Gene Autry 1946 to 1955. That title was changed to "Gene Autry and Champion", and ran an additional 20 issues from 1955 to 1959, making it the longest-running (by number of issues) cowboy actor comic book. Meanwhile, Autry was the subject of an "Air-Western-Adventure Strip" comic strip syndicated by General Features from 1952–1955. The strip was produced in association with Whitman Publishing. The Mexican publisher Editorial Novaro released 423 issues of "Gene Autry" comics from 1954 to 1984. Autry retired from show business in 1964, having made almost 100 films up to 1955 and over 600 records. He was elected to the
Gene Autry his Service Pilot rating in June 1944, serving as a C-109 transport pilot with the rank of flight officer. Assigned to a unit of the Air Transport Command, he flew as part of the dangerous airlift operation over the Himalayas between India and China, nicknamed the Hump. In 1942, at the height of his screen popularity, Autry had a string of rodeo stock based in Ardmore, Oklahoma. A year later, he became a partner in the World Championship Rodeo Company, which furnished livestock for many of the country's major rodeos. In 1954, he acquired Montana's top bucking string from the