View source for More Fun Comics

{{Short description|American comic book anthology}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox comic book title <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
|image = Morefun52.png
|imagesize = 
|caption = ''More Fun Comics'' #52 (Feb. 1940), debut of the [[Spectre (DC Comics character)|Spectre]]; cover art by [[Bernard Baily]].
|schedule = '''Monthly:'''<br>#1–4, #7–90, #108–126<br>'''Bi-monthly:'''<br>#5–6, #91–107, #127
|format =
|ongoing = y
|publisher = [[National Allied Publications]]
|date = February 1935 – November/December 1947
|issues = 127
|main_char_team = [[Doctor Occult]], [[Jim Corrigan|Spectre]], [[Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson)|Doctor Fate]], [[Johnny Quick (Johnny Chambers)|Johnny Quick]], [[Green Arrow]], [[Aquaman]], [[Superboy (Kal-El)|Superboy]], "Jimminy and the Magic Book"
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|subcat = DC Comics
|sort = More Fun Comics
}}
'''''More Fun Comics''''', originally titled '''''New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine''''',<ref name=gcd1>[http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=85 ''New Fun'' #v1#1 (Feb. 1935)] at the [[Grand Comics Database]]. The entry notes that while the logo appears to be simply ''Fun'', the [[Indicia (publishing)|indicia]] reads, "New FUN is published monthly at 49 West 45th Street, New York, N.Y., by National Allied Publications, Inc.; Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, President ... Inquiries concerning advertising should be addressed to the Advertising Manager, New FUN,...."</ref> is a 1935–1947 [[United States|American]] [[comic book]] [[anthology]] that introduced several major [[superhero]] characters and was the first American comic book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of [[newspaper]] [[comic strips]].<ref name=Year1>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=McAvennie |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |title=DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-8578-6 |page=12}}</ref> It was also the first publication of [[National Allied Publications]], the company that would become [[DC Comics]].

==Publication history==
[[File:New Fun.jpeg|thumb|left|Cover photo of the first issue of the series.]]
In the latter half of 1934, having seen the emergence of ''[[Famous Funnies]]'' and other oversize magazines reprinting comic strips, [[Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson]] founded National Allied Publications and published ''New Fun'' #1 on January 11, 1935<ref name="bde">{{Cite news |work=[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |title=New Fun Magazine for Juveniles Out |date=January 11, 1935}}</ref> ([[Cover date|cover-dated]] February 1935). A tabloid-sized, 10-inch by 15-inch, 36-page magazine with a cardstock, non-glossy cover, it was an anthology of humor features, such as the [[talking animals in fiction|talking animal]] comic "Pelion and Ossa" and the college-set "Jigger and Ginger", mixed with dramatic fare as the [[Western comics|Western]] strip "Jack Woods" and the "[[yellow peril]]" adventure "Barry O'Neill", featuring a [[Fu Manchu]]-styled villain, Fang Gow.<ref name=gcd1 /> The first issue also featured humor strip "Caveman Capers", an adaptation of the 1819 novel ''[[Ivanhoe]]'', spy drama "Sandra of the Secret Service", and a strip based on early [[Walt Disney]] creation [[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]].<ref name=Year1/>

Most significantly, however, whereas some of the existing publications included a small amount of original material, generally as filler, ''New Fun'' #1 was the first comic book containing all-original material. Additionally, it carried advertising,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yT1jDwAAQBAJ&q=%22new+fun+%231+was+filled+with%22&pg=PA127|title=The Forensic Comicologist: Insights from a Life in Comics|first=Jamie |last=Newbold|page=127|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year= 2018|isbn=978-1476672670}}</ref> whereas previous comic books were ad-free and sponsored by corporations such as [[Procter & Gamble]], [[Kinney Shoes]], and [[Canada Dry]].<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hnuQBQAAQBAJ&q=famous+funnies+procter+%26+gamble&pg=PA71|page=71|title=Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas |editor-first= M. Keith |editor-last=Booker|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |year=2014|isbn= 978-0313397509|first=Daniel F.|last=Yezbick|chapter=Children's Comics}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZoNDebTvUnsC&q=famous+funnies+procter+%26+gamble&pg=PA169|page=169|title=Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965|first=Eric Leif|last= Davin|publisher=[[Lexington Books]]|year=2005|isbn=978-0739112663}}</ref>

