Quality Communications was a British

publishing company 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, news ...

founded by Dez Skinn that operated from 1982 to 2008. The company's most notable publications were the monthly

comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

anthology ''

Warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...

'', which featured early work by writer

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...

; and the comics

trade magazine A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for t ...

'' Comics International'', which Skinn published and edited for 16 years. Quality was involved with comics in both the UK and the U.S., mainly with reprint material from ''Warrior'' and repackaging '' 2000 AD'' material for the U.S. market.

History

Quality was initially formed to publish ''

'', which featured the

stories ''

V for Vendetta ''V for Vendetta'' is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd (with additional art by Tony Weare). Initially published between 1982 and 1985 in black and white as an ongoing serial in the British anthol ...

'' and ''

Marvelman Miracleman (Michael ("Micky" / "Mike") Moran), originally known as Marvelman, is a Character (arts), fictional superhero appearing in comic books first published by L. Miller & Son, Ltd. Created in 1954 by writer-artist Mick Anglo for publisher ...

''. ''Warrior'' won 17 Eagle Awards during its short run (including nine Eagles in 1983 alone). Quality was also involved in the U.S. completion of ''Marvelman'' and ''V for Vendetta''. Quality's main period as a comics publisher was from 1982 to 1988. ''2000 AD'' content repackaged for the U.S. market included the titles ''2000 A.D. Presents'', ''Spellbinders'', and ''Scavengers''. During this period, Quality also published 7 issues of ''

Halls of Horror ''The House of Hammer'' was a British black-and-white magazine featuring articles and comics related to the Hammer Film Productions series of horror and science fiction films. The brainchild of Dez Skinn,Dakin, John. "'Marvel Revolution' in Engl ...

'', a title Skinn had originated earlier with Thorpe & Porter (the British publishing division of

Warner Communications Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...

). In 1990, Quality shifted focus to magazines, launched the comics trade journal '' Comics International'', which Skinn published and edited for the following 16 years. His "Sez Dez" column was a regular feature in issues #100–#200. With issue #200, in 2006, Skinn sold the magazine to Cosmic Publications.Johnston, Rich
"Comics International Closes Shop,"
Bleeding Cool (May 27, 2010). (''Comics International'' struggled along for another couple of years before folding in 2010.)Freeman, John

DownTheTubes (May 21, 2010). Quality published a few sporadic titles in the 2000s, including ''Toy Max'' (2003), a one-off magazine for toy collectors,"Magazine offers toys for grown-ups,"
''Press Gazette'' (May 1, 2003). and Skinn's hardcover book ''Comix: The Underground Revolution'' (2004). In 2005, Quality published ''Ace Comics'', an anthology of ten comic strips by

City College Brighton & Hove Brighton MET is a large general further education college located in Brighton and Hove, It is now part of the Chichester College Group after Greater Brighton Metropolitan College merged with CCG on 1 August 2021. It has two campus: Central Brigh ...

students of Skinn's; it was distributed for free in

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East ...

. In 2008, Quality Communications published the 15th-anniversary issue (numbered #15) of ''

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 gre ...

Quarterly''.Freeman, John
"Jack Kirby Quarterly Returns
" DownTheTubes.net (JULY 12, 2008).

Titles published

Comics

* ''2000 A.D. Presents'' (20 issues, Aug. 1986–May 1988) — reprinting classic stories from '' 2000 AD'' (license acquired from Eagle Comics; later continued by

Fleetway Publications Fleetway Publications was a magazine publishing company based in London. It was founded in 1959 when the Mirror Group acquired the Amalgamated Press, then based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. It was one of the companies that mer ...

) * ''Ace Comics'' (1 issue, July 2005) * '' Fighting Figurines'' (1 issue, 1996) — by Paul Honeyford and Dave Heaven, collecting the story originally anthologized in ''

Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating firearm, repeating handgun that has at least one gun barrel, barrel and uses a revolving cylinder (firearms), cylinder containing multiple chamber (firearms), chambers (each holding a single ...

'' * ''Halls of Horror Dracula Comics Special'' (1 issue, Apr. 1984) * '' Marvelman Special'' (1 issue, 1984) * ''Scavengers'' (14 issues, Dec. 1987–Jan. 1989) — reprinting dinosaur-themed stories from ''2000 AD'' * ''Spellbinders'' (12 issues, Dec. 1986–Dec. 1987) — reprinting stories with a magic/horror twist: **

Sláine Sláine (sometimes anglicized as Slaine) is an Irish given name. People Notable people with this name include: * Slaine (rapper), hiphop MC from Boston * Sláine ingen Briain (fl. 1014), daughter of Brian Boru and wife of Sigtrygg, king of Dub ...

and

Nemesis the Warlock ''Nemesis the Warlock'' is a comic series created by writer Pat Mills and artist Kevin O'Neill which appeared in the pages of the British weekly comics anthology '' 2000 AD''. The title character, a fire-breathing demonic alien, fights again ...

from '' 2000 AD'' ** Cursitor Doom/Amadeus Wolf from '' Smash!'' ** "Library of Death" stories from '' Scream!'' * '' Steel Claw'' (4-issue limited series, Dec. 1986– Mar. 1987) — by Kenneth Bulmer, Garry Leach, and

Jesús Blasco Jesús Blasco (3 November 1919 – 21 October 1995) was a Spanish author and artist of comic books, whose career covered most of the conventional history of comic strips. He worked extensively in British comics in the 1960s and 1970s. Career Blas ...

; colourized reprints of ''Steel Claw'' stories from the IPC Magazines title '' Valiant'' * '' Storm: The Deep World'' (1 issue, 1982) — by Saul Dunn and Don Lawrence; reprinting ''De diepe wereld'' (originally serialized in '' Eppo'' magazine, Oberon, 1977) * ''

'' (26 issues, Mar. 1982–Feb. 1985) ** ''Warrior Summer Special'' (1 issue, 1983)

Magazines

* '' Comics International'' (200 issues, 1990–2006) * ''

'' (7 issues, 1982–1984) — acquired from G.B.D. Ltd./ Top Sellers Ltd (imprints of Thorpe & Porter) (

) with issue #24; previously known as ''

House of Hammer ''The House of Hammer'' was a British black-and-white magazine featuring articles and comics related to the Hammer Film Productions series of horror and science fiction films. The brainchild of Dez Skinn,Dakin, John. "'Marvel Revolution' in E ...

'', ''Hammer's House of Horror'', and ''Hammer's Halls of Horror'' * ''Jack Kirby Quarterly'' #15 (1 issue, 2008) — 15th-anniversary issue * ''Toy Max'' (1 issue, June 2003) — edited by pop culture expert Tim Pilcher

Books

* ''Comix: The Underground Revolution'' (2004) — by Dez Skinn

References

Notes

Sources

* *{{comicbookdb, type=imprint, id=1766, title=Quality Communications

External links

Quality Communications entry
DezSkinn.com Comic book publishing companies of the United Kingdom Companies established in 1982 1982 establishments in the United Kingdom