Freebie comics done were the 100 page Century of Comics and Skippy’s Own Book of Comics.

Skippy was a very popular comic character and was the first to receive his own “new” comic dedicated comic series. Each of these had a print run of a half a million. From there Wildenberg was really interested in publishing a “higher level” of a comic book with reprints of famous comic strips, sold for 10 cents.

He tried to get many companies to hop on but none would. Among those to turn him down were Oscar Fitz-Alan Douglas known as the brains of Woolsworth department store. After much deliberation he decided a 10 cents wasn’t worth a comic book. Many other stores to turn them down, as did Parents Magazine. The just couldn’t see anyone paying 10 cents for old comics they already read from the newspapers. They Syndicates didn’t see it selling either, they remembered both Comics Monthly and The Funnies trying and failing at selling comic books.

In 1934, with a cover date of February 1935, New Fun Comics came out. The creator, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson decided that he didn’t want to pay the fees that the newspapers were charging for their old comic strip reprints. So he got new comic material that wasn’t being published in the newspapers. National Allied Publications Inc. published New Fun Comics in a much bigger 10″ x 15″ tabloid size.

Which was closer to what the news paper comic section was. The cover was full color and was made out of stiff cardboard. Inside about half the book had color in it, but each strip was usually allowed one color only. It is also said that this title is the first to have advertisements inside, while selling on the newsstands. The strips inside were done by a mix of cartoonist veterans struggling during the depression or young cartoonists trying to break in.

In fact, some of the new comic material was made by Wheeler-Nicholson himself. Some artists already had completed strips that the syndicates wouldn’t take, and they were able to get some money for them by printing them here. Many were knock offs of popular newspaper strips.

Out of all the strips only two had any lasting effect, those were Wing Brady and Barry O’Neill. The series would last 6 issues before the name would change to More Fun Comics, with issue #9 the format would change to a normal comic book size. Of those contributing strips to the issue would be Walt Kelly and Al Capp who later go on to have great success in the comic strip field. With the help of superheroes, this title would last 127 issues getting cancelled in November 1947. There was a brief time after issue #12 the book would start at #1 again with a volume 2.

This last for 5 issues and then switched back to volume 1 returning with the original numbering with issue 18.

In February 1936 Chicago Tribune Syndicate teamed up with Max Gaines, his assistant Sheldon Mayer and George Delacorte (his third try at comic books) and created Popular Comics featuring a huge amount of well known characters. Among them,

Dick Tracy, Mutt and Jeff,

Terry & the Pirates,

Gasoline Alley,

Skippy,

Tailspin Tommy,

Little Orphan Annie and many more. The third and final try at comics would be what Delacourte needed to become a successful publisher, in fact Dell Publishing Co. would be one of the most successful comic publishers of all time. This title would last 145 issues and end in 1948.

In April of 1936, another major comic strip syndicate would jump in the comic book business. King Features created King Comics. David McKay was a publisher who had done some comic books through King Features, and he had the job of doing this one with the editor Ruth Plumly Thompson. In it Flash Gordon, Popeye, Mandrake the Magician would be among the popular strips to make their appearance in the first issue. Later on The Lone Ranger, The Phantom, Prince Valiant, Blondie and Little Lulu would be among the other popular strips to appear in the title. The comic would last 159 issues and end in 1952. Out of it would spring Standard Publishing a comic book company with many different titles.

A month later two men named William Cook and John Mahon published The Comics Magazine #1. Cook and Mahon were former disgruntled employees of National Allied Publications, owned by Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson – the company that gets later renamed to DC Comics. Cook and Mahon would go on to form a publishing company called Comics Magazine Co. but the title changed and so did the ownership. Eventually it would be called Centaur Comics. The Comics Magazine #1 would feature a character and two creators that go on to become famous. Mr. Mystic was created and done by Siegel and Shuster, the two would go on to create Superman. Mr.Mystic was not in a costume in this issue, but the weird thing was the character would later appear in DC Comics More Fun #14, with the story (called “The Koth and the Seven”) continuing on from one publishers book to the next. Another Siegel and Shuster character to appear in this title was Federal Agent, later renamed Federal Men when they also appeared in DC Comics. The Comics Magazine would change it’s name to Funny Pages with issue #6. The series would feature a character named The Clock, who was the first masked hero in comics. The title would last until 1940 ending with issue #42.

Will Eisner’s first work was in Wow What a Magazine #1. Wow would only go 4 issues,

By the end of the year, Centuar Publications would be the first to publish titles devoted to a single theme. They were Detective Picture Stories, Western Picture Stories, and Funny Picture Stories. Despite the title, Funny was about Adventure type stories. Detective Picture Stories would last 5 issues and they would include some work by creators who later become famous like Wil Eisner and Bob Kane. The title may have continued on with another name but the specifics are not known. Funny Picture Stories lasted almost as long, but they did 3 volumes, resetting the numbers back to #1 each time. The 1st went 9 issues, the 2nd went 11 issues (#6 being the first with the Centuar Comics name on it) and the 3^rd lasted 3 issues before the title gets renamed to Comic Pages from #4 and up. This series also had work from people who later become famous, among them Charles Biro and Bob Wood best known for Crime Does Not Pay comic, and Fred Guardineer who did a lot of work for DC Comics. Lastly, Western Picture Stories lasted 4 issues. All with Wil Eisner work in them.

In March 1937, Detective Comics #1 came out. This comic was the first true DC comic book. This issue was the first production of two companies that formed the DC company. Comic producer Major Malcolm Wheeler wasn’t making much money with his comic books (New Fun being one of them) and owed money to his printer and just about everybody else. Wheeler was forced to collaborated with his printer/distributor Harry Donenfeld to produce this book. Most of the stories in this issue are racist towards Chineese people and they are the villains in the majority of the tales. One such story titled “Claws of the Red Dragon” writen by Major Malcolm Wheeler. Another story of note in here is called Slam Bradley done by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The character looks very similar to another they created. That being Superman. From the opening splash page to the different layouts to the tough guy hero saves the girls it’s easy to see how there style paved the way for the typical comic hero story.

Comics On Parade #1 by United Feature Syndicate. April 1938, goes to #104 1955. First issue featured Tarzan by Hal Foster, Captain and the Kids, Little Mary Mixup, Abbie & Slats, Ella Cinders, Broncho Bill, and Li’l Abner.

Next the Golden Age shines

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