I. W. Publications

I. W. Publications
I.W. Publications's Human Fly #10 (1963), reprinting material from Fox Feature Syndicate's Blue Beetle
Parent companyI. W. Enterprises
Founded1958
FounderIsrael Waldman
Defunct1964
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationNew York City
Publication typesComic books
Fiction genresAdventure, crime, science fiction, Western, horror, war, romance comics, funny animal, superhero
ImprintsSuper Comics

I.W. Publications (also known as Super Comics) was a short-lived comic book publisher in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The company was part of I.W. Enterprises, and named for the company's owner, Israel Waldman. I.W. Publications was notable for publishing unauthorized reprints of other publishers' properties. Usually these companies were already out of business.

I.W. Publications published comics in a wide variety of genres, including adventure, crime, science fiction, Western, horror, war and romance comics, as well as funny animal and superhero titles. The company was known for its low-budget products: most of I.W.'s comics were sold in grocery and discount stores,[1][2] often in "three comics for a quarter" plastic bags.[3] The numbering of most of the company's titles is misleading, often not starting at issue #1 and skipping issue numbers. The company produced 118 separate titles, but only 332 individual issues (many titles only published a single issue).

The company published one comic book with original material: Marty Mouse #1 (1958), featuring funny animal stories by Vincent Fago, among others.[4]

Some I.W./Super Comics titles used original cover art: illustrators included Jack Abel, Ross Andru, Sol Brodsky, Carl Burgos, Mike Esposito, and John Severin, with lettering by Ben Oda.

History

Following the publication of Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent and the 1954 comic book hearings of the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency, many comic book publishers closed down shop in the years 1954–1956. Other than I.W., no new publishers debuted in 1958. Comics historian Don Markstein explained the company's methods:

Waldman was able to sell them cheaply because in many cases, he was able to supply the letterpress plates they were printed from, and thus avoid paying for new ones. How a man who gives little evidence of being interested in comics before emerging as an extremely low-end publisher, came to have such production materials is simply that he bought out defunct publishers' storage facilities, purchasing physical materials only and ignoring intellectual property rights. In many cases, he dealt with Eastern Color Printing, which did most of America's comics, for materials their publishers had left behind when they went out of business.[5]

The company started publishing in 1958, with comics originally published by Avon Comics, Fiction House, Magazine Enterprises, and others. Many of these comics had the tagline "A Top Quality Comics." After releasing a great quantity of comics in 1958, the company went on hiatus until 1963, when it again released a number of comics up into 1964. The latter half of the company's existence, it published comics under the "Super Comics" name. Many of these titles were reprints of Toby Press, Avon, Magazine Enterprises, and Quality Comics. Many of these titles had the tagline "Super Comics Seal of Quality."

I.W. Publications went out of business in 1964. Waldman would later be involved with the short-lived black-and-white comics magazines publisher Skywald Publications in the 1970s.[3]

