Fleetway
Encyclopedia
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media
, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing
.
Fleetway began life as Amalgamated Press (AP), owned by Alfred Harmsworth, which was based in Fleetway House in London's Farringdon Street. Amalgamated Press entered the comic magazine market in 1890 with Comic Cuts
and Illustrated Chips
. It also published serialized story papers (in for example The Thriller magazine) which published stories by Edwy Searles Brooks
, among others.
In 1959 the name of the company was changed from Amalgamated Press to Fleetway Publications. In 1968, Fleetway Publications was merged with (among others) George Newnes
Publishers and Odhams Press
to form IPC, the International Publishing Corporation
. The name Fleetway was used to identify one of the comics publishing arms of IPC, although other comics were published by other IPC subsidiaries (including Odhams Press
and IPC Magazines Ltd).
In 1987, some of IPC's comics characters and titles were consolidated into its Fleetway division, and sold to a company owned by Robert Maxwell
. Egmont UK
bought Fleetway from Maxwell in 1991, merging it with their own comics publishing operation, London Editions, to form Fleetway Editions; but the name "Fleetway" ceased to appear on their comics some time after 2002.
Egmont currently owns all comics characters and titles created by IPC's subsidiaries after January 1, 1970, (with the exception of the 2000 AD stable, which Egmont sold off and which is now owned by Rebellion Developments
), together with 26 specified characters which appeared in Buster
; while IPC currently retains its other comics characters and titles, including Sexton Blake
, The Steel Claw
, and Battler Britton (but not Dan Dare
, which was sold separately and is now owned by the Dan Dare Corporation).
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing
Egmont Publishing
The Egmont Group is a media corporation founded and rooted in Copenhagen, Denmark. The business area of Egmont has traditionally been magazine publishing but has over the years evolved to comprise media generally....
.
Fleetway began life as Amalgamated Press (AP), owned by Alfred Harmsworth, which was based in Fleetway House in London's Farringdon Street. Amalgamated Press entered the comic magazine market in 1890 with Comic Cuts
Comic Cuts
Comic Cuts was a British comic book. It was created by the reporter, Alfred Harmsworth through his company Amalgamated Press . It was published from 1890 to 1953, lasting 3006 issues, and in its early days inspired other publishers to produce rival comics. It's first issue was an assortment of...
and Illustrated Chips
Illustrated Chips
Illustrated Chips was a British comic published between 26 July 1890 and 12 September 1953. It was produced by Alfred Harmsworth and his Amalgamated Press.After a brief initial run of six issues, Illustrated Chips was relaunched and ran for 2,997 issues...
. It also published serialized story papers (in for example The Thriller magazine) which published stories by Edwy Searles Brooks
Edwy Searles Brooks
Edwy Searles Brooks was a British novelist who also wrote under the pen-names Berkeley Gray, Victor Gunn, Rex Madison, and Carlton Ross. Brooks was born in Hackney, London...
, among others.
In 1959 the name of the company was changed from Amalgamated Press to Fleetway Publications. In 1968, Fleetway Publications was merged with (among others) George Newnes
George Newnes
Sir George Newnes, 1st Baronet was a publisher and editor in England.-Background and education:...
Publishers and Odhams Press
Odhams Press
Odhams Press was a British publishing firm. Originally a newspaper group, founded in 1890, it took the name Odham's Press Ltd in 1920 when it merged with John Bull magazine. By 1937 it had founded the first colour weekly, Woman, for which it set up and operated a dedicated high-speed print works...
to form IPC, the International Publishing Corporation
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
. The name Fleetway was used to identify one of the comics publishing arms of IPC, although other comics were published by other IPC subsidiaries (including Odhams Press
Odhams Press
Odhams Press was a British publishing firm. Originally a newspaper group, founded in 1890, it took the name Odham's Press Ltd in 1920 when it merged with John Bull magazine. By 1937 it had founded the first colour weekly, Woman, for which it set up and operated a dedicated high-speed print works...
and IPC Magazines Ltd).
In 1987, some of IPC's comics characters and titles were consolidated into its Fleetway division, and sold to a company owned by Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
. Egmont UK
Egmont Publishing
The Egmont Group is a media corporation founded and rooted in Copenhagen, Denmark. The business area of Egmont has traditionally been magazine publishing but has over the years evolved to comprise media generally....
bought Fleetway from Maxwell in 1991, merging it with their own comics publishing operation, London Editions, to form Fleetway Editions; but the name "Fleetway" ceased to appear on their comics some time after 2002.
Egmont currently owns all comics characters and titles created by IPC's subsidiaries after January 1, 1970, (with the exception of the 2000 AD stable, which Egmont sold off and which is now owned by Rebellion Developments
Rebellion Developments
Rebellion is a British computer games company, based in Oxford, who are most famous for the first Aliens vs. Predator computer game. It has published comic books since 2000 and launched its own book imprint, Abaddon Books, in 2006.-History:...
), together with 26 specified characters which appeared in Buster
Buster (comic)
Buster was a long-running British comic which carried a mixture of humour and adventure strips, although the former increasingly replaced the latter...
; while IPC currently retains its other comics characters and titles, including Sexton Blake
Sexton Blake
Sexton Blake is a fictional detective who appeared in many British comic strips and novels throughout the 20th century. He was described by Professor Jeffrey Richards on the BBC in The Radio Detectives in 2003 as "the poor man's Sherlock Holmes"...
, The Steel Claw
Steel Claw
The Steel Claw was one of the most popular comic book heroes of British weekly adventure comics of the 1960s and 1970s. The character was revived in 2005 for Albion, a six issue mini-series published by the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics....
, and Battler Britton (but not Dan Dare
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
, which was sold separately and is now owned by the Dan Dare Corporation).