Favorite Comic Artist Countdown #59 - Warren Sattler!

Warren Sattler was a mainstay at Charlton Comics in the Bronze Age, a master of the western genre, he was tapped to bring those skills to Yang, the really only sort of legitimate tie-in to the vintage TV show Kung Fu. Sattler's style was warm and comfortable with lush soft lines which blended with the colors to create a delightfully attractive whole. Sattler's compositions were always clear and reading a comic drawn by him and likely written by the inimitable Joe Gill was a comfortable treat, easy to get down and delicious all the way. He did some really fine work for National Lampoon later too, bringing a soft style to some sharp satire. Sattler moved away from comic books and into newspaper strips before and after his turn at Charlton, but it will always be those handsome Billy the Kid and Yang comics which linger in my memory.

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Dojo Classics - House Of Yang #6

Warren Sattler
House of Yang Volume 2, Number 6 is dated June, 1976 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman. The action-filled cover is painted by Warren Sattler, and Warren Sattler also stepped up and did the artwork on the inside of this comic. Joe Gill wrote the story as always.  Note that the price jumped to thirty cents this month.

"The Shogun of Karu Island" begins when Sun Yang's ship is battling a typhoon and wrecks on the breakers of Karu Island. The survivors get ashore and are immediately taken prisoner by the Japanese warriors in service to the Samurai lord Jimurai. The Samurai warrior Yatsu is in charge of the prisoners. Sun Yang joins the many other slaves who have been captured over the years and they are made to work for their Japanese masters. Prince Yoku of the Japanese royal house is due to arrive anytime and Jimurai wishes to prepare, so he and his daughter do just that. When the Prince does arrive in a great ship, an entertainment is planned with Sun Yang battling Yatsu as the main event. Jimuarai's daughter goes to see Sun Yang and expresses her regret, but Sun Yang says for her to not shed tears for him. The battle begins and Sun Yang at first plays possum, but then reveals his considerable skill and goes toe to toe with the Samurai ultimately defeating him and using the fire from a broken lantern to distract for his escape. He heads to the slave houses and frees his fellow prisoners. They sneak to the Prince's ship and swiftly take the unsuspecting guards down and take control of the ship. As they move out into the open sea, free men at last, the two Samurai, Yatsu and Jimurai take dramatic steps to regain their lost honor and the two men commit ritual suicide next to one another. The final panel shows the ship heading into the rising sun and announces that this is "The End!"

"House of Yang" offers up two letters from a couple of fans remarking on the second issue of the comic. One letter is extremely nitpicky about perceived errors in the artwork and the other is quite pleased with it. The editors defend Sanho Kim's work as stylistic and praise him robustly as uniquely qualified to undertake the artwork on such a project.


This story was reprinted by Australian publisher Gredown in 1976.

This is the last story of the Yang universe that has ever been published. There was some hint in the regular Yang series that Yang himself was headed back to Shanghai for a reunion with his cousin Sun Yang, but alas it will never be. Sun Yang heads home at the end of this story but as far as we know, Yang is not there to greet him.

It's interesting that Joe Gill, the writer for all the Yang stories is joined by Warren Sattler, the artist on the main Yang comic for this final story of the House of Yang. Sattler's style is appealing and warm, and while not much like Sanho Kim's still tells a period story quite successfully. There are signs in this one that it was produced somewhat swiftly, so Sattler is to given some slack for that.

The end of the runs of both Yang and House of Yang really end a period of creativity at Charlton under George Wildman's tenure. The following month will see, apart from the ghost books and the other genre titles only licensed material from Charlton. The "superhero" movement which sparked both Yang and E-Man has run its course. The talent at Charlton will focus their efforts on licenses for Six-Million Dollar Man, Space:1999, Bionic Woman, Emergency, and such for the next year or so.

Sadly, the final days of Charlton were on the way. Though the company would linger for another decade, it can be argued that the saga of the House of Yang (as related in both Yang and House of Yang) was a worthy addition to Charlton's martial arts heritage and the last great original story in the Charlton universe.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #13

Yang Volume 4, Number 13 is dated May, 1976 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman. The action-filled cover is painted by Warren Sattler, and Sattler also did the artwork on the inside of the comic. Joe Gill wrote the story.  Note that price jumped to thirty cents this issue.

"Death Wears White" picks up the story of Yang almost immediately after the events of the previous issue, and Yang is in the town of Dawson, Alaska and still facing off against the corrupt financier Simon Wicks who is offering a bounty on Yang's head. Yang has successfully protected the Tlingit gold mine by putting the title to the mine in the name of the chief Ahak. But Wicks plots against Ahak and lures him into a saloon. Yang hears yelling and comes to the saloon to find a man named Smitty dead on the floor with Ahak's knife in his body and Wicks and his men declaring that Ahak is the murderer. Chief Ahak denies the charge and Yang battles the thugs and he and Ahak escape into the cold snowy night. The two men get supplies at the Tlingit village and head off into the wilderness to elude capture. Wicks does send men to find them, but Yang is able to fend them off and sends them back minus resources. Wicks then contacts the local Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman named Corporal Pierre Duvall. Doing his duty, he strikes off to find the two fugitives.

"Die in Dawson" begins when Duvall finds Yang, and he raises his rifle to fire but is only doing so to protect Yang from an attacking wolf. The fair-minded Mounties hears the story of Yang and Ahak and agrees to a bit of trickery to find out the truth. He cuffs the two men, but does not lock their cuffs and takes them back to Dawson. The two prisoners are put into the storerooms owned by Wicks and then Ahak pretends to suggest to Yang that he might buy his freedom if he signed over the mine to Wicks. Wicks overhears and attempts to make the trade, but is overheard by Duvall who attempts to arrest the corrupt businessman. A fight breaks out and Yang battles Wicks and his men ultimately setting fire to the building. With Duvall and Ahak he defeats the criminals and get their unconscious bodies out of the fire. Duvall plans to take the men in for trial as Yang announces his heart yearns to return to Shanghai. As he turns to head home, his thoughts turn to the beautiful but deadly Yin Li and he muses why there must be evil at all in the world.

"The Drinking Partner" is a one-page text tale of Yang as he made his way into a small Western town seeking a drink of water. He goes into the local saloon to get a drink but faces a threat almost instantly. He fights off the angry cowboy and his fighting skill impresses the cowboys who offer him a drink. He takes his empty glass and heads to the horse trough, preferring that company.


And that wraps up the Yang story as we know it. This final issue by Gill and Sattler shows off the remarkable consistency in the series. These two reliable talents have been on hand for each and every issue, and offered up a solid entertainment month in and month out. Yang clearly found an audience, though not a sufficient one to last indefinitely. The first issue cost twenty cents and this final one cost thirty cents, that alone points to the relative longevity of the series. The series would be revived in 1986 during Charlton's final throes, but those issues (already showcased in these reports) would only offer up reprints of the series.