Publishers whose work was reprinted in I.W. Publications comics

Titles

Title Pub. dates # of Issues Original publisher Original title Genre Notes
Algie 1964 1 Timor Algie teen humor
Apache 1958 1 Fiction House Apache Western
The Avenger 1958 1 Magazine Enterprises The Avenger superhero
Battle Stories 1963–1964 7   Avon, Farrell, Magazine Enterprises, Superior, Toby various war
Billy and Buggy Bear 1958, 1963–1964 3 Timely All Surprise Comics funny animal
Black Knight 1963 1 Toby The Black Knight adventure
Blazing Sixguns 1958 10 Fox, Key Publications, Mainline, Timor, Youthful various Western
The Brain 1958, 1963 9   Magazine Enterprises The Brain humor
Buccaneer / The Buccaneers 1958, 1963–1964 3 Quality The Buccaneers adventure
Buster Bear 1958 2 Novelty Frisky Fables funny animal originally published in 1947
Candy 1963–1964 3 Quality Candy teen humor
Casper Cat 1958, 1963 3 Timely Dopey Duck funny animal originally published in 1946
Cosmo Cat 1958 1 Fox Cosmo Cat funny animal
Cowboys 'N' Injuns 1958, 1963 3 Magazine Enterprises Tick Tock Tales humor originally published in 1951
Danger 1963–1964 7   Dynamic Publications, Novack, Novelty, Timely, Toby various omnibus includes a Nemo in Adventureland story by Bob McCay called "Morpheus's War"[6]
Danger is Our Business 1958 1 Toby Danger is Our Business crime
Daring Adventures 1963–1964 9 Avon, Fox, Star, Novelty, Spark, Superior various horror-suspense Issue 18#[7]
Dogface Dooley 1958 2 Magazine Enterprises Dogface Dooley military humor
Doll Man 1963–1964 3 Quality Doll Man superhero
Dr. Fu Manchu 1958 1 Avon The Mask of Dr. Fu Manchu adventure
Dream of Love 1958 4 Magazine Enterprises, Toby various romance
Dynamic Adventures 1958 2 Fiction House, Avon various omnibus
Dynamic Comics 1958 1 Superior Dynamic Comics omnibus
Eerie / Eerie Tales 1958, 1963–1964 7 Avon, Bernard Baily, Fiction House, Novelty, Star, Toby various horror-suspense
Famous Funnies 1963–1964 3 Avon, Farrell, Novelty, St. John various funny animal
Fantastic Adventures 1963–1964 7 Chesler, Farrell, Iger, Nesbit, Star, Toby various omnibus
Fantastic Tales 1958 1 Avon City of the Living Dead horror-suspense
Fighting Daniel Boone 1958 1 Avon Fighting Daniel Boone omnibus
Firehair 1958 1 Fiction House Firehair Western
Foxhole 1963–1964 6 Magazine Enterprises, Mainline, Toby various war
Frontier Romances 1958 2 Avon, Fiction House various Western romance
Full of Fun 1958 1 Bernard Baily various humor
Great Action Comics 1958 3 Cambridge House, Fox Golden Medal Comics (Cambridge), Phantom Lady (Fox) superhero
Great Western 1958 4 Magazine Enterprises various Western includes a large quantity of Straight Arrow stories
Gunfighters 1963–1964 5 Farrell, Magazine Enterprises, Toby various Western
Hollywood Secrets of Romance 1958 1 Quality Hollywood Secrets romance
Human Fly 1958 2 Fox Blue Beetle superhero
Indian Braves 1958 1 Ace Indian Braves Western
Indians of the Wild West 1958 1 Fiction House Indians Western
Intimate Confessions 1958, 1963–1964 4 Avon Intimate Confessions romance
Jet Power 1958 2 Magazine Enterprises Jet Power science fiction
Jungle Adventures 1963–1964 5 Avon, Fiction House, Fox, Novelty, Star various jungle adventure
Jungle Comics 1958 1 Fiction House Jungle Comics jungle adventure
Ka'a'nga 1958 2   Fiction House Ka'a'nga jungle adventure
Kat Karson 1958 1 Magazine Enterprises Cowboys 'N' Injuns Western humor
Kid Koko 1958 2 Magazine Enterprises Koko and Kola funny animal
Kiddie Kapers 1963 4 Magazine Enterprises, Timor Cowboys 'N' Injuns (Magazine Enterprises), Animal Adventures (Timor) funny animal
Kit Carson 1963 1 Avon Kit Carson Western
Krazy Krow 1958, 1963 3 Timely Krazy Krow funny animal
Leo the Lion 1958 1 Green Publishing Adventures of Patoruzu funny animal
Little Eva 1958, 1963–1964 14 St. John Little Eva humor
Little Spunky 1958 1 Novelty Frisky Fables funny animal
Love and Marriage 1958, 1963–1964 7 Quality, Superior various romance
Malu in the Land of Adventure 1958 1 Avon Slave Girl Comics adventure
Man o' Mars 1958 1 Fiction House various science fiction
Marmaduke Monk 1958, 1963 2 Ace Monkeyshines Comics funny animal
Marty Mouse 1958 1 N/A N/A funny animal not a reprint; apparently original material from Vincent Fago, among others
Master Detective 1964 1 Novelty Criminals on the Run crime
Meet Merton 1958, 1963 3 Toby Meet Merton teen humor
Mighty Atom 1958 1   Magazine Enterprises Mighty Atom and the Pixies fantasy
Muggsy Mouse 1958, 1963 3 Magazine Enterprises Muggsy Mouse funny animal
