| Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog | |
|---|---|
 The cover of Blue Ribbon Comics #6 (Sept 1940), with Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog and Richy the Amazing Boy saving Charlie Chaplin from hooded Bundonian thugs | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | MLJ Comics |
| First appearance | Blue Ribbon Comics #1 (November 1939) |
| Created by | Norman Danberg and Will Harr |
| In-story information | |
| Species | German Shepherd |
| Abilities | Intelligence, super-keen eyes, sensitive ears and unerring sense of smell |
Rang-a-Tang the Wonder Dog is a fictional canine adventure hero who appeared in Blue Ribbon Comics, published from 1939 to 1942 by MLJ Comics (later renamed Archie Comics) during the Golden Age of Comic Books.[1] The character was created by writer Norman Danberg and artist Will Harr, although another creative team, writer Joe Blair and artist Ed Smalle, produced most of his adventures.[2]
Rang-a-Tang is a circus-trained German shepherd who solves crimes at a movie studio in Hollywood, California, with the help of detective Hy Speed and former child actor Richy the Amazing Boy. The unusually intelligent dog, described as having an "almost-human brain", can understand human speech, including the person's tone of voice and moral character. He was inspired by the famous canine silent film star Rin Tin Tin, a real-life German Shepherd considered intelligent and talented.[3] When Rang-a-Tang reaches Hollywood in issue #5, his stories feature thinly-disguised caricatures of 1940s film stars, including Nawson Swelles, Tana Lurner, Stark Brable and Harly Shaplyn.
Rang-a-Tang was the first cover star of Blue Ribbon Comics and therefore the first in Archie Comics' long history, premiering in issue #1 (Nov 1939) and running through the end of the title, issue #22 (March 1942).[4] Starting with issue #4, Blue Ribbon offered membership in the Rang-a-Tang Club for ten cents, as well as the Rang-a-Tang Honor Legion for young readers who performed an exceptional deed in the service of animalkind.[5]
- ^ Nevins, Jess (2013). Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes. High Rock Press. p. 216. ISBN 978-1-61318-023-5.
- ^ Mitchell, Kurt; Thomas, Roy (2019). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1940-1944. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 45–47. ISBN 978-1605490892.
- ^ Offenberger, Rik; Castiglia, Paul (2016). The MLJ Companion: The Complete History of the Archie Super-Heroes. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 79. ISBN 978-1605490670.
- ^ Mougin, Lou (2020). Secondary Superheroes of Golden Age Comics. McFarland & Co. p. 89. ISBN 9781476638607.
- ^ "The Rang-a-Tang Club". Blue Ribbon Comics (7): 12–13. November 1940.