Horwitz Publishing House
Encyclopedia
Horwitz Publications, is an Australian publisher primarily known for its publication of popular and pulp fiction. Established in 1921 in Sydney
, Australia by Israel and Ruth Horwitz, the company was a family-owned and -run business until the early 21st century. The company is most associated with their son Stanley Horwitz, who took over publishing operations in 1956. Stanley was eventually succeeded by his son Peter and daughter Susan, who is currently the company's director.
s and sporting magazine
s, and moved into popular, pulp fiction, and comic book
s in the mid-20th century. It was exceedingly successful in genre fiction: crime
, war, thrillers, and romance
. Between the 1950s to the 1990s, Horwitz published some of the most popular pulp fiction writers, including Carter Brown
and Marshall Grover, in numerous successful author and title series. Some of the pseudonymous author names were used by multiple writers under contract to Horwitz, which owned the names.
From c. 1950 – c. 1966, Horwitz published a large number of war
, Western
, and crime comics
, predominantly reprint
s of American comics. In the late 1950s, Horwitz published some original Australian comics, notably adaptations of its Carter Brown novels, but also The Phantom Commando, created by John Dixon
but mostly worked on by Maurice Bramley, who drew it until 1956.
Horwitz also published horror anthologies, some edited by Charles Higham
, one by Groff Conklin
and several under the 'James Dark' and 'James Workman' house names.
Horwitz later published educational books and expanded its magazine publishing activities after it wound back its fiction activities in the late 20th century.
This information appears in Graeme Flanagan's bibliography.
This list appears in Graeme Flanagan's bibliography.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia by Israel and Ruth Horwitz, the company was a family-owned and -run business until the early 21st century. The company is most associated with their son Stanley Horwitz, who took over publishing operations in 1956. Stanley was eventually succeeded by his son Peter and daughter Susan, who is currently the company's director.
History
Horwitz started out publishing trade journalTrade journal
A trade magazine, also called a professional magazine, is a magazine published with the intention of target marketing to a specific industry or type of trade. The collective term for this area of publishing is the trade press....
s and sporting magazine
Sports magazine
A sports magazine is usually a weekly, monthly, biweekly magazine featuring articles or segments on sports. Some may be published a specific number of times per year.Major sports magazines in print include:...
s, and moved into popular, pulp fiction, and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s in the mid-20th century. It was exceedingly successful in genre fiction: crime
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
, war, thrillers, and romance
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
. Between the 1950s to the 1990s, Horwitz published some of the most popular pulp fiction writers, including Carter Brown
Carter Brown
Carter Brown, real name Alan Geoffrey Yates , was an Australian-British author of crime fiction. He was born in London but moved to Australia in 1948. He started writing full time in 1953 and wrote at least 317 novels between 1958 and 1985, mostly crime and dective stories, selling tens of millions...
and Marshall Grover, in numerous successful author and title series. Some of the pseudonymous author names were used by multiple writers under contract to Horwitz, which owned the names.
From c. 1950 – c. 1966, Horwitz published a large number of war
War comics
War comics is a genre of comic books that gained popularity in English-speaking countries following World War II.-American war comics:Shortly after the birth of the modern comic book in the mid- to late 1930s, comics publishers began including stories of wartime adventures in the multi-genre...
, Western
Western comics
Western comics is a comics genre usually depicting the American Old West frontier and typically set during the late nineteenth century...
, and crime comics
Crime comics
Crime comics is a genre of American comic books and format of crime fiction. The genre was originally popular in the 1940s and 1950s and is marked by a moralistic editorial tone and graphic depictions of violence and criminal activity. Crime comics began in 1942 with the publication of Crime Does...
, predominantly reprint
Reprint
A reprint is a re-publishing of material that has already been previously published. The word reprint is used in many fields.-Academic publishing:...
s of American comics. In the late 1950s, Horwitz published some original Australian comics, notably adaptations of its Carter Brown novels, but also The Phantom Commando, created by John Dixon
John Dixon (cartoonist)
John Dixon is an Australian comic book artist and writer, best known for his creation, Air Hawk and the Flying Doctors.-Biography:John Dangar Dixon was born in Newcastle on 20 February 1929, the son of a school principal. After completing his education at Cook Hill Intermediate High he became a...
but mostly worked on by Maurice Bramley, who drew it until 1956.
