Dell Comics


Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium. In 1953, Dell claimed to be the world's largest comics publisher, selling 26 million copies each month.

History

Origins

Its first title was The Funnies, described by the Library of Congress as "a short-lived newspaper tabloid insert" rather than a comic book. Comics historian Ron Goulart describes the 16-page, four-color, newsprint periodical as "more a Sunday comic section without the rest of the newspaper than a true comic book. But it did offer all original material and was sold on newsstands". It ran 36 weekly issues, published Saturdays from January 16, 1929, to October 16, 1930. The cover price rose from 10¢ to 30¢ with issue #3. This was reduced to a nickel from issue #22 to the end.
In 1933, Dell collaborated with Eastern Color Printing to publish the 36-page Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics, considered by historians the first true American comic book; Goulart, for example, calls it "the cornerstone for one of the most lucrative branches of magazine publishing". It was distributed through the Woolworth's department store chain, though it is unclear whether it was sold or given away; the cover displays no price, but Goulart refers, either metaphorically or literally, to the publisher "sticking a ten-cent pricetag on the comic books".
In early 1934, Dell published the single-issue Famous Funnies: Series 1, also printed by Eastern Color. Unlike its predecessor, it was intended from the start to be sold rather than given away.
In 1936, the company partnered with McClure Syndicate in which Dell would finance and distribute publications that McClure would produce and edit on behalf of then-company executive Max Gaines and editor Sheldon Mayer. Among the titles Gaines oversaw were The Comics, Popular Comics and The Funnies. Gaines would leave McClure, and by extension, Dell in 1939, in order to set up All-American Publications with a distribution/partnership agreement at DC.

Western Publishing

The company formed a partnership in 1938 with Western Publishing, in which Dell would finance and distribute publications that Western would produce. While this diverged from the regular practice in the medium of one company handling finance and production and outsourcing distribution, it was a highly successful enterprise with titles selling in the millions. Most of the Dell-produced comics done for Western Publishing during this period were under the Whitman Comics banner ; notable titles included Crackajack Funnies and Super Comics.
Comic book historian Mark Carlson has stated that at its peak in the mid-1950s, "while Dell’s total number of comic book titles only 15% of those published, it control nearly a third of the total market. Dell more million-plus sellers than any other company before or since".

Licensed material

Dell Comics was best known for its licensed material, most notably the animated characters from Walt Disney Productions, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Walter Lantz Studio, along with many movie and television properties such as the Lone Ranger, Tarzan, Felix the Cat, Howdy Doody, Yogi Bear and other Hanna-Barbera characters.

''Four Color''

From 1938 to 1962, Dell's most notable and prolific title was the anthology Four Color. Published several times a month, the title saw more than 1,300 issues published in its 23-year history. It often served as a try-out title and thus the launching pad for many long-running series, a number of which were continued not by Dell, but Gold Key Comics, the competing company formed when Western ended its partnership.

Lil' Eightball

Responding to pressure from the African-American community, the character Lil' Eightball was discontinued as one of the featured characters in the Lantz anthology comic book New Funnies; the last appearance of the character was in the August 1947 issue.

Fredric Wertham

In 1948, Dell refused an invitation of membership in the nascent Association of Comics Magazine Publishers. The association had been formed to pre-empt government intervention in the face of mounting public criticism of comic books. Dell vice-president Helen Meyer told Congress that Dell had opted out of the association because they didn't want their less controversial offerings to serve as "an umbrella for the crime comic publishers". When the Comics Code was formed in 1954 in reaction to Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent, Dell again refused to join and instead began publishing in its comics a "Pledge to Parents" that promised their editorial process "eliminates, rather than regulates, objectional material" and concluded with the now classic credo "Dell Comics Are Good Comics."
Bart Beaty in his book Fredric Wertham and the Critique of Mass Culture describes a concerted campaign by Dell against publication of Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent to the extent of recruiting several of the companies that it licensed characters from to send letters of protest to Wertham's publisher Stanley Rinehart.
Dell in this period even burnished its image by taking out full-page ads in the Saturday Evening Post in late 1952 and early 1953 that emphasized the wholesomeness of its comics.

