New Fun

''More Fun Comics'', originally titled ''New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine'',''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,...." is a 1935–1947 American comic book anthology that introduced several major superhero characters and was the first American comic book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of newspaper comic strips. It was also the first publication of National Allied Publications, the company that would become DC Comics.

Publication history

In the latter half of 1934, 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 ( 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 Western strip "Jack Woods" and the " yellow peril" adventure "Barry O'Neill", featuring a Fu Manchu-styled villain, Fang Gow. The first issue also featured humor strip "Caveman Capers", an adaptation of the 1819 novel ''Ivanhoe'', spy drama "Sandra of the Secret Service", and a strip based on early Walt Disney creation Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

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, whereas previous comic books were ad-free and sponsored by corporations such as Procter & Gamble, Kinney Shoes, and Canada Dry.

The first four issues were edited by future Funnies, Inc. founder Lloyd Jacquet, the next, after a three-month hiatus, by Wheeler-Nicholson himself. 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. 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), and ''More Fun Comics'' (#9-on).

In issue #101 (Feb. 1945), Siegel and Shuster introduced Superboy, a young version of Superman.

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"."Jimminy and the Magic Book"
at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Archived
from the original on December 14, 2011. The series was canceled with issue #127 (Dec 1947).

Features include

* Doctor Occult – ''New Fun'' #6 – ''More Fun'' #32
* Spectre – ''More Fun'' #52–101
* Doctor Fate – ''More Fun'' #55–98
* Congo Bill – ''More Fun'' #56–67
* Johnny Quick – ''More Fun'' #71–107
* Green Arrow – ''More Fun'' #73–107
* Aquaman – ''More Fun'' #73–107
* Superboy – ''More Fun'' #101–107

See also

* '' New Comics''

References

Further reading

* ''Ron Goulart's Great History of Comic Books'' by Ron Goulart ().

External links

* .
*

''New Fun Comics'' issues #1–6 online

''More Fun Comics'' issues #7–32 online

{{Portal bar, 1930s, 1940s, Comics, Speculative fiction, United States

1935 comics debuts
1947 comics endings
Aquaman
Comics by Gardner Fox
Comics magazines published in the United States
DC Comics titles
Defunct American comics
Doctor Fate
Golden Age comics titles
Green Arrow
Magazines disestablished in 1947
Magazines established in 1935
Superboy