Widely considered an enduring icon of American culture, the Lone Ranger made his pop culture debut on a WXYZ radio show in 1933. The former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws along with American Old West was conceived either by station owner George W. Trendle or the show’s writer Fran Striker. The title character was played on the radio show by George Seaton, Earle Graser, and Brace Beemer.
The masked vigilante was known as the Lone Ranger as he is the sole survivor of a group of six Texas Rangers. While pursuing a band of outlaws led by Bartholomew “Butch” Cavendish, the posse is ambushed in a canyon. Shortly thereafter, an Indian named Tonto arrives on the scene and discovers one ranger is still alive. Using cloth, the Lone Ranger conceals his identity with a black domino mask. To further aid him, Tonto digs a sixth grave so Cavendish and his gang would believe that all of the Rangers had been killed. Along with being a master of disguise, the Lone Ranger is an expert marksman, above-average athlete, horseman, and hand-to-hand combatant.
Following the radio debut on WXYZ in January 1933, The Lone Ranger aired a total of 2,956 episodes. The incredible success of the radio series led to the Lone Ranger being adapted into an equally popular television series. The Lone Ranger TV show, starring Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels as Tonto, aired for eight seasons from 1949 to 1957. This was followed by several movie adaptations, as well as a series of books and comic books. Nearly every iteration included the now iconic catchphrases “Hi-Yo, Silver! Away,” “Get ’em up, Scout,” and “Kemo sabe.” These, along with the Ranger’s trademark silver bullets and the theme music from the William Tell overture have become tropes of popular culture.
Did you know the Western hero is gearing up to ride into the pages of Dynamite Entertainment for a brand new series? Written by multiple Eisner Award nominee Mark Russell (The Flintstones) and artist Bob Q, The Lone Ranger ongoing series reunites the Lone Ranger and Tonto in October 2018. Lone Ranger fans can read more about this series here in Scoop.
