Roger Broughton
Encyclopedia
Charlton Media Group is a Montreal
-based publisher owned and operated by Canadian entrepreneur Roger Broughton. CMG has published Charlton Comics
and American Comics Group
reprint comics, under several names, including Sword in Stone, A+, and America's Comics Group.
went out of business in 1985. Most of Charlton's superhero characters had been acquired in 1983 by DC Comics
, and Broughton's company Sword in Stone Productions purchased the reprint rights to the remaining Charlton Comics properties in 1986. The sale announcement in Comics Buyer's Guide
caused an avalanche of phone calls that lasted for well over a month.
Broughton produced several reprint titles under the company name of Avalon Communications and its imprint America's Comics Group (ACG), Broughton having also purchased the rights to the defunct American Comics Group
properties. Broughton at first concentrated on syndicating material worldwide, while publishing a few comics titles in America, including the 1999 ACG Classix imprint Pulp Comics, which primarily reprinted the early 1940s syndicated newspaper strip, The Shadow
, based on the popular Street and Smith Shadow pulp novels and famous radio show character. Charlton material appeared in Europe, Asia, and South Africa. Many children's titles were reprinted by Harvey Comics
.
In 2002, Broughton announced the merger of ACG with a film production company and a graphic design firm to form the Charlton Media Group (not related to the Charlton Media Group of Singapore
, which produces business-related publications), created in part to publish new comics and reprints featuring Charlton and ACG characters. So far only ACG and Charlton reprints have seen the light of day.
In 2007 an agreement was signed with Dark Horse Comics
to reprint American Comics Group's 1960s superheroes, Nemesis and Magicman, and original Herbie
comics stories. Thus far, Dark Horse has reprinted all the Herbie stories in three volumes, and single-volume reprints of Nemesis and Magicman.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
-based publisher owned and operated by Canadian entrepreneur Roger Broughton. CMG has published Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
and American Comics Group
American Comics Group
American Comics Group was a New York City-based comic book publisher which operated during the Golden and Silver Age of comic books. ACG published one of the first horror comics titles, Adventures into the Unknown. Another of ACG's claims to fame was the character of Herbie Popnecker, who starred...
reprint comics, under several names, including Sword in Stone, A+, and America's Comics Group.
History
Long-time comics publisher Charlton ComicsCharlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
went out of business in 1985. Most of Charlton's superhero characters had been acquired in 1983 by DC Comics
DC 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...
, and Broughton's company Sword in Stone Productions purchased the reprint rights to the remaining Charlton Comics properties in 1986. The sale announcement in Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide , established in 1971, is the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry...
caused an avalanche of phone calls that lasted for well over a month.
Broughton produced several reprint titles under the company name of Avalon Communications and its imprint America's Comics Group (ACG), Broughton having also purchased the rights to the defunct American Comics Group
American Comics Group
American Comics Group was a New York City-based comic book publisher which operated during the Golden and Silver Age of comic books. ACG published one of the first horror comics titles, Adventures into the Unknown. Another of ACG's claims to fame was the character of Herbie Popnecker, who starred...
properties. Broughton at first concentrated on syndicating material worldwide, while publishing a few comics titles in America, including the 1999 ACG Classix imprint Pulp Comics, which primarily reprinted the early 1940s syndicated newspaper strip, The Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
, based on the popular Street and Smith Shadow pulp novels and famous radio show character. Charlton material appeared in Europe, Asia, and South Africa. Many children's titles were reprinted by Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
.
In 2002, Broughton announced the merger of ACG with a film production company and a graphic design firm to form the Charlton Media Group (not related to the Charlton Media Group of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, which produces business-related publications), created in part to publish new comics and reprints featuring Charlton and ACG characters. So far only ACG and Charlton reprints have seen the light of day.
In 2007 an agreement was signed with Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
to reprint American Comics Group's 1960s superheroes, Nemesis and Magicman, and original Herbie
Herbie Popnecker
Herbie Popnecker is a fictional character, who first appeared in Forbidden Worlds #73 in December 1958, published by American Comics Group. He was created by Richard E. Hughes "Shane O'Shea") and Ogden Whitney...
comics stories. Thus far, Dark Horse has reprinted all the Herbie stories in three volumes, and single-volume reprints of Nemesis and Magicman.
External links
- "Does Roger Broughton Exist?" — Terry Hooper's blog