It's unfortunate that we never got to see Yang get to Shanghai for his reunion with with his cousin Sun Yang, but it would make a great sequel some day. As for Sun Yang, his final adventure comes up the following month, and is the subject of the final Yang Report, and as it turns out both Gill and Sattler are on hand for the occasion.

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Dojo Classics - House Of Yang #5

House of Yang Volume 2, Number 5 is dated April, 1976 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman. The dynamic cover was painted by Warren Sattler, who is the regular artist on the companion comic Yang. The interior artwork is by Demetrio Gomez Sanchez with the final two pages produced by Franc Fuentes Man. The script was supplied by the always reliable Joe Gill.

"A Poisoned Pearl" begins in the South China sea where Eva Ku learns of fabulous pearls. She plots with her henchman Ni-Shan to take the native divers into slavery and force them to get more pearls for her. Ni-Shan and his pirates do just that but encounter Sun Yang who battles them fiercely before being struck down from behind. He is tied up to a mast and presented to Eva Ku who immediately demonstrates her dual nature by demanding he be taken down and she herself cares for her enemy. But after a firm but eventful kiss between the two she again changes, but Sun Yang plans to leave but he is stopped by the wily Ni-Shan who is waiting for him. Again Sun Yang is tied to the mast and tormented, yet again Eva Ku sends out mixed messages when she punished Ni-Shan for abusing Sun Yang.

"Death Lies Deep" begins as Sun Yang and Eva Ku dive together into the shark infested waters to get the pearls themselves. Sun Yang battles a giant shark to save Eva Ku, and the pair make another dive, both protecting the other divers and making sure the pearls are delivered. A fracture develops between Eva Ku and Ni-Shan though over the division of the pearls. Sun Yang is still fending off sharks to protect the native divers and returns in time to see Ni-Shan turn on his pirate queen taking both her and Sun Yang prisoner in a giant net. As the pair are to be tossed to the sharks, all of which have been brought to a frenzy with chopped up fish, Sun Yang tackles Ni-Shan and the duo fall into the sea. Sun Yang is able to battle his toothy attackers but Ni-Shan is not so lucky. Returning to the junk, Eva Ku and Sun Yang discuss the split on the pearls and Sun Yang demands his part be given to the native divers.


"The Victims" is a two-page text piece which discusses the history of seal fishing in Alaska and how it has become a managed industry in more recent years after a free-for-all in the early days.


This issue was reprinted in 1976 by Gredown, an Australian publisher, which offers up a very dynamic variation on the original Sattler watercolor cover art.

The change in art styles in this issue is abrupt. Demetrio is a fine artist, and the storytelling in this one only breaks down in a few spots. The final pages by Fuentes Man fit right in and if he hadn't signed them, I doubt most folks would notice the change. These two Spanish artists are solid talents and worthy replacements for a man like Sanho Kim, but clearly some of the special magic which made House of Yang so different is missing.

Here is a link to see more of Demetrio's work on some Charlton romance stories.

Ni-Shan is a very nasty villain and frankly I wasn't a bit surprised he turned on Eva Ku. She doesn't deserve loyalty, the way she changes her mercurial mind about Sun Yang. If I worked for her, it would drive me crazy. The Yin-Yang dynamic is firmly established here, as clearly as in any previous issue.

There is one more issue of this run to come. Stay tuned.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #12

Yang Volume 4, Number 12 is dated March, 1976 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman. The dynamic cover is painted by Warren Sattler, and Sattler also did the artwork on the inside of the comic. Joe Gill wrote the story.

"1000 Ways to Die!" begins with Yang in the rough and tumble Alaskan town of Skagway during the height of the 1890's gold rush. He sees an old miner named Lucky Jim Brady struck down from behind by a club on orders from Simon Wicks, and moves to intercede, and is told by a lovely young woman named Anne Reese to take the injured miner to her father, Dr.Amos Reese will help him. Another man called Race Cochran offers to take Brady can be taken to the local hotel and gambling hall called the "Heavenly Rest" run by a woman named Briscoe. Later when Dr.Reese arrives the pair claim that Brady was never there and when Yang objects a fight breaks out. Yang and the Reeses escape, but they need money so Yang returns to the Heavenly Rest and gambles, but uses his substantial skills to overcome the cheating used to fleece the local miners. After winning substantial sums Yang takes a horse and leaves after setting the Heavenly Rest on fire. He and the Reeses then head north to Dawson, Alaska as Dr.Reese helps the Tlingit Indians and looks for his brother, a missionary who was lost also helping the Tlingit.

"Klondike Fever" begins in Dawson as Yang and Anne Reese getting supplies are confronted by thieves and Yang is forced to shoot the pair with a gun he found during the fight. After getting what they need in town the trio learn of an injured man in the Tlingit camp. They discover it is Reese's brother and some quick surgery allows the removal of a bullet which was keeping the poor man paralyzed. As he recovers, Yang organizes nightly gold hunting operations disguised as fishing to fool the locals and after sufficient gold is found he heads to Dawson to the one honest banker to deposit it on behalf of the Reeses and the Tlingit. Killers hired by Cochran though intercept and after a ferocious battle Yang is finally able to accomplish his task and safely deposit the gold. The story ends as Yang runs across the unscrupulous Simon Wicks who struck the miner starting the story and dispatches his gunman and punches the evil man. Yang leaves Dawson with thoughts of his homeland and the House of Yang on his mind.

"Apache Justice", a two-page text tale, reveals how Yang while traveling a barren desert survives and is found by Apaches and put him through a Gauntlet to prove his mettle. He of course survives and wins their respect.


This comic was reprinted by the Australian publisher K.G.Murray under the title of "Martial Arts" along with other non-Charlton material. The Sattler cover is given a dramatic treatment.

This is another completely solid issue with complex characters and a plot which twists and turns very neatly in its short space. The greed of the Alaskan rush is on terrible display and the men and women involved must face that with different degrees of discipline and dignity. Yang never loses his, though he does resort to using a weapon several times in this story. He's used them before, but he seems all too ready to do so here. Gill might be suggesting something about how Yang is changing in the world he finds himself in, but I doubt it.

More to come as we arrive at the final issue of Yang.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #11

Yang Volume 4, Number 11 is dated January, 1976 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman. The action-filled cover is painted by Warren Sattler, and Sattler also did the artwork on the inside of the comic. Joe Gill wrote the script.

