Major Publications
Encyclopedia
Major Publications, also known was Major Magazines, was a publisher specializing in comic magazines, most notably the satirical magazine Cracked, the most durable imitator of Mad magazine
. Founded by Robert C. Sproul in 1958, the company generally imitated other publishers' successes in various genres, such as Westerns
, men's adventure
, and the Warren Publications mid-1960s revival of horror comics
. Even as the company chased publishing trends, its long-running flagship title was Cracked, which the company published from 1958–1985.
Cracked' s first editor was Sol Brodsky
. Over the years, Bill Ward
and John Severin
were regular contributors to most of the company's publications. The production manager throughout the 1960s was Charles Foster.
In addition to the flagship title, Major put out a number of publications under the Cracked umbrella, including Cracked Collector's Edition, Giant Cracked, and Super Cracked. Many Cracked contributors worked on these titles.
The company also published a number of monster-themed magazines, imitating publications like Fangoria
and Famous Monsters of Filmland
. Editor Terry Bisson
recalled, "The whole company was about lowball imitations. The publisher ... wanted to put out some imitations of Western, romance
and astrology mags, and I was hired (at about age 27) to put them together because of my romance mag experience.... The pseudomags did pretty well (this was a very low end market)."
The most notable of Major's black-and-white horror magazines was Web of Horror, edited by Bisson, which published three issues from 1969–1970. Bruce Jones
made his professional debut in Web of Horror #3, writing and drawing the six-page story "Point Of View". Wayne Howard
contributed to issue #1. Syd Shores
penciled "Blood Thirst!" in #1 and "Strangers!" in #3. Ralph Reese
was a regular contributor to Web of Horror. Other contributors included Bernie Wrightson
, Michael Kaluta, and Jeff Jones
.
Bisson left after issue #3, leaving the editorial chores to Wrightson and Bruce Jones. As Wrightson recalls,
In 1985, founder Sproul sold the company's assets to Globe Communications, which moved the operations to Florida and continued to published Cracked and some of its affiliated magazines under the Major Magazines name. Globe sold the assets to American Media in 1994.
published two Cracked collections, The Cracked Reader (K-111 NA, 1960) and Cracked Again (M-146, 1965). Sproul was listed as editor of the 1960 book.
Mad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
. Founded by Robert C. Sproul in 1958, the company generally imitated other publishers' successes in various genres, such as Westerns
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
, men's adventure
Adventure (genre)
The adventure genre, in the context of a narrative, is typically applied to works in which the protagonist or other major characters are consistently placed in dangerous situations...
, and the Warren Publications mid-1960s revival of horror comics
Horror comics
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. Horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to...
. Even as the company chased publishing trends, its long-running flagship title was Cracked, which the company published from 1958–1985.
Cracked
Sol Brodsky
Sol Brodsky was an American comic book artist who, as Marvel Comics' Silver Age production manager, was one of the key architects of the small company's expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate. He later rose to vice president, operations and vice president, special projects...
. Over the years, Bill Ward
Bill Ward (comics)
William Hess Ward , known as Bill Ward, was an American cartoonist notable as a good girl artist and creator of the risqué comics character Torchy.-Early life and career:...
and John Severin
John Severin
John Powers Severin is an American comic book artist noted for his distinctive work with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat; for Marvel Comics, primarily on its war and Western comics; and for the satiric magazine Cracked...
were regular contributors to most of the company's publications. The production manager throughout the 1960s was Charles Foster.
In addition to the flagship title, Major put out a number of publications under the Cracked umbrella, including Cracked Collector's Edition, Giant Cracked, and Super Cracked. Many Cracked contributors worked on these titles.
The company also published a number of monster-themed magazines, imitating publications like Fangoria
Fangoria (magazine)
Fangoria is an internationally-distributed US film fan magazine specializing in the genres of horror, slasher, splatter and exploitation films, in regular publication since 1979.-Planning:...
and Famous Monsters of Filmland
Famous Monsters of Filmland
Famous Monsters of Filmland is a genre-specific film magazine started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman.-Magazine history :...
. Editor Terry Bisson
Terry Bisson
Terry Ballantine Bisson is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his short stories...
recalled, "The whole company was about lowball imitations. The publisher ... wanted to put out some imitations of Western, romance
Romance (genre)
As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant portrayed as...
and astrology mags, and I was hired (at about age 27) to put them together because of my romance mag experience.... The pseudomags did pretty well (this was a very low end market)."
The most notable of Major's black-and-white horror magazines was Web of Horror, edited by Bisson, which published three issues from 1969–1970. Bruce Jones
Bruce Jones (comics)
Bruce Jones, whose pen names include Philip Roland and Bruce Elliot, is an American comic book writer, novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter whose work included writing Marvel Comics' The Incredible Hulk from 2001-2005.-Early career:...
made his professional debut in Web of Horror #3, writing and drawing the six-page story "Point Of View". Wayne Howard
Wayne Howard
Wayne Wright Howard was an African-American comic book artist best known for his 1970s work at Charlton Comics, where he became American comic books' first known cover-credited series creator, with the horror anthology Midnight Tales blurbing "Created by Wayne Howard" on each issue — "a...
contributed to issue #1. Syd Shores
Syd Shores
Sydney Shores was an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America both during the 1940s, in what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books, and during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books....
penciled "Blood Thirst!" in #1 and "Strangers!" in #3. Ralph Reese
Ralph Reese
Ralph Reese is an American artist who has illustrated for books, magazines, trading cards, comic books and comic strips, including a year drawing the Flash Gordon strip for King Features...
was a regular contributor to Web of Horror. Other contributors included Bernie Wrightson
Bernie Wrightson
Bernie "Berni" Wrightson is an American artist known for his horror illustrations and comic books.-Biography:...
, Michael Kaluta, and Jeff Jones
Jeff Jones (artist)
Jeffrey Catherine Jones was an American artist whose work is best known from the late 1960s through 2000s. Jones provided over 150 covers for many different types of books through 1976, as well as venturing into fine art during and after this time...
.
Bisson left after issue #3, leaving the editorial chores to Wrightson and Bruce Jones. As Wrightson recalls,
In 1985, founder Sproul sold the company's assets to Globe Communications, which moved the operations to Florida and continued to published Cracked and some of its affiliated magazines under the Major Magazines name. Globe sold the assets to American Media in 1994.
Titles published
- Cracked titles:
- Cracked (212 issues, Feb./Mar. 1958 - July 1985) — sold to Globe Communications
- Biggest Greatest Cracked (21 issues, 1965 – Fall 1986)
- Cracked Collector's Edition (58 issues, 1973 – February 1985)
- Cracked Digest (5 issues, Oct. 1986 - Oct. 1987)
- Cracked Goes to the Movies (1 issue, 1971)
- Cracked Shut-Ups 2 issues, 1971)
- Extra Special Cracked (9 issues, 1976 - Winter 1986)
- Giant Cracked (48 issues, 1965 - Winter 1989)
- King-Sized Cracked (20 issues, 1967 - Summer 1986)
- Super Cracked (32 issues, 1968 - Fall 1986)
- Monster Howls (1 issue, 1966) — Humor-Vision imprint
- Monsters Attack (3 issues, 1989 - 1990) — Globe Communications imprint
- Pow Magazine (3 issues, 1966 - 1967) — Humor-Vision imprint
- Web of Horror (3 issues, Dec. 1969 – Apr. 1970)
Ace Books
Ace BooksAce Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
published two Cracked collections, The Cracked Reader (K-111 NA, 1960) and Cracked Again (M-146, 1965). Sproul was listed as editor of the 1960 book.