The Adventures of Champion (TV series) of Champion". The radio serial told of young Ricky West (rather than Ricky North), who was raised on a ranch by his adoptive Uncle Sandy. Ricky was often accompanied by his German Shepherd, Rebel. Beginning in 1950, "The Gene Autry Show", a western/cowboy television series, aired for 91 episodes on CBS. "The Adventures of Champion" was a prime time spinoff for the 1955-1956 season. In real life, the Wonder Horse, Champion, was owned by Gene Autry who over many years owned a succession of celebrity horses bearing the same name. The horse starring in "The Adventures of Champion" was known
Gene Autry into the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979. Autry received several honors for his contributions to rodeo. Gene Autry was often portrayed in the comics, primarily during the heyday of Western-themed comics, the 1940s and 1950s. The Register and Tribune Syndicate comic strip "Gene Autry Rides" by Till Goodan was the first entry, lasting from 1940 to 1941. From 1941 to 1943, Autry was the subject of a comic book initially published by Fawcett Comics and then picked up by Dell Comics that ran 12 issues. Dell then published 101 issues of "Gene Autry Comics" from