"The Killer King" begins in San Francisco where Yang the Avenger is being pursued by many killers. He slips into the bay and is rescued by a cabin boy aboard a ship which turns out to be headed to Alaska. Yang is kidnapped and dumped into the hold along with a crowd of men eager to get to Alaska and find their fortunes. Captain Mehn, the skipper of the ship puts Yang to work, but plans to kill him when Yang overhears the Captain's plans to shake down his passengers. Yang is tied and thrown overboard into the cold Bering Sea around the Aleutian Islands. Yang gets free and swims to a volcanic island filled with seals. He realize he must be in the Pribilof Islands when a boat appears with Russians who have come to club the seals to death for their fur. They are led by a Cossack named Colonel Igor Yugarov who wants kill Yang but Yang is knocked out instead by a Mongol named Woni. Yang is then taken to the leader named Prince Nimoff, and Nimoff's daugher Princess Karen pleads for Yang's life. Yang is put behind bars where he informs Karen of Yugarov's seal hunting.

"One Last Victim" begins as Yuarov overhears Yang tell Princess Karen of his activities and he plans to release Yang and kill Karen and tell Nimoff that Yang killed her. But Yang attacks Yugarov and the pair get to Nimoff first informing him of Yugarov's treachery. Nimoff, Karen and Yang escape and contact Woni before Yugarov can implement his plan to blow up Nimoff and his daughter. They escape to the sea in a boat and are pursued by Yugarov and his men. Yang slips into the cold sea and tips over the pursuing boat, then he attacks Yugarov and throws him into the sea where he is attacked and killed by a ferocious Leopard Seal. As the story ends, Yang plans to find his way to Nome, Alaska.

"Yin-Yang Mail" offers up two letters. One is from an academic who adds more detail to the Yin-Yang myth which informs the series and the other is from a fan who suggests a super-foe for Yang simply named "Yin". The editors tell the latter that Yin Li already fills that role.


This issue was reprinted in 1977 under the Modern Comics label.

Yet another solid issue, filled with action and a very wide-ranging setting this time. In the space of a single issue we travel from the bays of San Francisco to the the wilds of the Aleutians. Yang's personality seems fully developed at this point and Gill and Sattler seem completely comfortable with the characters and the setting. The stories are vivid, and they offer up a broad spectrum of characters.

The world of Yang (called "the Avenger" over and over again in this issue) is one filled with random and often cruel violence. It makes Yang's own character very important. While it's a bit thin to imagine the slaughter of seals having much impact in the rugged world of the 19th Century, it does contrast neatly with the more placid aspects of Yang's outlook on life.

There is more to come.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #10

Yang Volume 3, Number 10 is dated November, 1975 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman. The colorful nigh-expressionistic cover is painted by Warren Sattler, and Sattler also did the artwork on the inside of the comic. Joe Gill wrote the script.

After a brief summary of the life of Chung Hui, who we know better as Yang, Part One "Partners in Evil" begins with our hero trying to return to San Francisco to perhaps head back to China, where his thoughts have turned to his cousin Sun Yang. He is attacked by Apache John and his partner who wears a badge. He fends off these attacks and escapes on horseback while the man behind the attacks reveals himself as Yang's old enemy Captain Keegan. His plan is to let Yang find Yin Li and let one of them eliminate the other. Yang does find Yin Li, the daughter of the man who killed Yang's father, but not before discovering Keegan's opium shipments. He kills one of Keegan's men and then boards the Shanghai junk which holds Yin Li. They exchange words, and Yin Li threatens Yang with a gun. Meanwhile Captain Keegan and his crew board the junk, killing Yin Li's man. Their attack allows Yang to escape Yin Li's gun and he fights the new enemy.

Part Two "The Target" showcases this battle between Yang and Keegan as the corrupt Captain is kicked overboard. But Yin Li's man Han knocks Yang out and Yang is tied up and whipped by Han for Yin Li's pleasure. But in a moment of doubt she releases prisoner and Yang jumps overboard. He encounters Keegan's small boat and tips it making Keegan fall into the bay. But despite his desire to do so, he spares Keegan's life, but Yang himself is again knocked out with a belay pin by Keegan's men. Keegan thinks Yin Li will try to save Yang and hopes to kill them both when she does so. He hires a killer named Durango to do just that. Yin Li arrives to do just as Keegan predicts and he adds her to his collection of prisoners. Durango moves to fulfill his bargain, but Yang uses the unloaded gun he is provided to defeat his new enemy by crashing it against his skull. A previously arranged explosion by Yin Li's men gives the pair the chance to defeat their foe and after giving Keegan a swift kick to the face, Yang then jumps out of the window as Yin Li shoots after him. He looks back at the junk with regret as the story ends.

"Yin-Yang Mail" offers up three letters, one an erudite analysis of the Yin-Yang symbol and philosophy and the others more typical letters of general praise for the comic. One letter though does say that Yin Li is in too many issues of the comic, and it's pointed out that George Wildman, the editor thought the same thing and had the comic change up the scenario some in recent issues.


This comic was reprinted in 1977 under the Modern Comics label.

This is another solid issue of Yang, and after a few issues where Yin Li has been largely absent, seeing her again was a real treat. The conflict between her and Yang seemed to have a bit more spark this time, as both have largely given in to the inevitable nature of their love-hate relationship. Captain Keegan is a dandy villain, and good here.

The series really has found its balance now and is delivering solid entertainment. There is a small mention of the companion comic House of Yang, but there must have been some slips in editiorial as the references point to an upcoming series, not one already on the stands.

More to come.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #9

Warren Sattler

Yang Volume 3, Number 9 is dated September, 1975 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman. The cover is painted by Warren Sattler, and Sattler also did the artwork on the inside of the comic. Joe Gill wrote the script.

"Brides for Sale" begins with Yang helping a young blonde woman who is being attacked by Commanches. He fends off the attackers, takes a horse and the two of them ride back to her camp, despite her protests to the contrary. The men of the camp shoot back at the Commanches, saving Yang and the woman, but quickly Yang and the woman are punished for bringing the danger back to camp. Brother James, a seemingly religious leader has them whipped and forces Yang to become a servant in the camp.

Yang quickly learns the women are being held against their will, having been tricked into coming West to find husbands and success they are beaten and live in fear. He uses the chances he has to train the women in Kung Fu, and they prove to be quick learners. Eventually they reach the town of Gutter Gulch where Brother James hopes to sell the women to the many unscrupulous men who live there.

Knowing their time is almost up, the women disguise themselves as "The Masked Furies" to begin Part II. They attack the men and take shelter in an old mine. Yang though goes to learn what's happening and gets captured. The woman he saved to begin with named Trudi Weiser goes into town as a decoy and succeeds along with the other Furies in freeing Yang. A battle ensues and the corrupt men of the town are defeated and Brother James last trick, a gun in his Bible proves ineffective. Yang leaves the women in charge of their fates and along with the good folks of Gutter Gulch, hopefully they will build good lives. Yang walks into the sunset.

"Yin-Yang Mail" lives up to its name for the first time. It features two letters, one to the editors by a young man which has mostly praise for the comic and another addressed to Yin Li from a young woman who wonders why Yin is so often found in the role of the baddie in the stories and hopes she will mend her ways.


