Frank Johnson Publications
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1941 |
| Founder | Frank Charles Johnson |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Comic books, pulp magazines |
Frank Johnson Publications was an Australian publisher specializing in comic books and pulp magazines, active primarily during the 1940s and 1950s.
Initial Publishing Endeavors
Frank Charles Johnson, born on 27 August 1898 in Glebe as the youngest among seven siblings, enlisted in the A.I.F. in September 1915 and served throughout World War I. Following his military service, he briefly worked in a clerical capacity for London bookseller John Clark before returning to Australia.
Upon his return to Sydney, Johnson joined Dymock's Bookstore and collaborated with Jack Lindsay and Kenneth Slessor to edit the quarterly literary magazine Vision (1923–1924), which championed classical literary and artistic ideals. In December 1923, he released an anthology entitled Poetry in Australia.
In 1926, Johnson married Adeleen Kathleen Rennix and soon after departed from Dymocks to establish his own publishing firm, initially under his own name and later as Macquarie Head Press. His publishing house featured works by prominent Australian authors and artists, including a 1931 poetry collection by Kenneth Slessor titled Darlinghurst Nights, adorned with illustrations by Virgil Reilly. His catalog also included lino cuts by Melbourne-based artist Jim Flett, along with publications by Dale Collins, Les Haylen, Dulcie Deamer, Lennie Lower, Les Robinson, W. S. Power, Colin Wills, Kurt Offenberg, and J. A. R. McKellar.
In 1937, Johnson introduced Tempo, a monthly periodical focusing on music, theatre, cinema, and dance-band updates. By October of that year, he was acknowledged as "perhaps Australia's most persistent publisher outside the bigger commercial houses."
Comic Book Production
In July 1940, the Australian Government imposed a ban on American comic imports due to a shortage of US dollars, opening a lucrative opportunity for domestic publishers. This sparked a prolific era in Australian comic production, resulting in thousands of titles and millions of copies sold despite wartime paper rationing and a scarcity of skilled artists. Frank Johnson Publications debuted its inaugural comic titled Amazing in July 1941.
Facing wartime limitations on new periodicals, Frank Johnson issued weekly one-shot comics under various titles such as Star, Marvel, Magic, Thrilling, among others. Once the initial runs were depleted, titles were recycled with the addition of the prefix 'New' (for example, New Crash).
Operating effectively as four distinct monthly comics publishers simultaneously, Frank Johnson Publications sustained ongoing narratives across series like Amazing, Thrilling, Victory, and Hot Shot.
The company’s freelance illustrators were sourced from leading newspapers including The Bulletin and Smith's Weekly, featuring notable artists such as Unk White, Les Dixon, Norm Rice, Dan Russell, Phil Belbin, Stan Pitt, Moira Bertram, and Emile Mercier. Artists typically earned 30 shillings per page with a guaranteed workload of four to six pages weekly, providing either supplementary or primary income. Early story scripts were mainly penned by Alfred Charles Headley who worked closely with artists to craft plots and dialogue—a collaborative approach later echoed by Marvel’s Stan Lee.
Unk White was responsible for creating the cover art and the first adventure strip titled Blue' Hardy and Diamond Eyed Pygmies.
The popularity of locally produced comics, including those from Frank Johnson Publications, diminished during the 1950s due to the removal of import restrictions, increased censorship efforts, and the emergence of television.
Following the death of his first wife in 1941, Frank Johnson remarried in 1942. He died in January 1960 at Darlinghurst.
Titles
- Adventure Comics (1946)
- Doctor Evil & the Robotman (1943–44)
- Famous Detective Stories (1946–54)
- Gem Comics (1946–50)
- Magpie Comics (1946)
- New Adventure (1949–50)
- The New Cracker (1945)
- Prendergast of the Silent Service (1944)
- Star Pocket (1942–45)
- True Pirate (1946–49)
- Wizard Comics (1946)