Fourteen Years of Fawcett Comics
Or, Seventy-Seven Years Later: Fawcett Fridays
Fawcett Comics began with
Whiz Comics #2 dated February 1940. The final comics seem to have been dated January 1954. Like most of new comics publishers, Fawcett Comics had growing pains.
They even tried a different price-point with
Nickel Comics. Half the pages, at half the price and twice as often.
Master Comics, on the other hand, was over-sized at ten and a half by fourteen inches, but only fifty-two pages.
Nickel Comics only lasted eight issues. Then 'Bulletman', the cover feature, moved over to the now regular sized,
Master Comics. In fact, much like a British comic weekly,
Master Comics #7 proclaimed "Combined with Nickel Comics."
Slam-Bang Comics, a regular sized book, lasted only seven issues. Some of the features, like 'Zoro, the Mystery Man', also moved to
Master Comics. The first paper scans of
Slam-Bang are included in DCM's Fawcett Fridays.
The early
Master Comics had problems. First, besides being a different size, much of the lineup seemed almost copied from the flagship
Whiz Comics. You had 'The Devil's Dagger', a 'Green Hornet' style mystery-man, in place of 'Spy Smasher'. Then, instead of 'Golden Arrow', came 'Frontier Marshal'. 'Shipwreck Roberts' covered the oceans in place of 'Lance O'Casey'. 'El Carim' substituted for 'Ibis, the Invincible' magician. And then, there was 'Master Man'. So much like 'Superman' that legal action followed.
'Bulletman' prospered in
Master Comics. The other transfers mostly used up their inventory stories and vanished. One exception was the 'Devil's Dagger'. He finally defeated the master crook he had been after and retired as a Masked Avenger.
Then along came 'Minute Man'. 'Buck Jones' remained for awhile. Then, in a multi-magazine/hero event, 'Captain Marvel Jr.' became the cover feature of Master. One Fawcett Friday will feature
Master Comics #39. This World War Two issue is what most fans associate with Master. You got Junior on the cover, with Bulletman, Minute Man as the other big guns. (As the war wound down, 'Minute Man' departed in
Master #49. In #50 both 'Nyoka, the Jungle Girl', and 'Radar, the International Policeman' debuted.)
After exiting the comic book end of publishing Fawcett sold much of its story inventory, licensed character rights, and some of the titles to Charlton Comics.
Six-Gun Heroes and
Hot Rod Comics lasted into the mid-1960's at Charlton.
Romantic Stories almost made it to 1974.
From Other Sources
Licensed Comic Books
At one time, or another, Fawcett Comics licensed a number of characters, and real life western actors, for comic book features. These licensed properties are well represented in Fawcett Fridays.
Don Winslow of the Navy was a syndicated newspaper comic strip. Two issues debut in the mini-flood.
Captain Midnight, a kids radio show, moved over to Fawcett from Dell Comics. Of the many western actors, Fawcett Fridays includes an issue of
Gabby Hays Western.
Near the end Fawcett even licensed three TV shows. None lasted long as comics. Maybe the TV shows didn't last long either.
Captain Video, from the short lived Dumont TV network ran for six issues.
Mike Barnett, Man Against Crime, also six issues. Maybe it was in the license agreement.
Young Eagle did better with ten issues, plus he continued at Charlton.
Young Eagle #5 debuts as a part of Fawcett Fridays.
https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/images/forum message pictures/Fawcett Intro Captain Video 01.jpg