This is a solid, exceedingly well-paced issue. The religious fanatic Brother James is a despicable type and revealed to be a hypocrite. The women this time are all good and Yang helps them, a big change for the series where women are often untrustworthy. The one fault in the story is the speed with which the Furies learn Kung Fu, but that's unavoidable. It often seems in these types of stories that years of training can be transferred in a few days, and that's ludicrous. But this isn't the only time that flaw as been seen in a story, comic book or otherwise.

The team of Gill and Sattler continue to impress. This issue of Yang makes mention of Sun Yang and hints that Yang will head back East to find him. The new series House of Yang is given a plug.

More on that "new" spin-off next time.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #8

Yang Volume 3, Number 8 is dated June, 1975 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman. The cover was painted by Warren Sattler who is also the artist on the interiors. The script was supplied by Joe Gill.



After a two-page reprise of the story of how Yang came to America, "Night of the Wolf" begins right away with an attack by gray timber wolves on a miner. Yang intercedes and is attacked himself. The wolves are controlled by a woman wearing a wolfskin mask, shirt and cape. Yang fends off the wolves and is about to unmask his attacker when he is struck from behind by a gun butt wielded by the Wolf woman's partner named Blackman. The pair ride away leaving the wolves to kill and consume Yang, but he awakens and takes to the trees to escape the voracious beasts.

The woman resumes her real identity of Miss Rebecca a seamstress who lives with her Aunt Edith in a local boarding house. Other miners arrive and Yang climbs down from the trees and tells them of the attack. He then seeks refuge and goes to Miss Rebeccas' boarding house and surprisingly is given a room. He recognizes his attacker when he sees a wolf whelp in the house. Nonetheless he stays and gets a bath and a some sleep. But the tea he had earlier seems to give him nightmares about wolves and his sleep is restless, especially when Rebecca and her wolf peek in on him.

The next morning he seeks information and learns that Rebecca's father was a gambler who was found cheating and was hanged by the local miners. Rebecca couldn't stop it. Yang hears a wolf and heads out of town to investigate and finds Rebecca seemingly being attacked by a large wolf.

"The Killer Wolves" begins as Yang finds that Rebecca tricked him and she holds him down as the wolves gather. He though is able to turn the tables and gets her in a hold and uses her as a hostage to return to town. But meanwhile Blackman has been talking down Yang and making it seem he might the villain. When Yang and Rebecca return to town Yang is arrested. He soon learns the Sheriff is in on the conspiracy with Blackman and Rebecca. A Yang languishes in jail the wolves prowl the town. Eventually Rebecca in her wolf gear appears and goes to the jail to set her wolves on Yang yet again. She leaves as the wolves stalk the hero in his now open jail cell. Rebecca changes clothes, gathers up the gold she has stolen and leaves town. Yang climbs into the rafters to escape the wolves while Blackman and the Sheriff have a laugh while they listen to the attack.

But Yang is able to fend off the wolves one more time and locks them in the cell. He then gets a horse and goes after Rebecca. Blackman and the Sheriff realize they've been double-crossed but the miners of the town overhear their talk and take the pair into custody for a miner's court which seems likely to end in a hanging for both of them. Yang pursues Rebecca but her wagon comes under attack by wolves she does not control and she, her panicked horse, and her wagon full of stolen gold tumble over the cliff. Yang realizes the wolves will get to her body before him and he heads back to town and meets the miners who have taken back control.

"Yin-Yang Mail" offers up three letters this time. One comments on how foolish Yang is to allow Yin Li to constantly get the drop on him. One appreciates the complexity of their romance. And the third purports to be from the sister of a young boy who reads Yang. She is upset by the Yin-Yang legend which paints women as evil and she plans to tell her mother and so stop her brother from learning such vile things.

This issue of Yang has never been reprinted, though you will find it in its original form at this groovy link.

We have another issue of Yang in which Yin Li plays little part. It is again a nice change of pace as Yang does find himself battling another evil woman for sure, but this one is certifiable. Once again Yang finds himself getting drugged by a woman, and you would think he'd learn eventually.

The action in this one is nicely varied, but Yang never really gets into much of a real fight with the wolves, as he usually uses his acrobatic skills to merely evade them. Having Rebecca wear a wolf skin outfit does sell the idea of this series as something akin to "superheroes", but not all that much really.

I did like that Yang recognized Rebecca as his attacker pretty much immediately, and so saved us pages of him seeming to be dunce. But then that does bring back that conundrum of his taking tea from her. I guess we are just supposed to accept that the dark spot in Yang's mostly white soul just can't say no to drugged concoctions from shady women.

The Yang universe is about to get bigger later in the summer of 1975. More to come next time for sure.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #7

Yang Volume 3, Number 7 is dated April, 1975 and was published by Charlton Publications, Inc. The editor is George Wildman. The cover is a beautiful painting by Warren Sattler, the artist on the interior of the comic too. The script is supplied by Joe Gill.

The story "Queen of Evil" begins in Chinatown with Chao Ku, Yang's enemy, issuing a bounty on Yang for $50,000 dollars. He also comments that while he wanted a son, his lovely Yin Li's evil is all he could've hoped for. Yin Li and a one-eyed assassin find Yang at a temple and get the drop on him. The hog-tie the hero and carry him through the street to Chao Ku. But Yang when confronted by a swordsman ready to take his head, is able to have the blade cut his bonds instead and gets hold of the massive sword and throws into the body of Chao Ku, killng the the slaver and opium overlord. Chao Ku's body is pinned into his chair and Yin Li overcome with grief and anger attacks Yang but gets caught by him and they go to the basement together where she tries to trick him with a basket of cobras. Yang throws the cobra on the henchmen, evades Yin Li's poison ring one more time and jumps out the window. He picks up a rifle and shoots a guard and then makes good his escape from the compound.
Chao Ku's body is laid out and then Yin Li takes charge. Her first act is to poison Huk Hui a ruthless killer she does not trust. She orders Captain Keegan to bring in the myriad creatures he's brought from Borneo and elsewhere. Meanwhile Yang is being hunted by hounds.

"The Valley of 1000 Deaths" begins as the hounds are replaced by cheetahs who Yang can only evade by running them into a cactus field. Momentarily safe from the hunters Yang ponders his situation being hunted by Yin Li's men. Meanwhile Yin Li continues to solidify her position by killing off more untrustworthy men. She hires three Apache Indians led by Three Arrows to hunt down Yang. These killers though relentless hunters are nonetheless dispatched quickly by Yang when he kicks two of them from a high cliff. He then runs to confront Yin Li, but she is prepared and he is taken prisoner and put into a cage with ferocious Komodo Dragons. Chained Yang is helpless but he soon breaks a chain and battles the giant lizards, and eventually they threaten Yin Li too. Yang sweeps up his beloved and they fight off the dragons, Yin Li shooting her pistol to assist their escape. Outside they share anther kiss before Yang leaves and Yin Li leads her killers in another direction.

