Novelty Press
Encyclopedia
Novelty Press was an American
Golden Age comic-book publisher that operated from 1940–1949. It was the comic book imprint of Curtis Publishing Company
, publisher of The Saturday Evening Post
. Although published in Philadelphia, Novelty Press's editorial offices were in New York City. Among Novelty's best-known titles were Blue Bolt
and Target Comics. During their nine-year run, Novelty's roster of creators included Al Avison
, Dan Barry, Carl Burgos
, L.B. Cole, Bill Everett
, Al Gabriele
, Joe Gill
, Tom Gill
, Jack Hearne
, Jack Kirby
, Tarpé Mills
, Al Plastino
, Don Rico
, Joe Simon
, Mickey Spillane
, and Basil Wolverton
.
Novelty Press launched its first title, Target Comics, in 1940, followed shortly thereafter by Blue Bolt. In 1949, due to the growing criticism over violence in comic books
, Novelty Press sold its assets to Blue Bolt cover artist L.B. Cole. Using his new assets, Cole began his own company, Star Publications
.
' early characters. Creators included Bill Everett, Joe Simon, and Tarpé Mills. Basil Wolverton's Spacehawk (which originated in Circus comics) made its Target Comics debut with issue #5, and ran for many issues.
It is speculated that the first comic book letter column
appeared in Target Comics #6. (The page in question also has an early mention of comic book collecting.)
It wasn't until the tenth issue (November 1940) that The Target
himself was introduced, and only in issue #11 did The Targeteers come along. They were the creation of cartoonist Dick Briefer
, using the pen name of "Dick Hamilton." (Briefer was the man behind the Prize Comics version of Frankenstein
.) Target & the Targeteers were among the longer-lasting superheroes of the 1940s, but even they eventually succumbed to changing times. They made their last appearance in Target Comics #95. Just as the title had begun without them, it went on for another ten issues with other stars. In recent years, The Target appeared without his partners in Men of Mystery Comics #24, published by AC Comics
, which makes it their business to reprint Golden Age comics from now-defunct companies whose properties have lapsed into the public domain
. In 2008, The Target and the Targeteers are among the many public domain characters to appear in Project Superpowers
, a miniseries from Dynamite Entertainment
.
in 1998 ISBN 978-1885730404.) Malcolm Kildale's Sgt. Spook, an undead detective, was a regular backup feature in Blue Bolt for most of its run. Blue Bolt ran for 110 issues, the first 102 published by Novelty Press, and the rest published by Star Publications.
' World's Finest Comics or All American's Comic Cavalcade. Regular features of 4 Most included Cadet, Dan'l Flannel, Edison Bell, and Lem the Grem, the "Trouble-Loving Gremlin".
). Dick Cole was created by cartoonist Bob Davis (The Chameleon), but others who handled the character include Al Fagaly (Super Duck), James Wilcox (Dolly O'Dare), and Jack Hearne (The Cadet).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Golden Age comic-book publisher that operated from 1940–1949. It was the comic book imprint of Curtis Publishing Company
Curtis Publishing Company
The Curtis Publishing Company, founded in 1891 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, became one of the largest and most influential publishers in the United States during the early 20th century. The company's publications included the Ladies' Home Journal and The Saturday Evening Post, The American Home,...
, publisher of The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
. Although published in Philadelphia, Novelty Press's editorial offices were in New York City. Among Novelty's best-known titles were Blue Bolt
Blue Bolt
Blue Bolt is a fictional American comic book superhero created by writer-artist Joe Simon in 1940, during the period fans and historians refer to as the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Publication history:...
and Target Comics. During their nine-year run, Novelty's roster of creators included Al Avison
Al Avison
Alfred Avison is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Marvel Comics characters Captain America and the Whizzer during the 1930-1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of comic books....
, Dan Barry, Carl Burgos
Carl Burgos
Carl Burgos was an American comic book and advertising artist best known for creating the original Human Torch in Marvel Comics #1 Carl Burgos (né Max Finkelstein, April 18, 1916, New York City, New York; died March 1984) was an American comic book and advertising artist best known for creating...
