Login
Login

Quality Comics

{{Short description|1937–1956 American comic book publisher}}

{{for|the United Kingdom comic book publisher formed in 1982|Quality Communications}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Quality Comics

| founded = 1937

| defunct = December 1956

| founder = Everett M. "Busy" Arnold

| image =

| logo_caption =

| hq_location = New York City, U.S.

| key_people = Eisner & Iger

| parent = Comic Magazines, Inc.

| divisions =

| products = Comic books

| topics =

| genre = Superhero, war, humor, romance, horror

| url =

| predecessor = Comic Favorites, Inc.

}}

Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company which operated from 1937 to 1956 and was a creative, influential force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of Comic Books.

Notable, long-running titles published by Quality include Blackhawk, Feature Comics, G.I. Combat, Heart Throbs, Military Comics/Modern Comics, Plastic Man, Police Comics, Smash Comics, and The Spirit. While most of their titles were published by a company named Comic Magazines, from 1940 onwards all publications bore a logo that included the word "Quality". Notable creators associated with the company included Jack Cole, Reed Crandall, Will Eisner, Lou Fine, Gill Fox, Paul Gustavson, Bob Powell, and Wally Wood.

History

Quality Comics was founded by Everett M. Arnold, a printer who saw the rapidly rising popularity of the comic book medium in the late 1930s. Deducing that Depression-era audiences wanted established quality and familiar comic strips for their hard-earned dimes, in 1937 the enterprising Arnold formed Comic Favorites, Inc. (in collaboration with three newspaper syndicates: the McNaught Syndicate, the Frank J. Markey Syndicate, and Iowa's Register and Tribune Syndicate).{{ cite book |last=Steranko |first=Jim |title=The Steranko History of Comics 2 |year=1972 |publisher=Supergraphics |location=Reading, PA |page=92 }}

Comic Favorites, Inc.'s first publication was Feature Funnies, which began primarily with color reprints of hit strips from all three co-owning syndicates (including Joe Palooka, Mickey Finn, and Dixie Dugan [all three from McNaught]) alongside a small number of original features.{{cite book |last1=Kooiman |first1=Mike |last2=Amash |first2=Jim |title=Quality Companion, The |date=November 2011 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |location=Raleigh, NC |isbn=978-1-60549-037-3 |page=8 }} The original material came from various sources, including the company's in-house staff and freelancers (from the first issue){{cite book |last1=Kooiman |first1=Mike |last2=Amash |first2=Jim |title=Quality Companion, The |date=November 2011 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |location=Raleigh, NC |isbn=978-1-60549-037-3 |pages=8, 11 }} and the Eisner & Iger shop (from issue #3).{{cite book |last1=Kooiman |first1=Mike |last2=Amash |first2=Jim |title=Quality Companion, The |date=November 2011 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |location=Raleigh, NC |isbn=978-1-60549-037-3 |pages=9–10 }}

A frequent point of confusion is whether and how comic packaging shop Harry "A" Chesler was involved with the company's early days. Several sources{{cite book|last=Benton|first=Mike|title=The Comic Book in America, Updated Edition|year=1989|publisher=Taylor Publishing Company|location=Dallas, TX|isbn=0-87833-835-7|pages=142}}{{cite book|last=Beerbohm|first=Robert Lee|title=The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide|year=2006|publisher=Gemstone Publishing|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-375-72108-3|edition=37th |author2=Richard D. Olson |editor=Robert M. Overstreet|page=386}} list Chesler as the publisher of Feature Funnies, but the only primary source to mention Chesler is an interview with Arnold in which he describes purchasing content from the shop for Military Comics and Police Comics,{{cite book|last=Steranko|first=Jim|title=The Steranko History of Comics 2|year=1972|publisher=Supergraphics|location=Reading, PA|pages=92–93}} neither of which began until 1941. An interview with Will Eisner quoted in The Quality Companion indicates that Arnold did not always own Comic Favorites, Inc., but the authors of that reference were unable to find any corroborating evidence amidst a large volume of evidence to the contrary.{{cite book |last1=Kooiman |first1=Mike |last2=Amash |first2=Jim |title=Quality Companion, The |date=November 2011 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |location=Raleigh, NC |isbn=978-1-60549-037-3 |page=208 }}

