Farrell Publications is the name of a series of American
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
publishing
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
companies founded and operated by
Robert W. Farrell
Farrell Publications is the name of a series of American comic book Publisher, publishing companies founded and operated by Robert W. Farrell in the 1940s and 1950s, including Elliot Publishing Company, Farrell Comic Group, and Excellent Publicatio ...
in the 1940s and 1950s, including Elliot Publishing Company, Farrell Comic Group, and Excellent Publications. Farrell is particularly known for its pre-
Comics Code
The Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed in 1954 by the Comics Magazine Association of America as an alternative to government regulation. The CCA allowed the comic publishers to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. T ...
horror comics
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the ...
, mostly produced by the
S. M. Iger Studio
Samuel Maxwell "Jerry" Iger (; August 22, 1903 – September 5, 1990) was an American cartoonist and art-studio entrepreneur. With business partner Will Eisner, he co-founded Eisner & Iger, a comic book packager that produced comics on deman ...
.
[Howlett, Mike. ''The Weird World of Eerie Publications: Comic Gore That Warped Millions of Young Minds'' (Feral House, 2010).] Farrell also published
romance
Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to:
Common meanings
* Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings
* Romance languages, ...
,
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
, adventure,
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
, and talking animal comics. Farrell acted as editor throughout. In addition to packaging art for Farrell from the beginning,
Jerry Iger
Samuel Maxwell "Jerry" Iger (; August 22, 1903 – September 5, 1990) was an American cartoonist and art-studio entrepreneur. With business partner Will Eisner, he co-founded Eisner & Iger, a comic book packager that produced comics on demand ...
was the company's art director from 1955–1957.
History
Robert Farrell
Robert W. Farrell (born Izzy Katz)
[Farrell entry](_blank)
Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. entered the comics field in the late 1930s after a decade spent as an attorney.
He wrote for the syndicated newspaper strip ''
Scorchy Smith
''Scorchy Smith'' is an American adventure comic strip created by artist John Terry that ran from March 17, 1930 to December 30, 1961.
Scorchy Smith was a pilot-for-hire whose initial adventures took him across America, fighting criminals and aid ...
'', and wrote comics stories for the packagers
Eisner & Iger
Eisner & Iger was a comic book "packager" that produced comics on demand for publishers entering the new medium during the late-1930s and 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Many of comic books' most significant c ...
(sometimes using the names Bob Farrow and Bob Lerraf.) Farrell wrote many comics throughout the 1940s,
though usually without attribution, as most stories produced during the period didn't contain credits.
In 1940, Farrell worked as an editor for
Fox Comics
Fox Feature Syndicate (also known as Fox Comics, Fox Publications, and Bruns Publications, Inc.) was a comic book publisher from early in the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Founded by entrepreneur Victor S. ...
. Together, Farrell and Fox publisher
Victor S. Fox developed the
Comicscope, a cheaply produced
comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
projector sold in the pages of Fox Comics.
Farrell Publications
Farrell began Farrell Publications in 1940, operating until 1948. From 1940–1945, he was co-owner of the Elliot Publishing Company, (known for their imprint
Gilberton, which became independent during that period). Some of Farrell's imprints and brands from this era were American Feature Syndicate, Four Star Publications, and Kiddie Kapers Company. Probably the most notable title produced during this period was ''
Captain Flight Comics
''Captain Flight Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Four Star Publications during the period that is known by fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. A total of eleven issues were printed from March 1944 to Febr ...
'', published under the Four Star brand.
Farrell Comic Group
After a short hiatus, Farrell founded the Farrell Comic Group in 1951 with the financial backing of Excellent Publications. Imprints included America's Best, Ajax Publications, Ajax-Farrell, Decker Publications, Red Top Comics, Steinway Comics, and World Famous.
No matter the imprint, most titles had the words "A Farrell Publication."
![Phantom Lady 2 Farrel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Phantom_Lady_2_Farrel.jpg)
Contributors to Farrell titles from this period included
Ken Battefield
Ken Battefield (1905–1967) was a prolific comic book artist in the 1940s and early 1950s, during the Golden Age of Comic Books. He is most associated with the Nedor Publishing line of books where, at various times, he illustrated Pyroman, D ...