, L.B. Cole, Bill Everett
Bill Everett
William Blake "Bill" Everett, also known as William Blake and Everett Blake was a comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner and co-creating Daredevil for Marvel Comics...
, Al Gabriele
Al Gabriele
Albert Gabriele or possibly Alfred Gabriele was an American comic book artist during the 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books...
, Joe Gill
Joe Gill
Joseph Gill was an American magazine writer and highly prolific comic book scripter. Most of his work was for Charlton Comics, where he co-created the superheroes Captain Atom, Peacemaker, and Judomaster, among others. Comics historians consider Gill a top contender as the comic-book field's most...
, Tom Gill
Tom Gill (comics)
Thomas P. Gill is an American comic book artist best known for his nearly 11-year run drawing The Lone Ranger.-Early life and career:...
, Jack Hearne
Jack Hearne
Jack Hearne may refer to:*J. T. Hearne , English Test cricketer*J. W. Hearne , English Test cricketerSee also:*John Hearne...
, Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
, Tarpé Mills
Tarpe Mills
Tarpé Mills was the pseudonym of comic book creator June Mills, one of the first major female comics artists. She is best known for her action comic strip, Miss Fury, the first female action hero created by a woman....
, Al Plastino
Al Plastino
Al Plastino is an American comic book artist best known as one of the most prolific Superman artists of the 1950s, along with his DC Comics colleague Wayne Boring...
, Don Rico
Don Rico
Donato Francisco Rico II was an American paperback novelist, screenwriter, and comic book writer-artist, who co-created the Marvel Comics characters Jann of the Jungle, with artist Jay Scott Pike, and Leopard Girl, with artist Al Hartley. His pen names include Dan Rico, Donella St...
, Joe Simon
Joe Simon
Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...
, Mickey Spillane
Mickey Spillane
Frank Morrison Spillane , better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American author of crime novels, many featuring his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have sold internationally...
, and Basil Wolverton
Basil Wolverton
Basil Wolverton was an American cartoonist, illustrator, comic book writer-artist and professed "Producer of Preposterous Pictures of Peculiar People who Prowl this Perplexing Planet", whose many publishers included Marvel Comics and Mad.His unique, humorously grotesque drawings have elicited a...
.
History
Seduction of the Innocent
Seduction of the Innocent is a book by German-American psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, published in 1954, that warned that comic books were a negative form of popular literature and a serious cause of juvenile delinquency. The book was a minor bestseller that created alarm in parents and galvanized...
, Novelty Press sold its assets to Blue Bolt cover artist L.B. Cole. Using his new assets, Cole began his own company, Star Publications
Star Publications
Star Publications, Inc. was a Golden Age American comic book publisher, operating during the years 1949–1954. Founded by artist/editor L.B. Cole and lawyer Gerhard Kramer, Star specialized in horror comics, crime, and romance comics — but also published funny animal stories...
.
Target Comics
Target Comics debuted with a cover date of February 1940, featuring such stars as Bull's-Eye Bill, Lucky Byrd, and The White Streak (Targets only superhero). Material for the book was supplied by Funnies, Inc., a packager also responsible for many of Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' early characters. Creators included Bill Everett, Joe Simon, and Tarpé Mills. Basil Wolverton's Spacehawk (which originated in Circus comics) made its Target Comics debut with issue #5, and ran for many issues.
It is speculated that the first comic book letter column
Comic book letter column
A comic book letter column is a section of a comic book where readers' letters to the publisher appear. Comic book letter columns are also commonly referred to as letter columns , letter pages, letters of comment , or simply letters to the editor...
appeared in Target Comics #6. (The page in question also has an early mention of comic book collecting.)
It wasn't until the tenth issue (November 1940) that The Target
Target and the Targeteers
The Target and the Targeteers are fictional characters, a trio of superheroes who first appeared in 1940, in Target Comics from Novelty Press.-History:...
himself was introduced, and only in issue #11 did The Targeteers come along. They were the creation of cartoonist Dick Briefer
Dick Briefer
Richard "Dick" Briefer was an American comic-book artist best known for his various adaptations, including humorous ones, of the Frankenstein monster...
