National Comics Publications
National Periodical Publications Inc. (also known as NCP or simply National) was an American comic book publishing company. It was the direct predecessor of modern-day DC Comics.
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Publishing |
| Predecessors |
|
| Founded | September 30, 1946 |
| Founder | |
| Defunct | 1977 |
| Fate | Rebranded as DC Comics in 1977 |
| Successor | DC Comics |
| Headquarters | New York City, U.S. |
| Products | Comic books |
| Parent |
|
History
The corporation was originally two companies: National Allied Publications Inc. (also known as National Allied Newspaper Syndicate Inc.) which was founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1934 to publish New Fun, the first American comic book with all-original material rather than comic strip reprints, and Detective Comics Inc., which was founded on December 31, 1937 by Wheeler-Nicholson with Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz to publish Detective Comics. Wheeler-Nicholson fell into deep debt to Donenfeld and Liebowitz, and in early January 1938, Donenfeld and Liebowitz petitioned Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied into bankruptcy and seized it.: 20
National Allied and Detective Comics Inc. merged to become National Comics Publications Inc. on September 30, 1946, absorbing Max Gaines' All-American Publications as well.: 50 National Comics was renamed National Periodical Publications Inc. in 1961.: 102
In 1967, National Periodical Publications was purchased by Kinney National Services. In 1977, the company changed its name to DC Comics.
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
- Charles Wooley (1986). Wooley's History of the Comic Book, 1899-1936: The Origin of the Superhero. Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 1986.