,
L. B. Cole
Leonard Brandt Cole (August 28, 1918 – December 5, 1995) was a comic book artist, editor, and publisher who worked during the Golden Age of Comic Books, producing work in various genres. Cole was particularly known for his bold covers, featuring ...
(who had previously contributed covers to ''Captain Flight''),
Matt Baker
Matthew James Baker (born 23 December 1977) is a British television presenter. He co-presented the children's television show ''Blue Peter'' from 1999 until 2006, BBC One's ''Countryfile'' since 2009 and ''The One Show'' from 2011 to 2020, wit ...
, Bruce Hamilton, and
Steve Ditko
Stephen John Ditko Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular act ...
. (The company published Ditko's first professional comics work. He had illustrated writer Bruce Hamilton's
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
story "Stretching Things" for the
Key Publications
Key Publications was an American comic-book company founded by Stanley P. Morse that published under the imprints Aragon Magazines, Gillmor Magazines, Medal Comics, Media Publications, S. P. M. Publications, Stanmor Publications, an ...
imprint
Imprint or imprinting may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series
* "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror''
* ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film
...
Stanmor Publications
Key Publications was an American comic-book company founded by Stanley P. Morse that published under the imprints Aragon Magazines, Gillmor Magazines, Medal Comics, Media Publications, S. P. M. Publications, Stanmor Publications, an ...
, which sold the story to Farrell, where it finally found publication in ''Fantastic Fears'' #5
eb. 1954)
[Bell, ''Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko'' (Fantagraphics Books, Seattle, Washington, 2008), p. 20. .]
Farrell's horror line consisted of ''Fantastic Fears'', ''Haunted Thrills'', ''
Strange Fantasy'', and ''Voodoo''. All four books were produced by the Iger Studio and featured a consistent "house style."
Like many horror comics, all four titles fell victim of the
Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency
The United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency was established by the United States Senate in 1953 to investigate the problem of juvenile delinquency.
Background
The subcommittee was a unit of the United States Senate Judiciary Co ...
and were cancelled by the end of 1954.
In 1954 Farrell acquired the rights to the
Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a Fictional character, fictional Superhero#Female superheroes and villains, superheroine, one of the first such characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was ...
comic strip series, previously owned by
Fox Feature Syndicate
Fox Feature Syndicate (also known as Fox Comics, Fox Publications, and Bruns Publications, Inc.) was a comic book publisher from early in the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Founded by entrepreneur Victor S. ...
and before that,
Quality Comics
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 Qualit ...
. Farrell published four issues of the short-lived title from January to June 1954. The company also published Phantom Lady backup stories in two issues of its comic ''
Wonder Boy
The series, also known as the series, is a franchise of video games published by Sega and developed by Westone Bit Entertainment (formerly Escape). Beginning with the original ''Wonder Boy (video game), Wonder Boy'' arcade game released in April ...
''. Phantom Lady as well fell under the baleful gaze of anti-comics crusader
Fredric Wertham
Fredric Wertham (; born Friedrich Ignatz Wertheimer, March 20, 1895 – November 18, 1981) was a German-American psychiatrist and author. Wertham had an early reputation as a progressive psychiatrist who treated poor black patients at his Lafargue ...
, who objected to the character's titillating costume. Changes were consequently made so that her cleavage was covered and shorts replaced her skirt.
After the cancellation of its popular horror titles in early 1955, Farrell received a cash infusion from Dearfield Publishing, which became a key investor.
The company switched focus to
romance
Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to:
Common meanings
* Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings
* Romance languages, ...
,
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
, and
talking animal
A talking animal or speaking animal is any non-human animal that can produce sounds or gestures resembling those of a human language. Several species or groups of animals have developed forms of communication which superficially resemble verbal ...
comics. In 1957, Farrell and former Iger studio-mate
Myron Fass
Myron Fass (March 29, 1926 - September 14, 2006)Social Security Death Index, SS# 111-18-9098. was an American publisher of pulp magazines and comic books, operating from the 1950s through the 1990s under a multitude of company names, including ...
attempted to re-enter the horror/fantasy field with a quartet of Comics Code-approved titles made up of pre-Code material with the goriest panels excised. This resulted in incoherent stories and flat sales.