"Yin-Yang Mail" features two letters one being somewhat critical of Yang for being too like other martial arts heroes in other comics and the second wanting Charlton to do away with some of its romance books to make room for Sanho Kim's Wrong Country feature. The editors reject both opinions.

This issue has not been reprinted to my knowledge.

This was my very first issue of Yang, and it's a dynamite example of this series. Warren Sattler's artwork always reliable and his wonderfully atmospheric cover for this issue might the best the series ever enjoyed. The death of Chao Ku was a good move for the series, clearing the way for desperately needed character development,but it's strange how this killing of Chao Ku by Yang is so similar to a scene from the previous issue where Chao Ku's fate was left open somewhat. There's no doubt in this issue that Yang kills him though.

In fact Yang is quite bloodthirsty in the series. He shoots a rifle this issue and kills a guard, and just a few issues back he killed a man with a pistol. He also kills the two apaches and various of Yin Li's guards this issue. Yin Li too is given two scenes which serve only to show how ruthless this new "Queen of Evil" will be. This is a surprisingly rugged series when it comes to violence, though Sattler's warm and inviting art style masks over much of that lethal mayhem.

We've moved into the second half of the original Yang run and the series has been solid but a bit static. With the death of Chao Ku, hopefully things will open up a bit.

Much more to come.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #6

Yang Volume 3, Number 6 is dated February, 1975 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman, and the cover art was done by Warren Sattler. Sattler also did the interior artwork, and the script was furnished by Joe Gill.

"The Sacred Jade Buddha" begins in San Francisco's Chinatown where Yang is watching Chao Ku being carried down the street in an elaborate chair which hides a stolen Jade Buddha from the temple of An-Yang. Yang attempts to intercept the villain but runs into his thugs. A fight follows and Yang ends up throwing a sword into the body of his foe. Yin Li is distraught as Yang leaps out of a window and goes to the home of Chinatown's leader Wu Chan who gives Yang some help and they intercept the carriage of Eugene D. Bellows, a rich man who controls his own town in Nevada. Bellows is transporting the stolen Buddha to be used as an attraction in his proposed opera house there. The carriage proves to be too fast and Yang is forced to merely follow after it.

Bellows arrives in his the town of Bellows, Nevada which is guarded by his own uniformed militia and inhabited by people who are utterly loyal or at least fearful of the rich man. When he arrives at his lush Victorian mansion, he meets the Italian prima donna named Cerini. Yang runs after on foot and encounters a gunman named Pippin Kramer, one of Bellows men. Yang overpowers him and takes his horse. Next Yang is next assaulted by a sniper named Dutch. Again Yang is triumphant and takes Dutch's rifle. Entering town, the people realize he has beaten these men and two men named Smitty and Mikos are careful to arrest him at gunpoint. Yang allows himself to be arrested to get to the center of the Bellows operation which happens to be the gold mine. Yang is taken captive into the mine and given a ball and chain to restrain him. He is placed among the many other men made slaves in the mine and forced to work.

"The Death Pit" begins when Yang stops a guard from whipping another prisoner. He yanks the man off his feet with his own whip and beats down a few others before grabbing a gun and shooting one of the guards. Using the gun, he demands that he and the other slaves be freed. They use dynamite to booby-trap one of the ore cars which tips its load into the great stamp mill and blows the operation to smithereens. Yang then leads the slaves out of the mine but allows himself to again be captured. He is tied and taken to Bellows who vows vengeance for all the money Yang has cost him. He plans to drop Yang into his great smelter and obliterate the hero. But then Cerini reveals that she is not only a singer but a federal marshal and that Bellows is under arrest. Bellows gets the drop on her and she is caught up in a great crane bucket to be dropped into the smelter, but Yang is able to overpower Bellows and holds him helpless above the smelter's roiling heat. Bellows orders that they be freed and then getting the stolen Buddha and taking Bellows too into the carriage Yang bolts out of town. The people of the town are glad to see the tyrant leave and take no action. The Buddha is returned, Bellows is taken into custody and Cerini gives Yang a kiss to show her gratefulness.

"Yin-Yang Mail" offers up two letters this time. Both are complimentary and one looks forward to Sanho Kim's Wrong Country but is told that no decision has been yet made to start new books. A writer from Canada wants some back issues and a subscription and is told how to do the latter and that sadly no back issue can be had from Charlton directly. It's a wistful note from a time before comics shops when old comics were difficult to locate.

This comic has not been reprinted to my knowledge.

This is a solid issue of Yang, if it has a rather lackluster cover. Bellows is a worthy opponent and a nice break from Chao Ku and his cronies. Leaving Chao Ku pinned to the wall with a sword makes an interesting mystery for the next issue, if it is indeed dealt with. Captain Keegan returned this issue and he looked pretty bad off last time after being thrown into a canyon by Bigfoot. Yin Li makes a cameo admittedly but for once the woman in the story turns out to be a good character and actually helpful to Yang's cause. Charlton has stated a few times in the letters pages that they don't adhere to the aspects of Yin-Yang which regard women as inherently evil but this is the first time they've demonstrated that in the stories themselves.

All in all a solid and entertaining issue with a great pace. The henchmen in this one are nicely distinctive and Sattler's artwork gets better and better as the series continues.

More to come.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #5

Yang Volume 2, Number 5 is dated November, 1974 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The cover is by Warren Sattler who is also the artist on the interiors. Joe Gill offers up the script with George Wildman in the saddle as editor.

"The Beast is Waiting" begins when Yang is challenged by a murderous gunman and Yin Li the deceitful daughter of Chao Ku, Yang's arch enemy and the man who murdered his father. Yang throws an axe to disarm the gunman and then leaps and overpowers Yin Li who vows again to kill him. He embraces her and they share a passionate kiss, after which he walks away from her. She threatens him again and shoots repeatedly but harmlessly at his feet as he leaves.

The action shifts to the train of A.J.Hartley, the unscrupulous railroad magnate who uses the coolies supplied by Chao Ku to build his line. He is enjoying some drinks with the slaver and opium dealer Chao Ku and Captain Keegan, formerly of a clipper ship Yang burned a few issues previously. They share their hatred of Yang and enjoy the spectacle of the beast who is caged in a special car. It is a shaggy man-beast known in Chao Ku's homeland of China as the Yeti but called in America Bigfoot. This particular beast was captured by Paiute Indians and has been tortured by Chao Ku to become a man-killer. At that same time, Yang is with some local Paiute Indians talking about among other things the reality of a man-beast called Bigfoot.