Dell Comics Club and subscription promotions

From mid-1950 to Spring 1959 Dell promoted subscriptions to its non-Disney titles with what it called the Dell Comics Club. Membership was automatic with any one year subscription to such titles and came with a certificate of membership plus a group portrait of the most prominent non-Disney characters published by Dell. Dell also offered various subscription premiums during the 1940s and 1950s in what Mark Evanier has dubbed a coordinated concerted "aggressive subscription push" and offered the option of an illustrated note or card be sent to the recipients of a gift subscription for birthdays or Christmas.
Multi-year subscriptions were also available.

Alternate format

In 1961, Dell issued two atypical, comic-book like paperbacks without coloring, with cardboard covers and heavier-weight paper than standard comics, and selling for one dollar when most comic books were 12 cents: the 116-page The Flintstones on the Rocks and the 117-page Huck & Yogi Jamboree One historian describes the latter as "a collection of drawings with text. But there are drawings that are sequential which tell stories.... his was intended for Huck and Yogi’s adult fans. Of which there apparently were more than a few, given the format and high price — $1!"

Western partnership ends, Dell declines

In 1961, Dell became the first comic book company to increase its cover prices, raising the prices to fifteen cents; this was soon lowered to twelve cents. In 1962 the partnership with Western ended, with Western taking most of its licensed properties and its original material and creating its own imprint, Gold Key Comics.
While most of the talent who had worked on the Dell line continued at Gold Key, a few creators like John Stanley stuck with Dell and its new line. Dell also drew new talent to its fold, such as Frank Springer, Don Arneson, and Lionel Ziprin.
Dell Comics continued for another 11 years with licensed television and motion picture adaptations and a few generally poorly received original titles. Among the few long lasting series from this time include the teen-comic Thirteen Going on Eighteen, Ghost Stories, Combat, Ponytail, Kona Monarch of Monster Isle, Toka the Jungle King, and Naza Stone Age Warrior. Dell additionally attempted to do superhero titles, including Nukla, Superheroes, Brain Boy, and a critically ridiculed trio of titles based on the Universal Pictures monsters Frankenstein, Dracula and Werewolf that recast the characters as superheroes.
Dell Comics ceased publication in 1973, with a few of its former titles moving to Gold Key Comics.

Corporate acquisitions

Dell was acquired by Doubleday in 1976. Doubleday was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1986, who formed Bantam Doubleday Dell as its US subsidiary. Bertelsmann acquired Random House in 1998 and renamed its US business after the acquisition. After the merger, Bantam was merged with Dell Publishing. In 2001, Random House purchased Golden Books' book publishing properties effectively reuniting the remnants of Dell and Western Publishing. Bantam Dell became part of the Random House publishing group in 2008. Ballantine Books was merged with Bantam Dell in 2010. In 2013, Random House merged with Penguin to form Penguin Random House.

Fan revivals

After Dell ceased publication, a number of its obscure characters were brought back in independent comics. In August 2016, InDELLible Comics was formed in tribute to the public domain characters orphaned by Dell. In July 2017, All-New Popular Comics #1 was published, and was #1 in its category on Amazon upon release. Founded and edited by the team of Jim Ludwig, David Noe and Dærick Gröss Sr., the first issue featured some original characters as well as stories and cameos with many Dell characters.

Publications

#

1000 Jokes #14—129 12 O'Clock High #1–2 6 Black Horses 87th Precinct #2

A

Abraham Lincoln Life Story #1 Adlai Stevenson Adventures of Mighty Mouse #144–155 Air War Stories #1–8 Alley Oop #1–2 Alvin #1–28 Alvin and His Pals in Merry Christmas with Clyde Crashup and Leonardo Alvin for President #1 America in Action #1 Animal Comics #1–30 Around the Block with Dunc and Loo #1–3
  • ''Around the World Under the Sea''

