Mighty Samson
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| Mighty Samson | |
|---|---|
 Cover of Mighty Samson #32 by Whitman Comics | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Western Publishing |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Publication date | July 1964 - April 1982 |
| No. of issues | 32 |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Otto Binder |
| Artist(s) | Frank Thorne, Jack Sparling |
| Collected editions | |
| Mighty Samson Archives Vol. 1 | ISBN 1595825797 |
| Mighty Samson Archives Vol. 2 | ISBN 1595826599 |
| Mighty Samson Archives Vol. 3 | ISBN 1595827056 |
| Mighty Samson Archives Vol. 4 | ISBN 1595827935 |
Mighty Samson was a comic book series published Gold Key Comics. A post-apocalyptic adventure, it was set in the area around New York City, now known as "N'Yark", on an Earth devastated by a nuclear war.[1] The series was created by writer Otto Binder and artist Frank Thorne.[2]
Mighty Samson ran for 32 issues between 1964 and 1982. Its initial run lasted 20 issues (cover-dated July 1964 - 1969). Issues #7–20 each had a back-up story with the large-headed character Tom Morrow. Mighty Samson returned in 1972 with issue #21 and ran through #31 in 1976. The first two issues of the revival reprinted #7 and #2, respectively.
A final new story was published in Gold Key Champion #2 in 1978. Then in 1982, six years after its immediate predecessor, Whitman Comics published issue #32, which reprinted #3 but with a line-art version of #4's painted cover. It was sold bagged with Turok #130 and Dagar the Invincible #18.
Issues #1 through #6 featured art by Frank Thorne, most well known for illustrating Marvel Comics' adaptation of Robert E. Howard's Red Sonja in the 1970s. Artist Jack Sparling took over the artwork with #8, and Binder and Sparling did the title through #20. In the new issues beginning with #23, art was by José Delbo, and later by Jack Abel. Most covers were fully painted by Morris Gollub. Others were generally by George Wilson.[3][4]
Western Printing and Lithographing, which owns Gold Key, left the comic book business in 1984. A few years later, some of its properties, such as Doctor Solar and Turok, Son of Stone, were picked up by Valiant Comics, though Mighty Samson was not.[5]
In 2010, Dark Horse Comics began publishing the first of four hardcover archives, each reprinting several issues of the original series in one place for the first time.[6]
In December 2010, Dark Horse Comics also began a new re-imagining the Mighty Samson series.[7] Among the new creative team members were former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter serving as head writer, and artist include Patrick Olliffe. The first issue included a bonus reprint of the 1964 issue #1.
In 2016, Dynamite Entertainment launched Gold Key: Alliance, a story with Gold Key properties, including Samson.
