Centaur Publications
Encyclopedia
Centaur Publications (1938–1942) was one of the earliest American
comic book
publishers. During their short existence, they created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett
's Amazing Man.
Everett M. "Busy" Arnold gave financial or other unspecified help to that New York City
-based firm, founded by John Mahon and Bill Cook, former employees of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
's National Allied Publications (the primary forerunner of DC Comics
). The duo published the premiere issue of The Comics Magazine (May 1936), using inventory content from National Allied's submissions. (One collector/historian suggests this was in lieu of pay.)
Among the Comics Magazine Company's original features was Dr. Mystic the Occult Detective (not to be confused with Mr. Mystic
of newspapers' "The Spirit Section
"). This two-page feature was by future Superman
creators Jerry Siegel
and Joe Shuster
, and were part of their Doctor Occult
continuity, with the name changed for trademark consideration. This was the beginning of a serial that introduced the villain Koth, and the Seven, that continued into DC's More Fun Comics #14-17 (issues also designated as vol. 2 #2-5).
The company's flagship title, the eponymous Comics Magazine, premiered with a May 1936 cover date. That comic-book series featured the first masked hero
in American comics, writer
-artist
George Brenner
's the Clock
, in the November 1936 issue.
.
Centaur ceased publication four years later, primarily due to poor distribution
, but in that period had created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett
's Amazing Man. Everett would later go on to comics fame by introducing Namor The Submariner to Timely
(later Atlas, then Marvel Comics.) Everett's first nationally published comic work was the cover of Amazing Mystery Funnies #1 (1938.)
revived several Centaur heroes — which by that time lapsed into public domain — as the superhero
team The Protectors
. Included were Airman, Amazing Man, the Arrow, the Clock (as a retired mystery man, then the President of the United States, Brian O'Brien), the Fantom of the Fair, also known as Fantoman (renamed by Malibu as Gravestone), the Ferret, Man of War, the Masked Marvel (renamed Night Mask), Mighty Man, Prince Zardi the Eternal Man, and the Shark (renamed Thresher), as well as completely original characters, such as Arc and Aura. Several of these characters had short-lived titles of their own.
AC Comics
reprinted a number of stories featuring Centaur characters in their anthologies.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
publishers. During their short existence, they created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett
Bill Everett
William Blake "Bill" Everett, also known as William Blake and Everett Blake was a comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner and co-creating Daredevil for Marvel Comics...
's Amazing Man.
Comics Magazine Company
Centaur developed primarily from the Comics Magazine Company, Inc. In 1936, comic-book entrepreneurEntrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
Everett M. "Busy" Arnold gave financial or other unspecified help to that New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based firm, founded by John Mahon and Bill Cook, former employees of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson was an American pulp magazine writer and entrepreneur who pioneered the American comic book, publishing the first such periodical consisting solely of original material rather than reprints of newspaper comic strips...
's National Allied Publications (the primary forerunner of DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
). The duo published the premiere issue of The Comics Magazine (May 1936), using inventory content from National Allied's submissions. (One collector/historian suggests this was in lieu of pay.)
Among the Comics Magazine Company's original features was Dr. Mystic the Occult Detective (not to be confused with Mr. Mystic
Mr. Mystic
Mr. Mystic is comics series featuring a magician crime-fighter, created by Will Eisner and initially drawn by Bob Powell. The strip featured in four-page backup feature a Sunday-newspaper comic-book insert, known colloquially as "The Spirit Section"...
of newspapers' "The Spirit Section
The Spirit
The Spirit is a crime-fighting fictional character created by writer-artist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940 in "The Spirit Section", the colloquial name given to a 16-page Sunday supplement, distributed to 20 newspapers by the Register and Tribune Syndicate and reaching five million...
"). This two-page feature was by future Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
creators Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
and Joe Shuster
Joe Shuster
Joseph "Joe" Shuster was a Canadian-born American comic book artist. He was best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1...
, and were part of their Doctor Occult
Doctor Occult
Doctor Occult is a fictional character, a magic user in the . Created by Superman's creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Doctor Occult is the earliest character created by DC Comics still currently in use in its shared universe fiction....
continuity, with the name changed for trademark consideration. This was the beginning of a serial that introduced the villain Koth, and the Seven, that continued into DC's More Fun Comics #14-17 (issues also designated as vol. 2 #2-5).
The company's flagship title, the eponymous Comics Magazine, premiered with a May 1936 cover date. That comic-book series featured the first masked hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
in American comics, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
-artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
George Brenner
George Brenner
George Brenner was an American cartoonist in the mid 1900s. He created comics such as The Clock, Bozo the Iron Man, and 711.He also had a small part as a guest in the 1946 movie The Razor's Edge....
's the Clock
The Clock
The Clock is a fictional masked crime-fighter published during the Golden Age of Comic Books. According to the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, the Clock was the first masked hero to appear in American comic books.-Publication history:...