B

Bachelor Father #2 Barbie and Ken #1–5 Barry M. Goldwater Bat Masterson #2—9 Battle of the Bulge Beach Blanket Bingo Beany and Cecil #1–5 The Beatles Beep Beep – The Road Runner #4–14 Ben Casey #1–10 Beetle Bailey #5–38 The Beverly Hillbillies #1–21 Bewitched #1–14 The Big Valley #1–6 The Blue Phantom Bon Voyage! Bonanza Bozo the Clown #2–7 Bozo: The World's Most Famous Clown #1–4 The Brady Bunch #1–2 Brain Boy #2–6 Brenda Starr, Reporter #1 Buck Jones #2–8 Buffalo Bill, Jr. #7–13 Bugs Bunny #28–85 Bugs Bunny's Christmas Funnies #1–9 Bugs Bunny's Christmas Party #6 Bugs Bunny's County Fair #1 Bugs Bunny's Halloween Parade #1–2 Bugs Bunny's Trick 'N' Treat Halloween Fun #3–4 Bugs Bunny's Vacation Funnies #1–9 Bullwinkle The Bullwinkle Mother Moose Nursery Pomes Burke's Law #1–3

C

Cadet Gray of West Point #1 Cain's Hundred #1–2 Calvin and the Colonel #2 Camp Runamuck #1 Car 54, Where Are You? #2–7 The Castilian The Cat Charlie Chan #1–2 Charlie McCarthy #1–9 Cheyenne #4–25 Cheyenne Autumn The Chief #2 Chip 'n' Dale #4–30 Christmas in Disneyland #1 A Christmas Treasury #1 Cicero's Cat #1–2 Cimarron Strip #1 Circus World The Cisco Kid #2–41 Clyde Crashcup #1–5 Colt.45 #4–9 Combat #1–40 Comic Album #1–18 The Comics #1–11 Countdown The Courtship of Eddie's Father #1–2 Crackajack Funnies #1–43
  • ''The Creature''

D

Daffy Duck #4–30 Daktari #1–4 David Ladd's Life Story Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier #1 Dazey's Diary #1 The Defenders #1–2 Dell Giant #21–55 Dell Junior Treasury #1–10 Die, Monster, Die! The Dirty Dozen Disneyland Birthday Party #1 Diver Dan #2 Donald and Mickey in Disneyland #1 Donald Duck #26–84 Donald Duck Album #1 Donald Duck Beach Party #1–6 Donald Duck Fun Book Donald Duck in Disneyland #1 Dr. Kildare #2—9 Dr. Who and the Daleks Dracula Dracula #2–4 Drift Marlo #1–2 Dunc and Loo #4–8 Dwight D. Eisenhower #1

E

El Dorado Ensign O'Toole #1–2 Ensign Pulver Espionage #1–2

F

F-Troop #1–7 The F.B.I. Fairy Tale Parade #1–9 Famous Feature Stories #1 Famous Indian Tribes #1–2 Famous Stories #1–2 Felix the Cat #1–19 Felix the Cat #1–12 Flash Gordon #2 The Flintstones #2–6 The Flintstones on the Rocks The Flying A's Range Rider #2–24 The Flying Nun #1–4 Flying Saucers Comics #1–5 Follow the Sun #1–2 Four Color #1–25 Four Color #1–1354 Frankenstein Frankenstein 2—4 Freddy #1–3 Friday Foster #1 The Frogmen #2–11 The Funnies (series 1) #1–36 The Funnies (series 2) #1–64

G

Gang Busters #10, #17 Garrison's Gorillas #1–5 Gene Autry Comics #1–121 issues Gene Autry's Champion #3–19 Gentle Ben #1–5 Gerald McBoing Boing and the Nearsighted Mr. Magoo #1–6 Get Smart #1–8 Ghost Stories #1–37 Gidget #1–2 Gil Thorp #1 Golden West Rodeo Treasury #1 Goofy The Great Race Guerrilla War #12–14 Gulliver's Travels #1 Gunsmoke #6–27 Gyro Gearloose #1

