Lone Ranger played by Al Hodge, who in contemporary times, fights crime with a similar secret identity and a sidekick, Kato. In the Green Hornet comic book series published by NOW Comics, the Lone Ranger makes a cameo appearance by being in a portrait in the Reid home. Contrary to most visual media depictions, and acknowledged by developer/original script writer Ron Fortier to be the result of legal complications, his mask covers all of his face, as it did in the two serials from Republic Pictures (see below). However, rights to The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet have been acquired by
The Lone Ranger (serial) holders to stop. "The Lone Ranger"'s official release date is 12 February 1938, although this is actually the date the seventh chapter was made available to film exchanges. A 69-minute feature film version, created by editing the serial footage together, was released on 10 April 1940. It was one of fourteen feature films Republic made from their serials. The working title of this film was "Return of the Ranger" but it was released as "Hi-Yo-Silver". "The Lone Ranger" was a huge financial success for both Republic and Trendle. The serial also created new interest in the radio version and an