Marcus Morris
Encyclopedia
The Reverend John Marcus Harston Morris OBE
(25 April 1915, Preston, Lancashire – 16 March 1989, London) was an English
Anglican
priest who founded the Eagle
comic in 1950 and was deputy chairman of the National Magazine Company.
The son of a clergyman, Morris grew up in Southport
, Lancashire
, and read literature at Brasenose College, Oxford University, then theology at Wycliffe Hall, and was ordained priest in 1940. He married Jessica Dunning in 1941, and they had four children. After a chaplaincy in the RAF and postings in Great Yarmouth
, Norfolk
and Weeley
, Essex
, he became vicar of St James's, Birkdale
in 1945, where he published a magazine, The Anvil, which contained illustrations and design by Frank Hampson, articles by C. S. Lewis
, Harold MacMillan
and Chad Varah
, and short stories for children by Geoffrey Trease
, and circulated far beyond his parish. He was Honorary Chaplain of St. Bride's, Fleet Street, in the City of London from 1952 to 1983.
Morris became concerned at the effects of imported American comics on British children. He wrote an article for the Sunday Dispatch
entitled "Comics that bring Horror into the Nursery", and set out to produce a more wholesome, uplifting alternative. Together with Hampson, he devised a proposed strip for the Sunday Empire News called Lex Christian, about the adventures of a brave inner-city parson, but it fell through after the paper's editor died. He and Hampson then assembled a team of local artists and writers and produced a dummy issue of a new weekly, the Eagle
, and presented it to various publishers, of whom Hulton Press agreed to publish it. The first issue proper went on sale on 14 April 1950. Morris and his family moved to Epsom
, Surrey
, in 1950, and Hampson set up a studio on their house. In November 1951 Morris launched Girl
, a girls' counterpart to the Eagle, followed by Robin
(1953), for younger children, and Swift
(1954), for an audience younger than Eagle and Girl but older than Robin.
From 1954 to 1959 he was managing editor of Hultons' Housewife magazine, and he was also appointed a member of the Hulton Press management committee. He left Hultons in 1959 when they were taken over by Odhams Press
, joining the National Magazine Company, a subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation
, as editorial director. However, he continued to write serials for the Eagle in the early 1960s, mostly on historical or religious subjects and often in collaboration with Guy Daniel, including "The Golden Man", a biography of Sir Walter Raleigh drawn by Robert Ayton
, and "The Road of Courage", a retelling of the life of Christ illustrated by Hampson and Joan Porter.
He became managing director and editor-in-chief of the National Magazine Company in 1964. He was responsible for launching the British edition of Cosmopolitan
, created the distributor Comag in association with Condé Nast
, and increased the circulation of his magazines at a time when the market was declining. He became deputy chairman in 1979, received the OBE in 1983, and retired in 1984. In his later years he lived in Midford
, Somerset
, and died on 16 March 1989 at the King Edward VII Hospital for Officers, London. A memorial service was held at St. Bride's, Fleet Street
, where he had been honorary chaplain from 1952 to 1983.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(25 April 1915, Preston, Lancashire – 16 March 1989, London) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
priest who founded the Eagle
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
comic in 1950 and was deputy chairman of the National Magazine Company.
The son of a clergyman, Morris grew up in Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and read literature at Brasenose College, Oxford University, then theology at Wycliffe Hall, and was ordained priest in 1940. He married Jessica Dunning in 1941, and they had four children. After a chaplaincy in the RAF and postings in Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
and Weeley
Weeley
Weeley is a small village in Tendring, East Essex, England. It is served by Weeley railway station on the Sunshine Coast Line, with services operated by National Express East Anglia. It is open Monday - Saturday but closed Sundays. It has bus links to Clacton-on-sea and ColchesterIt was host to the...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, he became vicar of St James's, Birkdale
Birkdale
Birkdale is a village and district in the southern part of the conurbation of the town of Southport, within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, though historically in Lancashire, in the north-west of England. The village is located on the Irish Sea coast, approximately a mile away from...
in 1945, where he published a magazine, The Anvil, which contained illustrations and design by Frank Hampson, articles by C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
, Harold MacMillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
and Chad Varah
Chad Varah
Reverend Prebendary Edward Chad Varah, CH, CBE was a British Anglican priest. He is best remembered as the founder of The Samaritans, established in 1953 as the world's first crisis hotline organisation, offering non-religious telephone support to those contemplating suicide.-Life:Varah was born...
