Sheena, Queen of the Jungle #18 (Winter 1952-53). Art by Maurice Whitman.

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is a jungle-dwelling comic book character, published originally by Fiction House. Lithe, athletic, and clad in skimpy leopard skin, and barefoot, she possessed the ability to communicate with the wild animals she had grown up with since being orphaned in the jungle. Her diet was based on bananas and various fruits and nuts, giving her the needed figure and strength to fight battles. She was fiercely proficient in fighting with knives, spears, bow-slinging, or improvising with makeshift weapons. Her primary ability was to surprise her opponents, either human or animal. She could also withstand a surprise attack of any kind. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (400x614, 73 KB) Summary Cover, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle #18 (Winter 1952-53), art by Maurice Whitman. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (400x614, 73 KB) Summary Cover, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle #18 (Winter 1952-53), art by Maurice Whitman. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Jumbo Comics #1 (Sept. ... Binomial name Panthera pardus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis pardus Linnaeus, 1758 The Leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ... Walking barefoot Going barefoot is the practice of not wearing shoes, socks, or other foot covering. ...

She was the first female comic-book character with her own title, with her Spring 1942 premiere beating Wonder Woman #1 (Summer 1942) by three months, and she inaugurated the jungle girl comic genre. Wonder Woman is a fictional DC Comics superheroine co-created by William Moulton Marston and wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston. ... A jungle girl is a type of superhero or adventurer character that appears in popular fiction. ...

Background

Irish McCalla in 1950s publicity still as TV's Sheena

Sheena debuted in Joshua B. Power's British magazine Wags #1, in 1937. She was created by Will Eisner and S.M. "Jerry" Iger of the comic-book packager Eisner & Iger, one of a handful of studio that produced comics on demand for publishers and syndicates, and whose client Editors Press Service distributed the feature to Wags. To help hide the fact their studio consisted only of themselves, the duo signed their Sheena strip with the pseudonym "W. Morgan Thomas". Image File history File links IrishMcCalla2. ... Image File history File links IrishMcCalla2. ... 1950s publicity still as TVs Sheena Nellie Elizabeth Irish McCalla (born December 25, 1928 or 1929 (sources differ), Pawnee City, Nebraska, United States; died February 1, 2002, Tucson, Arizona) was an American actress and artist best-known as the title star of the 1950s television series Sheena, Queen of... William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an acclaimed American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. ... Wow, What a Magazine! #3 (Sept. ... Eisner & Iger was a prominent comic book packager that produced comics on demand for publishers entering the new medium during its late-1930s and 1940s Golden Age. ...

Sheena first appeared stateside in Fiction House's Jumbo Comics #1, and subsequently in every issue (Sept. 1938 - April 1953), as well as in her groundbreaking, 18-issue spin-off, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle (Spring 1942 - Winter 1952), the first comic book to title-star a female character. Sheena also appeared in Fiction House's Ka'a'nga #16 (Summer 1952) and the one-shot 3-D Sheena, Jungle Queen (1953) — the latter reprinted by Eclipse Comics as Sheena 3-D (Jan. 1985) and by Blackthorne Publishing as Sheena 3-D Special (May 1985). Blackthorne also published Jerry Iger's Classic Sheena (April 1985. Fiction House, originally a pulp magazine publisher, ran prose stories of its star heroine in the latter-day pulp Stories of Sheena, Queen of the Jungle (Spring 1951) and Jungle Stories vol. 5, #11 (Spring 1954). Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several influential indendent publishers during the 1980s. ... Blackthorne Publishing was a publisher that specialized in comic books and comic strips that existed in from about 1986-89. ... Flynns Detective Fiction from 1941. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

A version of Sheena, transplanted from Africa to South America, appeared in London Night Studio's Sheena, Queen of the Jungle one-shot comic book and subsequent four-issue miniseries (Feb. 1998 - Spring 1999). As well, AC Comics publishes Sheena reprints, as well as reprints and some new stories of the jungle femmes that followed in her wake. A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... A miniseries (sometimes mini-series), in a serial storytelling medium, is a production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. ... AC Comics evolved out of Paragon Publications, and was known as Americomics in its first year of existence. ...