, using the pen name of "Dick Hamilton." (Briefer was the man behind the Prize Comics version of Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
.) Target & the Targeteers were among the longer-lasting superheroes of the 1940s, but even they eventually succumbed to changing times. They made their last appearance in Target Comics #95. Just as the title had begun without them, it went on for another ten issues with other stars. In recent years, The Target appeared without his partners in Men of Mystery Comics #24, published by AC Comics
AC Comics
AC Comics is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black.AC Comics specializes in reprints of Golden Age comics from now-defunct companies whose properties lapsed into public domain and were not reprinted elsewhere...
, which makes it their business to reprint Golden Age comics from now-defunct companies whose properties have lapsed into the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
. In 2008, The Target and the Targeteers are among the many public domain characters to appear in Project Superpowers
Project Superpowers
Project Superpowers is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It was co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art by Doug Klauba and Stephen Sadowski for issue #0, and Carlos Paul for the...
, a miniseries from Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book company that primarily publishes licensed franchises of adaptations of other media. These include adaptations of film properties such as Army of Darkness, Terminator and RoboCop, literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in...
.
Blue Bolt
The title character superhero was created by Joe Simon, and Blue Bolt #2 (July 1940) featured the first pairing of legendary Marvel cartoonists Simon and Kirby. The two teamed for fewer than twelve issues, turning over the book to successors including Dan Barry, Tom Gill, and Mickey Spillane — before his creation of the detective character Mike Hammer in novels. (A reprint collection of the Simon & Kirby issues of Blue Bolt was published by VerotikVerotik
Verotik is a mature-themed comic book company founded in the early 90's by heavy metal/punk musician Glenn Danzig . The comics are aimed toward adult readers as they often contain imagery of a sexual and/or violent nature...
in 1998 ISBN 978-1885730404.) Malcolm Kildale's Sgt. Spook, an undead detective, was a regular backup feature in Blue Bolt for most of its run. Blue Bolt ran for 110 issues, the first 102 published by Novelty Press, and the rest published by Star Publications.
4 Most
This anthology title was Novelty's answer to DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' World's Finest Comics or All American's Comic Cavalcade. Regular features of 4 Most included Cadet, Dan'l Flannel, Edison Bell, and Lem the Grem, the "Trouble-Loving Gremlin".
Young King Cole
This anthology title was headlined by one the comic genre's first private detectives. Regular backup features included Doctor Doom, "The Resourceful Professor of Criminology"; Foxy, "Office Boy in the Detective Bureau"; Homer K. Beagle, "The Demon Detective"; Larry Broderick, "City Detective"; and Tony Gayle, "Glamorous Detective Model".Dick Cole, The Wonder Boy
A popular backup feature in Blue Bolt (and later 4 Most), Dick Cole had his own title from 1948 to 1950 (the first five issues published by Novelty Press; the rest were published by Star PublicationsStar Publications
Star Publications, Inc. was a Golden Age American comic book publisher, operating during the years 1949–1954. Founded by artist/editor L.B. Cole and lawyer Gerhard Kramer, Star specialized in horror comics, crime, and romance comics — but also published funny animal stories...
). Dick Cole was created by cartoonist Bob Davis (The Chameleon), but others who handled the character include Al Fagaly (Super Duck), James Wilcox (Dolly O'Dare), and Jack Hearne (The Cadet).
Creators
- Nina AlbrightNina AlbrightNina Albright was an American comic book artist during the Golden Age of Comic Books, one of the few woman working in that field during the period....
- Al AvisonAl AvisonAlfred Avison is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Marvel Comics characters Captain America and the Whizzer during the 1930-1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of comic books....
- Dan Barry
- Carl BurgosCarl BurgosCarl Burgos was an American comic book and advertising artist best known for creating the original Human Torch in Marvel Comics #1 Carl Burgos (né Max Finkelstein, April 18, 1916, New York City, New York; died March 1984) was an American comic book and advertising artist best known for creating...
- Jim Cannon
- Joe Certa
- L.B. Cole
- Bob Davis
- Bill EverettBill EverettWilliam Blake "Bill" Everett, also known as William Blake and Everett Blake was a comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner and co-creating Daredevil for Marvel Comics...
