New Fun #1 appeared on newsstands January 11, 1935. No one at the time had any notion that it was the Big Bang of the comics industry. New Fun #1 was the alchemical transformation of all the one-off original comics that came before, the comic book reprints from newspaper comics then on the stands, the [...]
It’s a super heroic birthday for the Major—130 years ago January 7, 1890. And it’s only taken 20 plus years to get a semblance of recognition for the man. I say semblance because his name should be synonymous with comics and that hasn’t quite happened yet. MWN circa 1920 from Strahan family collection. Please [...]
Great news from DC Comics! They are publishing a reprint of New Fun #1, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's first comics magazine published under National Allied Publications. The magazine will be reprinted as a commemorative hardcover, original tabloid size with essays by Roy Thomas and me, Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson. New Fun #1 appeared on newsstands January 11, 1935. [...]
DC Comics Before Superman: Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's Pulp Comics, published by Hermes Press will be premiered at this year's San Diego Comic Con July 19-22nd. Here's a glimpse at how it all came together. In 1934, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson had the idea to create comic books consisting of all original scripts and art as opposed [...]
Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson had an extraordinary military career. Just recently I spent time in the National Archives in Washington, DC once again sifting through files there. One of the treasures found was MWN's test for entry into the US Army. His test score—99 out of 100! That’s pretty impressive, I’d say. From photos, family stories [...]
I came “home” to the Gulf Coast for a few months this winter and for the first time my two lives intersected. Thanks to Danny Fingeroth I attended Wizard World Comic Con in New Orleans and this past weekend I presented at Pensacon in Pensacola thanks to Mike Ensley, the organizer. In between I attended [...]
In my epic journey (well, after about 12 years or so, I get to call it that) searching for clues to Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's extraordinary life and work I've come across some incredibly talented people with accompanying rapier wits. I have naturally longed to get us all around the proverbial table. I have a genetic propensity [...]
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson was born January 7, 1890 marking this year, 2011 as the 121st anniversary of his birth. He often listed his place of birth as Greeneville, Tennessee, the county seat of Greene County in East Tennessee. More than likely he was born at home in the Jonesborough/Johnson City area some 30 or so miles [...]
The Setting I’m glad to know that Comic Con is staying in San Diego. Although I’m new to the Comic Con scenario, I have come to love going out to San Diego. There’s just something about California—the sunshine, the palm trees, boats bobbing on the Pacific—the whole postcard setting that makes it so enticing. The [...]
Of the short-lived titles of the 1930s and 1940s, none is as rare nor as important to the history of comic books as New Fun, subtitled “The Big Comic Magazine.” Although New Fun was to continue as More Fun Comics with the seventh issue and then to continue on to issue 127, New Fun deserves [...]