Star Publications
Star Publications, Inc. was a Golden Age American comic book publisher, operating during the years 1949–1954. Founded by artist/editor L.B. Cole and lawyer Gerhard Kramer,
,
Toby Press
Toby Press was an American comic-book company that published from 1949 to 1955. Founded by Elliott Caplin, brother of cartoonist Al Capp and himself an established comic strip writer, the company published reprints of Capp's ''Li'l Abner'' strip; ...
Street & Smith Comics
Street & Smith or Street & Smith Publications, Inc. was a New York City publisher specializing in inexpensive paperbacks and magazines referred to as dime novels and pulp fiction. They also published comic books and sporting yearbooks. Among th ...
Poussy
''Poussy'' (literally: ''Pussy'') is a Belgian comic strip created in 1949 by Peyo. It is a gag-a-day comic about a cute black cat whose curiosity often gets him into trouble.
Concept
Peyo created ''Poussy'' on January 22, 1949, for the Belgian ...
Captain America Comics
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
Human Torch Comics
The Human Torch, also known as Jim Hammond (originally, Hamond), is a fictional character, fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Carl Burgos, he first appearance, first appeared ...
Captain America Comics
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
Human Torch Comics
The Human Torch, also known as Jim Hammond (originally, Hamond), is a fictional character, fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Carl Burgos, he first appearance, first appeared ...
'' (1940 series) #35 - Timely Comics - (The series will be cancelled for five years)
* ''Nipper'', by
Doug Wright
Douglas Wright (born December 20, 1962) is an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2004 for his play ''I Am My Own Wife''.
Early years
Wright was born in Dallas, Texas. He attended and ...
, debuts in the March 12 issue of The Montreal Standard. The weekly comic strip would run until 1980 in magazines distributed across
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
April
* April 9: The final issue of the Italian Disney comics magazine ''
Topolino
''Topolino'' (from the Italian name for Mickey Mouse) is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. The series has had a long running history, first appearing in 1932 as a comics magazine. It is currently published by Panini ...
'' is published. It becomes a digest instead.
* April 25: First publication of
Wally Fawkes
Walter Ernest Fawkes (born 21 June 1924) is a British-Canadian jazz clarinetist and satirical cartoonist. As a cartoonist, he usually worked under the name "Trog" until failing eyesight forced him to retire in 2005 at the age of 81.
Early hist ...
' (aka Trog) ''
Flook Flook may refer to:
People with the surname
* Adrian Flook (born 1963), British politician
* Chris Flook (born 1973), Bermudan swimmer
* John Gurley Flook (1839–1926), American politician
* Maria Flook, American writer
Other uses
* Flook (app), ...
'' in ''
The Daily Mail
The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
Rival beachcombers
"Rival Beachcombers" is a 10-page Disney comics story written, drawn, and lettered by Carl Barks. The story was first published in '' Walt Disney's Comics & Stories'' #103 (April 1949). It has been reprinted many times since.
Story
The story o ...
'', by
Carl Barks
Carl Barks (March 27, 1901 – August 25, 2000) was an American cartoonist, author, and painter. He is best known for his work in Disney comic books, as the writer and artist of the first Donald Duck stories and as the creator of Scrooge McDuck ...
; debut of Judge Owl.
* ''
Captain America Comics
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
Casey Ruggles
''Casey Ruggles'' is a Western (genre), Western comic strip written and drawn by Warren Tufts that ran from May 22, 1949, to October 30, 1955.
Publication history
The Sunday strip was launched May 22, 1949, and the daily strip on September 19, 19 ...
'' as a
Sunday strip
The Sunday comics or Sunday strip is the comic strip section carried in most western newspapers, almost always in color. Many newspaper readers called this section the Sunday funnies, the funny papers or simply the funnies.
The first US newspap ...
Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...
Tex Willer
Tex Willer is the main fictional character of the Italian comics series ''Tex'', created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini, and first published in Italy on 30 September 1948. It is among the most popular characters ...
meets his most famous antagonist, Steve Deckart, alias Mefisto. The villain, here, is again a simple illusionist and spy, without the supernatural powers that he will get later.
* The final issue of the Belgian comics magazine ''Wrill'' is published.
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
Atlas Comics Atlas Comics may refer to
* Atlas Comics (1950s)
Atlas Comics is the 1950s comic book, comic-book publishing label that evolved into Marvel Comics. Magazine and mass market paperback, paperback novel publisher Martin Goodman (publisher), Martin ...
