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", often operated by notable artists such as Will Eisner and Jack Binder, also formed during this time, to supply cheaply produced material to the burgeoning comics industry.

The first publisher in this category was Dell Comics, established in 1929 although they started to publish modern comic books in 1935. This list ends in the mid-1950s, when many publishers went out of business due to the scapegoating of comics by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham and Senator Estes Kefauver, and the creation of the self-censoring body the Comics Code Authority in 1954. The debut of the new superhero the Flash in 1956 is generally considered the beginning of the Silver Age of Comic Books.

Of the Golden Age publishers in this list, only a handful survived past 1960:

• Crestwood Publications (1943–1963)
• American Comics Group (1943–1967)
• Gilberton (1941–1971)
• Dell Comics (1929–1973)
• Charlton Comics (1946–1986)
• Harvey Comics (1941–1986)
• Archie Comics (1939 to present)
• Marvel Comics (formerly Timely Comics, 1939 to present)
• National Allied Publications (later DC Comics, 1934 to present)

Alphabetical list of American Golden Age publishers

• Ace Comics (1940–1956)
• Ajax/Farrell (1952–1958) — part of Farrell Publications. Imprint: Four Star Publications
• All-American Publications (1938–1946) — taken over by National Comics Publications
• 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.
• 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 (1945–1955) — also known as Orbit Comics and Orbit-Wanted
• 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)
• 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 / S. M. Iger Studio — (c. 1936–1955) — Eisner & Iger operated from c. 1936–1939; Iger operated from 1940–1955
• 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)

Timeline

pre-1930

• 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 in 1977 after the title of its first comic book Detective Comics

1935–1939

• Comics Magazine Company (1936–1937) — 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 National Comics Publications
• Fiction House (1938–1954)
• Timely Comics (1939–1950) — evolved into Atlas Comics (1951–1957) and later Marvel Comics (1961–present)
• MLJ Comics (1939–1946) — evolved into Archie Comics (1946–present)
• Fawcett Comics (1939–1953) — canceled comics line after National Comics Publications, Inc. v. Fawcett Publications, Inc. lawsuit
• Lev Gleason Publications (1939–1955) — also known as Comic House Publications
• Standard Comics (1939–1956) — also known as Better Publications and Nedor Publications
• Quality Comics (1939–1956) — assets acquired by National Comics Publications
• 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
• 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 (1944–1956) — continued to publish Mad magazine

1945–1949

• Cambridge House Publishers (1945–1945)
• Avon Publications (1945–1955) — also known as Avon Periodicals
• Orbit Publications (1945–1955) — also known as Orbit Comics and Orbit-Wanted
• 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)
• Youthful (1949–1954) — also known as Youthful Magazines

1950–1954

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

Visual timeline

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)