1950s and The Comic Code
Before the Comic Code in 1954, the jungle heroine is already in the decline. The only surviving series from the 40s are Sheena, Camilla, and Nyoka. The genre was not completely dead as 3 new titles did come out before the Code. Thun’da and Cave Girl still has the same old charm and had nothing new to add from the jungle theme of the 40s, but with the rise of horror and crime comes Terrors of the Jungle. The serialization for this lasted even shorter only lasting a year. Even with the Code, there are some series that still lived on.
After the code was implemented, most of the jungle heroine series died. Long stays in the series like Sheena and Camilla died right before the Code was even in place. The only series to survive before 1950 is Nyoka. After the Code, it moved publisher to Charlton as they bought the rights. This does not save the series as Nyoka would only run for another 9 issues and eventually end in 1957. Many comic book publishers folded after the code produced works under the Code’s rule, however I.W. Publications continued to produce comics without the Comic Code seal, but one of their own. Don Markstien talks about how I. W. was still able to debut in 1958:
Waldman was able to sell them cheaply because in many cases, he was able to supply the letterpress plates they were printed from, and thus avoid paying for new ones. How a man who gives little evidence of being interested in comics before emerging as an extremely low-end publisher, came to have such production materials is simply that he bought out defunct publishers' storage facilities, purchasing physical materials only and ignoring intellectual property rights. In many cases, he dealt with Eastern Color Printing, which did most of America's comics, for materials their publishers had left behind when they went out of business. (Markstein)
Jungle Adventures was the only jungle series after the Code that did not have a Comic Code seal, but their own Seal of Quaility. The series however only lasted until 1964. Besides Jungle Adventures, there is only one other jungle series that featured a heroine which is Vooda. This series did not make it past 1955.
Work Cited
Andru, Ross. “Rulah.” Jungle Adventures #10, I. W. Publishing/Super Comics, 1963.
Franzetta, Frank. Thun’da King of the Congo #1, Magazine Enterprises, 1952.
Markstein, Don. “IW/Super Comics.” Toonopedia, http://www.toonopedia.com/iw-super.htm.
Powell, Bob. Cave Girl #11, Magazine Enterprises, 1953.
Reed, Rod & Bert Whitman. “Nyoka.” Nyoka the Jungle Girl #14, Charlton, 1955.
Terrors of the Jungle # 4, Star Publications, 1952.
Vooda #20, Ajax-Farrell, 1955.