4GEMWORKS COMPLETE FOUR COLOR EMPORIUM
Four Color 1124

COMIC DETAILS

Comic Description: Four Color #1124 Universal
Grade: 9.6
Page Quality: OFF-WHITE TO WHITE
Certification #: 0800490011
Owner: 4GEMWORKS

SET DETAILS

Winning Set: 4GEMWORKS COMPLETE FOUR COLOR EMPORIUM
Date Added: 8/7/2008
Research: See CGC's Census Report for this Comic

Owner's Description

Whirlybirds (#1) 8-10/60 Based on the "Whirlybirds" TV series.

Photo Cover: Chuck Martin (as played by Kenneth Tobey, photo); P. T. Moore (as played by Craig Hill, photo)
Pencils & Inks: Ray Bailey

This is the single best of six copies graded to date. 04/13. I originally bought this graded, as is, from heritage Auctions.


Table of Contents
1. 0. [no title indexed]
Whirlybirds
2. 1. Rampage on the River / The Trackdown
Whirlybirds
3. 2. Rampage on the River
Whirlybirds
4. 3. The Trackdown
Whirlybirds
5. 4. The Whirlybird Story
6. 5. Whirlybirds of the Future This is also the back cover of this copy.
I am unsure if an AD back cover exists for this issue.

Some data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under a Creative Commons Attribution license. http://www.comics.org/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode
http://www.comics.org/issue/201775/

Whirlybirds aired on TV for almost three years, making it only a moderate success. Wikipedia provides this additional information about the series this comic was based on:

Whirlybirds (sometimes called The Whirlybirds or Copter Patrol) is a syndicated American drama/adventure television series, which aired for 111 episodes — broadcast from February 4, 1957, through January 18, 1960.[1] It was produced by Desilu Studios .

Plot synopsis
The program centers upon Chuck Martin and Pete (P. T.) Moore (Kenneth Tobey and Craig Hill, respectively), owners of a fictitious helicopter chartering company, Whirlybird Service, in the American West. Martin and Moore sell their services to various clients through the fictional Longwood Field.
The Whirlybirds series was, like I Love Lucy, a product of Desilu Studios. One particular episode of I Love Lucy, Number 140, became pivotal to the Bell 47's public image as the definitive light helicopter of the 1950s. In No. 140, entitled "Bon Voyage" and first aired on CBS on January 16, 1956, Lucy Ricardo misses the sailing of her trans-Atlantic oceanliner and commandeers a friendly Bell 47G to fly her to the ship; Jack Albertson guest stars in this episode. Down she goes on the hoist, in a studio sequence carefully staged using a 47G cabin mockup. Desilu Studios, intrigued by the Bell 47 and its manufacturer, began discussions with Bell Aircraft about how the entertainment potential of the Bell 47 might be further developed for a TV audience. The result of this collaboration became The Whirlybirds.
Tobey and Hill did not fly the helicopters on the show. That task was handled by expert copter pilots Ed Fuderich, Bob Gilbreath, and Harry Hauss of National Helicopter Service, Inc.

[edit] Production notes
The first four episodes were titled The Whirlybirds and the rest simply Whirlybirds. Many episodes were directed by Harve Foster and Robert Altman. The creators were Art Napoleon and Jo Napoleon.
The series was filmed on location in California. The production first used the Santa Susanna Airport in Simi Valley. The airport, no longer in existence, was near the Iverson Ranch, a dude ranch used to film westerns. Later episodes were filmed at the San Fernando Airport, which is also now closed. Much of the open area seen around both airports in the series has since been developed.
[edit] Helicopters used
The two helicopter types used were Bell models, a 47G and a 47J Ranger; the tail numbers were N975B and N2838B (and N1538B as back-up), respectively. In reality, many helicopters played the role of N975B. Other Bell 47Gs owned by National Helicopter Service were used in the filming with "N975B" decals covering their actual registrations.
Episodes status
Some copies of the series are sold on the internet, but no officially authorized DVD sets are available. The U.S. National Archives possesses a complete set of original 16 mm prints.
[edit] Syndication
After production of Whirlybirds ended, CBS returned 39 of the 111 episodes to syndication and retitled the series, Copter Patrol.
[edit] International airings
In the United Kingdom, it was shown by the BBC in the late 1950s and early 1960s and repeated in the 1970s and late 1980s. In Italy, RAI dubbed many episodes in the early 1960s with the title Avventure in elicottero.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlybirds
 
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