July
* July 10: Jules Feiffer's gag comic ''Clifford'', which appeared earlier this year during the spring in
Will Eisner
William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...
's one-shot ''Kewpies'', is now moved to ''
The Spirit
The Spirit is a fictional masked crimefighter created by cartoonist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940, as the main feature of a 16-page, tabloid (paper size), tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book insert distributed in the Sunday editio ...
'' comic book magazine as a back cover feature. It will run until 4 March 1951.
*July 21: ''Montales el desperado'' by Gian Luigi Bonelli and Aurelio Gallepini; debut of the Mexican revolutionary Montales, a recurring character in the
Tex Willer
Tex Willer is the main fictional character of the Italian comics series ''Tex'', created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini, and first published in Italy on 30 September 1948. It is among the most popular characters ...
saga.
* ''
Captain America Comics
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
'' (1941 series) #73 - Timely Comics - (The series will be renamed to
Captain America's Weird Tales
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
)
August
* August 4: Halfway the prepublication of ''
The Adventures of Tintin
''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 bande dessinée#Formats, ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one ...
Tintin
Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to:
''The Adventures of Tintin''
* ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé
** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series
** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...
'' Hergé leaves to take a 12-week resting vacation in Switzerland, because he suffered from clinical depression. The story won't be continued until 27 October.
* August 13: First publication of
Pepo
PEPO Lappeenranta (abbreviated PEPO) is a football club from Lappeenranta in Finland. The club was formed in 1958 and their home ground is at the Kimpinen Sports Centre. The men's first team currently plays in the Ykkönen (Second Division). ...
's '' Condorito''.
* August 17: The first episode of
Al Posen
Alvah Posen (October 2, 1894 - June 10, 1960) was an American cartoonist on several comic strips, but he is best known for his 1933-1960 comic strip ''Sweeney & Son'' and as co-producer of the now-lost Marx Brothers film, ''Humor Risk'' (1921).
...
Big Shot
Big Shot may refer to:
Fiction
* Big Shot, an animated superhero character on the television show '' The Tick'' created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986
* Big Shot, the former mascot of the Philadelphia 76ers until 1996
* ''Big Shot'', a fiction ...
Girls' Love Stories
''Girls' Love Stories'' was an American romance comic book magazine published by DC Comics in the United States. Started in 1949 as DC's first romance title, it ran for 180 issues, ending with the Nov-Dec 1973 issue. The stories covered such topic ...
'' (1949 series) #1 -
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
* September 11: The episode ''Ten Minutes'', in the series ''
The Spirit
The Spirit is a fictional masked crimefighter created by cartoonist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940, as the main feature of a 16-page, tabloid (paper size), tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book insert distributed in the Sunday editio ...
'', is first published. This marks the first story written by
Will Eisner
William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...
's assistant Jules Feiffer, who will continue writing most of the series until 1952.
October
* October 16: The first gag of ''Poustiquet'' by Bindle is published. It will run over 25 years.
*October 30: Debut of
Ellsworth Bheezer
The Mickey Mouse universe is a fictional universe, fictional shared universe which is the setting for stories involving The Walt Disney Company, Disney cartoon characters Mickey Mouse, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Pluto (Disney), Pluto, Goofy, and ...
, in a Sunday page comic by Manuel Gonzales and Bill Walsh.
* ''
Captain America's Weird Tales
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
Cowboy Romances
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
Alfred Harvey
Alfred Harvey (born Alfred Harvey Wiernikoff; October 6, 1913 – July 4, 1994), was the founder of comic book publisher Harvey Comics and the creator of the comic book characters Little Dot, Richie Rich (comics), Richie Rich, and Adam Awards (com ...
and Vic Herman's ''
Little Dot
Little Dot is a comic book character published by Harvey Comics about a little girl who is obsessed with dots, spots, and round, colorful objects. She was created in 1949 by writer Alfred Harvey and artist Vic Herman.
Publication history
Dot fi ...
'' makes her debut in ''Little Max Comics'' # 1.
* The final issue of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's ''
Slam Bradley
Samuel Emerson "Slam" Bradley is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. He is a private detective who exists in DC's main shared universe. The character concept was created by DC Comics founde ...
'' is published.
November
*'' Boy Commandos'' (1942 series), with issue #36 dated November–December, cancelled by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
.
*Little Lana (1948 series) #8 - Timely Comics - (Lana was renamed to Little Lana)
* Marvel Tales (1939 series) #94 - Timely Comics
*'' Two-Gun Kid'' (1948 series), with issue #10, cancelled by Timely Comics. (The title would be revived four years later by Marvel, continuing the numbering.)