In 1939, Arnold and the owners of the Register & Tribune Syndicate's parent company, brothers John Cowles Sr. and Gardner Cowles Jr., bought out the McNaught and Markey interests. Arnold became 50% owner of the newly formed Comic Magazines, Inc., the corporate entity that would publish the Quality Comics line. That year Quality released Smash Comics #1 (Aug. 1939), the company's first comic book with exclusively new material.

Initially buying features from Eisner & Iger, a prominent "packager" that produced comics on demand for publishers entering the new medium, Quality introduced such superheroes as Plastic Man and Kid Eternity, and non-superhero characters including the aviator hero Blackhawk. Quality also published comic-book reprints of Will Eisner's "The Spirit", the seven-page lead feature in a weekly 16-page, tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book, known colloquially as "The Spirit Section", distributed through Sunday newspapers.

Image:CrackComics5.jpg.]]

The name Quality Comics debuted on the cover of Crack Comics #5 (Sept. 1940; see at right). "Seemingly never an official publishing title," the Connecticut Historical Society noted, "the Quality Comics Group is a trademarked name (presumably taking its name from Stamford's nickname of 'the Quality City') encompassing Comic Favorites Inc., E.M. Arnold Publications, Smash Comics, and any other imprints owned by Arnold".{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212535/http://www.chs.org/comics/quality.htm|archive-date=September 27, 2007|title=Quality Comic Group: A Brief History|publisher=Connecticut Historical Society|url=http://www.chs.org/comics/quality.htm|url-status=dead}} A 1954 federal documentArchive of [https://web.archive.org/web/20091027160127/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8580/kefauver.html Comic Books and Juvenile Delinquency Interim Report of the Committee on the Judiciary Pursuant to S. Res. 89 and S. Res. 190]. [http://www.reocities.com/Athens/8580/kefauver.html Reocities archive of original] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027160127/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8580/kefauver.html |date=2009-10-27 }}. noted that the Quality Romance Group, owned by Everett M. and Claire C. Arnold, with an office at 347 Madison Avenue, in New York City, published two titles as Arnold Publications, Inc., two titles as Comic Favorites, Inc., and 14 titles as Comic Magazines, Inc.

By the mid-1950s, with television and paperback books drawing readers away from comic books in general and superheroes in particular, interest in Quality's characters had declined considerably. After a foray into other genres such as war, humor, romance and horror, the company ceased operations with comics cover-dated December 1956.

Continuation of characters at other publishers

Many of Quality's character and title trademarks were sold to National Comics Publications (now DC Comics), which chose to keep only four series running: Blackhawk, G.I. Combat, Heart Throbs (each for another 100 or more issues), and Robin Hood Tales (for 8 issues).

There has been much confusion over whether the original Quality Comics and their characters are in public domain. The original copyrights for Quality's publications were never renewed, leaving them in the public domain. The trademarks to the characters were sold to DC, which has periodically published stories with them to renew copyright.{{cite book|last1=Kooiman|first1=Mike|last2=Amash|first2=Jim|title=The Quality Companion|date=November 2011|publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing|location=Raleigh, NC|isbn=978-1-60549-037-3|pages=32–33}}

Over the decades, DC revived other Quality characters. Plastic Man has starred in several short-lived series starting in 1966,{{cite web|url=http://www.comics.org/search/advanced/process/?target=series&method=icontains&logic=False&keywords=&order1=date&order2=series&pub_name=DC&country=us&series=Plastic+Man|title="Plastic Man" series search|publisher=Grand Comics Database}} as well as a Saturday morning cartoon from 1979–1981.{{cite book|last1=Kooiman|first1=Mike|last2=Amash|first2=Jim|title=The Quality Companion|date=November 2011|publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing|location=Raleigh, NC|isbn=978-1-60549-037-3|page=34}} The character went on to become a member of the Justice League in the 1990s.

