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Publisher: Western

- Attribution History

Years in Operation: 1922 - 1993

Detail

Country:

United States Web Site: Brands: 7 Indicia Publishers: 15 Series: 688 Printings: 9327 (6344 Issues) Disclose

Notes: In 1907, Edward Henry (E.H) and Al Wadewitz bought West Side Printing Co. of Racine, Wisc. They incorporated the new company in 1910 as Western Printing & Lithographic Co. In 1916, they acquired the assets of the failed publisher Hamming-Whitman Publishing Co., which they made a subsidiary of Western under the name Whitman Publishing Co.

Under the Whitman publishing wing, Western produced Big Little Books beginning in 1932 and Little Golden Books beginning in 1938. Over these years Western began to acquire the licenses to produce publications featuring the stars of the Disney, Warner Bros., M-G-M, and Walter Lantz studios.

Around 1936, Western began to work with Dell, printing their established comics titles like The Funnies and Popular Comics at Western's Poughkeepsie, New York printing plant. Not long after starting to produce comics of their own, such as Super Comics and Crackajack Funnies, Western also assumed complete production duties over these Dell titles in 1939. In 1944 Dell and Western formalized their partnership to produce a line of standard newsstand comic books with Dell generally providing the financing and distribution, while Western produced the contents and printed the comics. Many of these comics featured the characters licensed by Western. Some of these licensed comics, however, were wholly produced and financed separately from Dell by K. K. Publications, Inc. When licensing agent Kay Kamen sold Western a licensing deal with Disney, he arranged a special partnership agreement that resulted in the formation of this publisher. These comics were produced and printed by Western and distributed by Dell, but technically published by K. K. Publications. Since K. K. Publications' titles Red Ryder and Walt Disney's Comics and Stories are commonly thought of as Dell comics due to the Dell logo on the covers after 1948, these comics can be found in this database under the Dell master publisher. This arrangement between Western and Dell lasted until 1962.

During this period, Western also produced without Dell other products not distributed through newsstands, but rather through the book market or as giveaways distributed through retail outlets. These items can be found under this master publisher.

In 1958 Western entered into a joint publishing effort with Pocket Books under the name Golden Press, Inc. Just a few years later, Western bought out Pocket Books' interest and made Golden Press one of their primary divisions. Many of Western's comic products were packaged for the book market under this Golden Press division.

After ending their arrangement with Dell in 1962, Western began their own line of newsstand comics, again utilizing their many licences, under the brand name Gold Key. Gold Key's New York office had two editors in 1968, one of whom was Paul Kuhn. The 2nd editor from 1966 to 1970 isn't known. Del Connell was editor at the LA office during this period. In 1971, Western began distributing versions of their newsstand comics exclusively for the book market under the brand Whitman. Western discontinued their Gold Key line in 1980, but continued their Whitman line into 1984.

In late 1976, Western Publishing Company, Inc. signed an agreement with Marvel to distribute Marvel Comics in Western's plastic bag series. Marvel printed slightly different covers with the common element, a diamond shape to replace the Curtis Circulation symbol. Western Publishing Company also packaged and distributed Whitman branded comics in the same manner, as a result the Marvel issues with the diamond shape became known as Whitman variants. The initial cost of three 30¢ comics was 79¢. Source: Comic Reader (Street Enterprises, 1973 series) #140, February 1977 page 10 (Western News column).

In and about 1977, Western's Golden Press division also published under the "Golden All Star Books" brand. These books were illustrated text stories that were bound like comic books and are sometimes referred to as comic books. They were often written and illustrated by creators who were also working on their regular comic book series.

Behind the scenes in those later years, Western was sold to Mattel in 1979, and then sold again at the end of 1983 to a private investor. Over the next several years the various assets of Western were reorganized or re-sold several times before a final bankruptcy auction in 2001.

(Some of the information for the above from Funnybooks: The Improbable Glories of the Best American Comic Books by Michael Barrier and Mark Evanier's "News from Me" blog [http://www.newsfromme.com/iaq/iaq07/])

******* 'Canadian' price variants of 1968 *******
Doug Sulipa, a comics dealer in Manitoba, Canada since 1970, has confirmed that about 90% of all 63 titles of Gold Key Canadian titles are confirmed to exist with cover dates from April 1968 through August 1968 for both 15 cent covers and 12 cent covers.

Joe Torcivia, a comics collector and professional, has confirmed that at least several titles were sold in Flushing, Queens, New York with 15 cent covers while sold elsewhere with 12 cent covers. A few months later (September or November issues, depending on dating), ALL Gold Key Comics carried the 15-cent cover price and no further 12 cent issues were sold again.

These issues do not have a currency qualifier on the covers, so it is not certain whether they were priced in Canadian or United States currency, or both.

These issues appear to meet comics researcher John McClure's definition of Type 1a variants: “Cover Price Variants intended for foreign distribution with limited regional distribution, published simultaneously with standard or regular editions." However, in addition to foreign distribution, they appear to have also been sold as a test market for an impending price increase in the United States.

******* "© Robert S. Callender" Explained *******
When Western Printing produced comic book content that was not a licensed property, it was copyrighted in the name of Robert S. Callender (or, sometimes, Oskar Lebeck, e.g. Animal Comics, a Lebeck project). Callender was not the writer. He was Western Printing's copyright holder.

Robert S. (Bob) Callender, b. 1913, youngest child of Gene Callender of Racine, Wisconsin society, was an executive at Western Printing. On Oct. 9, 1937 Mr. Callender married Wynnefred Wadewitz, b. 1916, daughter of Edward H. Wadewitz.

Robert S. Callender's father-in-law, Edward H. Wadewitz, had risen by initiative to be the secretary, treasurer and general manager of the Western Printing & Lithographing Company: he was a moving spirit in the development, enlargement and control of that undertaking.

Robert S. Callender (Mr. Wadewitz's son-in-law) was the Managing Editor and Business Manager for Whitman Publishing Co., Poughkeepsie, N.Y., owned by Western Printing and Lithographing Company of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Does this data need corrections? Become an editor.