Toby Press was an American comic-book company that published from 1949 to 1955. Founded by Elliott Caplin, brother of

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

Al Capp and himself an established

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...

writer, the company published reprints of Capp's '' Li'l Abner'' strip; licensed-character comics starring such

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

animated cartoon Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

properties as

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

and Felix the Cat; and original conceptions, including romance, war, Western, and

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

comics. Some of its comics were published under the imprint Minoan. Some covers bore the logo ANC, standing for American News Company, at the time the country's largest newsstand distributor. It is unrelated to the book publisher Toby Press, which was acquired by Amazon.com in 2010.

History

Elliott Caplin entered the comic-book field as editor of ''True Comics'' for the Parents Magazine Institute.Benton, Mike. ''The Comic Book in America: An Illustrated History'' (Taylor Publishing Company : Dallas, Texas 1989) p.148. Some years later, he founded Toby Press with reprints of his brother Al Capp's popular newspaper

'' Li'l Abner'', a

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...

built around

hillbilly ''Hillbilly'' is a term historically used for White people who dwell in rural area, rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in the Appalachian region and Ozarks. As people migrated out of the region during the Great Depression, ...

archetypes. The first Toby comic-book series was ''Al Capp's Li'l Abner'', which began with issue #70 (May 1949), picking up the numbering from Harvey Publications' ''Li'l Abner Comics''.''Li'l Abner'' (Harvey, 1947 series)
at the Grand Comics Database. Harvey had published issues #61–69 (Dec. 1947 – Feb. 1949). It ran 28 issues, through #97 (Jan. 1955) Toby's second title was the three-issue ''Al Capp's Dogpatch Comics'', numbered #71, followed by #2–3 (June–Dec. 1949). These issues reprint ''Li'l Abner'' strips that the newspaper syndicate United Feature had published in the omnibus comic-book ''Tip Top'' #112–114 (Nov. 1946 – Jan. 1947). Following through 1952 were ''Al Capp's Shmoo Comics'' #1–5 (July 1949 – April 1950); ''Al Capp's Wolf Gal'' #1–2 (1951–1952); and a series of pocket-sized, 6.75 × 3.5-inch, one-shot comics produced as premiums for Oxydol and Dreft detergents: ''Al Capp's Shmoo in Washable Jones' Travels''; ''Al Capp's Daisy Mae in Ham Sangwidges also Cousin Weakeyes'', and ''Al Capp's Li'l Abner in The Mystery o' the Cave!!'' Toby's next series was ''

Adventure Comics'', named after the actor and frequently featuring photo covers bearing scenes from his movies. It ran 31 issues (Winter 1949/1950–May 1955) and spawned its own Oxydol/Dreft pocket-sized premium, ''John Wayne: The Cowboy Trouble-Shooter!'' Further such premiums included '' Archie in Mask Me No Questions'', featuring the Archie Comics teen-humor star; and '' Paul Terry's Terry-Toon Comics'' (both 1950). In its brief existence, Toby Press published in a wide variety of genres, including funny animals, with the 42-issue Felix the Cat (1951–June 1955, taking over the numbering from the

Dell Comics Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark"Wh ...

series), which spawned spin-offs including ''Felix the Cat 3D Comic Book'' (1953); Western, with the likes of '' Gabby Hayes Western'', a one-shot starring the movie sidekick, and the 29-issue '' Billy the Kid Adventure Magazine''; war comics such as the 15-issue ''Tell It to the

Marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...

'' and the six-issue ''Monty Hall of the U.S. Marines'' (no relation to the game-show host); the genre-evident ''Great Lover Romances'' and ''Tales of Horror''; the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

-adventure one-shot ''The Black Knight'', with art by Ernie Schroeder; and even a two-issue comic ''Captain Tootsie'', that starred the heroic mascot of Tootsie Roll candy. Toby went out of business in 1955, a victim of the anti-comics sentiment stirred in that era by Dr. Fredric Wertham's book '' Seduction of the Innocent'' and the

United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency The United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency was established by the United States Senate in 1953 to investigate the problem of juvenile delinquency. Background The subcommittee was a unit of the United States Senate Judiciary Co ...

.Aydin, Andrew
"The comic book that changed the world: Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story's vital role in the Civil Rights Movement,"
''Creative Loafing'' (Aug. 1, 2013). Toby's final comic, ''Felix the Cat'' #61, was cover-dated June 1955.

Minoan

Under the imprint Minoan, which featured a

Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (, ''Mīnṓtauros''), also known as Asterion, is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "par ...

head as the company logo, Toby Press published ''Dr. Anthony King, Hollywood Love Doctor'', a four-issue romance comic; the seven-issue Western series ''Return of the Outlaw''; and the 13-issue ''Tales of Horror''. Minoan also published ''Bust Out Laffin'', a digest-sized, single-panel cartoon.

