The Central Press Association was American newspaper syndication company based in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. It was in business from 1910 to 1971. Originally independent, it was a subsidiary of

King Features Syndicate King Features Syndicate, Inc. is a American content distribution and animation studio, consumer product licensing and print syndication company owned by Hearst Communications that distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editoria ...

from 1930 onwards. At its peak, the Central Press supplied features, columns,

comic strips A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...

, and photographs to more than 400 newspapers and 12 million daily readers. Notable comic strips that originated with Central Press include ''

Brick Bradford ''Brick Bradford'' is a science fiction comic strip created by writer William Ritt, a journalist based in Cleveland, and artist Clarence Gray. It was first distributed on August 21, 1933 by Central Press Association, a subsidiary of King Features ...

'', ''

Etta Kett ''Etta Kett'' is a long-running comic strip created by Paul Robinson, which ran from December 7, 1925 to November 9, 1974. Publication history The original distribution in December 1925 was with the Putnam Syndicate, moving over to the Centr ...

'', and '' Muggs McGinnis'' (later titled ''

Muggs and Skeeter ''Muggs and Skeeter'' was an American gag-a-day daily comic strip by Wally Bishop which ran from 1927 to 1974. Originally titled ''Muggs McGinnis'', it was syndicated by the Central Press Association and then King Features Syndicate. Publicat ...

'').

History

Virgil Venice McNitt (1881–1964), the managing editor of the ''

Cleveland Press The ''Cleveland Press'' was a daily American newspaper published in Cleveland, Ohio from November 2, 1878, through June 17, 1982. From 1928 to 1966, the paper's editor was Louis B. Seltzer. Known for many years as one of the country's most in ...

'', founded the Central Press Association in Cleveland in 1910. In 1912, McNitt acquired the Chicago-based North American Press Syndicate and merged it into the Central Press. That same year, McNitt entered into arrangements to publish works authored by

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...

and

Jane Addams Laura Jane Addams (September 6, 1860 May 21, 1935) was an American settlement activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator, and author. She was an important leader in the history of social work and women's suffrage ...

. Other early features were

Bob Satterfield Bob "Bombardier" Satterfield (November 9, 1923 in St. Louis, Missouri – June 1, 1977) was a heavyweight boxer who fought from 1945–1957. Satterfield, who never fought for the title, retired with a record of 50 wins (35 KOs), 25 losses and 4 ...

's cartoons, Edna K. Wooley's column, and a sports column by Ed Bang. He hired Bryan to cover the 1912 Republican and

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

s for the Central Press. He also made a deal with Addams to circulate her Progressive Party Platforms to newspaper across the country. In 1920, McNitt founded a separate, New York City-based Central Press Association, which was soon absorbed by his new McNaught Syndicate (founded in 1922).Watson, Elmo Scott. "CHAPTER VIII: Recent Developments in Syndicate History 1921-1935," ''A History Of Newspaper Syndicates In The United States, 1865-1935'' (Western Newspaper Union, 1936)
Archived at ''Stripper's Guide''
By 1925, the original Central Press's features had 12 million daily readers and was the largest newspaper picture service in the United States. In 1927, the Central Press also took over the Editors Feature Service and in August 1929 it acquired control of Johnson Features. Also in 1929, the company constructed a mechanical production plant in New York, again forming a Central Press Association of New York, Inc. to operate the new plant. Virgil McNitt remained the president and general manager of the Central Press from its founding in 1910 until 1930, when he sold the service to

, part of the Hearst newspaper syndicate, which retained the Central Press as a separate division."Central Press Purchased by King; To Be Operated as Separate Unit: Staff and Features of Cleveland Organization to be Continued Intact — New York Plant Not Included In Purchase — Eichel Shifted to West as Editor," ''Editor & Publisher'' (Feb. 15, 1930)
Archived at ''Stripper's Guide''
Accessed Dec. 1, 2018. Frank McLearn was managing editor of the Central Press at the time of the sale, eventually becoming president and general manager of King Features Syndicate. William H. Ritt wrote sports features and comic strips for the Central Press Association, including the strips ''

'' and ''Chip Collins Adventures'', and possibly ghosting for

Gilbert Patten William George "Gilbert" Patten (October 25, 1866 – January 16, 1945) was a writer of dime novels and is best known as author of the Frank Merriwell stories, with the pen name Burt L. Standish. Biography Gilbert Patten was born in Corinna, ...

on ''

Frank Merriwell Frank Merriwell is a fictional character appearing in a series of novels and short stories by Gilbert Patten, who wrote under the pseudonym Burt L. Standish. The character appeared in over 300 dime novels between 1896 and 1930 (some between 1927 ...

's Schooldays''. Central Press didn't introduce any new comic strips after circa 1934; King Features took over syndication of all Central Press's strips circa 1937. Murray Rosenblatt was the managing editor of the Central Press from 1946 to 1961. The Central Press Association continued to operate as a separate division specializing in producing material for small-town newspapers

Ron Goulart Ronald Joseph Goulart (; January 13, 1933 – January 14, 2022) was an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy, and science fiction author. He published novelizations and other work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson, Con ...

, "The 30s – Boomtime for SF Heroes". '' Starlog'' magazine, January 1981 (pp. 31–35). until ceasing operations in 1971.