*
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
* December 3: First publication of '' Pecos Bill'' by
Guido Martina
Guido Martina (9 February 1906 – 6 May 1991) was an Italian comic writer, documentarist and author. Martina is well known for his Disney comics stories, including the first of the "" story "L'inferno di Topolino", and the creation of Paperinik ...
and
Raffaele Paparella
Raffaele Paparella (26 December 1915 – 11 November 2001) was an Italian comic artist and illustrator.
Life and career
Born in Carmagnola, after getting a teaching diploma Paparella worked two years as a school teacher. In 1937 he began collabor ...
.
* December 15: The final issue of the Dutch comics magazine ''Doe Mee'' is published.
*
Cowboy Romances
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
True Western
True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality.
True may also refer to:
Places
* True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States
* True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States
* Tr ...
* The first episode of Roland Davies' ''Sparks and Flash'' is published.
*
Lancelot Hogben
Lancelot Thomas Hogben FRS FRSE (9 December 1895 – 22 August 1975) was a British experimental zoologist and medical statistician. He developed the African clawed frog ''(Xenopus laevis)'' as a model organism for biological research in his ear ...
publishes the book ''From Cave Painting to Comic Strip. A Kaleidoscope of Human Communication''.
* Reverend David S. Piper and Joseph Wirt Tillotson launch the first episode of ''Our Bible in Pictures''.
Axel Pressbutton
Axel Pressbutton is a fictional character appearing in comic books. A violent cyborg with the face of Ernest Borgnine, a button on his chest which delivers orgasmic pleasure when pressed, and a phobia about vegetation, he was created by Steve M ...
'', ''
Future Shocks
''Tharg's Future Shocks'' is a long-running series of short strips in the British weekly comic '' 2000 AD'' in 1977. The name originates from the fictional editor of 2000 AD and the book titled ''Future Shock'', written by Alvin Toffler, publi ...
'', ''
Tom Strong's Terrific Tales
''Tom Strong'' is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse, initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division. Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero", ...
''), (d.
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
).
Deaths
February
* February 6: Eugène Vavasseur, French illustrator, poster artist and comic artist, passes away at age 85.
* February 15: Charles L. Bartholomew, aka Bart, American comics artist (''Cousin Bill'', ''George and his Conscience'', ''Bud Smith, the Boy Who Does Stunts'', ''Alexander the Cat'', ''Mama's Girl-Daddy's Boy''), dies at age 80.
March
* March 6: Storm P., Danish comics artist, animator, illustrator, painter and comedian ('' Peter og Ping''), passes away at the age of 66.
* March 16: Stanley E. Armstrong, American comics artist (continued ''Slim Jim And The Force''), passes away at age 85.
* March 21: Jo Valle, French comics writer (''L'Espiègle Lili''), dies at age 83.
April
* 24 April:
Reg Carter
Reginald Arthur Lay Carter (6 December 1886, Southwold
Southwold is a seaside town and civil parish on the English North Sea coast in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk. It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast a ...
, British comics artist (''
Big Eggo
''Big Eggo'' was a British comic strip series about an eponymous ostrich, published in the British comic magazine ''The Beano''. He first appeared in issue 1, dated 30 July 1938, and was the first ever cover star. His first words in the strip w ...
'') dies at the age of 62.
May
* May 12: Neysa McMein, American illustrator, painter and comics artist (''Deathless Deer''), dies at age 60.
* May 27:
Robert L. Ripley
LeRoy Robert Ripley (February 22, 1890 – May 27, 1949) was an American cartoonist, entrepreneur, and amateur anthropologist, who is known for creating the ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' newspaper panel series, television show, and radio show, ...
, American comics artist, cartoonist, entrepreneur and anthropologist (''
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' feat ...
''), dies at the age of 58 from a heart attack.
June
* 10 June:
John T. McCutcheon
John Tinney McCutcheon (May 6, 1870 – June 10, 1949) was an American newspaper political cartoonist, war correspondent, combat artist, and author who won a Pulitzer Prize for his 1931 editorial cartoon, "A Wise Economist Asks a Question," an ...
, American political cartoonist and occasional comics artist (''Bird Center''), dies at age 79.
July
* July 13:
Walt Kuhn
Walter Francis Kuhn (October 27, 1877 – July 13, 1949) was an American painter and an organizer of the famous Armory Show of 1913, which was America's first large-scale introduction to European Modernism.
