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The Ranger

On 7th February 1931, after a run of 20 years the Popular announced that this was the last issue and next week an exciting new paper would appear - The Ranger. There is no doubt that the Amalgamated Press were worried about the growth of the Scottish firm D. C. Thompson for this paper was undoubtedly aimed at their market.

Series 1 (Small Series) of the Ranger ran from 14th Feb 1931 to 5th August 1933, a total of 130 issues. The Rio Kid made a brief appearance but most of the Hamilton content centred around Grimslade, a school created especially for the Ranger. Much of the Grimslade content was reprinted in the Schoolboys Own Library  issues 232, 238. 242 & 248.
 

Series 2 (Large Series) of the Ranger ran from 12th August 1933 to 28th September 1935, a total of 112 issues. Grimslade again featured but this time the action moved to the Pacific when the schoolboys and their Master are stranded on a remote desert island. The Cheerio Castaways saga was published in the Schoolboys Own Library issues 252, 254 & 256.

Thanks to Nandu a list of the contents of this extremely rare publication can be found at the bottom of the page.

The Rio Kid in the Ranger.

The Rio Kid appeared in issues 8-17 and then vanished before making a single appearance in issue 113. You can read or download all the stories from a single file here. (approx 50mb). If you prefer to download the issues individually then you can download them from the table below.

A short article by Bill Lofts on Rio Kid in the Ranger can be found here.

The Rio Kid also made an appearance in the Popular, Ranger, Modern Boy, Billy Bunter's Own, Tom Merry's Own and  Boys Friend Library.

Grimslade in the Ranger.

Series 1 (Issue 80) of the Ranger introduced the Fourth Form at Grimslade. The school was situated on the borders of Lancashire and Yorkshire and the two houses (White's and Redmayes') were intended to echo the war of the Roses. Much of the Grimslade content was reprinted in the Schoolboys Own Library  issues 232, 238. 242 & 248.

Series 2 (issue 1) saw the return of the boys of Grimslade but this time the action moved to the Pacific. Reminiscent of an earlier Edwy Searles Brooks story the boys of Grimslade and their Master are stranded on a remote island in the Pacific. the 'Cheerio Castaways' lasted for 47 issues, much of the content being reprinted in the Schoolboys Own Library issues 252, 254 & 256.

Very little appeared in the CD on Grimslade, all I could find was one of Roger Jenkins 'Do You Remember' articles covering the Schoolboys Own Library  issue 232. You can read it here.

The Ranger Series 1   The Ranger Series 2
No
 Hamilton Content Character Notes  
No
 Hamilton Content Character Notes
1-7 No Hamilton Content       1 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade Amalgamated with Pioneer
8 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid BFL 2/471   2 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
9 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid BFL 2/471   3 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
10 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid BFL 2/471   4 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
11 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid BFL 2/471   5 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
12 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid BFL 2/471   6 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
13 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid BFL 2/471   7 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
14 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid BFL 2/471   8 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
15 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid BFL 2/471   9 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
16 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid BFL 2/471   10 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
17 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid BFL 2/471   11 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
18-79 No Hamilton Content       12 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
80 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     13 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
81 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     14 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
82 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     15 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
83 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     16 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
84 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     17 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
85 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     18 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
86 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     19 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
87 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     20 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
88 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     21 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
89 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     22 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
90 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     23 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
91 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     24 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
92 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     25 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
93 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     26 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
94 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     27 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
95 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     28 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
96 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     29 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
97 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     30 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
98 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     31 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
99 The Foe from the East Grimslade     32 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
100 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     33 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
101 No Hamilton Content       34 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
102 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     35 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
103 No Hamilton Content       36 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
104 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     37 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
105 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     38 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
106 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     39 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
107 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     40 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
108 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     41 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
109 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     42 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
110 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     43 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
111 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     44 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
112 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     45 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
113 The Outlaw Kid Rio Kid     46 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
114 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     47 The Cheerio Castaways Grimslade  
115 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade     48-112 No Hamilton Content   Becomes Pilot
116 No Hamilton Content              
117 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
118 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
119 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
120 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
121 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
122 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
123 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
124 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
125 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
126 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
127 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
128 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
129 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade            
130 The Fourth Form at Grimslade  Grimslade