The scene shifts again, this time with Yin Li seemingly thrown out the door of her father's headquarters with scorn. She wanders into the rugged terrain and is followed by Yang. This is her plan of course to lure Yang into a trap, which she springs by falling into a steep canyon. Yang follows her and is observed by Chao Ku, Captain Keegan, and J.L.Hartley as the Bigfoot appears and threatens the couple. Yang battles the beast to limited effect when Yin Li does a turnabout and grabs a branch to help him fend off the savage killer. At that same moment riflemen under Chao Ku's orders begin to fire to kill the Bigfoot to save Yin Li. They hit the Bigfoot and Yin Li and Yang realize the creature might be less savage than they imagined.

"The Jackals Gather" begins when Yang battles the wounded Bigfoot assisted by Yin Li. They are able to fend off the beast, but then gunmen on the canyon ledge continue to fire trying to kill Yang. Keegan and Hartley join in on this effort and bullets whiz into the canyon. Yang attempts to climb out to confront the attackers and is followed by the Bigfoot who instead of attacking Yang overtakes him on the cliff and attacks the gunmen, specifically Keegan who he pitches into the canyon. Other gunmen follow and the Bigfoot is wounded many times. Chao Ku and Hartley have fled. Yang and Yin Li work to bind his wounds and get him into a wagon taking him to a location where another Bigfoot appears to look after the beast. Yang and Yin Li share another kiss, despite Yang's knowledge that Yin Li will betray him on another day.

"Yin-Yang Mail" features three letters. One writer complements the book and wants to know if the Yin-Yang myth is a Charlton creation. Another has good things to say about Gill and Sattler. The third wishes that Charlton would give the old Action Heroes another try and especially complimentary of Ditko's Blue Beetle, but the editor's response suggests Charlton is more interested in new heroes like E-Man and Yang.

To my knowledge this issue of Yang has never been reprinted.


I love Bigfoot stories and movies, so needless to say this is a fun comic. I don't necessarily believe in Bigfoot, but the myth and the lore are great fun to follow and explore. I was still a young man when the infamous 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film appeared, and I remember seeing it in the theaters. It had a profound effect on my imagination, and I've adored Bigfoot stories since.

As Bigfoot stories go, this issue of Yang is not bad. The Bigfoot/Yeti is assumed to exist in the stories and no one really doubts it. The Bigfoot featured here is at once savage and beastly, but Sattler does a great job of making it not too ape like. This is another type of beast all together. That Chao Ku has to torture the beast to make it a danger, points to notion that Bigfoot is a gentle creature capable of great harm when roused. That's some of the charm of the lore, and this story by Gill gets right to it. They do call the creature "Bigfoot" in this story, and that name for the man-beast is likely anachronistic, since I don't think it was coined until the 1950's. But that's a small glitch in a story that clearly is not meant to be history, though it makes heady use of an historical setting.

More to come.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #4

Yang Volume 2, Number 4 is dated September 1974 and was published by Charlton Publicatons Inc. The cover was illustrated by Warren Sattler, who also did the interiors. The script was written by Joe Gill. George Wildman was the editor.

"The Hooded Death" begins in Lucky Nugget, a mining town and specifically the bar owned by Mrs. Brundage where Yang rescues an innocent miner about to be gunned down during a poker game. Yang is able to defeat the thugs in the employ of Brundage who lures Yang into taking a cup of tea which is drugged. The unconscious Yang awakes penniless and is directed to a unscrupulous banker named Webb. Webb stakes Yang to mine in Grizzly Gulch, sending him there with equipment and a mule. Yang arrives there but soon enough learns the place gets its name from a ferocious grizzly bear who attacks but is beaten back by Yang. Yang then begins to mine and finds a mother lode of gold. After a month of mining he loads up and heads back to Lucky Nugget. After leaving the Gulch he is set upon by a sniper but escapes being wounded and defeats his attacker, killing him with a single blow to the neck. Adding the body to his load he gets into Lucky Nugget in time to see a robbery in progress which he stops before encountering Webb who knows the name of the sniper, a man named Childrers. Another gunman named Thompson confronts Yang.


"Boot Hill Booty!" begins as Thompson is shot by Mrs.Brundage who appears to help Yang. Yang is directed to Boot Hill where he buries Childers. He has one sack of his gold assayed and it proves to be ninety percent pure and Yang puts the remaining sacks into the safe. News of his strike gets to Webb and Brundage who plot to lure Yang into trouble. A woman claiming to be Brundage's niece takes Yang to her, but a group of thugs interferes and Yang is forced to defeat them. When Yang leaves Brundages, a trap has been set by the local Vigilantes who are actually in the employ of Webb and Brundage and they manage to hogtie Yang and the masked me threaten to hang our hero. He fights back successfully until a masked Brundage gets the drop on him and he is put on the back of a horse and a noose put on his neck. But Yang is able to use his great training to escape and in the darkness he evades the vigilantes. Webb and Brundage decide to steal Yang's gold but after blowing the safe they find only dirt in the sacks. Wile Yang did strike it rich, he hid the gold in the grave with the body of Chliders and not the safe. The miners in the meantime have elected a sheriff named Morgan who then arrests Brundage and Webb and the other thugs. Yang vows to use his wealth to help free his people from slavery.


"Yin-Yang Mail" features three letters, mostly of praise for the new series. There is explanation of a comment made in the letters page of Midnight Tales #6 which mentioned that Sanho Kim was working on a superhero series. Folks imagined Yang must be that series, and as it turns out they were not completely wrong. It turns out that Kim did indeed produce a work titled Wrong Country, but it was lost in the mail. The paper shortage at the time prevented Charlton from publishing it immediately. The editors also mention that they've gotten few letters to Yang, and that they do not agree personally with the unfavorable attitude toward women reflected in the Yin-Yang philosophy.

This issue of Yang has not been reprinted to my knowledge. Here though is a groovy link to read the story in its original form.


This is a solid issue and it's good to see Yang interacting with some new players. Mrs. Brundage fills the female Yin role nicely and while if I were Yang after this, I'd be a confirmed woman hater. The mining town backdrop is a good one for action, and this issue has a bunch. Yang's willingness to kill his opponents opens up the complexity of the story quite a bit and gives the proceedings some real gravity.

The cover of this particular issue is a pretty violent one too, and I'm a bit surprised it got past the code. While the image is one which suggest racism, the story inside doesn't really show that at all. It's not Yang's race which is a problem for Brundage and Webb, merely his do-gooder habits which keep them from profits.


Not mentioned in this issue's letters page, but well known now is that Yang by Joe Gill and Warren Sattler was the replacement for Kim's lost project. Later Sanho Kim would be tapped to do the spin-off House of Yang and he would not have time to continue Wrong Country which was eventually published in the pages of Charlton Bullseye #3 many months later.

More on Wrong Country tomorrow.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #3

Yang Volume 2, Number 3 is dated July, 1974. It was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman. The cover was done by Warren Sattler, who also did the interiors of the book with the guidance of a Joe Gill script.

