive documentary of his exploits in the Malayan jungles and several Tarzan films starring Johnny Weismuller were other influences making the potential for a successful jungle-theme comic very high.
In the beginning, Jungle Jim Bradley was drawn wearing riding breeches with a holster attached, boots, a long-sleeved shirt, a scarf, and a pith helmet. Much like Frank Buck, he was an animal trapper and trainer. Jim's trusted companion Kolu was of an unidentified nationality. He wore a turban and was usually bare chested.
During WWII, Raymond left the strip and joined the Marines. After the war, Raymond began a new strip titled Rip Kirby. The Jungle Jim strip continued without him and came to an end in the mid-1950s.
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