Magazine Enterprises
Founded | 1943 |
---|---|
Founder | Vin Sullivan |
Defunct | 1958 |
Country of origin | United States |
Headquarters location | New York City, New York |
Key people | Bob Powell, Dick Ayers, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster |
Publication types | Comic books |
Fiction genres | Western, humor, crime, adventure, children's |
Magazine Enterprises was an American comic book company lasting from 1943 to 1958, which published primarily Western, humor, crime, adventure, and children's comics, with virtually no superheroes. It was founded by Vin Sullivan, an editor at Columbia Comics and before that the editor at National Allied Publications, the future DC Comics.
Magazine Enterprises' characters include the jungle goddess Cave Girl, drawn by Bob Powell, and Ghost Rider, a horror fiction-themed Western avenger created by writer Ray Krank and artist Dick Ayers in 1949; after the trademark lapsed, Ayers and others adapted it as Marvel Comics' non-horror but otherwise near-identical Western character Ghost Rider in 1967.
Magazine Enterprises should not be confused with the same-name Scottish company that published science fiction magazines from at least 1946 to 1960.
Publication history
In late 1947, Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster collaborated once again with editor Vin Sullivan, who had worked with the writer-artist team during their nascent days freelancing for National Allied Publications, the future DC Comics. The duo had decamped to Magazine Enterprises after leaving National Allied (by then called National Comics) and suing to regain the rights to Superman and their later creation, Superboy. Siegel and Shuster brought most of their studio's artists with them, except for 1950s Superman penciler Wayne Boring, and created the new character Funnyman, a slapstick-comedian hero. Both as a comic book and as a comic strip, however, the character failed to find an audience.[1]
Magazine Enterprises' best-known character may be Ghost Rider, a horror-themed Western avenger created by writer Ray Krank and artist Dick Ayers in 1949. After the trademark lapsed, Ayers and others adapted it as Marvel Comics' non-horror but otherwise near-identical Western character Ghost Rider in 1967.[2]
The company's two superhero characters were the Avenger, created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dick Ayers in The Avenger #1 (March 1955), with Bob Powell drawing the character's three subsequent issues and all four covers;[3] and the aptly named Strong Man, an unmasked, super-strong hero in a jungle-print circus strongman outfit. The Avenger was one of the very few traditional, costumed superheroes created during the period before superheroes' revival in what historians and fans call the Silver Age of Comics, beginning 1956.[4]
Other original characters include the jungle goddess Cave Girl, drawn by Bob Powell, and the talking animal canine hero Hot Dog, created by cartoonist George Crenshaw and unrelated to the later Archie Comics character of that name.[5]
Among the company's publications were licensed film and TV comics featuring comedian Jimmy Durante; suave actor Dick Powell; and the CBS television series The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Richard Greene. Additionally, Little Miss Sunbeam Comics starred the blond, pig-tailed mascot of Sunbeam Bread.
Since the copyright to Magazine Enterprises' comics do not appear to have been renewed,[6] they evidently fell into the public domain in accordance with copyright laws at the time. Beginning in the 1980s, AC Comics issued reprint titles of Magazine Enterprises material, along with those of other defunct publishers of that era.[7] As well, AC revived the Avenger as a guest star in FemForce #19 (1989; no cover date), then creating a new series. Ghost Rider reprints appeared in 1999 with the character renamed the Haunted Horseman.
Titles by genre
Children's
- Clubhouse Rascals
- Ding Dong
- The Pixies
- Koko and Kola
- Little Miss Sunbeam Comics
- Mighty Atom (child superhero, not the anime character)
- Mighty Atom and the Pixies
- Muggsy Mouse (1951 and 1954 series)
- Tom-Tom and Itchi the Monk
- Tom-Tom, The Jungle Boy
- Tick Tock Tales
- Vacation Comics
Crime
- Dick Powell a.k.a. Star Parade Presents Dick Powell
- I'm A Cop
- Kerry Drake Detective Cases
- The Killers
- Manhunt
- Mysteries of Scotland Yard
- Undercover Girl
Historical adventure
- Robin Hood (1955–1957; see also Movie/TV, below)
- Dan'l Boone
Humor
- The Brain
- Dogface Dooley
- Dotty Dripple
- Hot Dog
- Jimmy Durante Comics
Jungle
- Africa
- Cave Girl
- Thun'da
Misc.