The first four issues were edited by future [[Funnies, Inc.]] founder [[Lloyd Jacquet]],<ref name=gcd1 /><ref>[https://www.comics.org/issue/88/ ''New Fun'' #v1#4 (May 1935)] at the Grand Comics Database.</ref> the next, after a three-month hiatus, by Wheeler-Nicholson himself.<ref>[https://www.comics.org/issue/90/ ''New Fun'' #v1#5 (Aug. 1935)] at the Grand Comics Database.</ref> Issue #6 (Oct. 1935) saw the comic book debuts of [[Jerry Siegel]] and [[Joe Shuster]], the future creators of [[Superman]], who began their careers with the musketeer swashbuckler "Henri Duval" (doing the first two installments before turning it over to others) and, under the pseudonyms "Leger and Reuths", the supernatural adventurer [[Doctor Occult]].<ref name=Year2>{{cite book |last1=Cowsill |first1=Alan |last2=Irvine |first2=Alex |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=McAvennie |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |title=DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle |date=2010 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-0-7566-6742-9 |page=13}}</ref> Siegel and Shuster remained on the latter title through issue #32 (June 1938), following the magazine's retitling as ''More Fun'' (issues #7–8, Jan.-Feb. 1936),<ref>{{gcdb series|id=75|title=''More Fun''}}.</ref> and ''More Fun Comics'' (#9-on).<ref>{{gcdb series|id=74|title=''More Fun Comics''}}.</ref>

In issue #101 (Feb. 1945), Siegel and Shuster introduced [[Superboy (Kal-El)|Superboy]], a young version of Superman.<ref>[http://toonopedia.com/superboy.htm Superboy] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. [https://archive.today/20240528043711/https://www.webcitation.org/6qyiALi9e?url=http://toonopedia.com/superboy.htm Archived] from the original on June 14, 2017.</ref>

With issue #108 (March 1946), all the superhero features were moved from ''More Fun'' into ''[[Adventure Comics]]''. ''More Fun'' became a [[humor]] title that spotlighted the children's fantasy feature "Jimminy and the Magic Book".<ref>[http://www.toonopedia.com/jimminy.htm "Jimminy and the Magic Book"] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. [https://archive.today/20120913153716/http://www.toonopedia.com/jimminy.htm Archived] from the original on December 14, 2011.</ref> The series was canceled with issue #127 (Dec 1947).

==Features include==
* [[Doctor Occult]] – ''New Fun'' #6 – ''More Fun'' #32
* [[Jim Corrigan|Spectre]] – ''More Fun'' #52–101
* [[Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson)|Doctor Fate]] – ''More Fun'' #55–98
* [[Congorilla|Congo Bill]] – ''More Fun'' #56–67
* [[Johnny Quick (Johnny Chambers)|Johnny Quick]] – ''More Fun'' #71–107
* [[Green Arrow]] – ''More Fun'' #73–107
* [[Aquaman]] – ''More Fun'' #73–107
* [[Superboy (Kal-El)|Superboy]] – ''More Fun'' #101–107

==See also==
* ''[[New Comics]]''

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* ''Ron Goulart's Great History of Comic Books'' by Ron Goulart ({{ISBN|0-8092-5045-4}}).

==External links==
* {{comicbookdb|type=title|id=214|title=''More Fun Comics''}}.
* {{cite web | url= https://majormalcolmwheelernicholson.com/majo7721/2009/10/24/new-fun-magazine-the-birth-of-an-industry-by-jon-berk/ | title=New Fun Magazine – The Birth of an Industry | first= Jon | last=Berk | date= October 24, 2009 | access-date= March 28, 2019 | publisher =  Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson (official family blog)|archive-date=March 28, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328133527/https://majormalcolmwheelernicholson.com/majo7721/2009/10/24/new-fun-magazine-the-birth-of-an-industry-by-jon-berk/ | url-status=live}}
* [https://comicbookplus.com/?cid=3158 ''New Fun Comics'' issues #1–6 online]
* [https://comicbookplus.com/?cid=736 ''More Fun Comics'' issues #7–32 online]

{{Aquaman}}
{{Doctor Fate}}
{{Green Arrow}}
{{Superboy}}
{{The Spectre}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|1930s|1940s|Comics|Speculative fiction|United States}}

[[Category:1935 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1947 comics endings]]
[[Category:Aquaman]]
[[Category:Comics by Gardner Fox]]
[[Category:Comics magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:DC Comics titles]]
[[Category:Defunct American comics]]
[[Category:Doctor Fate]]
[[Category:Golden Age comics titles]]
[[Category:Green Arrow]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 1947]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1935]]
[[Category:Superboy]]