The Golden Knight was a series character who first appeared in Fantastic Comics #1. He ran until #20 then had a final episode in The Eagle #2. Unlike the big draw at Fox’s Fantastic Comics, Samson, the Golden Knight was not a heroic fantasy character in the modern world. He existed in the times of the Crusades. Written and drawn by Grieg Chapian, the comic was consistence through out in its twenty-one episodes. Not much is known about Chapian but there was a New Mexico painter in the 1960s who may have been the same fellow.
As with all “Knight” characters, Prince Valiant is the obvious inspiration. His motto is: “Richard, The Golden Knight of Warwick, pursues his unrelenting crusade against the oppressors of his day. he punishes the wicked, but gives succor to the needy.” His horse’s name is Steel. Richard has a female sidekick/love interest named Alice. By issue #17, the comic takes off in a space direction with trips to far planets. (I mean after you beat the Devil himself, what is left? You have ‘Jumped the Shark’.)
A few of these titles are my own. All these comics are available for free at DCM.
“The Origin of the Golden Knight” (Fantastic Comics #1, December 1939) begins with Sir Richard heading off alone to join the Crusades in the Holy Land. He discovers a mysterious stairway into the ground that leads to a dragon cave. There he finds Saracens plotting against the Crusaders. He defeats them then the witch who is helping them.
“Saladin’s Hostage” (Fantastic Comics #2, January 1940) has Sir Richard encounter Saracens. He defeats them in an archery contest then rescues Saladin’s hostage, Lady Elissa.
“The Magic Ring” (Fantastic Comics #3, February 1940) starts with Sir Richard meeting an old man on the road. He gives him a magic ring that takes him out into space and to an enchanted land to find a holy chalice. There he fights three monsters before he can face the giant. Giant is killed and chalice returned.
“The Legend of the Haunted Well Part 1” (Fantastic Comics #4, March 1940) The Golden Knight goes down a haunted well to save a woman named Alice. He find a subterranean world and fights giant spiders and snakes. He also find the winged people who live there and his quest, Alice. To be continued…
“The Legend of the Haunted Well Part 2” (Fantastic Comics #5, April 1940) Alice and Sir Richard return from the well world to face battle and torture.
“The Sport of Bdula Khan” (Fantastic Comics #6, May 1940) has Sir Richard wearing his magic ring and a magic cloak facing off against Bdula Khan. Richard kills his dragons and defeats his warriors.
“The Hag of Blackmoor Forest” (Fantastic Comics #7, June 1940) has a witch take Alice. Sir Richard has to fight a dragon and a giant to get her back. He also frees the true queen of Blackmoor who was cursed to be the hag.
“Duel With Saladin” (Fantastic Comics #8, July 1940) has Sir Richard fighting Saracens. No magic stuff.
“Queen of Blackmoor Forest” (Fantastic Comics #9, August 1940) Sir Richard and Alice face off against pirates on their way to the Holy Land. They end up back on land after killing a shark.
“The Dragon Slayer” (Fantastic Comics #10, September 1940) has Sir Richard agree to slay a dragon but the king is deceitful. Richard casts him down and has Princess Beatrice take the throne.
“The Queen of Soulless Isle” (Fantastic Comics #11, October 1940) has a giant bird take Richard and Alice to Soulless Island. They fight the monsters that live there. They must defy the island’s queen, Sulia. In this episode Alice starts to become a warrior instead of a damsel-in-distress.
“The Witch of the Volcano” (Fantastic Comics #12, November 1940) has our duo pulled into an underground world ruled by a witch. They meet the evil King Raton. Sir Richard has to fight giant spiders and tigers before he can throw the witch into the lava. He takes the witch’s annihilating potion.
“The Queen of Blackamoor” (Fantastic Comics #13, December 1940) has Sir Richard keeping the potion from Raton who wants to use it on the Queen of Blackamoor. The couple meet the forest people who work for Raton. The Golden Knight kills King Raton with a spear. The Forest People are free.
“Battle With the Black Baron” (Fantastic Comics #14, January 1941) has Sir Richard return home to find his hunting grounds burnt and his castle the hold of the Black Baron. The warlord has been seeking the secret of Richard’s father’s gold mine. Richard defeats a bunch of knights to take the baron.
“Monsters of the Cave” (Fantastic Comics #15, February 1941) The mine story continues with Sir Richard, Alice and the Black Baron going done another tunnel to find another underground kingdom with dragons and tree people. This one is ruled by Martha, Queen of the Tree People. She turns out to be Richard’s mother.
“Mokon, King of the Moon” (Fantastic Comics #16, March 1941) has the Golden Knight take on Satan himself. King Mokon wants to marry Richard’s sister, Marion. King Suton wants his sister, Elaine. But the Devil wants his sister, Jane, but has to kidnaps her. (Who knew Richard had so many sisters!) Richard goes to Hell and defeats the Devil himself.
“The Kingdom of the Moon” (Fantastic Comics #17, April 1941) has Sir Richard and Alice go to the Moon in Mokon’s chariot. Richard fights weird Moon creatures and defeats the jealous Baklama.
“The Forest of Doom” (Fantastic Comics #18, May 1941) has Richard off to kill monsters in the jungle. Alice wants to go along but is told no. She has other ideas. The Golden Knight fights tigers, dragons and a double-trunked elephant. Oddly terrestrial after the Moon .
“The Mysterious Land of Kongola” (Fantastic Comics #19, June 1941) has Sir Richard and Alice in Kongola where they are attacked by several monsters including minotaurs. They find a castle and a wizard who has turned the people into fiends.
“Voyage to Planet Zutar” (Fantastic Comics #20, July 1941) has Richard and Alice discovering a meteor headed for Earth. They are taken by the Zutarians (little green men) to their planet. Richard fights a water monster then deposes Tyrno, the local tyrant.
“The Giant Glotha” (The Eagle #2, September 1941) has Richard and Alice on a quest to find Queen Carmina’s lost daughter. They find her in the clutches of the giant, Glotha. Another dragon and the day is saved.
Conclusion
My first guess would have been that Pearl Harbor killed off the Golden Knight. After December of 1941, many comics dropped or converted their characters for war-themed ones. But the Golden Knight can’t claim any such pushing out. He got cancelled before December. I suspect the switch to interplanetary adventures proved the wrong move. ( Fantastic Comics had other sci-fi characters such as Space Smith.) The comic feels lost after # 16.
What makes this comic interesting to me is the vast amount of monsters and magic. Many Prince Valiant knockoffs lack much of what we would now call heroic fantasy. The Golden Knight is much closer to true Sword & Sorcery with an Arthurian flare. Gardner F. Fox would create Crom the Barbarian in 1950, only a decade later. Like other heroic fantasy comics before 1950, the adventure is usually couched in myth or history.
It’s a little odd to find sich an amount of elements of original Dungeons and Dragons, like the very name “blackmoor”, in a obscure comic published six years before Arneson was even born
Is this where Las Vegas got the name for their NHL team?
Don’t think I’ve ever heard of this one before. Might have to check some of them out.