- Rotating anthology sometimes used as an alternate title/issue number; for example, Hot Dog #3 was also A-1 Comics #24; Danger is Their Business #11 (the only issue of that title published) was also A-1 Comics #50; Home Run #3 (the only issue of that title published) was also A-1 Comics #89; and Ghost Rider #1-14 was also A-1 #27, 29, 31, 34, 37, 44, 51, 57, 69, 71, 75, 80, 84 & 112.
- Extra Comics
Movie/TV
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1957; see also Historical Adventure, above)
- Keen Teens
- Movie Thrillers
See also: Dick Powell (Crime), Jimmy Durante Comics (Humor), Tim Holt (Western)
Romance
- Dream Book of Love
- Dream Book of Romance
- Romantic Picture Novellettes
Science fiction
- Jet Powers[9]
- Major Inapak the Space Ace a.k.a. Space Ace
Sports
- Pride of the Yankees
Superhero
- The Avenger
- Funnyman
- Strong Man
War
- The American Air Forces
- United States Marines
Western
- Badmen of the West! (1953–1954)
- Best of the West (1951–1954)
- Black Phantom (1954)
- Bobby Benson's B-Bar-B Riders (1950–1953)
- Cowboys 'N' Injuns/Cowboys and Indians (1946–1952)
- Durango Kid (1949–1955)
- Ghost Rider (1950–1954)
- Great Western (1953–1954)
- Guns of Fact and Fiction (1948)
- Red Hawk (1953)
- Red Mask (1954–1957)[10]
- Straight Arrow (1950–1956)
- Straight Arrow's Fury (1954)
- Tim Holt (1948–1954)
- Trail Colt (1949)
- White Indian (1953–1955)
References
- ^ Hughes, Bob. "Who Drew Superman in the 1950s?". WebCitation archive.
- ^ Magazine Enterprises' Ghost Rider at International Hero
- ^ The Avenger at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012
- ^ Schelly, William (2013). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 139. ISBN 9781605490540.
- ^ Shaw, Scott (March 11, 2005). "Hot Dog #3". Oddball Comics (column), ComicBookResources.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2007.
- ^ "First copyright renewals for periodicals", compiled by John Mark Ockerbloom, based on listings in the Catalog of Copyright Entries published by the U.S. Copyright Office
- ^ "Golden Age Reprints Info". AC Comics. 2004. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007.
- ^ A-1 at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ Jet Powers at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015.
- ^ Red Mask at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017.
External links
- Magazine Enterprises at the Grand Comics Database
- Magazine Enterprises at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Nolan, Michelle (September 2004). "Super Hero Limbo". Vol. 3, no. 8. Nolan's Niche (column), CGC (CG Comics newsletter). Archived from the original on July 16, 2011.
- Shaw, Scott (January 26, 2004). "Tom-Tom the Jungle Boy #1". Oddball Comics (column), ComicBookResources.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2004.