Titles published

Sources:

Toby Press

*''A-Laff-A-Minnit #1-2 (1953?-1954?) / ''A-Laugh-A-Minnit'' #3-14 (1954?-1956). Issues #15-16 under Minoan. * ''Al Capp's Dogpatch Comics'', issue #71 (June 1949), followed by #2–3 (Aug. & Dec. 1949) Comic-strip reprints. One source gives a fourth issue, contents unknown. * ''Al Capp's Li'l Abner'', issues #70–97 (May 1949 – Jan. 1955) Comic-strip reprints. Numbering continued from Harvey Publications' ''Li'l Abner Comics''. *''Al Capp's Li'l Abner Joins the Navy'' #1 (1951) * ''Al Capp's Shmoo Comics'' #1–5 (July 1949 – April 1950) * ''Al Capp's Wolf Gal'' #1–2 (1951–1952) *''Barney Google and Snuffy Smith'' #1-4 (June 1951 - Feb. 1952) *''Belly Laffs'' #1-6 (1955 - 1956) *''Big Tex'' #1 (June 1953) *''The Big Top Comics'' #1-2 (1951) * '' Billy the Kid Adventure Magazine'' #1-29 (Oct. 1950 – une1955) * ''The Black Knight'' one-shot (May 1953) *'' Buck Rogers'' #100-101, 9 (Jan., May & June 1951) Comic-strip reprints. *''Bust Out Laffin #1-15 (1954 - 1955) * ''Captain Tootsie'', #1-2 (Oct.–Dec. 1950) *''Danger Is Our Business!'' #1-3 (Dec.] 1953 - April 1954) *''Dick Wingate of the United States Navy'' #1 (Jan. 1951) *''Dogpatch Styles Presents Li'l Abner'' (1949? giveaway) *'' Felix the Cat'' #20–61 (May 1951 – June 1955) Numbering from the

series. Also a 1953 annual publication, summer annual and a 1954 winter annual. * ''Felix the Cat 3D Comic Book'' (1953) *''Felix the Cat and His Friends'' #1-3 (Dec. 1953 - July 1954) *''Fighting Leathernecks'' #1-6 (Feb.-Dec. 1952) * '' Gabby Hayes Western'' #1 (Dec. 1953) * ''Great Lover Romances'' (March 1951 – May 1955); issues #3-4 titled ''Young Lover Romances'' *''He-Man'' #1-2 (May–July 1954) * ''

Adventure Comics'' #1-31 (Winter 1949/1950 – May 1955) *''Johnny Danger Private Detective'' #1 (Aug. 1954) *''Jon Juan'' #1 (Spring 1950) *''Judy Joins the Waves'' #1 (1951) *''Kokey Koala'' #1 (May 1952) *''Mammy Yokum and the Great Dogpatch Mystery'' (1956 giveaway) *''Meet Merton'' #1-4 (Dec. 1953 - June 1954) * ''Monty Hall of the U.S. Marines'' #1-11 (Aug. 1951 - April 1953) *''Pin-Up Pete'' #1 (1952) *''Ramar of the Jungle'' #1 (1954) *''Return of the Outlaw'' #107 (Feb. 1953 - 1955) *''Sands of the South Pacific'' #1 (Jan. 1953) *''Sorority Secrets'' #1 (July 1954) *''Super Brat'' #1-4 (Jan.-July 1954) *''T.N.T.'' #1-10 (1954 - 1956) *''Tales of Horror'' #10-13 (April- Oct. 1954). Issues #1-9 under Minoan. *''Tales of Terror'' #1 (1952) *''Tell It to the Marines'' #1-15 (March 1952 - July 1955) *''True Movie and Television'' #1-4 (Aug. 1950 - March 1951) *''Two-Bit the Wacky Woodpecker'' #1-3 (1951 - May 1953) *''Washable Jones and Schmoo'' #1 (June 1953) *''With the Marines on the Battlefronts of the World'' #1-2 (1953 - March 1954) *''Yo' Bets Yo' Life!'' (1955 giveaway) * Oxydol and Dreft premium one-shot digest titles (1950): ** ''Al Capp's Daisy Mae in Ham Sangwidges also Cousin Weakeyes'' **Al Capp's Li'l Abner in The Mystery o' the Cave!! ** ''Al Capp's Shmoo in Washable Jones' Travels'' ** '' Archie in Mask Me No Questions'' ** ''John Wayne: The Cowboy Trouble-Shooter!'' ** '' Paul Terry's Terry-Toon Comics''

Minoan Publishing

Sources: *''A-Laugh-A-Minnit'' #15-16 (1956). Issues #1-4 under Toby, above. * ''Dr. Anthony King, Hollywood Love Doctor'', #1-4 ( an.1952 – May 1954) *''The Purple Claw'' #1-3 (Jan.-May 1953) *''Tales of Horror'' #1-9 (June 1952 - Feb. 1954) Issues #10-12 under Toby, above. *''Wise Cracks'' #1-12 (1955 - 1956)

History

Minoan

Titles published

Toby Press

Minoan Publishing

References

Further reading