Other media

Model Irish McCalla portrayed Sheena in a 26-episode TV series aired in first-run syndication from 1955-56. McCalla told a newspaper interviewer she was discovered by Nassour Studios while throwing a bamboo spear on a Malibu, California beach, famously adding, "I couldn't act, but I could swing through the trees".^[1] 1950s publicity still as TVs Sheena Nellie Elizabeth Irish McCalla (born December 25, 1928 or 1929 (sources differ), Pawnee City, Nebraska, United States; died February 1, 2002, Tucson, Arizona) was an American actress and artist best-known as the title star of the 1950s television series Sheena, Queen of... This does not cite its references or sources. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Location of Malibu in California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California County Los Angeles Incorporated (city) 1991-03-28 [2] Government  - Mayor Ken Kearsley [1] Area  - City  100. ...

A 1984 Columbia Pictures film, Sheena, produced by Paul Aratow starred Tanya Roberts, who had previously co-starred as Kiri in MGM's 1982 movie Beastmaster. Marvel Comics published a comic-book adaptation of the Sheena movie as Marvel Comics Super Special #34 (June 1984), reprinting it as Sheena, Queen of the Jungle #1-2 (Dec. 1984 - Feb. 1985). 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... 1984 Columbia Pictures movie based on the comic character of the same name. ... Tanya Roberts (born Victoria Leigh Blum on October 15, 1954) is an American actress best known for her roles in Charlies Angels, The Beastmaster, Sheena , A View to a Kill and That 70s Show. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... The Beastmaster is a 1982 fantasy film starring Marc Singer, Tanya Roberts, and Rip Torn. ... Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... Marvel Comics Super Special #15. ...

Sheena was revived by TV syndicator Hearst Entertainment in October 2000, portrayed by Gena Lee Nolin, formerly of The Price Is Right and Baywatch. Sheena was given a new power in this 35-episode Columbia/TriStar series, the ability to adopt the form of any warm-blooded animal once she gazed into its eyes. Sheena was an American action-adventure/fantasy television series which was produced for first-run syndication from 2000 to 2002. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast television programs to multiple television stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... On the cover of Playboy, December 2001 Gena Lee Nolin (Born: November 29, 1971 in Duluth, Minnesota, USA) is an American actress and model. ... The Price Is Rights US 35th season logo. ... Baywatch was a popular American television series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the crowded beaches of Los Angeles County, California. ... TriStar Pictures is a subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures. ...

Galaxy Publishing, Inc., circa 1999, launched an animated Sheena series on the Web. In 2007, Galaxy licensed the comic book rights to Devil's Due publishing, launching a new cycle of popularity for this character. Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... WWWs historical logo designed by Robert Cailliau The World Wide Web (WWW or simply the Web) is a system of interlinked, hypertext documents that runs over the Internet. ...

Imitators

Sheena, herself a distaff Tarzan, inspired a wealth of similar comic-book jungle queens. These include: James H. Pierce and Joan Burroughs Pierce starred in the 1932-34 Tarzan radio series 1964 Edition of Tarzan of the Apes Tarzan, a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in twenty-three sequels. ...

• Camilla (Fiction House's Jungle Comics)
• Cave Girl (Magazine Enterprises' Africa; Thun'da; and Cave Girl)
• Leopard Girl (Atlas Comics' Jungle Action)
• Lorna (Atlas' Lorna, the Jungle Queen/Lorna, the Jungle Girl)
• Nyoka (Fawcett's Jungle Girl/Nyoka the Jungle Girl and Master Comics)
• Princess Pantha (Better/Nedor Comics' Thrilling Comics)
• Rima, the Jungle Girl, featured in several DC Comics publications in the 1970s. While Rima predates Sheena, having been introduced in the 1904 novel Green Mansions by William Henry Hudson, DC's version of the character more closely resembled Sheena than did the novel character.
• Rulah (Fox's Zoot Comics and Rulah, Jungle Goddess)
• Shanna (Marvel Comics' Shanna the She-Devil)
• Two different Tiger Girls (in Fiction House's Fight Comics and Gold Key Comics' 1968 Tiger Girl)
• Tygra (Better/Nedor's Startling Comics; no relation to the ThunderCats character)
• Voodah or Vooda (spellings differ; only known Golden Age appearance in the obscure Golfing / McCombs Crown Comics #11, Nov. 1947, though character has been revived by AC Comics).

