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American Comics Group

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American Comics Group
Company typeComic book publisher
IndustryPublishing
Founded1939
FounderBenjamin W. Sangor
Defunct1967
FateCeased most publishing activities; Custom Comics division continued until early 1980s
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Key people
Benjamin W. Sangor (founder), Fred Iger (co-owner 1948–1967), Richard E. Hughes (editor)
ProductsComic books (horror, crime, mystery, romance, talking-animal, superheroes)

American Comics Group (ACG) was a American comic book publisher established in 1939, operating under the ACG designation from 1943 until 1967. It is recognized for introducing the comic medium's first ongoing horror-comics series, Adventures into the Unknown. The company's most distinguished character was the satirical 1960s figure Herbie Popnecker, who appeared in Forbidden Worlds before receiving his own title as the superhero Fat Fury.

The enterprise was founded by Benjamin W. Sangor and co-owned by Fred Iger between 1948 and 1967. During the early 1960s, Harry Donenfeld, head of National Periodical Publications (which later became DC Comics) and Iger’s father-in-law, also held a stake in ACG, although he was incapacitated following an accident in 1962. Distribution for ACG was managed by Independent News Company, which also handled distribution for DC Comics.

Origins

The roots of the company trace back to a business owned by B. W. Sangor. In the mid-1930s, Sangor collaborated with Richard E. Hughes to produce a short-lived prepackaged comics supplement intended for newspapers. By 1939, the Sangor Shop began creating comic content for Ned L. Pines, Sangor’s son-in-law, developing characters such as The Black Terror, Pyroman, and Fighting Yank for Pines’ Nedor Comics imprint until 1945.

Independent publishing

Starting in 1943, ACG published under various imprints including B&I Publishing, Michel Publications, and Regis Publishing. That same year, it acquired the St. Louis-based publisher Creston Publications, which thereafter operated as an ACG imprint. By 1948, the company consolidated under the American Comics Group name, producing a range of genres popular at the time: horror, crime, mystery, romance, and talking-animal comics. Among its notable launches was the enduring horror series Adventures into the Unknown in 1948, followed by Forbidden Worlds (running from 1951 to 1967) and Unknown Worlds (1960–1967).

In 1949, ACG debuted two long-lasting romance comic titles: Romantic Adventures (which later became My Romantic Adventures) and Lovelorn (subsequently retitled Confessions of the Lovelorn), both continuing publication well into the 1960s.

Despite the scrutiny of comic book content during the 1954 Senate hearings, ACG maintained its softened horror title Adventures into the Unknown. Nevertheless, in 1955 it discontinued four humor-focused series: talking-animal comics Giggle Comics and Ha Ha Comics, along with teen humor titles Cookie and The Kilroys.

Ownership information from early 1950s publications lists Preferred Publications alongside B. W. Sangor as proprietors, with Richard E. Hughes serving as editor and Frederick H. Iger holding the role of business manager.

After 1957, nearly all story writing was undertaken by editor Hughes using multiple pseudonyms. During ACG’s Silver Age period, superheroes such as Magicman (introduced in Forbidden Worlds #125), Nemesis (featured in Adventures into the Unknown #154), and John Force, Magic Agent (launched in 1962) were introduced. These superhero titles failed to significantly increase sales; consequently, by late 1967 Hughes discontinued the superhero line and shifted prominent series back toward fantasy themes.

By 1968, ACG had ended most of its publishing activities except for its commercial division Custom Comics, established in 1950. Custom Comics continued operations into the early 1980s producing commissioned work for clients including A. C. Gilbert Company, Montgomery Ward, Tupperware, and the United States Air Force.