The story opens with a reprise of the situation between our hero Yang and Yin Li, the daughter of the villain Chao Ku. It is assumed that Yang was killed after jumping from a speeding train in the previous story, but Yin Li is certain he is still alive since she would know in her heart if her beloved were dead. She vows not to make the same mistakes she has made in the past, but what those mistakes were is uncertain. Chao Ku has put a $10,000 dollar bounty on Yang's head and he is certain that if he is alive that will solve the issue. Yang on the other hand is stealthily entering Chao Ku's lair at that moment and confronts the evil Slaver in his main chamber.

"The Impossible" is a one-page text piece which tells of a village named Kuan-Chioh which fears a pirate named Liu-Mien. They go to a wise man to seek counsel about what to do when the pirate appears and he tells them to get all the metal in the village and create a multitude of fish hooks. They do so and when the pirates appear they are captured in vast elaborate nets and the hooks in those nets kill most of the enemy. The rest are taken prisoner and the boats burned to keep others from becoming pirates. As the wise man says, the difficult takes a lot of time to accomplish and the impossible only a small time longer.

"Prisoner of Evil" begins as Yang throws a spear into the body of Chao Ku, but it turns out it is only a dummy decoy placed in the chair by Yin Li to draw in out her opponent. She kisses Yang but he is leary of her poison ring, but she has gotten rid of it and instead Yang is distracted and finds himself trapped inside an iron cage dropped from the ceiling. Chao Ku and A.J.Hartley, the railroad robber baron have drinks and enjoy their prisoner's plight and intend to kill him quickly. Yin Li takes the gun and shoots Yang point blank, but when he is inspected Yang fights back and escapes. He knocks out Yin Li with a nerve punch and carries her unconscious to the roof, fighting off thugs all the while. The pair slip into a secret passage which leads to ready horses and escape into the city of San Francisco. Yin Li takes Yang to a warehouse of opium, but it turns out she has betrayed him yet again and Chao Ku is waiting.

"The Fireship" begins when Yang escapes this most recent plot, setting fire to the warehouse and dodging bullets from Chao Ku and his henchmen. He takes Yin Li and dives out the window into the water of the bay. He swims to the very clipper ship which brought him to America captained by Keegan. The ship cuts anchor and slips out of the harbor to avoid the fire which is spreading. Safely out of harms way, they drop anchor again and then Yang and Yin Li climb to the deck, but they are immediately waylaid and Yang finds himself chained to a wall. As he is about to be shot Yin Li again demands the honor and shoots at Yang four times point blank, but instead of killing him, she fires at his bonds and frees him. He battles the smugglers and then frees others who have been taken into slavery from China. The clipper comes under attack by another boat led by Chao Ku, but Yang fends it off with a great cannon found on board. Yin Li though cannot allow her father to be killed and attacks Yang and their battle knocks over a lamp setting the boat on fire. The clipper ship burns as well as its cargo of opium, Yin Li returns to her father, and Yang slips into the bay where sharks gather.



This issue was reprinted twice, once in 1977 under the Modern Comics label and again in 1986 as Yang #17, the final issue in the run and one of the final Charlton comics ever. Notice how when they flip the cover art, they conveniently have the UPC symbol placed to obscure Sattler's signature.

The battle between Yang and Yin Li gets stranger and stranger. Despite what he understands about their dual natures, it's getting harder to understand why he keeps falling for her nonsense. At some level he is gambling her good nature will always win out, and so far it seems to be the case, but it makes him seem foolish to keep tumbling blindly into the same pitfall. On the plus side, Yang does keep scoring victories against Chao Ku, this time destroying much of his opium stores.


About this time, the Charlton Portfolio by the CPL Gang hit the stands and it had an article on Charlton's martial arts heroes Judomaster and Thunderbolt titled "From the Mystic East" by Doc Larry Brnicky, with Yang getting a mention, and the artwork for issue four's cover being included. Here is that article and the artwork.


Check out Yang on the back of the wraparound cover above. He looks quite different rendered by Don Newton and Bob Layton.




More to come.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #2

Warren Sattler

Due to a paper shortage and the energy crisis in 1974, many of Charlton's comics were delayed for several months. Such was the case with Yang #2 which hit the stands six months after the debut issue. 
Yang Volume 2, Number 2 is dated May 1974 and was published by Charlton Publications Inc. The editor is George Wildman, and the writer is Joe Gill. Warren Sattler is again on board as the artist, both for the interiors and the for the cover.

A "Prologue" brings the reader up to date on Yang's story, and how as a student Chung Hui saw his father killed by killers of the slaver Chao Ku. Becoming a force of good, Chung Hui becomes "Yang" for the people and vows to bring down Chao Ku and his forces including his daughter Yin Li who uses a poison ring to fell our hero and then transports him to the American West where he escapes the clutches of those who want to enslave him and others to build the railroad.

Part 1 "Death in the Desert" begins with a bounty hunter finding Yang in the desert after his escape but Yang quickly turns the tables and takes the cowboy's horse and uses it to return to the train where he finds the owner J.L. Hartley, and partner of Chao Ku's. Yang finding some dynamite in a shed uses it to blow up the train and the tracks, in an attempt to free the slaves. He succeeds and leads them into the mountains, but he himself then falls victim to Yin Li who confronts him on horseback and knocks him unconscious with the butt of a pistol. She chooses not to kill him there, but take to a secret lair where he will not become a martyr.

"Tang's Tales" is a trio of text stories. "Sim Sung's Song" is the tale of a happy man who sings when he works which pleases a local rich man who then gives Sim Sung gold so he can enjoy life, but which after a short time actually causes him sadness because it was his life and work which made him sing. He returns to his happy ways. "The Respectful Son" tells of a son who is beaten by his father or carelessness with melons and how it is the son's responsibility to only allow himself to be beaten slightly to preserve the honor between father and son, according to Confucius. "The Learner" speaks of a man who enters a garden to seek enlightenment where all his needs will be met and who stays for twenty-six years proving he's a slow learner, but a clever fellow.

Part 2 "Die for Freedom" begins with Yang chained in a cave and about to be killed by Yin Li and her thugs. But he snaps his chains instead and escapes fighting the thugs and taking Yin Li deep into the cave where many statues are located. A message says that those with evil hearts should not pass into the cave and in fact the thugs do fall victim to falling debris. Yin Li tries to use her ring on Yang again, but finally he stops her and says that his feeling for her and her for him are like the Yin-Yang symbol, each section possessing a spot of the other making neither of them purely good nor purely evil. He escapes the cave and fights his way out finding a horse. He is followed by Hartley's men, Hartley having survived the train explosions, and Yang fights many of the bounty hunters before returning again to the train. He gets aboard and confronts Hartley and Chao Ku again but is knocked out from behind. The train heads to San Francisco and later when they go to kill Yang, they find he has escaped the speeding train helped by Yin Li.