- v
- t
- e
- Captain Courageous
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- Lash Lightning
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- Vulcan
Publications
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- Kato
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Publications
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Publications
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- Boy Commandos
- Captain Comet
- Chris KL-99
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- Crimson Avenger
- Lee Travis
- Dan the Dyna-Mite
- Dark Ranger
- Detective Chimp
- Doctor Fate
- Kent Nelson
- Doctor Occult
- Genius Jones
- Gimmick Girl
- Green Arrow
- Guardian
- Hourman
- Rex Tyler
- Johnny Chambers
- King Faraday
- The Knight
- Krypto
- Liberty Belle
- Manhunter
- Paul Kirk
- Martian Manhunter
- Miss X
- Mr. America
- Newsboy Legion
- Phantom Stranger
- Rex the Wonder Dog
- Robin
- Dick Grayson
- Robotman
- Rose Psychic
- Sandman
- Wesley Dodds
- Sandy the Golden Boy
- Seven Soldiers of Victory
- Shining Knight
- Sir Justin
- Slam Bradley
- The Spectre
- Speedy
- Roy Harper
- Squire
- Star-Spangled Kid
- Starman
- Ted Knight
- Stripesy
- Stuff the Chinatown Kid
- Superboy
- Kal-El
- Superman
- Superwoman
- Tarantula
- TNT
- Tommy Tomorrow
- Vigilante
- Wonder Woman
- Zatara
- American Crusader
- American Eagle
- Black Terror
- Captain Future
- Doc Strange
- Fighting Yank
- The Ghost
- Grim Reaper
- Judy of the Jungle
- Kara the Jungle Princess
- Lance Lewis, Space Detective
- Liberator
- The Magnet
- Miss Masque
- Princess Pantha
- Pyroman
- The Scarab
- The Woman in Red
- Blue Bolt
- Dick Cole
- The Target
- The Targeteers
- The Twister
Publications
- #711
- The Black Condor
- Blackhawk
- Blue Tracer
- Bozo the Iron Man
- Captain Triumph
- Doll Girl
- Doll Man
- Firebrand
- The Human Bomb
- Invisible Hood
- The Jester
- Kid Eternity
- Lady Luck
- Madame Fatal
- Magno
- Manhunter
- Merlin the Magician
- Midnight
- Miss America
- Miss Fear
- Mouthpiece
- Neon the Unknown
- Phantom Lady
- Plastic Man
- Quicksilver
- The Ray
- Red Bee
- Red Torpedo
- The Spider
- Spider Widow
- Uncle Sam
- Wildfire
- Wonder Boy
- Woozy Winks
- All-Winners Squad
- American Ace
- The Angel
- Black Marvel
- Black Widow
- Claire Voyant
- Blazing Skull
- Blonde Phantom
- Blue Blade
- Blue Diamond
- Breeze Barton
- Bucky
- Captain America
- Captain Wonder
- The Challenger
- Citizen V
- The Destroyer
- Dynamic Man
- Father Time
- The Ferret
- Fiery Mask
- The Fin
- Golden Girl
- The Human Torch
- Jack Frost
- Laughing Mask
- Marvel Boy
- Mercury
- Miss America
- Miss Fury
- Mister E
- Namor
- Namora
- The Patriot
- Phantom Reporter
- Red Raven
- Rockman
- Silver Scorpion
- Sun Girl
- Super Rabbit
- Thin Man
- Thunderer
- Tim Mulrooney
- Toro
- Venus
- The Vision
- The Whizzer
- Robert Frank
- The Witness
- Young Allies
- American Comics Group
- Anglo-American Publishing
- Commander Steel
- Atlas Publications
- Captain Atom
- Bell Features
- The Brain
- Johnny Canuck
- Nelvana of the Northern Lights
- Cardal Publishing
- Streamline
- Columbia Comics
- The Face
- Skyman
- David McKay Publications
- Mandrake the Magician
- The Phantom
- DC Thomson
- The Amazing Mr X
- Jack Flash
- Dynamic Publications
- Dynamic Man
- Yankee Girl
- Eastern Color Printing
- EC Comics
- Moon Girl
- Superduperman
- Elliot Publishing Company
- Fiction House
- Hillman Periodicals
- Airboy
- The Heap
- Holyoke Publishing
- L. Miller & Son, Ltd.
- Magazine Enterprises
- Funnyman
- Maple Leaf Publishing
- Brok Windsor
- Iron Man
- Rural Home Publications
- Green Turtle
- Street & Smith
- The Avenger
- Doc Savage
- The Shadow
- Supersnipe