H

The Hallelujah Trail Hatari! Have Gun, Will Travel #4–14 Heckle and Jeckle #1–3 Henry #1–65 Henry Aldrich #1–22 Hogan's Heroes #1–9 Hope Ship The Horizontal Lieutenant Howdy Doody #1–38 Huck and Yogi Jamboree Huckleberry Hound #3–17 Huey, Dewey and Louie Back to School #1

I

I Dream of Jeannie #1–2 I Love Lucy #3—35 I'm Dickens, He's Fenster #1–2 Idaho #1–8 The Incredible Mr. Limpet Indian Chief #3–33 Iron Horse #1–2 Ivanhoe #1

J

Jace Pearson of the Texas Rangers #2–9 Jace Pearson's Tales of the Texas Rangers #11–20 Jack the Giant Killer Jason and the Argonauts John F. Kennedy Johnny Jason, Teen Reporter Johnny Mack Brown #2–10 Jungle Jim #3–19 Jungle War Stories #1–11

K

King Leonardo and His Short Subjects King of Diamonds #1 King of the Royal Mounted #8–28 Kit Karter #1 Knights of the Round Table #1 Kona, Monarch of Monster Isle #2–21 Kookie #1–2 Krazy Kat #1–5

L

Lady and the Tramp #1 Lancelot and Guinevere Large Feature Comics #1–27 Lassie #1–58 Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy #2–4 Lawman #3–11 Lawrence of Arabia Leave It to Beaver The Legend of Custer #1 The Lieutenant #1 Life Stories of American Presidents #1 Linda Lark #1–8 Lion of Sparta Little Beaver #3–8 Little Iodine #1–50 Little Lulu #1–164 — later continued by Western, et al.Little Lulu and Her Friends #4 Little Lulu and Her Special Friends #3 Little Lulu and Tubby at Summer Camp #2, #5 Little Lulu on Vacation #1 Little Lulu Tubby Annual #1–2 Little Orphan Annie #1–3 The Little Scouts #2–6 The Littlest Snowman Lobo #1–2 Lolly and Pepper #1 The Lone Ranger #1–145 The Lone Ranger Movie Story The Lone Ranger's Companion Tonto #1–33 The Lone Ranger's Famous Horse Hi-Yo Silver #3–36 The Lone Ranger's Golden West #3 The Lone Ranger's Western Treasury #1–2 Looney Tunes #166–246 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Comics #1–165 Ludwig Von Drake #1–4 Lulu and Alvin Storytelling Time #1 Lulu and Tubby Halloween Fun #2, #6 Lulu and Tubby in Alaska #1 Lulu and Tubby in Japan Lyndon B. Johnson #1

M

Mad Monster Party? The Magic Sword Man from Wells Fargo Margie #2 The Masque of the Red Death Maverick #7–19 Maya McHale's Navy #1–3 McHale's Navy (film adaptation) McKeever and the Colonel #1–3 Melvin Monster #1–10 Merrill's Marauders Mickey Mouse #28–84 Mickey Mouse Album Mickey Mouse Almanac #1 Mickey Mouse Birthday Party #1 Mickey Mouse Club Parade #1 Mickey Mouse in Fantasyland #1 Mickey Mouse Summer Fun #1 Mike Shayne, Private Eye #1–3 The Mighty Heroes #1–4 Mighty Mouse #161–172 Miss Peach #1 Mission: Impossible #1–5 Millie the Lovable Monster #1–6 Mister Magoo #3–5 The Mod Squad #1–8 The Monkees #1–17 The Monroes #1 Monsterville #1 Moon Mullins #29 Moses and the Ten Commandments Mouse Musketeers #8–21 The Mouse on the Moon Mr. Magoo and Gerald McBoing Boing #6 The Mummy The Music Man Mysterious Isle #1

N

The Naked Prey Nancy and Sluggo #146–187 Nancy and Sluggo Travel Time #1 Nanny and the Professor #1–2 National Velvet Naza, Stone Age Warrior #1–9 Neutro #1 New Funnies #65–288 The New People #1–2 New Terrytoons #1–8 Nickel Comics #1 The Night of the Grizzly No Time for Sergeants #1–3 None but the Brave Nukla #1–4

