Number 1169: Detective in a cowboy hat

I love this 1940s artwork, inspired by Milton Caniff. I love the brushwork, the thick and thin lines, the dense shadows, thick with india ink. Caniff had many acolytes in comic books, and as I've been told, it was the house style at DC for a time (whether by direct order from management or by artists' choice, I don't know). One of the top artists who worked especially well within that style was Alexander Toth.

This Sierra Smith, Western Detective story from Dale Evans Comics #2 (1948) is a good example.
The story is written by Joe Millard, and it's a fast-paced little tale with a hot air balloon and gangsters and a big Western sky. The story begins on the ground, then goes up in the air, then back down to the ground—with a thud!