More Fun Comics, originally titled New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine,[1] is a 1935–1947 Americancomic bookanthology that introduced several major superhero characters and was the first American comic book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of newspapercomic strips.[2] It was also the first publication of National Allied Publications, the company that would become DC Comics.
Publication history
Having seen the emergence of Famous Funnies and other oversize magazines reprinting comic strips, Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied Publications and published New Fun #1 on January 11, 1935[3] (cover-dated February 1935).A tabloid-sized, 10-inch by 15-inch, 36-page magazine with a cardstock, non-glossy cover, it was an anthology of humor features, such as the
talking animal
comic "Pelion and Ossa" and the college-set "Jigger and Ginger", mixed with dramatic fare as the
Most significantly, however, whereas some of the existing publications included a small amount of original material, generally as filler, New Fun #1 was the first comic book containing all-original material. Additionally, it carried advertising,[4] whereas previous comic books were ad-free and sponsored by corporations such as Procter & Gamble, Kinney Shoes, and Canada Dry.[5][6]
The first four issues were edited by future Funnies, Inc. founder Lloyd Jacquet,[1][7] the next, after a three-month hiatus, by Wheeler-Nicholson himself.[8] Issue #6 (Oct. 1935) saw the comic book debuts of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the future creators of Superman, who began their careers with the musketeer swashbuckler "Henri Duval" (doing the first two installments before turning it over to others) and, under the pseudonyms "Leger and Reuths", the supernatural adventurer Doctor Occult.[9] Siegel and Shuster remained on the latter title through issue #32 (June 1938), following the magazine's retitling as More Fun (issues #7–8, Jan.-Feb. 1936),[10] and More Fun Comics (#9-on).[11]
In issue #101 (Feb. 1945), Siegel and Shuster introduced Superboy, a young version of Superman.[12]
With issue #108 (March 1946), all the superhero features were moved from More Fun into Adventure Comics.More Fun became a humor title that spotlighted the children's fantasy feature "Jimminy and the Magic Book".[13] The series was canceled with issue #127 (Dec 1947).
1.New Fun #v1#1 (Feb. 1935) at the Grand Comics Database.The entry notes that while the logo appears to be simply Fun, the indicia reads, "New FUN is published monthly at 49 West 45th Street, New York, N.Y., by National Allied Publications, Inc.; Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, President ... Inquiries concerning advertising should be addressed to the Advertising Manager, New FUN,...."^
2.Alan Cowsill, Alex Irvine, Matthew K. Manning, Michael McAvennie, Daniel Wallace. DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle DK Publishing, 2019^
3.New Fun Magazine for Juveniles Out Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 11, 1935^