The zebra-bikini'd Camilla, Queen of the Jungle Empire,from Jungle Comics #9 (Sept. 1940). Art by Bob Powell.

Jumbo Comics #1 (Sept. ... Magazine Enterprises was an American comic book company lasting from 1943 to 1958, which published primarily Western, humor, crime, adventure, and childrens comics, with virtually no superheroes. ... Atlas Comics is the 1950s comic book publishing company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. ... Jungle Action is the name of two separate comic book series published by Marvel Comics and its 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics. ... Nyoka the Jungle Girl is a Fawcett and later Charlton and AC comic book first published in 1940. ... Whiz Comics #2, the first appearance of Captain Marvel, the companys most popular character. ... Nyoka the Jungle Girl is a Fawcett and later Charlton and AC comic book first published in 1940. ... Nedor Comics was the comic line of publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines under a variety of company names (Standard or Better or Thrilling), which are also used for the comics. ... Rima leaps into action in this panel from RIMA THE JUNGLE GIRL #6 by artist Nestor Redondo, published by DC Comics, 1975 For the Icelandic ríma poetry see rímur. ... DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing. ... Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest is an exotic romance about a traveller to the Guyana jungle of Southeastern Venezuela, as told by William Henry Hudson. ... William H. Hudson William Henry Hudson (August 4, 1841 - August 18, 1922) was an Argentinan-British author, naturalist and ornithologist. ... Fox Feature Syndicate (a. ... Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... Cover to Shanna, the She-Devil #1. ... Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing cteated for comic books distributed to newstands. ... ThunderCats was an American animated television series developed by Rankin/Bass and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1983 based on the characters created by Tobin Ted Wolf. ... Superman, catalyst of the Golden Age: Superman #14 (Feb. ... Image File history File links Camilla_panel. ... Image File history File links Camilla_panel. ... Bob Powell (born Stanley Pawlowski or Stanley Pulowski [sources differ], 1917; died 1967) is an American comic book artist known for his work during the 1940s Golden Age of comic books, including the features Sheena, Queen of the Jungle and Mr. ...

Trivia

The name "Sheena" is from the Old Irish word for "storm," sion (pronounced sheen). Eisner said an inspiration for the character's name was H. Rider Haggard's 1886 jungle-goddess novel She AdventureStrips.com: "Will Eisner's The Spirit: The Wildwood News, Chapater 2 - Setting Up Shop", by Tom Heintjes</ref> H. Rider Haggard, author Sir Henry Rider Haggard (June 22, 1856 – May 14, 1925), born in Norfolk, England, was a Victorian writer of adventure novels set in locations considered exotic by readers in his native England. ... 1961 paperback edition She is a novel by H. Rider Haggard, first serialized in The Graphic from October 1886 to January 1887. ...

On the TV series Lost, the character Sawyer has referred to Alex as "Sheena". Lost is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning serial drama television series that follows the lives of a group of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, somewhere in the South Pacific. ...

Comic author Robert Crumb was a great fan of Sheena and had her appear in many of his works. Robert Dennis Crumb, often credited simply as R. Crumb (born August 30, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a U.S. artist and illustrator recognized for the distinctive style of his drawings and his critical, satirical, subversive view of the American mainstream. ...

Footnotes

Prescott Gurley Street in 1918 Prescott by night Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. The population was 33,938 at the 2000 census. ...

References

• The Connecticut Historical Society: "Fiction House: History and Influences" by Andrew Goldstein
• Ken Pierce Books: "Good Girl Art in the Comics: Sheena, Miss Fury, etc."
• AC Comics: Good Girl Art
• Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Sheena, Queen of the Jungle
• Jiggle in the Jungle
• The Back-up Jungle Girl (Camilla)
• The Grand Comics Database
• Cubic Zirconia Reader:Interview with Jerry Iger

External links

• Model & Collectors Mart: "Jungle Fever" by Paul Cook (1950s jungle comics)
• Jungle Girl Art Gallery