, and short stories for children by Geoffrey Trease
Geoffrey Trease
Geoffrey Trease was a prolific writer, publishing 113 books between 1934 and 1997 . His work has been translated into 20 languages...
, and circulated far beyond his parish. He was Honorary Chaplain of St. Bride's, Fleet Street, in the City of London from 1952 to 1983.
Morris became concerned at the effects of imported American comics on British children. He wrote an article for the Sunday Dispatch
Sunday Dispatch
The Sunday Dispatch was a British newspaper, published between 27 September 1801 and 1961. Until 1928, it was called the Weekly Dispatch.-History:...
entitled "Comics that bring Horror into the Nursery", and set out to produce a more wholesome, uplifting alternative. Together with Hampson, he devised a proposed strip for the Sunday Empire News called Lex Christian, about the adventures of a brave inner-city parson, but it fell through after the paper's editor died. He and Hampson then assembled a team of local artists and writers and produced a dummy issue of a new weekly, the Eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
, and presented it to various publishers, of whom Hulton Press agreed to publish it. The first issue proper went on sale on 14 April 1950. Morris and his family moved to Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, in 1950, and Hampson set up a studio on their house. In November 1951 Morris launched Girl
Girl (comic)
Girl was a weekly comic for girls published from 1951 to 1964. It was launched by Hulton Press on 2 November 1951 as a sister paper to the Eagle, and lasted through Hultons' acquisition by Odhams Press in 1959 and Odhams' merger into IPC in 1963. Its final issue was dated 3 October 1964, after...
, a girls' counterpart to the Eagle, followed by Robin
Robin (magazine)
Robin was a British weekly children's magazine published from 1953 to 1969, originally by Hulton Press. Associated annuals were also produced, the first dated 1954, until at least the ninth in 1962...
(1953), for younger children, and Swift
Swift (comic)
Swift was a weekly comic published by in the UK as a junior companion to the Eagle. It was founded by the Rev. Marcus Morris and launched by Hulton Press in 1954...
(1954), for an audience younger than Eagle and Girl but older than Robin.
From 1954 to 1959 he was managing editor of Hultons' Housewife magazine, and he was also appointed a member of the Hulton Press management committee. He left Hultons in 1959 when they were taken over by 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...
, joining the National Magazine Company, a subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
, as editorial director. However, he continued to write serials for the Eagle in the early 1960s, mostly on historical or religious subjects and often in collaboration with Guy Daniel, including "The Golden Man", a biography of Sir Walter Raleigh drawn by Robert Ayton
Robert Ayton (artist)
Robert Norton Ayton was a British comics artist and illustrator who worked for the Eagle and Ladybird Books.He was born in London and educated at the Harrow School of Art, and may also have attended the Central School of Art and Design and Hammersmith School of Art...
, and "The Road of Courage", a retelling of the life of Christ illustrated by Hampson and Joan Porter.
He became managing director and editor-in-chief of the National Magazine Company in 1964. He was responsible for launching the British edition of Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
, created the distributor Comag in association with Condé Nast
Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, is a magazine publisher. In the U.S., it produces 18 consumer magazines, including Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, as well as four business-to-business publications, 27 websites, and more than 50 apps...
, and increased the circulation of his magazines at a time when the market was declining. He became deputy chairman in 1979, received the OBE in 1983, and retired in 1984. In his later years he lived in Midford
Midford
Midford is a village approximately miles south south east of Bath, Somerset, England within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, and died on 16 March 1989 at the King Edward VII Hospital for Officers, London. A memorial service was held at St. Bride's, Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
, where he had been honorary chaplain from 1952 to 1983.
Further reading
- Morris, Sally and Hallwood, Jan, "Living With Eagles", Lutterworth Press, 1998. ISBN 0718829824
- Tatarsky, Daniel, "Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future: A Biography", Orion, 2010. ISBN 075288896X