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 of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 c ...

Blue Bolt Blue Bolt is a fictional American comic book superhero created by writer-artist Joe Simon in 1940, during the period fans and historians refer to as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Publication history Initially published by Novelty Press, ...

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 alle ...

Al Gabriele Al Gabriele (deceased) was an American comic book artist during the 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books. He is known for his work on some of Marvel Comics' earliest Captain America and Sub-Mariner stories, and ...

Joe Gill Joseph P. Gill (July 13, 1919 – December 17, 2006)Social Security Death Inde ...

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

Al Plastino Alfred John Plastino (December 15, 1921 – November 25, 2013) was an American comics artist best known as one of the most prolific Superman artists of the 1950s, along with his DC Comics colleague Wayne Boring. Plastino also worked as a comics w ...

Don Rico Donato Francisco Rico II (September 26, 1912 – March 27, 1985) was an American paperback novelist, screenwriter, wood engraver and comic book writer-artist, who co-created the Marvel Comics characters the Black Widow (Natasha Romanova) with plot ...

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 (character), Mike Hammer. More than 225 million c ...

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

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, '' Target Comics'', 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 unusu ...

of February 1940, followed shortly thereafter by ''

Blue Bolt Blue Bolt is a fictional American comic book superhero created by writer-artist Joe Simon in 1940, during the period fans and historians refer to as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Publication history Initially published by Novelty Press, ...

''. ''Target Comics'' featured such stars as

Bull's-Eye Bill The bullseye or bull's eye has, since 1833, been the name for the center of a target and, by extension, since 1857, has been given to any throw, toss, or shot that hits the center. In a further development, success in an endeavor in which ther ...

,

Lucky Byrd Lucky may refer to: *An adjective of luck Lucky may also refer to: Film and television * '' Lucky: No Time for Love'', a 2005 Hindi-language romance starring Salman Khan, Sneha Ullal, and Mithun Chakraborty * ''Lucky'', a 2005 short film by Av ...

, and The

White Streak White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

(''Targets first superhero). Material for the book was supplied by Funnies, Inc., a packager also responsible for many of

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, 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 Co ...

' early characters.Markstein, Don
"Target & the Targeteers''
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 ...

. Retrieved July 11, 2008. Creators included

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 alle ...

,

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 ...

, and Tarpé Mills.

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

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 unicyclist ...

'' 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 Richard Briefer (January 9, 1915 – December 1980)Richard Briefer
(

The ''Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide'' suggests that the first

comic book letter column A comic book letter column is a section of an American comic book where readers' letters to the publisher appear. Comic book letter columns are also commonly referred to as letter columns (or lettercols), letter pages, letters of comment (LOCs), o ...

may have appeared in ''Target Comics'' #6. The page in question also has an early mention of comic-book collecting.) ''

Blue Bolt Blue Bolt is a fictional American comic book superhero created by writer-artist Joe Simon in 1940, during the period fans and historians refer to as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Publication history Initially published by Novelty Press, ...

s title character superhero was created by

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 ...

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

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

. '' 4 Most'', 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 thei ...

' omnibus title ''World's Finest Comics'' and All American'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 L.B. Cole. Using his new assets, Cole began his own company, Star Publications.

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 Edison Bell was an English company that was the first distributor and an early manufacturer of Phonograph, gramophones and gramophone records. The company survived through several incarnations, becoming a top producer of budget records in Englan ...

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

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 ...

and

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

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

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 (character), Mike Hammer. More than 225 million c ...

Malcolm Kildale's Sgt. Spook, 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. * ''

Dick Cole, The Wonder Boy ''The Adventures of Dick Cole'' was a 1940s comic book series, created by Bob Davis. It was published by Novelty Press, and later, Star Publications. Dick Cole is a heroic cadet at the fictional Farr Military Academy. The character was introduced ...

'' (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). 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'' — 37 issues, 1945–49 * '' Guns Against Gangsters'' — 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 fi ...

, "The Resourceful Professor of Criminology"; Foxy, "Office Boy in the Detective Bureau"; Homer K. Beagle, "The Demon Detective"; Larry Broderick, "City Detective"; and Tony Gayle, "Glamorous Detective Model".

Regular backup features

* ''

Bull's-Eye Bill The bullseye or bull's eye has, since 1833, been the name for the center of a target and, by extension, since 1857, has been given to any throw, toss, or shot that hits the center. In a further development, success in an endeavor in which ther ...

'' (''Target Comics'') * ''

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 ...

'' (''4 Most'') * '' Dan'l Flannel'' (''4 Most'') * ''

Dick Cole, The Wonder Boy ''The Adventures of Dick Cole'' was a 1940s comic book series, created by Bob Davis. It was published by Novelty Press, and later, Star Publications. Dick Cole is a heroic cadet at the fictional Farr Military Academy. The character was introduced ...

'' (''4 Most'' and ''Blue Bolt'') * ''

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 fi ...

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

Edison Bell Edison Bell was an English company that was the first distributor and an early manufacturer of Phonograph, gramophones and gramophone records. The company survived through several incarnations, becoming a top producer of budget records in Englan ...

'' (''4 Most'') * '' Foxy'' (''Young King Cole'') * '' Homer K. Beagle'' (''Young King Cole'') * '' Larry Broderick'' (''Young King Cole'') * '' Lem the Grem'' (''4 Most'') * ''

Lucky Byrd Lucky may refer to: *An adjective of luck Lucky may also refer to: Film and television * '' Lucky: No Time for Love'', a 2005 Hindi-language romance starring Salman Khan, Sneha Ullal, and Mithun Chakraborty * ''Lucky'', a 2005 short film by Av ...

'' (''Target Comics'') * '' Sgt. Spook'' (''Blue Bolt'') * ''

Target and the Targeteers 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 ...

'' (''4 Most'' and ''Target Comics'') * '' Tony Gayle'' (''Young King Cole'') * ''The

White Streak White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

'' (''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