Star Comics was 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 ...

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 ...

that began in 1984 and featured titles that were aimed at child readers and were often adaptations of

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early evenin ...

animated series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...

toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...

s. The last comic published under the imprint featured a May 1988

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 ...

, although the Star Comics Magazine continued through December 1988. Some of the titles continued after that, being published directly by Marvel. Several of the original titles consciously emulated the house writing and visual style of then-recently defunct

Harvey Comics Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey World Famous Comics, Harvey Publications, Harvey Comics Entertainment, Harvey Hits, Harvey Illustrated Humor, and Harvey Picture Magazines) was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfr ...

titles such as '' Richie Rich''. The imprint's signature titles were ''

Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham Spider-Ham (Peter Porker) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is an anthropomorphic pig and is a cartoon animal parody version of Spider-Man. He was created by editor Larry Ham ...

'' and '' Heathcliff'', its longest running title. The imprint was also known for its ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' titles, '' Droids'' and ''

Ewoks The Ewoks (singular: Ewok) are a fictional species of small, furry, mammaloid, bipeds in the ''Star Wars'' universe. They inhabit the forest moon of Endor and live in arboreal huts and other simple dwellings, being seen as primitive in compa ...

'' (based on the animated television series). Artists working on the line include Warren Kremer and Howard Post.

Background

For a number of years the industry had benefited from an "age stepladder" whereby comics readers could ascend naturally from children's titles by

Gold Key Comics Gold Key Comics was originally an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated this way from 1962 to 1984. Currently, Gold Key Comics is owned b ...

(Disney and Looney Tunes licensee) and Harvey, upward to the

Archie Comics Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York. In 1983, Gold Key ended its licensed kids' lines. Marvel had never published a successful children's line, although prior to the existence of the Star imprint, they had released a few miniseries based on licensed toy and cartoon properties, such as ''

Rom The Spaceknight Rom the Space Knight is a superhero, originally a toy and then a magazine lead. Rom was created by Scott Dankman, Richard C. Levy, and Bryan L. McCoy for Parker Brothers and is now a Hasbro asset. After the toy was licensed to Marvel Comics, Rom ...

'', ''

The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and in ...

'', and '' Starriors''. In 1977 Marvel also published several licensed

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...

titles including ''

Dynomutt ''Dynomutt, Dog Wonder'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1977. The show centers on a Batman-esque superhero, the Blue Falcon, and his assistant, Dynomutt, a bumbling, y ...

'', ''

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...

'', ''

Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animation, animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative List of Scooby-Doo media, media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the orig ...

'', ''

Yogi Bear Yogi Bear is an anthropomorphic animal character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in ''The Huckleberry Hound Show''. Yogi Bear was the first ...

'', and ''

Laff-a-Lympics ''Laff-A-Lympics'' is an American animated comedy television series produced by Hanna-Barbera. The series premiered as part of the Saturday-morning cartoon program block '' Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics'', on ABC in 1977. The show is a spoof ...

''. In a one shot, ''Marvel Tails'' No. 1, published in 1983 under the Marvel imprint,

Spider-Ham Spider-Ham (Peter Porker) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is an anthropomorphic pig and is a cartoon animal parody version of Spider-Man. He was created by editor Larry Hama, T ...

debuted. By the early 1980s, Marvel Comics was in negotiations with

to assume publication of some of their characters. Harvey editor

Sid Jacobson Sidney Jacobson (October 20, 1929 – July 23, 2022) was an American writer who worked in the fields of children's comic books, popular music, fiction, biography, and non-fiction comics. He was managing editor and editor in chief for Harvey Com ...

, along with the other Harvey staff, were interviewed by Mike Hobson, Marvel's group vice-president of publishing (''de facto'' publisher). As part of the process, Jacobson created several new characters which were well received by Hobson and effectively sealed the deal. Marvel Editor-in-Chief

Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...

appointed editor

Tom DeFalco Tom DeFalco (born June 26, 1950) is an American comic book writer and editor well known for his association with Marvel Comics, with long runs on ''Amazing Spider-Man'', ''Thor'', and ''Fantastic Four''. Career While in college, DeFalco "wrote fo ...

as Executive Editor to coordinate with the Harvey staff, who were hired by Marvel. On the day Marvel was set to take over the Harvey publications, Harvey Comics pulled out of the deal due to an internal disagreement among the Harvey brothers. Harvey would cease publishing their comics in 1982. With the loss of the Harvey characters, the Marvel staff reevaluated their publishing plan and decided that their new line of all-age comics would be published under a different imprint name.

