Novelty Press (a.k.a. Premium Service Co., Inc.; a.k.a. Novelty Publications; a.k.a. Premier Group) was an American

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the Go ...

comic-book publisher that operated from 1940 to 1949. It was the comic book imprint of

Curtis Publishing Company The Curtis Publishing Company, founded in 1891 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, became one of the largest and most influential publishers in the United States during the early 20th century. The company's publications included the ''Ladies' Home Jour ...

, publisher of ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

''. Among Novelty's best-known and longest-running titles were the companion titles '' Blue Bolt'' and ''

Target Comics The Target and the Targeteers are fictional characters, a trio of superheroes who first appeared in 1940, in ''Target Comics'' (after which the characters were named) from Novelty Press. History ''Target Comics'' debuted with a premiere issue co ...

''. During its nine-year run, Novelty had a roster of creators that included Al Avison, Dan Barry,

Carl Burgos Carl Burgos (; born Max Finkelstein ; April 18, 1916 – March 1, 1984) Note: Gives only month and year of death. was an American comic book and advertising artist best known for creating the original Human Torch in ''Marvel Comics'' #1 (Oct. 193 ...

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 ...

Bill Everett William Blake Everett (; May 18, 1917 – February 27, 1973) was an American comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner as well as co-creating Zombie and Daredevil with writer Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. He was allege ...

, Al Gabriele,

Joe Gill Joseph P. Gill (July 13, 1919 – December 17, 2006) Goodman">/nowiki>Martin/nowiki> Goodman – who wnedMarvel later – into comics, and did the first omicsin my brother's office". Gill is reportedly among the writers who scripted Captain Ame ...

, Tom Gill,

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential c ...

, Tarpé Mills, Al Plastino, Don Rico,

Joe Simon Joseph Henry Simon (October 11, 1913 – December 14, 2011) was an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s–1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the ...

Mickey Spillane Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, whose stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have s ...

, and Basil Wolverton. Although published in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, Novelty Press's editorial offices were in New York City.

History

Novelty Press launched its first title, ''

'', debuted with a

cover date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unu ...

of February 1940, followed shortly thereafter by '' Blue Bolt''. ''Target Comics'' featured such stars as Bull's-Eye Bill, Lucky Byrd, and The White Streak (''Targets first superhero). Material for the book was supplied by

Funnies, Inc. Funnies, Inc. was an American comic book packager of the late 1930s to 1940s period collectors and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Founded by Lloyd Jacquet, it supplied the contents of early comics, including that of ''Marvel Comics' ...

, a packager also responsible for many of

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in 19 ...

' early characters.Markstein, Don
"Target & the Targeteers''
at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved July 11, 2008. Creators included

, and Tarpé Mills. Basil Wolverton's

Spacehawk Basil Wolverton (July 9, 1909 – December 31, 1978)
at the

Circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and uni ...

'' comics) made its ''Target Comics'' debut with issue #5, and ran for many issues. The superhero

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

, created by cartoonist Dick Briefer under the pen nam "Dick Hamilton", was introduced in issue #10 (Nov. 1940), accompanied by the Targeteers the following issue. The ''Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide'' suggests that the first comic book letter column may have appeared in ''Target Comics'' #6. The page in question also has an early mention of comic-book collecting.) '' Blue Bolts title character superhero was created by

, and ''Blue Bolt'' #2 (July 1940) featured the first pairing of the longstanding and pioneering creative team of Simon and

. ''

4 Most 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

'', launched in 1941, was Novelty's answer to

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 their f ...

' omnibus title ''World's Finest Comics'' and

All American The designation All American often refers to the hyphenated term All-American, a noun or adjective denoting players selected for an All-America sports team. Of an individual, all-American may mean that the person (often male) expresses the qualiti ...