Note the cool lighting effects and how the horses are now missing. 

Yang #2 was reprinted in 1985 as Yang #16.
The story of Yang to this point is a hectic one, with him rushing from fight to fight with abandon. It has already become something of a gimmick in the stories for Yin Li to trip him up, but given the thematic connection they share, the story is not necessarily damaged by this constant turnabout. There was a real attempt to enliven the Western aspects of the story in this chapter, with lots of men on horseback playing a brief but highly visual role.

The time which passed between the first and second issues of Yang were fruitful ones for those interested in martial arts entertainment. Yang's debut, dated November gets the nod as the first of a wave of martial arts comics which hit the stands in a very short time because of the interest in the television show Kung Fu.

Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom 

Marvel had the rights to the show apparently but decided instead to create Shang-Chi, the son of Fu Manchu. The "Master of Kung Fu" debuted in the pages of Special Marvel Edition #16 which had a December, 1973 cover date, one month after the debut of Charlton's Yang. The adventures of Shang-Chi would become the longest-lived of the martial arts comics, if not the first.

Gil Kane

Bearing the same cover date of May 1974 as the second issue of Yang, was Marvel Premiere #15 which debuted Iron Fist, a revision of the Golden Age Amazing Man story by Bill Everett with a martial arts twist much like PAM's Thunderbolt from some years previous.

Neal Adams

A month earlier, Marvel had unleashed the magazine-sized Deadly Hands of Kung Fu onto the market.

Dick Giordano

A year later Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter would debut from DC Comics, featuring a cover from former "Action Heroes" editor Dick Giordano.
So between the first and second issues of Yang, a torrent of martial arts comics had hit the stands and more was to come. The competition was going to be ferocious. But as we'll see, Yang was up to the challenge.

More to come later this week.

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Dojo Classics - Yang #1

Warren Sattler

Charlton's other "superhero" debut in 1973 was Yang. Created in the same push by George Wildman which yielded E-Man, Yang was clearly a story inspired by the television show Kung Fu starring David Carradine, which itself was both spark and result of a wave of interest in martial arts at the time.

Neal Adams

Wildman got Charlton veteran writer Joe Gill to supply the scripts and he tapped artist Warren Sattler for the art chores. The latter was an odd move since Charlton had working for them at the time Sanho Kim, an artist ideally suited for this project. (But there's more to that story later.) Sattler's warm and comfortable sytle is a good fit nonetheless.

Yang Volume 1 Number 1 is dated November, 1973 and was published by Charlton Publications. The editor is George Wildman and the cover is by Warren Sattler. The writer is Joe Gill and the interior artwork is also by Sattler.

Part 1 "The Slave" begins in China in 1890 at the estate of the Mandarin Chung Yuan and his son Chung Hui. A warlord named Chao Ku orders the death of Chung Yuan and Chung Hui is too late to stop the murder. But he does use his considerable martial arts skills to waylay the murderers and following the mandates of his father's final word's puts aside his studies to become "Yang" for his people, a source of good in the lives of his people. He seeks out Chao Ku aboard his junk and comes under attack by Chao Ku's men and Captain Keegan, an American who is working with Chao Ku in his slave industry. Yang vows to meet his father's murderer again but as he leaves the junk he meets Yin Li, Chao Ku's daughter who feigns weakness and then kisses our hero, but she uses a drugged ring which cause Yang to fall to sleep at her feet. Yang is taken a prisoner by Keegan who takes him aboard his clipper ship headed for America. Yang meets the other prisoners and vows to help them. Close to San Francisco, Yang gets topside on the ship and makes a break for escape and dives headlong into the frigid waters.

Part 2 "Yang Meets Yin" begins with Yang swimming in the cold waters off Alcatraz Island, and Captain Keegan assumes weighted with chains the proud Chinese hero must be dead. Yang though comes out of the water at the docks in San Francisco and finds a sympathetic Chinese blacksmith to help remove his chains. He then seeks out Captain Keegan again and finds the evil sailor meeting with Chao Ku and Yin Li, the both of them having come to America too. Yang is captured though and taken before the trio where he then battles for freedom. He escapes with the seeming help of Yin Li, who professes to want to leave the influence of her evil father, but another kiss from the lovely girl and a sting of the ring, and Yang is once again flat out on the floor at her deceitful feet. This time Yang is transported into the interior of the America aboard a train, destined to work on the railroads as slave labor. After a few days of work, he is able to lead a revolt against his masters and after a furious battle that sees the destruction of a train, Yang escapes his captors once again and runs into the broad sprawling landscape that is the American West.

Last Page Original Art by Sattler

"The Wisdom of Wu" is a one-page text story which relates how villages in China are suffering from many woes. The people of those villages seek out a legendary wise man named "Wu" who they hope will give them an answer to their troubles. Many seek him out and they all descend on his remote location together. He has the people write down their troubles and then switch them and read those troubles to him. The people discover their troubles all sound the same and Wu tells them that they suffer only what man suffers all the time through the ages, and they must take prudent steps to protect themselves and those they love. That is the wisdom of Wu.

To read this issue in its original format, check out this link.

Note the flipped image gets Sattler's name right. 

The debut issue of Yang has been reprinted in 1985 when briefly the series was restarted with issue #15 (skipping issue #14 inexplicably) with reprints of old issues.

The first thing a reader has to understand is that despite many claims to the contrary, Yang is not really a superhero book. Admittedly it has a kinship to early "Action Hero" books like Thunderbolt and Judomaster, but the mileau of the American West gives this comic a fresh feel that sets apart from traditional superheroics. Yang is just a man who seeks to accomplish noble things, and there's no reason to think that this series is anything other than a Western, a genre Charlton was wonderful at creating.

Warren Sattler creates some very appealing artwork here, his storytelling is impeccable. I could pick a bit at his character designs, especially his rendition of Yin Li, which always seemed oddly modern to me, but overall his comics have an inviting feel to them. Joe Gill's script is an excellent example why this workhorse of a writer is so well regarded in the field today. He wrote a ton of material, and while obviously some of it was solid trash, he could in situations like Yang make the most of the task he was given.


One irony to my eye at least, is that the infamous wanted poster from the television show Kung Fu which inspired Yang, looks remarkably like Yang as rendered by Sattler.


The whole Taoist Yin-Yang philosophical angle which underpins the story is clever enough. Yang representing the good side of man and Yin Li representing the darker side, two people bonded by emotion but held apart by upbringing and motivation forms a neat tension to follow through the series. I don't pretend to understand how accurate these representations are, but they work for the story purposes here.

Yang will prove to be a reasonably successful series for Charlton eventually, even generating a spin-off later in its run. That series too will be dealt with in these reports.

More to come, though at the time quite a wait was required. Yang would return and he'd bring a bunch of friends with him.

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