Muggy-Doo, Boy Cat 1963–1964 2 Stanhall Muggy-Doo, Boy Cat funny animal
My Secret Marriage 1958 1 Superior My Secret Marriage romance
Mystery Tales 1964 3 Avon, St. John, Toby various horror-suspense
Pee-Wee Pixies 1958, 1963 3 Magazine Enterprises Pee-Wee Pixies fantasy
Pinky the Egghead 1958, 1963 3 Comic Media Pinky the Egghead humor
Planet Comics 1958 2 Fiction House Planet Comics science fiction
Plastic Man 1963 3 Quality Plastic Man superhero
Police Trap 1963–1964 4 Mainline Police Trap crime
Purple Claw 1958 1 Toby Purple Claw horror-suspense
Realistic Romances 1958 3 Avon Realistic Romances romance
Red Mask 1958 3 Magazine Enterprises Red Mask Western
Robin Hood 1958, 1963–1964 5 Magazine Enterprises Robin Hood adventure
Romantic Love 1958, 1963 5 Avon, Toby Romantic Love (Avon), Great Lover Romances & Young Lover Romances (Toby) romance
Sensational Police Cases 1958 1 Avon Prison Break crime
Sharpy Fox 1958, 1963 3 Green Publishing, Kiddie Kapers Company, Timely various funny animal
Sheena, Queen of the Jungle 1958 1 Fiction House Sheena, Queen of the Jungle jungle adventure
Silver Kid Western 1958 2 Key Publications / Medal Comics Silver Kid Western Western
Space Comics 1958 1 Avon Space Comics science fiction
Space Detective 1958 2 Avon Space Detective science fiction
Space Mysteries 1958 2 Atlas, Fiction House Journey into Unknown Worlds (Atlas), Planet Comics (Fiction House) science fiction
Speedy Rabbit 1958, 1963 3 Key Publications Peter Cottontail funny animal
The Spirit 1963–1964 2 Quality The Spirit superhero itself reprints of material from The Spirit section
Star Feature Comics 1958 1 Quality Feature Comics crime
Strange Mysteries 1958, 1963–1964 8 Avon, Chesler/Dynamic, Farrell, Four Star, Fox, Master Comics, Star, Toby various horror-suspense
Strange Planets 1958 8 Atlas, Avon, EC, Novelty, St. John various science fiction
Strange Worlds 1958 1 Avon Strange Worlds science fiction
Sunny, America's Sweetheart 1958 1   Fox Sunny, America's Sweetheart teen humor
Super-Brat 1958 6 Toby Super-Brat humor
Super Rabbit 1958 3 Timely Super Rabbit superhero funny animal one issue does not contain any Super Rabbit stories on the inside
Teen Romances 1963–1964 5 Star Popular Teen-Agers romance
Teen-Age Talk 1958 3 Key Publications, Superior, Stanhall various teen humor
Tell It To the Marines 1958, 1963–1964 3 Toby various war
Three Rascals 1958 3   Magazine Enterprises Clubhouse Rascals humor
Tippy Terry 1963 2 Reston Little Groucho humor
Tom-Tom The Jungle Boy 1958, 1963 4 Magazine Enterprises Tick Tock Tales funny animal
Top Adventure Comics 1958 2 Decker, Superior, Ziff-Davis various adventure
Top Detective Comics 1958 1 Novelty Criminals on the Run crime
Top Jungle Comics 1958 1 Avon White Princess of the Jungle jungle adventure
Torchy 1964 1 Quality Torchy humor
Tuffy Turtle 1958 1 Green Publishing Ribtickler funny animal
U.S. Fighting Air Force 1958 2 Superior U.S. Fighting Air Force war
U.S. Fighting Men 1963–1964 7 Avon, Superior, Timely, Toby various war
U.S. Paratroops 1958 2 Avon U.S. Paratroops war
U.S. Tank Commandos 1958 2 Avon U.S. Tank Commandos war
Undersea Commandos 1964 1 Avon Fighting Undersea Commandos war
Wacky Duck 1958, 1963 4 Timely Wacky Duck funny animal
Wacky Woodpecker 1958 2 Toby Two-Bit the Wacky Woodpecker funny animal
Wambi 1958 1 Fiction House Wambi, Jungle Boy jungle adventure
Western Action 1958 1 Avon Cow Puncher Comics Western
Westerner 1963–1963 3 Farrell, Quality, Timor various Western
Whip Wilson 1958 1 Timely Whip Wilson Western
Wild Bill Hickok 1958, 1963–1964 4 Avon various Western
Wild Western Roundup 1958 1   Decker, Ziff-Davis Wild Western Roundup (Decker), Kid Cowboy (Ziff-Davis) Western
Young Hearts In Love 1963 2 Prize Young Love romance
Ziggy Pig 1958 4 Timely Ziggy Pig funny animal

Notes

  1. ^ Shaw, Scott (September 2, 2005). "Wambi (The Jungle Boy) Issue: No. 8". "Oddball Comics" (column) #1084, ComicBookResources.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2005. Retrieved November 16, 2005.
  2. ^ Super Rabbit at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Arndt, Richard J. Horror Comics in Black and White: A History and Catalog, 1964-2004, (McFarland, 2013), p. 162.
  4. ^ "Marty Mouse #1," Grand Comics Database. Accessed Jan.2, 2019.
  5. ^ Markstein, Don. "IW/Super Comics," Toonpedia. Accessed Nov. 23, 2018.
  6. ^ Bob McKay entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999.
  7. ^ "Austin McConnell's Atlas Movie Hopes to Kick Off the Weirdest Shared Superhero Universe". Movies. Retrieved 2023-04-11.

References