- Al Fagaly
- Harvey Fuller
- Al GabrieleAl GabrieleAlbert Gabriele or possibly Alfred Gabriele was an American comic book artist during the 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books...
- Hy Gage
- Joe GillJoe GillJoseph Gill was an American magazine writer and highly prolific comic book scripter. Most of his work was for Charlton Comics, where he co-created the superheroes Captain Atom, Peacemaker, and Judomaster, among others. Comics historians consider Gill a top contender as the comic-book field's most...
- Tom GillTom Gill (comics)Thomas P. Gill is an American comic book artist best known for his nearly 11-year run drawing The Lone Ranger.-Early life and career:...
- Sid GreeneSid GreeneSidney "Sid" Greene was an American comic book artist known for his work for a host of publishers from the 1940s to 1970s, most prominently DC Comics, where as an inker on series including Batman, Green Lantern, Justice League of America and The Atom he helped to define the company's house style...
- Will Hammel
- Dick Hamilton
- Jack HearneJack HearneJack Hearne may refer to:*J. T. Hearne , English Test cricketer*J. W. Hearne , English Test cricketerSee also:*John Hearne...
- John Jordan
- Malcolm Kildale
- Jack KirbyJack KirbyJack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
- Howard Larsen
- Al McWilliams
- Tarpé MillsTarpe MillsTarpé Mills was the pseudonym of comic book creator June Mills, one of the first major female comics artists. She is best known for her action comic strip, Miss Fury, the first female action hero created by a woman....
- Al PlastinoAl PlastinoAl Plastino is an American comic book artist best known as one of the most prolific Superman artists of the 1950s, along with his DC Comics colleague Wayne Boring...
- Don RicoDon RicoDonato Francisco Rico II was an American paperback novelist, screenwriter, and comic book writer-artist, who co-created the Marvel Comics characters Jann of the Jungle, with artist Jay Scott Pike, and Leopard Girl, with artist Al Hartley. His pen names include Dan Rico, Donella St...
- W.E. Rowland
- Joe SimonJoe SimonJoseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...
- Mickey SpillaneMickey SpillaneFrank Morrison Spillane , better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American author of crime novels, many featuring his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have sold internationally...
- James Wilcox
- Basil WolvertonBasil WolvertonBasil Wolverton was an American cartoonist, illustrator, comic book writer-artist and professed "Producer of Preposterous Pictures of Peculiar People who Prowl this Perplexing Planet", whose many publishers included Marvel Comics and Mad.His unique, humorously grotesque drawings have elicited a...
- Bob Wood
Titles
- 4 Most — 36 issues, 1941–1949
- Blue BoltBlue BoltBlue Bolt is a fictional American comic book superhero created by writer-artist Joe Simon in 1940, during the period fans and historians refer to as the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Publication history:...
— 110 issues, 1940–1951 - Dick Cole, The Wonder Boy — 10 issues, 1948-1949
- Frisky Fables — 37 issues, 1945–49
- Guns Against Gangsters — 8 issues, 1948–1949
- Humdinger — 8 issues, 1946–1947
- Target Comics — 105 issues, 1940–1949
- Young King Cole (later changed to Criminals on the Run) — 24 issues, 1945-1948
Regular backup features
- Bull's-Eye Bill (Target Comics)
- Cadet (4 Most)
- Dan'l Flannel (4 Most)
- Dick Cole, The Wonder Boy (4 Most and Blue Bolt)
- Doctor Doom (Young King Cole)
- Edison Bell (4 Most)
- Foxy (Young King Cole)
- Homer K. Beagle (Young King Cole)
- Larry Broderick (Young King Cole)
- Lem the Grem (4 Most)
- Lucky Byrd (Target Comics)
- Sgt. Spook (Blue Bolt)
- Target and the TargeteersTarget and the TargeteersThe Target and the Targeteers are fictional characters, a trio of superheroes who first appeared in 1940, in Target Comics from Novelty Press.-History:...
(4 Most and Target Comics) - Tony Gayle (Young King Cole)
- The White Streak (Target Comics)