Youthful (publisher)
Encyclopedia
Youthful was an American comic book publisher that operated from 1949–1954. The company was owned by attorney Bill Friedman and his wife Sophie, with Bill holding the title of Publisher. Comics editor Sol Cohen
(possibly with help from financier Harry Donenfeld
) helped launch Youthful.
The company specialized in non-superhero
titles, instead focusing on horror
, Western
, humor, and romance comics
. Notable titles published by Youthful included the Western titles Gunsmoke, Indian Fighter, and Redskin (later known as Famous Western Badmen); the science fiction/horror series Captain Science (later known as Fantastic, Beware, and Chilling Tales), and the humor title Jackpot. Altogether, the company only published ten distinct titles, with many series changing their name and continuing the numbering of the previous title.
Doug Wildey
was the company's lead cartoonist, with work published in virtually all their titles. Other notable creators associated with Youthful included Bill Fraccio
, Harry Harrison
, Pat Masulli
, Don Perlin
, Wally Wood
, Graham Ingels
, Ed Goldfarb, Henry Kiefer, and Manny Stallman.
Youthful's first title was Gunsmoke, which debuted Apr./May 1949 and ran until 1952. Youthful acquired the Pix-Parade title Youthful Hearts in 1952, continuing its numbering under the new title Daring Confessions until 1953. The Youthful titles Attack and Beware were acquired by Trojan Magazines in 1952, which continued their numbering. Youthful, in turn, renamed the titles Atomic Attack and Chilling Tales, respectively, also continuing the numbering. The company was mostly finished by 1953, with only Jackpot continuing until 1954 (its final issue cover-dated May).
Sol Cohen
Sol Cohen was an American publisher who worked mostly in the science fiction field.Cohen started his long association with Avon Publications in 1947, working as an editor for their comics division from 1947–1956. During this same period, from 1947–1949, Cohen was the circulation director and...
(possibly with help from financier Harry Donenfeld
Harry Donenfeld
Harry Donenfeld was an American publisher who is known primarily for being the owner of National Allied Publications, which distributed Detective Comics and Action Comics, the originator publications for the superhero characters Batman and Superman...
) helped launch Youthful.
The company specialized in non-superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
titles, instead focusing on horror
Horror comics
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. Horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to...
, Western
Western comics
Western comics is a comics genre usually depicting the American Old West frontier and typically set during the late nineteenth century...
, humor, and romance comics
Romance comics
Romance comics is a comics genre depicting romantic love and its attendant complications such as jealousy, marriage, divorce, betrayal, and heartache. The term is generally associated with an American comic books genre published through the first three decades of the Cold War...
. Notable titles published by Youthful included the Western titles Gunsmoke, Indian Fighter, and Redskin (later known as Famous Western Badmen); the science fiction/horror series Captain Science (later known as Fantastic, Beware, and Chilling Tales), and the humor title Jackpot. Altogether, the company only published ten distinct titles, with many series changing their name and continuing the numbering of the previous title.
Doug Wildey
Doug Wildey
Douglas S. Wildey was a cartoonist and comic book artist best known for his co-creation of the 1964 animated television series, Jonny Quest for Hanna-Barbera Productions.-Early life and career:...
was the company's lead cartoonist, with work published in virtually all their titles. Other notable creators associated with Youthful included Bill Fraccio
Bill Fraccio
William Fraccio was an American comic book artist whose career stretched from the 1940s Golden Age of comic books through 1979, when he turned to producing advertising art and teaching...
, Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green...
, Pat Masulli
Pat Masulli
Patrick J. Masulli was an American comic book creator, most notably as the executive editor of Charlton Comics from 1955–1966, during much of the Silver Age of Comic Books...
, Don Perlin
Don Perlin
Don Perlin is an American comic book artist and occasional writer best known for Marvel Comics' Werewolf by Night, The Defenders, and Ghost Rider...
, Wally Wood
Wally Wood
Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he...
, Graham Ingels
Graham Ingels
Graham Ingels was a comic book and magazine illustrator best known for his work in EC Comics during the 1950s, notably on The Haunt of Fear and Tales from the Crypt, horror titles written and edited by Al Feldstein, and The Vault of Horror, written and edited by Feldstein and Johnny Craig...
, Ed Goldfarb, Henry Kiefer, and Manny Stallman.
Youthful's first title was Gunsmoke, which debuted Apr./May 1949 and ran until 1952. Youthful acquired the Pix-Parade title Youthful Hearts in 1952, continuing its numbering under the new title Daring Confessions until 1953. The Youthful titles Attack and Beware were acquired by Trojan Magazines in 1952, which continued their numbering. Youthful, in turn, renamed the titles Atomic Attack and Chilling Tales, respectively, also continuing the numbering. The company was mostly finished by 1953, with only Jackpot continuing until 1954 (its final issue cover-dated May).
Titles published
- Attack (4 issues, 1952) — acquired by Trojan Magazines
- Atomic Attack (4 issues, 1953) — continues numbering of Attack
- Captain Science (7 issues, 1950–1951)
- Fantastic (2 issues, 1952) — continues numbering of Captain Science
- Beware (3 issues, 1952) — continues numbering of Fantastic, then acquired by Trojan Magazines
- Chilling Tales (5 issues, 1952–1953) — continues numbering of Beware
- Beware (3 issues, 1952) — continues numbering of Fantastic, then acquired by Trojan Magazines
- Fantastic (2 issues, 1952) — continues numbering of Captain Science
- Daring Confessions (5 issues, 1952–1953) — continues numbering of Youthful Hearts (acquired from Pix-Parade)
- Gunsmoke (16 issues, 1949–1952)
- Indian Fighter (11 issues, 1950–1952)
- Jackpot (18 issues, 1952–1954)
- Redskin (12 issues, 1950–1952)
- Famous Western Badmen (3 issues, 1952–1953) — continues numbering of Redskin
- Stamp Comics (7 issues, 1951–1952)
- Thrilling Adventures In Stamps Comics (1 issue, 1953) — continues numbering of Stamp Comics
- Super Western Comics (1 issue, 1950)
- Buffalo BillBuffalo BillWilliam Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
(8 issues, 1950–1951) — continues numbering of Super Western Comics
- Buffalo Bill
- Youthful Love (1 issue, 1950)
- Truthful Love (1 issue, 1950) — continues numbering of Youthful Love