heel ah an ' s ▁ten - page ▁Steve ▁Ash ley ▁of ▁Africa ▁com ic ▁( about ▁a ▁big ▁game ▁h unter ▁in ▁the ▁Belg ian ▁Congo ) ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁H . ▁John ▁Edwards , ▁as ▁a ▁back - up ▁story ▁in ▁Len ▁Law son ' s ▁The ▁H ood ed ▁R ider ▁com ic ▁book . ▁Enc ou rag ed ▁by ▁this , ▁W heel ah an ▁returned ▁to ▁Sydney ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁to ▁seek ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁com ic ▁industry . ▁ ▁He ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁found ry ▁labour er ▁and ▁process ▁worker ▁whilst ▁fre el ancing ▁for ▁Edwards , ▁illustr ating ▁covers ▁and ▁another ▁two ▁issues ▁of ▁Steve ▁Ash ley ▁com ics . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁W heel ah an ▁joined ▁Young ' s ▁Mer ch and ising ▁and ▁began ▁a ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁full - time ▁com ic ▁artist , ▁where ▁he ▁drew ▁Dav y ▁Cro ck ett ▁– ▁Front ier ▁Sc out , ▁which ▁was ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁running ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁and ▁twenty ▁two ▁issues . ▁ ▁W heel ah an ' s ▁next ▁title ▁for ▁Young ' s ▁was ▁The ▁Pan ther , ▁which ▁comm enced ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁and ▁ran ▁for ▁ 7 3 ▁issues ▁until ▁June ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁The ▁Pan ther , ▁capital ised ▁on ▁the ▁huge ▁popular ity ▁of ▁The ▁Ph antom ▁but ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁T arz an ▁com ics