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[jonahhex]

Just a couple of questions about charlton comics!?

Are they really public domain or does robert broughton own them?  And does not the company start in 1955 at the beginning of the silver age?

[Aratak]

Not according to Wikipedia, which has a superb, fairly authoritative article on their history at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlton_Comics
I have some "Tales of the Mysterious Traveller" issues that I'm sure predate the Silver Age in my physical collection.

One of my favorite tidbits about Charlton comes from an old interview with artist Tom Sutton (who became a Charlton staple in the 70's for a time) was that the printing house was at the rear of a pasta factory apparently run by the same company. That might have helped explain the notoriously poor production of Charlton comics.

[Aussie500]

Actually l think Tales of the Mysterious Traveler started in 1956 which is generally considered to be Silver Age, there are plenty of Golden Age Charltons though
The thing (1952)
Jack in the box (1946)
True life secrets (1951)
Crime and Justice (1952)
Eh! (1954)
Lawbreakers (1951)
Yellowjacket Comics (1944) Charltons first comic
Brenda Starr (1954)
Zoo Funnies (1953)
And probably heaps of other titles. Some of these titles were published under other imprints such as
E. Levy.
Frank Comunale Publications
Children Comics Publishing
Charles Publishing Co
Frank Publications and possibly a few other imprints as well, but they would later become Charlton
Personally l have not looked at the copyright status yet, but they are on Serj's list so it seems they are OK for us to have

[kozmo]

I'm not sure about the pasta factory, but my favorite Charlton story is that their comics were literally printed on a used cereal box printing press. Quality was NEVER an issue with Charlton.  The Charlton company had several very popular magazines (Song Lyrics magazines at first, i believe) and set up a distribution company to maximize their profit from them. They needed more publications, so they would put out cheap versions of whatever else was selling to fill the pipeline.  I've read in several places that there was mob money involved somehow -- that the distribution company was some sort of laundering system, so actually selling product wasn't as important as having product continually moving through the channels to make for the appearance of possible profit.  but that's never been confirmed officially as far as I know, so take it as an urban legend for now.  But if you read interviews with anyone who worked for Charlton, they all have stories of suspicious characters around the company offices.

Given the corporate culture, I can easily imagine that copyright was never an issue.  The only situations where there's most likely an issue are those characters like the Action Heroes or E-man that were sold to other companies. But those are all Silver Age or beyond, and thus beyond the scope of this site anyway.

[rez]

"In 1986, author Ted White wrote a letter to The Comics Journal (#112), stating that 'Charlton's business practices were typical of mob-run companies, and it was common knowledge in the publishing industry that Charlton, Capital, et al., were mob-owned businesses.'   White's comments were perhaps the first public admission of what many

[rez]

From the same site in another paragraph of a more humorous vein the visual received when reading this previous writing cracked me up...



"The atmosphere at Charlton was unusual, to say the least," McLaughlin said. "Charlton Comics was one step removed from being a cottage industry, and was more like a clubhouse at times than a real business. Pat [Masulli] was constantly trying to reel in some of these characters, but usually to no avail.

"Lunchtime would often extend into mid-afternoon. There was a large, empty lot next to the office part of the building where we would play softball. Pat would be hanging out the window [yelling] at everyone to get back to work. Steve Ditko and Billy Anderson would duel each other with bent coat hangers

[rez]

Ok, one more and I'm outta here. Some of these apostolic comicbook forerunners proved to be quite the characters.

Found it interesting to read the revealing of a lot of the 'behind the scenes' stuff which occurred during those early formulative years of comicdom

and just thought to replay it here thinking perhaps others might appreciate it as well.

Cheers



"Bill taught an evening class of art students in one of the rich, shoreline towns. The class members were made up of rich, upper-class women, usually middle-aged wives of surgeons, psychiatrists, stock brokers, etc. I was an invited guest of Bill's to their first annual art show. It was to be the fanciest, most opulent social affair of the year. The exhibit took place at the home of a prominent psychiatrist and his art student wife. Part of their estate was a gorgeous indoor Olympic-sized pool, well heated because it was January. Most men appeared in formal attire, escorting their wives dressed in fine, and very expensive, gowns. The artwork was hung around the sides of the pool on walls set back about ten or fifteen feet. Special decorations were everywhere and the caterers were busy serving hors d'oeuvres and the like when Bill and I showed up decorated, as well as plastered. Five minutes later, I was engrossed in a conversation with the host who was telling me how much money he spent on his wife's new dress, purchased especially for this gala event. Just at that moment, I happened to glance over his shoulder, just in time to see the aforementioned wife (and dress) sailing airborne into the pool, drink still in hand. 'You mean that dress?,' I said.

"Of course, Molno couldn't pass up this opportunity to raise mayhem and had pushed in others, as well, before the rest of us decided to join in. Within moments, everyone (including the caterers) had either jumped, or been pushed into, the pool. With glass raised aloft, pinky finger extended, Bill very elegantly strode down the steps into the pool, tie afloat, and eyeglasses properly steamed. What a scene! The most elegant social event of the season had suddenly turned into a Marx Brothers movie! I don't think anybody there had a better time in their life. There were no more art shows or social invites for us, however."

http://twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/09empire.html