Comic Papers by Small Publishers 1945-1950

I was complaining only last week that I could do with four pairs of hands to cope with the workload I have and to speed up the number of publications Bear Alley Books can manage each year. And as the words left my mouth, a new book by Alan Clark dropped onto the doormat. The 17th book from Half Holiday Publishing in the 4¾ years since February 2021. That's one every 3-4 months. The rest of us should hang our heads in shame.

Comic Papers by Small Publishers 1945-1950 is right up my (Bear) alley, as it covers some of the minor publishers that I've written about in the past. The major publishers (Amalgamated Press and DC Thomson) had been forced to reduce their output, with surviving comics being published fortnightly; newsprint was rationed and books were delayed as publishers sought paper. Imports of magazines and books from abroad were made impossible because the government had imposed a tax to help with paying off the war loan

A few enterprising newcomers realised that this left a gap in the market; pulps, paperbacks and comics imported from American had been sold cheaply in the UK, and if paper could be found, almost anything would sell to an entertainment-starved public. Gangster novels by Darcy Glinto, Ben Sarto and Hank Janson led the way and comics soon followed, printed on whatever paper became available—even the grease proof paper used to wrap margarine.

Some of these 'minor' publishers became quite large: Philipp Marx later produced puzzles as well as books for the very young; Scion published hundreds of comics and novels; and Hamilton & Co. went on to become Panther Books. Others lasted only a few years, or a few issues, before they disappeared. There was a lively provincial publishing scene for a while, in Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and elsewhere with names like Cartoon Art and Hotspur Publishing. If you could find paper (and didn't mind what you printed on), some small distributors became quite extensive publishers: Gerald G Swan and A Soloway, to name two.

Anyone who has read one of Alan's earlier books will know the format: loads of colourful pictures interspersed with little biographical sketches of some of the many artists who filled the pages of these comics. I'm always amazed how Alan has managed to gather together such an astounding range of photos of these creators. There are dozens of titles covered that are likely to be new even to collectors who have dipped their toes into collecting these post-war independent comics. 

Comic Papers by Small Publishers 1945-1950 by Alan Clark.
Half Holiday Publications [no ISBN], (Nov) 2025, 326pp, £40. Available via Ebay.