's ''Comic Cavalcade''. '' Young King Cole'', debuting in 1945, was an anthology title headlined by one of the comic genre's first private detectives. In 1949, due to the growing criticism over violence in comic books, Novelty Press sold its assets to ''Blue Bolt'' cover artist

. Using his new assets, Cole began his own company,

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,

Titles

* ''4 Most'' (36 issues, 1941–1949) — Regular features included

Cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

, Dan'l Flannel, Edison Bell, and

Lem the Grem Lem may refer to: Places * 3836 Lem, an asteroid named after Stanisław Lem * , a municipality in Jutland People Given name or nickname (Alphabetical by surname) * Lemuel Lem Barney (born 1945), American football player * Lem Billings (1916–1 ...

, the "Trouble-Loving Gremlin". * ''Blue Bolt'' (110 issues, 1940–1951) —

and

teamed for fewer than 12 issues, turning over the book to successors including Dan Barry, Tom Gill, and

Malcolm Kildale's

Sgt. Spook Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other u ...

, an undead detective, was a regular backup feature for most of its run. ''Blue Bolt'' ran for 110 issues, the first 102 published by Novelty Press, and the rest published by

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,

. * '' Dick Cole, The Wonder Boy'' (10 issues, 1948-1949) — A popular backup feature in ''Blue Bolt'' (and later ''4 Most''), "Dick Cole" was spun off into its own title from 1948 to 1950 (the first five issues published by Novelty Press, the rest by

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,

). Dick Cole was created by cartoonist Bob Davis but others who handled the character include Al Fagaly (''Super Duck''), James Wilcox (''Dolly O'Dare''), and Jack Hearne (''The Cadet'').Markstein, Don
"Dick Cole, The Boy Wonder"
at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved July 11, 2008. * ''

Frisky Fables Frisky may refer to: * Frisky (automobile) a family of British microcars produced 1957-1964 * ''Frisky Tom'', a 1981 arcade game * Mister Frisky, a racehorse * ST ''Frisky'', a tugboat, previously the ''Empire Rita'' * "Frisky" (song), by Tinie ...

'' — 37 issues, 1945–49 * ''

Guns Against Gangsters A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, pr ...

'' — 8 issues, 1948–1949 * '' Humdinger'' — 8 issues, 1946–1947 * ''Target Comics'' (105 issues, 1940–1949) * ''Young King Cole'' (title later changed to ''Criminals on the Run'') (24 issues, 1945-1948) — Regular backup features included

Doctor Doom Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the f ...

, "The Resourceful Professor of Criminology"; Foxy, "Office Boy in the Detective Bureau";

Homer K. Beagle Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the '' Iliad'' and the '' Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of ...

, "The Demon Detective";

Larry Broderick Larry is a masculine given name in English, derived from Lawrence or Laurence. It can be a shortened form of those names. Larry may refer to the following: People Arts and entertainment *Larry D. Alexander, American artist/writer *Larry Boone, ...

, "City Detective"; and

Tony Gayle Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

, "Glamorous Detective Model".

Regular backup features

* '' Bull's-Eye Bill'' (''Target Comics'') * ''

'' (''4 Most'') * '' Dan'l Flannel'' (''4 Most'') * '' Dick Cole, The Wonder Boy'' (''4 Most'' and ''Blue Bolt'') * ''

'' (''Young King Cole'') * '' Edison Bell'' (''4 Most'') * '' Foxy'' (''Young King Cole'') * ''

'' (''Young King Cole'') * ''

'' (''4 Most'') * '' Lucky Byrd'' (''Target Comics'') * ''

'' (''Blue Bolt'') * '' Target and the Targeteers'' (''4 Most'' and ''Target Comics'') * ''

'' (''Young King Cole'') * ''The White Streak'' (''Target Comics'')

References

External links

* * Coville, Jamie
"Newsstand Period 1922 - 1955," TheComicsBooks.com.

High-resolution jpeg of ''Blue Bolt'' #2 in its entirety
{{GoldenAge Comic book publishing companies of the United States Defunct comics and manga publishing companies