, in the November 1936 issue.
Utlem Publications
Another entrepreneur, Harry "A" Chesler, published Star Comics, the first issue of which debuted with a February 1937 cover date. Star Comics was soon bought out by Ultem Publications. In September 1937, the Comics Magazine Co. merged with that company, using Ultem as its brand. Financial difficulties forced Ultem to sell some of its properties, including the Clock, to "Busy" Arnold's Quality ComicsQuality Comics
Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1939 to 1956 and was an influential creative force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of comic books....
.
Centaur Comics
By January 1938, Ultem was bought out by Joe Hardie, Fred Gardner, and Raymond Kelly's Centaur Publications, Inc., which had been publishing pulp magazines since at least 1933. Hardie, Gardner, and Kelly used this base to create Centaur Comics, which began publishing in March 1938. They also drew on the back inventory of stories to fill out the early issues of their new titles with reprints. Centaur Publications, Inc. ceased production at the end of 1940, but continued to produce comics under the name Comic Corporation of America.Centaur ceased publication four years later, primarily due to poor distribution
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
, but in that period had created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett
Bill Everett
William Blake "Bill" Everett, also known as William Blake and Everett Blake was a comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner and co-creating Daredevil for Marvel Comics...
's Amazing Man. Everett would later go on to comics fame by introducing Namor The Submariner to Timely
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
(later Atlas, then Marvel Comics.) Everett's first nationally published comic work was the cover of Amazing Mystery Funnies #1 (1938.)
Malibu revival
In 1992, Malibu ComicsMalibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
revived several Centaur heroes — which by that time lapsed into public domain — as the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team The Protectors
Protectors
The Protectors was a 20-issue comic book series published by Malibu Comics from 1992 until 1994. Originally meant to be a six-issue series, response was positive enough that Malibu decided to make the series ongoing...
. Included were Airman, Amazing Man, the Arrow, the Clock (as a retired mystery man, then the President of the United States, Brian O'Brien), the Fantom of the Fair, also known as Fantoman (renamed by Malibu as Gravestone), the Ferret, Man of War, the Masked Marvel (renamed Night Mask), Mighty Man, Prince Zardi the Eternal Man, and the Shark (renamed Thresher), as well as completely original characters, such as Arc and Aura. Several of these characters had short-lived titles of their own.
AC Comics
AC Comics
AC Comics is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black.AC Comics specializes in reprints of Golden Age comics from now-defunct companies whose properties lapsed into public domain and were not reprinted elsewhere...
reprinted a number of stories featuring Centaur characters in their anthologies.
Characters
- AirmanAirman (comics)Airman is a fictional, comic-book superhero first published by Centaur Publications during the late 1930s to 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. He first appeared in Keen Detective Funnies #23 Airman (originally Air Man) is a fictional, comic-book superhero first...
- Amazing Man
- The ArrowArrow (comics)The Arrow is a fictional character, a superhero originally published by Centaur Publications. The character first appeared in 1938 in Funny Pages #21 . After Centaur Publications went out of business, the Arrow, along with most other company properties, lapsed into public domain...
- Black Panther
- Blue Fire
- Blue Lady
- Buzzard, The
- The ClockThe ClockThe Clock is a fictional masked crime-fighter published during the Golden Age of Comic Books. According to the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, the Clock was the first masked hero to appear in American comic books.-Publication history:...
(character sold to Quality ComicsQuality ComicsQuality Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1939 to 1956 and was an influential creative force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of comic books....
) - Dash Dartwell
- Dr. Hypno
- Dr. Mystic
- Dr. Synthe
- The Electric Ray
- The Eye
- Fantom of the FairFantom of the FairThe Fantom of the Fair was one of the earliest published Golden Age superheroes. He debuted in Amazing Mystery Funnies Vol 2 #7 , July 1939, Centaur Publications. He premiered, according to cover dates, the same month as DC Comics' Sandman and Fox Publications' The Flame, and Centaur's The Masked...
/Fantoman - The Fire Man
- Iron Skull
- King of Darkness
- Liberty Guards
- Man O'War
- Marksman
- The Masked MarvelMasked Marvel (Centaur Publications)The Masked Marvel was a fictional superhero originally published by Centaur Publications. He debuted in 1939, on the pages of Keen Detective Funnies #7...
- Meteor Martin
- Mighty Man
- MinimidgetMinimidgetMinimidget was a fictional character, a superhero who first appeared in Centaur Comics. Minimidget was written and illustrated by John F. Kolb...
- Nightshade
- The Rainbow
- The Sentinel
- The Shark
- Skyrocket Steele
- Speed Centaur
- Super-Ann
- TNT Todd
- Vapo-man
- The Voice
External links
- AC Comics page about Centaur Publications
- Centaur character list
- Protectors site
- Steranko, JimJim SterankoJames F. Steranko is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator....
(1972). The Steranko History of Comics 2. Supergraphics. pp. 91–109. (offline)