According to DC canon, the Quality characters, before the 1985-1986 DC revamping event called Crisis on Infinite Earths, existed on two separate realities in the DC Multiverse: Earth-Quality and Earth-X.Official Crisis on Infinite Earths Cross-Over Index (DC Comics, 1986). While Earth-Quality followed much the same history as the main Earths, Earth-X was radically different from most Earths, in that World War II continued there until 1973, enabling the Freedom Fighters to continue their fight against the Nazis. Following the Crisis, the Quality characters are transported to the main universe.

New, successor versions of the characters Black Condor and The Ray were introduced in 1992. Both were recruited into the Justice League. The new Ray had his own 1994–1996 series and occasionally appears as a reserve Justice League member. Yet another version of the Ray was introduced in 2011.

Some Quality Comics titles, including Blackhawk and Plastic Man, have been reprinted by DC, while lesser-known ones have been reprinted by AC Comics.

Characters/features

{{Main|List of Quality Comics characters}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break}}

{{col-break}}

{{col-end}}

List of titles published by Quality Comics

Quality published comics from 1939 to 1956.{{Cite web|url=https://www.comics.org/publisher/67/|title=GCD :: Publisher :: Quality Comics|website=www.comics.org}}{{multiple image

| direction = vertical

| width = 100

| footer = Quality characters and titles.