O

Operation Bikini Operation Crossbow Our Gang Comics #1–59 The Outer Limits #1–18

P

Peanuts #4—13 Perry Mason #1–2 Peter Pan Treasure Chest #1 Petticoat Junction #1–5 Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks #1 Pogo Possum #1–16 Pogo Parade #1 Ponytail #1–12 Popeye #1–65 Popular Comics #1–145 Porky Pig #25–81 The Prince and the Pauper Private Secretary #1–2

Q

Queen of the West — Dale Evans #3–22 Quick Draw McGraw #2–11

R

Raggedy Ann and Andy (series 1) #1–39 Raggedy Ann and Andy #1–4 Raggedy Ann and Andy #1 Rango #1 The Rat Patrol #1–6 The Raven Rawhide The Real McCoys Red Ryder #1–151 Rex Allen #2–31 The Rifleman #2–12 Rin Tin Tin #4–38 Ring of Bright Water Robin Hood #1 Robinson Crusoe #1 Room 222 #1–4 Rootie Kazootie #4–6 Roy Rogers and Trigger #92–145 Roy Rogers Comics #1–91 Roy Rogers' Trigger #2–17 Ruff and Reddy #4–12
  • ''The Runaway''

S

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians Santa Claus Funnies #1 Scamp #5–16 Sea Hunt #4–13 Sergeant Preston of the Yukon #5–29 Silly Symphonies #1–9 Sinbad Jr. #1–3 Ski Party Sleeping Beauty #1 Smilin' Jack #1–8 Smitty #1–7 Smoky The Sons of Katie Elder Space Man #2–10 Spike and Tyke #4–24 Spin and Marty #5–9 Stoney Burke #1–2 Super Comics #1–121 Super Heroes #1–4

T

Tales from the Tomb #1 Tales of Terror Tales of the Green Beret #1–5 Target: The Corruptors! #2–3 Tarzan #1–131 Tarzan's Jungle Annual #1–7 T.H.E. Cat #1–4 Thirteen Going on Eighteen #1–29 — written by John StanleyThe Three Stooges #6–9 The Three Stooges Meet Hercules Tiny Tots Comics #1 Toka, Jungle King #1–10 Tom and Jerry Comics #60–212 Tom and Jerry Picnic Time #1 Tom and Jerry Summer Fun #1–2 Tom and Jerry Winter Carnival #1–2 Tom and Jerry's Back to School #1 Tom and Jerry's Summer Fun #3–4 Tom and Jerry's Toy Fair #1 Tom and Jerry's Winter Fun #3–7 Tom Corbett, Space Cadet #4–11 The Tomb of Ligeia Top Cat #1–3

U

Uncle Scrooge #4–39 Uncle Scrooge Goes to Disneyland #1 Universal Pictures Presents Dracula, The Mummy Plus Other Stories The Untouchables
  • ''U.S.A...is Ready!''

V

The Valley of Gwangi Voyage to the Deep #1–4

W

Wagon Train #4–13 Walt Disney Presents #2–6 Walt Disney's Christmas Parade #1–9 Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #1–263 Walt Disney's Picnic Party #6–8 Walt Disney's Summer Fun #2 Walt Disney's Vacation Parade #1–5 Walt Disney's Zorro #8–15 War Comics #1–4 War Heroes #1–10 The War Wagon War-Gods of the Deep Werewolf #1–3 Western Action Thrillers #1 Western Roundup #1–25 Who's Minding the Mint? Wild Bill Elliott Comics #2–17 Winnie Winkle #1–7 The Wolf Man Woody Woodpecker #16–72 Woody Woodpecker's Back to School #1–6 Woody Woodpecker's County Fair #2–5 World War Stories #1–3 Wyatt Earp #4–13

Y

Yogi Bear #4–9 The Young Lawyers #1–2 The Young Rebels #1

Z

Zane Grey's Stories of the West #27–39
  • ''Zulu''