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.)
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
Weird Comics (1940-1942)
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).
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
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
