He is only known as Star Pirate. No one knows from where he hails, only that he captains the ship "Revenge" and has yet to meet his match. Star Pirate began in Planet Comics #12, and lasted till #64, when reprints started. (But he's in #65, #67, 68 and 70 of the reprints.) His original wrier used the pen name "Leonardo Vinci." The owner is unknown, but the artist for most of the strips signs. The original was Al Gabriele, but later the title sported Maurice Whitman, Leonard Starr, and Joe Kubert. It was young artist Murphy Anderson, along with writer "Len Dodson," who handled the largest part of the run, staring in #33.
Star beings and ends his adventures being thrown up against one gorgeous female villain after another. For the first part of his career it is done along side his purely loyal first mate, Trodelyte or Trody. Trody only make it to #31, where he is replaced by Star's "Martian-pal" Gura. Gura only makes it to #35.
But in #36, Star picks up the pirate that will stay with him to the end of his run.
Once a enemy, Blackbeard joins with Star to escape the rival band of pirates.You can read the story here. #36 also is when Star Pirate becomes a comic for laughs over serious drama.
Below a story from from Planet Comics #41. Star takes a spaceship of male colonists to a forgotten world populated only by women.
UK monthly, Planet Stories (Atlas, 1961-62), reprints some of the Planet Comics titles, including Star Pirate. Series info for Planet Comics.
Murphy Anderson essay by Michel Vance
More Star Pirate on the way!
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