Titles

  • Adventures into the Unknown issues #1–174 (from Fall 1948 to August 1967)
  • Blazing West issues #1–20 (Fall 1948 to November 1951); subsequently continued as The Hooded Horseman volume 1
  • Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub issues #1–7 (July 1954 to August 1955)
  • Confessions of the Lovelorn issues #52–114 (63 editions, August 1954 through June 1960); a continuation of Lovelorn (indicia title until issue #75)
  • Cookie issues #1–55 (April 1946 to September 1955)
  • Dizzy Dames issues #1–6 (September 1952 to July 1953)
  • Forbidden Worlds issues #1–145 (July/August 1951 to August 1967); publication paused after issue #34, briefly resumed as Young Heroes, then reverted
  • Funny Films issues #1–29 (September 1949 to May 1954)
  • Gasp! issues #1–4 (March 1967 to August 1967)
  • Giggle Comics issues #1–99 (October 1943 to January 1955); rights acquired from Creston Publications; followed by Spencer Spook
  • Ha Ha Comics issues #1–99 (October 1943 to December 1954/January 1955); continued as TeePee Tim
  • Hi-Jinks issues #1–7 (July 1947 to July 1948)
  • Herbie issues #1–23 (April/May 1964 to February 1967)
  • The Hooded Horseman volume 1, issues #21–27 (7 editions, January 1952 to January 1953); follows on from Blazing West
  • The Hooded Horseman volume 2, issues #18–22 (5 editions, November 1954 to August 1958); continuation of Out of the Night
  • The Kilroys issues #1–54 (June/July 1947 to June/July 1955)
  • Lovelorn issues #1–51 (August/September 1949 to July 1954); succeeded by Confessions of the Lovelorn
  • Magic Agent issues #1–3 (January/February 1962 to May/June 1962)
  • Midnight Mystery spanning seven issues (January to October 1961)
  • Milt Gross Funnies issues #1–2 (August to September 1947)
  • Moon Mullins issues #1–5 (December 1947 to August 1948); later continued under St. John Publications
  • My Romantic Adventures issues #49–138 (90 editions, September 1954 through March 1964); continuation of Romantic Adventures (indicia title until issue #71)
  • Operation Peril issues #1–16 (October 1950 to May 1953)
  • Out of the Night, seventeen issues total (February 1952 to November 1954); followed by The Hooded Horseman volume 2
  • Romantic Adventures issues #1–48 (March/April 1949 to August 1954); succeeded by My Romantic Adventures
  • Search For Love limited series, two issues (#1–2) from February to April 1950
  • Skeleton Hand in Secrets of the Supernatural, six editions (September/October 1952 through July/August 1953)
  • Soldiers of Fortune issues #1–12 (March/April 1951 to January/February 1953) — originally obtained from Creston Publications
  • Spencer Spook, two issues (#100–101) released March through May of 1955; continuation of Giggle Comics
  • Spy and Counterspy, two editions (#1–2) from August to October of 1949; followed by the series titled Spy Hunters
  • Spy Hunters, twenty-two editions (#3–24) published December 1949 through June 1953; continuation of Spy and Counterspy
  • Teepee Tim, three editions (#101–103) from February through June of 1955; follows on from Ha Ha Comics
  • Unknown Worlds, fifty-seven editions (#1–57) spanning August 1960 through August 1967
  • Wrangler Great Moments in Rodeo, fifty editions published between 1955 and 1966
  • Young Heroes three-issue run (#35–37) from February through June of 1955; continuation from issue #34 of Forbidden Worlds
  • One-shot releases include: Chuckle (1945), Hi-Jinx (1945), Merry-Go-Round (1944), The Sheriff of Coshise (1957), and The Clutching Hand (1954)

Imprints

  • B & I Publishing Company, Inc.
  • B. & M. Distributing Company, Inc.
  • Best Syndicated Features, Inc.
  • Creston Publications Corporation
  • Culver Publications
  • Custom Comics, Inc.
  • La Salle Publishing Company
  • Michel Publications, Inc.
  • Milt Gross, Inc.
  • Modern Store Publications
  • Modern Store Publishing
  • Preferred Publications, Inc.
  • Regis Publications, Inc.
  • Scope Magazines, Inc.
  • Titan Publishing Company, Inc.

Further reading

External links

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