List of Golden Age comics publishers

List of Golden Age of Comics publishers. The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s. During this time, modern comic books were first published and enjoyed a surge of popularity; the archetype of the superhero was created and defined; and many of the most famous superheroes debuted.

Comics "packagers" like Harry "A" Chesler (c. 1935), the Eisner and Iger Studio (c. 1936), Funnies, Inc. (1939), the S. M. Iger Studio (1940), the L. B. Cole studio (1942), the Jack Binder Studio (1942), and the Bernard Baily Studio (1943) also formed during this time, to supply cheaply produced material to the burgeoning comics industry.

This is a list of publishers which operated during the Golden Age of Comics, up to 1956, when many publishers went out of business due to the scapegoating of comics by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, Senator Estes Kefauver, and the creation of the self-censoring body the Comics Code Authority. (1956 also saw the debut of the new superhero the Flash, and the start of what is generally considered the Silver Age of Comic Books.)

Timeline

The first publisher in this category was Dell Comics, established in 1929 although they started to publish modern comic books in 1935.

• Dell Comics (1929–1973)

1930 - 1934

• Eastern Color Printing (1933–1955) [continued as a printer until 2002]
• National Periodical Publications(1934–present) — officially renamed as DC Comics after its first comic book Detective Comics in 1977

1935 - 1939

• Comics Magazine Company (1936-1957) — assets acquired by Ultem Publications
• Ultem Publications (1937-1938) — acquired assets of Chesler Publications and the Comics Magazine Company; assets acquired by Centaur Publications
• Harry "A" Chesler Comics (1937–1946) — also known as Harry A. Chesler Feature Syndicate. Imprints: Dynamic Publications, Home Guide Publications, Magazine Press
• David McKay Publications (1937–1950)
• Centaur Publications (1938–1942) — acquired the assets of Ultem Publications
• All-American Publications (1938–1946) — taken over by DC Comics
• Fiction House (1938–1954)
• Timely Comics (1939–1948) — evolved into Marvel Comics (1948) but because of the distributor logo was often called Atlas Comics (1950-1957) known as Marvel Comics (1961-present)
• MLJ Comics (1939 - 1948) evolved intoArchie Comics (1948–present)
• Fawcett Comics (1939–1953) — canceled comics line after National Comics Publications v. Fawcett Publications lawsuit
• Lev Gleason Publications (1939–1955) — also known as Comic House Publications
• Nedor Comics (1939–1956) — also known as Standard Comics, Better Comics, and Thrilling Comics
• Quality Comics (1939–1956)
• Fox Feature Syndicate (1939–1951)
• Worth Carnahan (1939-1940) Imprints: Worth Publishing, Bilbara Publishing, Hit Publishing
• Frank Z. Temerson (1939-1941; 1943-1946; 1950?) — imprints include Tem Publishing, Nita Publishing, Helnit Publishing (1939-1941); Et-Es-Go Magazines, Continental Magazines (1943-1946) and possibly Continental Publications (1950); assets acquired by Holyoke Publishing 1942-1943

1940 - 1944

• Ace Comics (1940–1956)
• Columbia Comics (1940–1949)
• Novelty Press (1940–1949)
• Street & Smith Comics (1940–1949)
• Farrell Publications (1940–1958) — numerous imprints
• Gilberton (1941–1971)
• Great Comics Publications (1941–1942)
• Harvey Comics (1941–1986)
• Holyoke Publishing (1942–1946) — acquired assets of Helnit and (temporarily) Fox; lost Helnit assets to successor Et-Es-Go Magazines
• Magazine Enterprises (1943–1958)
• Crestwood Publications (1943–1963) — later known as Prize Comics
• L. Miller & Son, Ltd. (1943–1966) — British publisher known for Marvelman
• American Comics Group (1943–1967)
• Narrative Publishers (1944)
• Rural Home Publications (1944–1945) — group of loosely tied fly-by-night publishers using prepackaged material, many using black market supplies of paper at the end of World War II; mutual tie-ins unclear. Enwil listed as copyright publisher. Some titles continued by Orbit Publications and others by Charlton.
• Aviation Press (1944-1946)
• Spark Publications (1944–1946)
• Humor Publications/Current Books (1944–1948) — Ace Magazines imprint.
• EC Comics (1946–1956) — continued to publish Mad magazine

1945 - 1949

• Cambridge House Publishers (1945–1945)
• Orbit Publications (1945–1953) — also known as Orbit Comics
• Superior Publishers Limited (1945–1956) — Canadian publisher which reprinted American comics
• Charlton Comics (1946–1986)
• St. John Publications (1947–1958)
• Hillman Periodicals (1948–1953)
• Star Publications (1949–1954) — acquired assets of Novelty Press. Founded by noted cover artist L.B. Cole
• Toby Press (1949–1955) — also known as Toby Comics
• Trojan Magazines (1949–1955) — evolved from 1940s pulp magazine publisher owned by Harry Donenfeld and Mike Estrow. Imprints: Pix-Parade (1949–1952), Ribage (1953–1954), Stanhall (1951–1954)

1950 - 1954

• Youthful (1949–1954) — also known as Youthful Magazines
• Comic Media (1952–1954)
• Ajax/Farrell (1952–1958) — part of Farrell Publications. Imprint: Four Star Publications
• Mainline Publications (1953–1956)

Of the Golden Age publishers in this list, only a handful survived past 1960: Crestwood Publications(1963), American Comics Group(1967), Gilberton(1971), Dell Comics(1973), Charlton Comics(1986), Harvey Comics(1986), Archie Comics(to present), Marvel Comics(to present), and National Allied Publications (DC Comics)(to present).

