Standard Comics was a
comic book 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
...
of
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
publisher
Ned Pines
Ned L. Pines (December 10, 1905 – May 14, 1990) was an American publisher of pulp magazines, comic books, and paperback books, active from at least 1928 to 1971. His Standard Comics imprint (trade name), imprint was the parent company of the com ...
, 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 turn was the parent company of two comic-book lines: Better
[Better]
at the Grand Comics Database. and Nedor Publishing.
[Nedor Publishing]
at the Grand Comics Database. Collectors and historians sometimes refer to them collectively as "Standard/Better/Nedor".
History
In business from 1939 to 1956, Standard was a prolific publisher during the
Golden Age of comic books
The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and many well-known char ...
. Its best-known character, initially published under the Better imprint, is the
Black Terror. In June 1949, the Better and Nedor imprints were consolidated as the Standard Comics line, with a "Standard Comics" flag-like cover logo. The titles previously had no publisher logo. In 1956, Standard ended, and only two titles continued, published by Pines Comics. This last venture also incorporated several titles from the defunct
St. John Publications
St. John Publications was an American publisher of magazines and comic books. During the 1947-1958 existence of its comic-book division, St. John established several industry firsts. Founded by Archer St. John, the firm was located in Manhattan a ...
. Most titles went to other publishers after the company folded in 1959.
Beginning in the 1980s, Standard/Better/Nedor characters have been revived by other publishers. Publisher
Bill Black used many of them in his 1980s imprint
Americomics
AC Comics (formerly known as Paragon Publications and Americomics) is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black. (later shortened to
AC Comics
AC Comics (formerly known as Paragon Publications and Americomics) is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black. ). Many of the female heroes are members of the AC Comics
superhero team
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
Femforce.
In the 2000s, Standard/Better/Nedor characters have appeared in writer
Alan Moore's comic book series ''
Tom Strong'' and its spin-off ''
Terra Obscura''.
Marvel Comics used the names American Eagle, Grim Reaper, and Wonder Man for its own, different characters.
The eight-issue
comic book miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
''
Project Superpowers'' #0–7 (Jan.–Oct. 2008), published by
Dynamite Entertainment, resurrected a number of Golden Age superheroes, including those originally published 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. ...
,
Crestwood Publications, and Standard/Better/Nedor, many of which are assumed to be in the public domain but may not be.
Titles
Superheroes
*
American Crusader
*
American Eagle
*
Black Terror
*
Captain Future
Captain Future is a pulp science fiction hero — a space-traveling scientist and adventurer —originally published in his namesake pulp magazine from 1940 to 1944. The character was created by editors Mort Weisinger and Leo Margulies. The maj ...
(not to be confused with the pulp hero)
*
Cavalier
*
Doc Strange (Tom Strange)
*
Fighting Yank
* Four Comrades
*
Ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
(also known as Green Ghost)
*
Grim Reaper
*
Judy of the Jungle
Judy of the Jungle is a fictional character from the Golden Age of Comics; she appeared in comic books published by Nedor Comics. She first appeared in print in ''Exciting Comics'' #55 (May 1947).
Judy is raised by her naturalist father in the A ...
*
Kara the Jungle Princess
*
Lance Lewis, Space Detective
Lance Lewis, Space Detective is a fictional superhero from the Golden Age of Comics. He first appeared in ''Mystery Comics'' #3 (1944), published by Nedor Comics. The character was revived by writer Alan Moore for America's Best Comics.
Nedor Com ...
*
Liberator
Liberator or The Liberators or ''variation'', may refer to:
Literature
* ''Liberators'' (novel), a 2009 novel by James Wesley Rawles
* ''The Liberators'' (Suvorov book), a 1981 book by Victor Suvorov
* ''The Liberators'' (comic book), a Britis ...
* Lone Eagle
* Magnet
* Major Mars
* Mask (based on the Black Bat)
* Masked Rider
* Mechano
*
Miss Masque
* Mystico
* The Oracle
* Phantom Detective (based on the pulp hero)
* Phantom Soldier
*
Princess Pantha
Princess Pantha is a fictional jungle heroine that appeared in comic books published by Nedor Comics. The character was revived twice; first by AC Comics, and second by writer Alan Moore for his Tom Strong spin-off, ''Terra Obscura''. She first ap ...
*
Pyroman
Pyroman is a fictional superhero that appeared in comic books published by Nedor Comics. His first appearance was in ''Startling Comics'' #18 (December 1942), with art by Jack Binder. This character was later revived by both AC Comics and Amer ...
* Red Mask
* Rick Howard, Mystery Rider
*
Scarab
* Silver Knight
* Spectro
* Supermouse
Supermouse, The Big Cheese
at 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 ...
Archived
from the original on January 1, 2018.
* Thesson (Nedor)
* The Woman in Red
* Wonder Man
References
External links
* Nolan, Michelle
"Exciting, Startling and Thrilling Comics"
"Nolan's Niche" (column), ''CGC E-Newsletter'' vol. 2, #5, May 2003
* Nolan, Michelle
"Nolan's Niche" (column), ''CGC E-Newsletter'' vol. 3, #10, October 20034
{{Comic book publishers in North America navbox
Nedor Comics
Defunct comics and manga publishing companies
1936 establishments in New York City