The company continued publishing until 1958, but never with the same success.
Robert Farrell's later career
Farrell left the comics field and went into magazine and newspaper publishing.
In 1958, he started the humor magazine ''Panic'' (published by Health Publications).
In 1960, he acquired the ''
Brooklyn Eagle
:''This article covers both the historical newspaper (1841–1955, 1960–1963), as well as an unrelated new Brooklyn Daily Eagle starting 1996 published currently''
The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''King ...
s assets in
bankruptcy court
United States bankruptcy courts are courts created under Article I of the United States Constitution. The current system of bankruptcy courts was created by the United States Congress in 1978, effective April 1, 1984. United States bankruptcy c ...
, publishing five Sunday editions of the paper in 1960. In 1962–1963, under the corporate name Newspaper Consolidated Corporation, Farrell and his partner Philip Enciso briefly revived the paper as a daily. (The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' has since been revived again, publishing from 1996 to the present.)
From 1969–1981, Farrell worked for
Myron Fass
Myron Fass (March 29, 1926 - September 14, 2006)Social Security Death Index, SS# 111-18-9098. was an American publisher of pulp magazines and comic books, operating from the 1950s through the 1990s under a multitude of company names, including ...
, as publisher of the schlocky
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
horror magazine publisher
Eerie Publications
Eerie Publications was a publisher of black-and-white horror-anthology comics magazines.
History
Less well-known and more downscale than the field's leader, Warren Publishing (''Creepy'', ''Eerie'', ''Vampirella''), the company, based at 150 ...
.
During this time, he briefly revived the defunct ''
New York Daily Mirror
The ''New York Daily Mirror'' was an American morning tabloid newspaper first published on June 24, 1924, in New York City by the William Randolph Hearst organization as a contrast to their mainstream broadsheets, the ''Evening Journal'' and ''N ...
'' (in name only), publishing it from 1971–1972.
"533 F.2d 53: Daily Mirror, Inc., Plaintiff-appellant, v. New York News, Inc., et al., Defendants-appellees; United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. - 533 F.2d 53,"
Justia. Accessed Sept. 20, 2011.
Titles include
* ''All True Romance'' (13 issues, 1955–1958) — acquired from Comic Media
Comic Media was a short-lived comic book company owned by Allen Hardy that existed in the 1950s. Its titles were mainly action/adventure, western, and horror. Its most notable character was Johnny Dynamite, created by Pete Morisi. The main arti ...
; Ajax imprint
* ''Bride's Secrets'' (19 issues, 1954–1958) — Ajax imprint
* ''Captain Flight Comics
''Captain Flight Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Four Star Publications during the period that is known by fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. A total of eleven issues were printed from March 1944 to Febr ...
'' (11 issues, 1944–1947) — Four Star Publications imprint
* '' Fantastic Fears'' (9 issues, 1953–1954) — Farrell/Ajax imprint
* ''Haunted Thrills'' (18 issues, 1952–1954) — Farrell/Ajax imprint
* ''The Lone Rider'' (26 issues, 1951 - 1955) — Farrell/Ajax imprint
* ''Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a Fictional character, fictional Superhero#Female superheroes and villains, superheroine, one of the first such characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was ...
'' (4 issues, 1954–1955) — originally published by Quality Comics
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 Qualit ...
, Fox Features Syndicate, and 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, ; Ajax imprint
* ''Samson
Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...
'' (3 issues, 1955) — originally published by Fox Features Syndicate; Ajax imprint
* '' Strange Fantasy'' (13 issues, 1952–1954) — Farrell/Ajax imprint
* ''Voodoo'' (19 issues, 1952–1955) — Farrell/Ajax imprint
* ''Wonder Boy
The series, also known as the series, is a franchise of video games published by Sega and developed by Westone Bit Entertainment (formerly Escape). Beginning with the original ''Wonder Boy (video game), Wonder Boy'' arcade game released in April ...
'' (2 issues, 1955) — originally published by Quality Comics
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 Qualit ...
; Ajax imprint
Notes
References
*
Ajax-Farrell (Excellent Publications)
at the Comic Book DB
*
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{{Commons category
Defunct comics and manga publishing companies
Comic book publishing companies of the United States