Paint-by-Number Kits - Pyro Cowboys by Paul Adams

The last of the Pyro Paint-by-Number sets of the 1960s were three Cowboy kits - together with the Indian figures these formed the Western Figure Series. All the kits dated back to the late 1950s.

It is my guess that the Cowboy kits were introduced after the American Indian Series, as the Indian boxes only show the Indian kits, while the Cowboys show both Cowboys and Indians.

Most sources date both ranges to 1958, and the Cowboys were shown in the 1958 Pyro catalogue as new items. All were linked to various TV Westerns of the day. Both the Cowboys and Indians were listed under the heading American Western Series in the 1959 catalogue. The tie-in had been dropped by the time the Paint-by-Number versions were released in 1965, probably because only one of the three shows was still on the air.

276 TV's Rawhide - Western Cowpuncher - Eric Fleming as Gil Favor

277 TV's Restless Gun - Deputy Sheriff - John Payne as Vint Bonner

278 Hugh O'Brian TV's Wyatt Earp - U.S. Marshal

The first time I saw the Restless Gun - Deputy Sheriff figure I thought it was Gary Cooper in the film High Noon (1952). The look and stance just scream Gary Cooper, although the clothing is a little different.

Hugh O'Brian was the only actor to have his name ahead of the series title. The sides of the boxes, and the instruction sheets, show all three Cowboy and all three Indian figures, so both ranges were available at the same time.

Wyatt Earp was on US TV 1955-61, and Restless Gun 1957-59, but Rawhide did not air until January 1959, running until 1966. A 1958 release date for this kit would have meant it was in the shops before the series even aired in the US, so was it a 1958 or 1959 release ?

There is a tiny copyright notice on the front of the boxes, which in the case of the Rawhide and Restless Gun kits is 1958. I could not find a clear enough photograph of the Wyatt Earp box to read what it says beyond Wyatt Earp Enterprises Inc.

The 1959 catalogue does not mention any TV tie-in, and the figures are referred to only as the Western Cowpuncher, Deputy Sheriff, and U.S. Marshal. The Restless Gun instruction sheet lists the three figures on the back, but only mentions the U.S. Marshall as being linked to the Wyatt Earp TV series. My guess is that the Cowboy figures had already been planned as a follow up to the American Indian Series, and that the TV tie-ins were a last minute addition to increase sales.

Pyro 1958 Catalog for Plastic Models | #519964316 (worthpoint.com)

VINTAGE 1959 PYRO MODEL KIT CATALOG | #127337122 (worthpoint.com)

The 1958 catalogue shows all three Cowboy figures, but only two boxes. They are described as The Western Plastic Hobby Kit Series. The main artwork for the boxes shown is the same as on the released kits, but the small photograph of the actor playing the main role is slightly different. The Rawhide box is not shown - this was the show that did not air until January 1959.

As released, the box art was in colour, with a small black and white photo of the actor from the show added to the boxes in one corner, and on the instruction sheets.

Unlike the Indians, the Cowboys were moulded in different colours: brown for the Rawhide figure; Yellow for the Restless Gun; and light grey for Wyatt Earp. Early advertising lists all the figures as 10 inches tall, the same as the Indian figures.

The figures were rather more animated than the Indians had been. The Western Cowpuncher is carrying a saddle and smoking a cigarette; the Deputy Sheriff is about to draw his pistol; and the U.S. Marshall is resting one foot on a tree stump while holding a rifle. All the kits included a small base, in the same colour plastic as the rest of the kit.

The Paint-by-Number versions came out in 1965, with the Cowboys and Indians all being part of a single line, the Western Figure Series. All were re-numbered, and the Western Cowpuncher was re-named, becoming the Texas Cowboy. Oddly, the Cowboys were now all described as being only 9 inches tall, while the Indians were still listed at 10 inches.

C284-100 Texas Cowboy

C285-100 Deputy Sheriff

C286-100 U.S. Marshal

All the Cowboys were moulded in the same light brown plastic as the Indians. The same palette of five generic paint colours: black, white, red, yellow, and blue, was included in each kit, along with a brush. The paints were now of a water soluble type (non-toxic...non-staining according to the box side), although they still came in solid cake form. The use of these new paints being emphasised on the box sides, and in the dealer catalogues.

The background to the full colour box top paintings had disappeared, leaving just the figures on a white box. All reference to any TV tie-in had also been dropped. The back of the instruction sheet showed the full range of Paint-by-Number kits, including the Birds.

In Britain, Kleeware had released the Pyro Indian figures, but I could not find any reference to the Cowboys being issued.

Once again, this seems to have been the last time any of these kits were released. Life-Like re-issued the Birds as normal kits in the 1970s, but not the Cowboys or Indians.

This Facebook post from Atlantis Toy and Hobby, dated 2020, states that they have the moulds for the three Indians, the Cowboy and the Marshal (no mention of the Deputy Sheriff).

(20+) Facebook

The 2022/23 Atlantis catalogue lists, but does not illustrate, a 1/8th scale Wyatt Earp figure. The catalogue number is P278, the same number as the original Pyro Wyatt Earp kit. I checked with Atlantis, and they have confirmed that this is indeed the old Pyro kit. A P-prefix to the number means that the mould is ex-Pyro. No release date yet, but this means that we will again have the chance to build a model of Wyatt Earp. Something I am really looking forward to.

Copy of Atlantis 22_23CatalogRevCoverProof.pdf - Google Drive

12 photographs from Worthpoint.

Anyone had any of these kits?

Paul Adams from New Zealand