Syndicated properties

Features

*''Beauty'' by Madame Rubinstein *Jess Cargill editorial cartoons *''Diet and Health,'' by

Lulu Hunt Peters Lulu Hunt Peters (1873–1930) was an American doctor and author who wrote a featured newspaper column entitled ''Diet and Health'', which she followed up with a best-selling book, ''Diet & Health: With Key to the Calories''. She was the first pe ...

*''Hocus Pocus,'' by Wil Davey * Dr. Gary C. Myers' psychology series *''News Notes From Movieland'' (syndicated Sunday column), by Daisy Dean (pseudonym); ran from January 1916 to about March 1936 (with Dean as editor), and to about June 27, 1936 (with no editor listed)

Comics

''Strips and panels that originated with the Central Press Association, the North American Press Syndicate, or Editors' Feature Services:'' * ''Big Sister,'' by Les Forgrave and later Bob Naylor (1928–1972) * ''

'' by William Ritt and Clarence Gray (1933–1987) * ''Chip Collins Adventures'' by William Ritt & Jack Wilhelm (July 17, 1934–July 27, 1935) — succeeds ''Frank Merriwell's Schooldays''Holtz, Allan
"End of Chip Collins Adventures,"
''Stripper's Guide'' (April 29, 2006). * ''

,'' by Paul Robinson (1927–Nov. 23, 1974) — taken over from Putnam Syndicate, where it originated Dec. 1925; accompanied by topper strip ''The Lovebyrds'' * ''The Figgers Family'' by Victor E. Pazmiño (Jan. 3, 1927 – June 2, 1928) * ''

's Schooldays'' by

& Jack Wilhelm (July 20, 1931–July 14, 1934)Stripper's Guide: A Frank Merriwell Bulletin!
May 30th, 2006. — succeeded by ''Chip Collins Adventures'' * ''Goofey Movies,'' by

Fred Neher Fred Neher (September 29, 1903 – September 22, 2001) was an American cartoonist best known for his syndicated gag panel, ''Life's Like That'', which offered a humorous look at human nature, with a focus on American society and family life, for ...

(1920s) — animal strip * ''High Pressure Pete,'' by George Swanson (1927-1937) * ''Humorous Slants on Humanity,'' by

Clifford McBride Clifford McBride (January 26, 1901 – May 21, 1951) was an American cartoonist best known for his comic strip ''Napoleon and Uncle Elby''. Biography Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, McBride was twice expelled from school because of his dr ...

(c. 1920s–c. 1930s) * ''Jimmy Jams'' by Victor E. Pazmiño (late 1920s) — daily panel * ''Just Among Us Girls'', originally written by Kathryn Kenney and then by Betty Blakeslee, with illustrations by R. J. Scott, "Maier," Paul Robinson,

Ruth Carroll Ruth Crombie Robinson Carroll (September 24, 1899, Lancaster, New York – December 5, 1999, Stamford, Connecticut) and "Archer" Latrobe Carroll (January 5, 1894 – November 30, 1996) were an American married couple who created children's books ...

, and Walter Van Arsdal (1926–December 14 1935) — created for Editors' Feature ServiceJay, Alex
"Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: The Cartoonists of Just Among Us Girls,"
''Stripper's Guide'' (March 01, 2011). * '' Muggs McGinnis,'' (later named ''

'') by

Wally Bishop Wallace Bond Bishop (August 17, 1905 - January 15, 1982), better known as Wally Bishop, was an American cartoonist who drew his syndicated ''Muggs and Skeeter'' comic strip for 47 years. Biography Born in Normal, Illinois, he grew up in Blooming ...

(1927–Feb. 1974) * ''The Old Home Town,'' by Lee W. Stanley and Harriet Stanley (January 3, 1923–1966)Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Lee Stanley
by Alex Jay, at

Stripper's Guide Allan Holtz () is a comic strip historian who researches and writes about newspaper comics for his Stripper's Guide blog, launched in 2005. His research encompasses some 7,000 American comic strips and newspaper panels. In addition to his contribu ...

; published April 15, 2014; retrieved August 17, 2015 * ''Sport Side-Lights,'' by Jack Sords (c. 1920–c. 1930s) * ''That's Not the Half of It'' by Elmer Messner (Feb. 1926–July 1927) — created for Editors Feature ServiceJay, Alex
"Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Elmer Messner,"
''Stripper's Guide'' (July 03, 2014).

Sports writers

* Norman E. Brown *William H. Ritt *Jack Sords *Al Winfield

Opinion

* ''The Way of the World'' by Grove Patterson (editor of the ''

Toledo Blade ''The Blade'', also known as the ''Toledo Blade'', is a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio published daily online and printed Thursday and Sunday by Block Communications. The newspaper was first published on December 19, 1835. Overview The first issue o ...

'') * ''Who's Who'' * ''Timely Views'' * ''The Grab Bag''

References

{{King Features Syndicate Comics College football mass media Comic strip syndicates Companies based in Cleveland Hearst Communications assets News agencies based in the United States Mass media companies established in 1910 Mass media companies disestablished in 1971 Defunct companies based in Cleveland Defunct mass media companies of the United States