Biography
Kuhn was born in New York ...
, American painter, illustrator and comics artist (''Whisk''), dies at age 71.
October
* October 8: Monte Barrett, American comics writer ('' Jane Arden''), dies at age 52.
November
* November 13: Bern L. Vinger, Dutch illustrator and comics artist (''Met Toto Op Reis''), dies at age 77.
* November 30: Lester J. Ambrose, American comics artist (''Simp Simpson''), dies at age 70.
December
* December 3: Frank Miller, American comics artist (''
Barney Baxter
''Barney Baxter in the Air'' is an American comic strip by Frank Miller. It started its run on September 30, 1935, for the Denver's ''Rocky Mountain News''. Starting on December 7, 1936, it was syndicated by King Features. ''Barney Baxter'' was an ...
''), dies from a heart attack at the age of 51.
* December 7: Bovil, Swedish painter, illustrator, sculptor and comics artist (''Tusen Och en Natt''), dies at age 39.
* December 8: Frank R. Leet, American comics artist (''Al Acres''), dies at age 68.
* December 11:
Clifford K. Berryman
Clifford Kennedy Berryman (April 2, 1869 – December 11, 1949) was a Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist with ''The Washington Star'' newspaper from 1907 to 1949. He was previously a cartoonist for ''The Washington Post'' from 1891 to 1907.
Dur ...
, American cartoonist (''
Remember the Maine
Remember may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Remember?'', a 1939 film starring Robert Taylor and Greer Garson
* Remember (1926 film), ''Remember'' (1926 film), an American silent drama film
* Remember (2015 film), ''Remember'' (2015 film), a Ca ...
* Jo Valle, French comics writer (''L'Espiègle Lili''), dies at age 84.
* André Vallet, French painter, illustrator and comics artist (''L'Espiègle Lili''), dies at age 79 or 80.
* Émile Vavasseur, French poster artist, comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 85 or 86.
First issues by title
* ''
Buster Bunny
The ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' animated television series features an extensive cast of characters. The show's central characters are mostly various forms of anthropomorphic animals, based on Looney Tunes characters from earlier films and shows. ...
'', cover dated November, published by
Standard Comics
Standard Comics was a comic book imprint of American publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines (under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics) and paperback books (under the Popular Library name). Standard in t ...
* ''
Girl Comics
''Girl Comics'' is the name of two comic-book series published by Marvel Comics and its forerunners, Timely Comics and Atlas Comics. The first, debuting in 1949, ran 35 issues, changing its title to ''Girl Confessions'' with issue #13 (March 1952 ...
'', cover-dated October, published by Timely Comics
* ''
Girls' Love Stories
''Girls' Love Stories'' was an American romance comic book magazine published by DC Comics in the United States. Started in 1949 as DC's first romance title, it ran for 180 issues, ending with the Nov-Dec 1973 issue. The stories covered such topic ...
'', cover dated August–September, published by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
* ''
Heart Throbs
''Heart Throbs'' was a romance comic published by Quality Comics and DC Comics from 1949 to 1972. Quality published the book from 1949–1957, when it was acquired by DC. Most issues featured a number of short comics stories, as well advice column ...
'', cover-dated August, published by Quality Comics
* ''
Kid Colt Outlaw
''Kid Colt, Outlaw'' is a comic book title featuring the character Kid Colt originally published by Atlas Comics beginning in 1948 and later Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Kid Colt and his horse Steel first appeared in ''Kid Colt'' #1 (Augu ...
'', cover-dated May, published by Timely Comics
* '' Superboy'', cover-dated March/April, published by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
Pow Wow Smith
Ohiyesa "Pow Wow" Smith is a fictional Western hero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Don Cameron and penciler Carmine Infantino, he is a Sioux who is the sheriff of the small Western town of Elkhorn, where he is known as a master detec ...
in ''
Detective Comics
''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
#151 (September), created by Don Cameron and
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Michael Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics artist and editing, editor, primarily for DC Comics, during the late 1950s and early 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books. Among his character creat ...
-
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
Reverse Flash
The Reverse-Flash is a name used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Each iteration of the character serves as a foil and an enemy of the Flash.
Characters Edward Clariss
Edward Clariss (also known ...
in ''
Flash Comics
''Flash Comics'' is a comics anthology published by All-American Publications and later by National Periodical Publications (DC Comics). The title had 104 issues published from January 1940 to February 1949. Despite the title, the anthology featu ...
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...