Horwitz also published horror anthologies, some edited by Charles Higham
Charles Higham
Charles Higham may refer to:*Charles Higham , British archaeologist, specialising in the archaeology of Southeast Asia*Charles Higham , biographer and poet...
, one by Groff Conklin
Groff Conklin
Edward Groff Conklin was a leading science fiction anthologist. He edited 40 anthologies of science fiction, one of mystery stories , wrote books on home improvement and was a freelance writer on scientific subjects as well as a published poet...
and several under the 'James Dark' and 'James Workman' house names.
Horwitz later published educational books and expanded its magazine publishing activities after it wound back its fiction activities in the late 20th century.
Multi-Author Series
- Sporting Western (1945–1950)
- Scientific Thriller (1948–1952)
- Period Novels (1950)
- Powder Smoke Westerns (1953)
- Western Saga Series (1954)
- Lion Books (1954–1955)
- Gold Star Books (1955–1956)
- Half Million Club (1955–1956)
- King Books (1955–1956)
- Triangle Books (1956)
- GI Books (1956–1957)
- Book of the Month (1958)
- Pocket Books (1959–1974), 1st series
- Name Author Series (1959–1966)
- Sovereign Series (1960)
- Commando/War (1960–1969)
- Four Square Series (1960–1964), British Four Square Books reprints
- Penguin (1961–1962), UK reprints
- Trident Westerns (1964–1966)
- Stag Modern Novels (1964–1965), mostly books originally published by Monarch Books, USA
- Horwitz Australian Library (1965–1970)
- Mystery Books (1966)
- Caperbacks Series (1966–1968)
- Gothic Library (1966–1967)
- New American Library Series (1967–1968), USA reprints
- Personality Series (1967–1968)
- Libido Series (1969)
- Adults Only (1969–1974), published under the Scripts imprint
- Adventure Classic (1970)
- Satyr Series (1970)
- Sea Adventure Library (1970)
- Pocket Books (1974–1981), 2nd series
- Stag Books (1976–1981)
This information appears in Graeme Flanagan's bibliography.
Single-Author Series
- Carter BrownCarter BrownCarter Brown, real name Alan Geoffrey Yates , was an Australian-British author of crime fiction. He was born in London but moved to Australia in 1948. He started writing full time in 1953 and wrote at least 317 novels between 1958 and 1985, mostly crime and dective stories, selling tens of millions...
(1951–1984) - Marc Brody (1955–1960)
- Dean Ballard Western (1956)
- K. T. McCall (1957–1965)
- John Laffin (1957–1958)
- James Gant (1957–1958)
- J. E. Macdonnell (1957–1989)
- Tod Conrad (1957–1965)
- Roger Hunt (1958–1963)
- Michael Own (1958–1967)
- Kid Colt Outlaw (1959)
- Wyatt Earp (1959)
- Johnny O'Hara (1959–1962)
- Gerry North (1959)
- Shane Douglas (1959–1975)
- John Wynnum (1959–1967)
- W. H. Williams (1959–1960)
- Ivan SouthallIvan SouthallIvan Francis Southall AM, DFC was an award-winning Australian writer of young-adult fiction and non-fiction. He was the first and still the only Australian to win the Carnegie Medal in Literature for children's literature. His books include Hills End, Ash Road, Josh, and Let the Balloon Go...
(1959–1960) - Willie Fennell (1959–1962)
- Alastair Mars (1959–1960)
- Alex Crane (1959), Alex Crane Suspense Stories
- W. R. Bennett (1960–1969)
- Kerry Mitchell (1960–1964)
- Richard Wilkes-Hunter (1960–1967)
- Ray Slattery (1961–1969)
- James Holledge (1961–1970)
- Karen Miller (1961–1963)
- James Dark (1962–1966)
- James Workman (1962–1968)
- John Slater (1962–1973)
- Rebecca Dee (1962–1963)
- Noni Arden (1963–1967)
- John Duffy (1963–1965)
- R. Charlott (1965), Army War series
- Jim Kent (1966–1976)
- Carl Ruhen (1966–1973)
- Marshall Grover (1967–1993)
- Teri Lester (1967–1968)
- Terry West (1969–1970)
- Ricki Francis (1970–1977)
- Stuart Hall (1970–1980)
- Adrian Gray (1971–1975)
- R.G. Hall (1971–1973)
- Alison Hart (1976–1977)
This list appears in Graeme Flanagan's bibliography.