| image1 = MilitaryComicsNo21.jpg

| image2 = DollMan40.jpg

| image3 = NationalComics26.jpg

| image4 = HitComicsNumber25.jpg

| image5 = SmashComicsNumber43.jpg

| image6 = HitComicsNo19.jpg

| image7 = SpiritNo18.jpg

}}

  • All Humor Comics #1–17 (1946–1949)
  • The Barker #1–15 (1946–1949)
  • Blackhawk #9–107 (1944–1956; formerly Uncle Sam Quarterly #1–8;As new periodical titles were subject to an expensive registration fee by the U.S. Postal Service to receive a second-class mail permit, Golden Age comic book publishers frequently continued the numbering of old titles on new ones, hence one comic book title "becoming" another with completely unrelated content. Blackhawk #108–273 subsequently published by DC Comics, 1957–1983)
  • Bride's Romance #1–23 (1953–1956)
  • Broadway Romances #1–5 (1950)
  • Buccaneers #19–27 (1950–1951; formerly Kid Eternity #1–18)
  • Buster Bear #1–10 (1953–1955)
  • Campus Loves #1–5 (1949–1950)
  • Candy #1–64 (1947–1956)
  • Crack Comics #1–62 (1940–1949; Crack Comics[Ashcan] #1)
  • Crack Western #63–84 (1949–1953; formerly Crack Comics #1–62; Jonesy #85(1) 2-8)
  • Diary Loves #2–31 (1949–1953; formerly Love Diary #1; G.I. Sweethearts #32-45 Girls in Love #46-57)
  • Doll Man #1–47 (1941–1953)
  • Egbert #1-20 (1946–1950)
  • Exotic Romances #22–31 (1955–1956; formerly True War Romances #1–21)
  • Exploits of Daniel Boone #1–6 (1955–1956)
  • Feature Funnies #1–20 (1937–1939);Per Andrews, Henry, at [http://www.comics.org/indicia_publisher/128/ Quality Comics : Comic Favorites, Inc. (Indicia Publisher)] at the Grand Comics Database: "Contrary to what is often reported, there is no evidence that Harry 'A' Chesler was ever an owner of this company or in any way a 'pre-Quality' publisher. He is not mentioned anywhere in Feature Funnies #1 or #2, and the earliest available statement of ownership (from #16) lists Everett M. Arnold, Frank J. Markey, Henry P. Martin, Jr. and Frank J. Murphy as co-owners."{{cite book |last1=Kooiman |first1=Mike |last2=Amash |first2=Jim |title=Quality Companion, The |date=November 2011 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |location=Raleigh, NC |pages=207–8,216 }} Feature Comics #21-144 (1939–1950)
  • Flaming Love #1–6 (1949–1950)
  • Forbidden Love #1–4 (1950)
  • Gabby #11; issue numbering restarts,Such renumbering occurred when the U.S. Postal Service discovered a new title distributed under old numbering; the publisher was then forced to not only pay the registration fee, but also to list the correct issue number. #2–9 (1953–1954; formerly Ken Shannon #1-10)
  • G.I. Combat #1–43 (1952–1956; #44-288 subsequently published by DC Comics, 1957–1987)
  • G.I. Sweethearts #32–45 (1953–1955; formerly Diary Loves #2–31; #46 onward Girls in Love #46-57)
  • Girls in Love #46–57 (1955–1956; formerly G.I. Sweethearts #32–45)
  • Heart Throbs #1–46 (1949; #47–146 subsequently published by DC Comics, 1957–1972; retitled Love Stories, #147–152, 1972–1973)
  • Hickory #1-6 (1949–1950)
  • Hit Comics #1–65 (1940–1950)
  • Hollywood Diary #1–5 (1949–1950)
  • Hollywood Secrets #1–6 (1949–1950)
  • Intrigue #1 (1955)
  • Jonesy #85; issue numbering restarts, 2–8 (1953–1954; formerly Crack Western #1–84)
  • Ken Shannon #1–10 (1951–1953; Gabby #11 onward)
  • Kid Eternity #1–18 (1946–1949; Buccaneers #19 onward)
  • Lady Luck #86–90 (1949–1950; formerly Smash Comics #1–85)
  • Love Confessions #1–54 (1949–1956)
  • Love Diary #1 (1949; Diary Loves #2 onward)
  • Love Letters #1–51 (1949–1956)
  • Love Scandals #1–5 (1950)
  • Love Secrets #32–56 (1953–1956)
  • Marmaduke Mouse #1–65 (1946–1956)
  • Military Comics #1–43 (1941–1945; Modern Comics #44 onward)
  • Modern Comics #44–102 (1945–1950; previously Military Comics #1–43)
  • National Comics #1–75 (1940–1949)
  • Plastic Man #1–64 (1943–1956)
  • Police Comics #1–127 (1941–1953)
  • Range Romances #1–5 (1949–1950)
  • Robin Hood Tales #1–6 (1956; #7–14 subsequently published by DC Comics, 1957–1958)
  • Secret Loves #1–6 (1949–1950)
  • Smash Comics #1–85 (1939–1949; Lady Luck #86 onward)
  • The Spirit #1–22 (1944–1950)
  • T-Man #1–38 (1951–1956)
  • Torchy 1–6 (1949–1950)
  • True War Romances #1–21 (1952–1955; Exotic Romances #22 onward)
  • Uncle Sam Quarterly #1–8 (1941–1943; Blackhawk #9 onward)
  • Untamed Love #1–5 (1950)
  • Web of Evil #1–21 (1952–1954)
  • Wedding Bells #1–19 (1954–1956)
  • Yanks in Battle #1–4 (1956)

See also

References

{{reflist}}

References

  • {{gcdb publisher|id=67|title=Quality Comics}}
  • {{comicbookdb|type=publisher|id=169|title=Quality Comics}}

External links

  • Archive of [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212535/http://www.chs.org/comics/quality.htm "Quality Comic Group: A Brief History"] at the Connecticut Historical Society. [http://www.chs.org/comics/quality.htm Original page].
  • [http://www.herogoggles.com/Quality-Heroes.html Quality's Superheroes & Villains Encyclopedia]

{{DC Comics imprints}}

{{GoldenAge}}

{{Comic book publishers in North America navbox}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:DC Comics imprints

Category:Defunct comics and manga publishing companies

Category:Comic book publishing companies of the United States

Category:1937 establishments in New York City

Category:Publishing companies established in 1937

Quality Comics

Category:Companies based in New York City