Alphabetical list of Golden Age publishers

• Ace Comics (1940–1956)
• Ajax/Farrell (1952–1958) — part of Farrell Publications. Imprint: Four Star Publications
• All-American Publications (1938–1946) — evolved into DC Comics
• American Comics Group (1943–1967)
• Archie Comics (1939–present)
• Atlas Comics (1951–1957) — previously Timely Comics, became Marvel Comics
• Aviation Press (1944-1946)
• Cambridge House Publishers (1945–1945)
• Centaur Publications (1938–1942) — acquired the assets of Ultem Publications
• Charlton Comics (1946–1986)
• Columbia Comics (1940–1949)
• Comic Media (1952–1954)
• Comics Magazine Company (1936-1957) — assets acquired by Ultem Publications
• Crestwood Publications (1943–1963) — later known as Prize Comics
• David McKay Publications (1937–1950)
• DC Comics (1934–present) — founded as National Allied Publications
• Dell Comics (1929–1973)
• Eastern Color Printing (1933–1955) [continued as a printer until 2002]
• EC Comics (1944–1956) — continued to publish Mad magazine
• Farrell Publications (1940–1958) — numerous imprints
• Fawcett Comics (1939–1953) — canceled comics line after National Comics Publications v. Fawcett Publications lawsuit
• Fiction House (1938–1954)
• Fox Feature Syndicate (1939–1951)
• Frank Z. Temerson (1939-1941; 1943-1946; 1950?) — imprints include Tem Publishing, Nita Publishing, Helnit Publishing (1939-1941); Et-Es-Go Magazines, Continental Magazines (1943-1946) and possibly Continental Publications (1950); assets acquired by Holyoke Publishing 1942-1943
• Gilberton (1941–1971)
• Great Comics Publications (1941–1942)
• Harry "A" Chesler Comics (1937–1946) — also known as Harry A. Chesler Feature Syndicate. Imprints: Dynamic Publications, Home Guide Publications, Magazine Press
• Harvey Comics (1941–1986)
• Hillman Periodicals (1948–1953)
• Holyoke Publishing (1942–1946) — acquired assets of Helnit and (temporarily) Fox; lost Helnit assets to successor Et-Es-Go Magazines
• Humor Publications/Current Books (1944–1948) — Ace Magazines imprint.
• L. Miller & Son, Ltd. (1943–1966) — British publisher known for Marvelman
• Lev Gleason Publications (1939–1955) — also known as Comic House Publications
• Magazine Enterprises (1943–1958)
• Mainline Publications (1953–1956)
• Marvel Comics (1939–present) — known as Timely Comics 1939-c.1950 and Atlas Comics c.1950-c.1957, with periods of no particular brand identity
• Narrative Publishers (1944)
• Nedor Comics (1939–1956) — also known as Standard Comics, Better Comics, and Thrilling Comics
• Novelty Press (1940–1949)
• Orbit Publications (1945–1953) — also known as Orbit Comics
• Quality Comics (1939–1956)
• Rural Home Publications (1944–1945) — group of loosely tied fly-by-night publishers using prepackaged material, many using black market supplies of paper at the end of World War II; mutual tie-ins unclear. Enwil listed as copyright publisher. Some titles continued by Orbit Publications and others by Charlton.
• Spark Publications (1944–1946)
• St. John Publications (1947–1958)
• Star Publications (1949–1954) — acquired assets of Novelty Press. Founded by noted cover artist L.B. Cole
• Street & Smith Comics (1940–1949)
• Superior Publishers Limited (1945–1956) — Canadian publisher which reprinted American comics
• Timely Comics (1939–c.1950) — evolved into Atlas Comics and subsequently Marvel Comics
• Toby Press (1949–1955) — also known as Toby Comics
• Trojan Magazines (1949–1955) — evolved from 1940s pulp magazine publisher owned by Harry Donenfeld and Mike Estrow. Imprints: Pix-Parade (1949–1952), Ribage (1953–1954), Stanhall (1951–1954)
• Ultem Publications (1937-1938) — acquired assets of Chesler Publications and the Comics Magazine Company; assets acquired by Centaur Publications
• Worth Carnahan (1939-1940) Imprints: Worth Publishing, Bilbara Publishing, Hit Publishing
• Youthful (1949–1954) — also known as Youthful Magazines

Packagers

• Bernard Baily Studio (1943–1946)
• Eisner and Iger Studio (c. 1936–1939)
• Funnies, Inc./Lloyd Jacquet Studios (1939–c. 1958)
• Harry "A" Chesler (c. 1935–c. 1953) — also operated as a publisher
• Jack Binder Studio (1942–1946)
• L. B. Cole studio (1942–1948)
• S. M. Iger Studio (1940–1955) — Jerry Iger's successor to Eisner & Iger

References

• Grand Comics Database
• Hughes, Bob. "DC's 'Other' Comics," Who's Whose in DC Comics.
• Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999
• Digital Comic Museum (scans of presumed public domain Golden Age comics)