History

Star Comics was the name selected early on in the revamp of the publishing plan. The first comic published was the first issue of a three issue movie adaptation, ''

The Muppets Take Manhattan ''The Muppets Take Manhattan'' is a 1984 American musical comedy drama film directed by Frank Oz. It is the third theatrical film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. In addition to the Muppet performance, the film features special appearances by Art ...

'', in July 1984 with a stand date of November 1984. After the Star line was launched, several of their existing, ongoing titles which were based on licensed toylines, such as '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and ''

Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...

'', remained under the Marvel banner. The regular line did not appear on the stands until five months later and were launched over a two-month period with three original and six licensed titles. ''Fraggle Rock'', ''Heathcliff'', ''Planet Terry'' and ''Strawberry Shortcake'' were released in the first month while ''The Ewoks'', ''Get Along Gang'', ''Muppet Babies'', ''Royal Roy'' and ''Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham'' followed in the second month. ''Top Dog'' and ''Wally the Wizard'' were also early Star original comic titles. In late 1985 Harvey Comics sued Star Comics for copyright infringement, claiming that ''Royal Roy'' was a blatant copy of '' Richie Rich''. Thus the title was canceled after six issues due to this similarity. Millie the Model that was started in her own title in 1945, during Marvel's

Timely Comics Timely Comics is the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely Publications became the name ...

era, and ran until 1973, had a Star Comics spin-off (to add to its earlier spin-offs) in ''Misty (the Model)'' mini-series. In Misty, Millie heads her own modeling agency.

Marvel Productions New World Animation Ltd., formerly known as Marvel Productions, was the television and film studio subsidiary of the Marvel Entertainment Group, based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It later became a subsidiary of ...

' animated series were sourced for Star Comics titles including ''

Defenders of the Earth ''Defenders of the Earth'' is an American animated television series produced in 1986, featuring characters from three comic strips distributed by King Features Syndicate—Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and Mandrake's assista ...

'' and "

Inhumanoids ''Inhumanoids'' is the title of an animated series and the name of a Hasbro toy property that were both released in 1986. In the tradition of other Hasbro properties such as ''Transformers'', and '' G.I. Joe'', the show was produced by Sunbow Ent ...

". The lines' two Star Wars titles crossed over in ''Droids'' #4 and Ewoks #10. Marvel eventually dissolved the Star imprint, but absorbed several Star titles under the main Marvel banner such as ''

Silverhawks ''SilverHawks'' is an American animated television series developed by Rankin/Bass Productions and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1986. The animation was provided by Japanese studio Pacific Animation Corporation. In total, 65 episodes were ...

'' and continued to license new properties, such as '' Captain Planet'' and ''

Police Academy A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or othe ...

''. The Star original characters (Top Dog, Planet Terry, Royal Roy and Wally Wizard) later were used in a Marvel Comics series, such as ''X-Babies'' limited series as antagonists in 2009, then Planet Terry was in ''Drax'' starting in issue #6 in 2016.

Titles

Original titles

* ''

Misty Misty may refer to: Music * ''Misty'' (Ray Stevens album), an album by Ray Stevens featuring the above song * ''Misty'' (Richard "Groove" Holmes album), an album by Richard "Groove" Holmes featuring the above song * ''Misty'' (Eddie "Lockjaw" ...

'' (six-issue

limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...

, 1985–1986) * ''

'' (1985–1987) * ''

Planet Terry ''Planet Terry'' was an American science fiction comic book aimed at young children. Published by Star Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics, the title lasted 12 issues, from April 1985 to March 1986. The title was authored by Lennie Herman, the wri ...

