Lev Gleason Publications
Encyclopedia
Lev Gleason Publications, founded by Leverett Gleason, was the publisher of a number of popular comic books during the 1940s and early 1950s, including Daredevil, Crime Does Not Pay, and Boy Comics.
Gleason was based in New York
, and was among the first to produce comic books aimed at an adult audience. He labeled some of his books "illustories" to suggest that they were a new, different form.
Gleason was behind the first and most successful crime comic
, Crime Does Not Pay (1942), which spawned dozens of imitators. Gleason's titles (along with those produced by EC Comics
) became targets of increasing criticism of the influence of comic books. This pressure led to the formation in 1948 of the Association of Comics Magazine Publishers
(ACMP) in an effort to avoid external regulation. Gleason was a founding member. The ACMP was the first step towards the establishment of the Comics Code Authority
in 1954.
Gleason went out of business in 1956.
Gleason was based in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and was among the first to produce comic books aimed at an adult audience. He labeled some of his books "illustories" to suggest that they were a new, different form.
Gleason was behind the first and most successful crime comic
Crime comics
Crime comics is a genre of American comic books and format of crime fiction. The genre was originally popular in the 1940s and 1950s and is marked by a moralistic editorial tone and graphic depictions of violence and criminal activity. Crime comics began in 1942 with the publication of Crime Does...
, Crime Does Not Pay (1942), which spawned dozens of imitators. Gleason's titles (along with those produced by EC Comics
EC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
) became targets of increasing criticism of the influence of comic books. This pressure led to the formation in 1948 of the Association of Comics Magazine Publishers
Association of Comics Magazine Publishers
The Association of Comics Magazine Publishers was an American industry trade group formed in May 1947 and publicly announced on July 1, 1948, to regulate the content of comic books in the face of public criticism during this time...
(ACMP) in an effort to avoid external regulation. Gleason was a founding member. The ACMP was the first step towards the establishment of the Comics Code Authority
Comics Code Authority
The Comics Code Authority was a body created as part of the Comics Magazine Association of America, as a tool for the comics-publishing industry to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. Member publishers submitted comic books to the CCA, which screened them for adherence to...
in 1954.
Gleason went out of business in 1956.
Selected list of Lev Gleason Publications titles
- Black Diamond Western (1949–1956) 52 issues
- Boy Comics (1942–1956) 117 issues
- Boy Loves Girl (1952–1956) 33 issues
- Boy Meets Girl (1950–1952) 24 issues
- Crime and Punishment (1948–1955) 74 issues
- Crime Does Not Pay (1942–1955) 126 issues
- Daredevil Comics (1941–1956) 134 issues
- Lovers' Lane (1949–1954) 41 issues
- Silver Streak Comics (1939–1946) 23 issues