Some of the dates and details have been changed but the comic below about a friendly porpoise guiding ships in New Zealand waters is based on the real-life Risso's Dolphin, Pelorus Jack, and featured in the Gold Key Comics title, Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery. Gold Key Comics, an imprint of Western Publishing, also published comics and digests under the imprint Whitman Comics from where the following scans are taken from.
Brief archival footage of Pelorus Jack.
Pelorus Jack featured in many New Zealand newspapers in the early twentieth century. Conflicting reports of Jack's death below featured in the Wanganui Chronicle March 22nd 1911.
DEATH OF PELORUS JACK. END OF THE FAMOUS FISH. PRESERVING THE SKELETON.
(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 21.
This afternoon, Mr Geo. Allport, Secretary for Marine, received a letter from Mr G. Webber, settler at French Pass, in which he said that Wells Bros. of D'Urville Island, had found what they believe to be the carcase of Pelorus Jack. Webber, who has seen Pelorus Jack many hundreds of times, was asked to identify the remains, and as a result the opinion was expressed that the colour, size and shape exactly corresponded with what they had seen of the fish in the water. The length of the carcase is, they state, just one inch under 14 ft, and girth between 9ft. and 10ft. "I should say, says Webber, "that he has been dead for a week or ten days, and has been considerably bitten by sharks, probably after death." The Department has sent instructions to take photographs of the fish and secure the skeleton till the Hinemoa can call for it. The Department is also requesting masters of passing vessels to ascertain if Pelorus Jack is frequenting his usual haunts.
REPORT CONTRADICTED. JACK MORE FRISKY THAN EVER. NELSON, March 21.
The "Colonist," is in the position to contradict the report as to the death of "Pelorus Jack." Mr W. T. Bond. of Nelson, who returned home by the Pateena today, states that he and others saw Jack in the water on Monday night, and that, he followed the Pateena for miles. Mr Bond has seen him many times, but never saw him so frisky as he was on Monday night.
FURTHER INFORMATION. WELLINGTON, March 21.
In reference to a report of a dead fish having been found and believed to be 'Pelorus Jack," It is stated by the officers on the Pateena, which arrived in Wellington tonight, that Pelorus Jack was seen on Saturday afternoon as usual when the Pateena was on the passage from Nelson to Picton, and on Monday night the look-out man on the Pateena saw Jack accompanying the vessel from twenty past nine till ten. Pelorus Jack was also seen by some passengers. This afternoon Jack was not seen by anyone on the Pateena but this is not unusual as he has frequently been absent during the past few months
Sources: http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
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