'' (1985–1986) * '' Royal Roy'' 1–6 (1985–1985) * '' Top Dog'' (1985–1987) *''Wally the Wizard'' (1985–1986)

Licensed titles

* ''Air Raiders'' (1987–1988; #1–2 under Star imprint, continued under Marvel imprint) * ''Animax'' (1986–1987) * '' ALF'' * '' Bullwinkle and Rocky'' (1987–1989; #1–2 under Star imprint) * ''

Care Bears Care Bears are multi-colored bears, originally painted in 1981 by artist Elena Kucharik to be used on greeting cards from American Greetings. In 1983, the characters were turned into plush teddy bears. The characters headlined their own televis ...

'' (1985–1989; #1–14 under Star imprint) * '' Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos'' #1–4 (1987) * ''

Count Duckula ''Count Duckula'' is a British children's animated comedy horror television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Films and produced by Thames Television as a spin-off from '' Danger Mouse'', a series in which an early version of the ...

'' (1988) * ''

'' (1987) * ''

'' (1985–1987) * ''

The Flintstone Kids ''The Flintstone Kids'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera. It is an alternative incarnation of the studio's original animated series ''The Flintstones''. The series depicts juvenile versions of the main characte ...

'' (1987–1989; #1–4 under Star imprint) * ''

Foofur ''Foofur'' is an American traditionally animated children's television series from '' Kissyfur'' creator Phil Mendez that was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions with SEPP International S.A. Airing on NBC from 1986 to 1988, the show was about ...

'' (1987–1988; #1–4 under Star imprint) * ''

Fraggle Rock ''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim H ...

'' (volume 1: 1985–1986 under Star imprint; volume 2:1988 under Marvel) * '' The Get-Along Gang'' (1985–1986) * '' Heathcliff'' (1984–1991; #1–22 under Star imprint) * ''Heathcliff's Funhouse'' (1987–1988; #1–5 under Star imprint) * ''

Hugga Bunch The Hugga Bunch was a 1980s toy line from the Kenner, Parker Brothers companies and Hallmark Cards. Starting in early 1985, the companies manufactured the Hugga Bunch dolls, each of which held a smaller doll called a "huglet" in their arms. Durin ...

'' (1986–1987) * ''

'' (1987) * ''

Madballs ''Madballs'' is a series of toy foam balls originally created by AmToy, a subsidiary company of American Greetings (Now Cloudco Entertainment) in the mid-1980s, later being revived by Art Asylum (2007–2008) and Just Play, Inc. (2017–2019). ...

'' (1986–1988; #1–8 under Star imprint) * ''

Masters of the Universe ''Masters of the Universe'' (sometimes referred to as the ''He-Man'' or ''She-Ra'' series) is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince Ada ...

'' (1986–1988) * '' Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture'' (1987) * '' Muppet Babies'' (1985–1989; #1–17 under Star imprint) * ''

'' 1–3 limited series (1984) * ''

Popples Popples is a toy and television franchise created by Those Characters From Cleveland (TCFC), a subsidiary of American Greetings. Popples resemble brightly colored marsupial teddy bears with long tails ending in a pom-pom. Each Popple character ...

'' (1986–1987) * ''

'' (1987–1988; #1–5 under Star imprint, 6 & 7 under Marvel) * ''Star Comics Digest'' a.k.a. ''Star Comics Magazine'' (1986–1988) * '' Star Wars: Droids'' #1–8 (1986–1987) bi-monthly with four issues and issue 5's cover of the series were drawn by

John Romita, Sr John V. Romita (; born January 24, 1930) is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including the Punisher and Wolverine. He was inducted into the Will Eis ...

. * ''

Strawberry Shortcake Strawberry shortcake may refer to: * Strawberry shortcake (dessert), a shortcake served with strawberries * "Strawberry Shortcake, Huckleberry Pie," a song published in 1956; a version by The Brother Sisters was released by Mercury Records in 196 ...

'' (1985–1986) * '' ThunderCats'' (1985–1988; #1–24 under Star imprint) * '' Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light'' (1987; #1–6) Additionally, three Star Comics series were planned yet never published: * ''Commander USA'' * ''Christy'' * ''Little Wizards'' * ''Young Astronauts''

References

External links

* * {{Marvel Multiverse Marvel Comics imprints 1984 comics debuts 1988 comics endings Humor comics