I. W. Publications

I.W. Publications (also known as Super Comics) was a short-lived comic book publisher in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The company was part of I.W. Enterprises, and named for the company's owner, Israel Waldman. I.W. Publications was notable for publishing unauthorized reprints of other publishers' properties. Usually these companies were already out of business.

I.W. Publications published comics in a wide variety of genres, including adventure, crime, science fiction, Western, horror, war and romance comics, as well as funny animal and superhero titles. The company was known for its low-budget products: most of I.W.'s comics were sold in grocery and discount stores, often in "three comics for a quarter" plastic bags. The numbering of most of the company's titles is misleading, often not starting at issue #1 and skipping issue numbers. The company produced 118 separate titles, but only 332 individual issues (many titles only published a single issue).

The company published one comic book with original material: Marty Mouse #1 (1958), featuring funny animal stories by Vincent Fago, among others.

Some I.W./Super Comics titles used original cover art: illustrators included Jack Abel, Ross Andru, Sol Brodsky, Carl Burgos, Mike Esposito, and John Severin, with lettering by Ben Oda.

History
Following the publication of Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent and the 1954 comic book hearings of the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency, many comic book publishers closed down shop in the years 1954–1956. Other than I.W., no new publishers debuted in 1958. Comics historian Don Markstein explained the company's methods: "Waldman was able to sell them cheaply because in many cases, he was able to supply the letterpress plates they were printed from, and thus avoid paying for new ones. How a man who gives little evidence of being interested in comics before emerging as an extremely low-end publisher, came to have such production materials is simply that he bought out defunct publishers' storage facilities, purchasing physical materials only and ignoring intellectual property rights. In many cases, he dealt with Eastern Color Printing, which did most of America's comics, for materials their publishers had left behind when they went out of business."

The company started publishing in 1958, with comics originally published by Avon Comics, Fiction House, Magazine Enterprises, and others. Many of these comics had the tagline "A Top Quality Comics." After releasing a great quantity of comics in 1958, the company went on hiatus until 1963, when it again released a number of comics up into 1964. The latter half of the company's existence, it published comics under the "Super Comics" name. Many of these titles were reprints of Toby Press, Avon, Magazine Enterprises, and Quality Comics. Many of these titles had the tagline "Super Comics Seal of Quality."

I.W. Publications went out of business in 1964. Waldman would later be involved with the short-lived black-and-white comics magazines publisher Skywald Publications in the 1970s.

Publishers whose work was reprinted in I.W. Publications comics

 * Ace Comics (defunct, 1956)
 * Avon Comics (defunct, 1956)
 * Baily Publishing Company (defunct, 1946)
 * Cambridge House Publishers (defunct, 1945)
 * Chesler / Dynamic (defunct, 1946)
 * Comic Media (defunct, 1954)
 * Decker (defunct, 1957)
 * EC Comics (defunct as comics publisher, 1956)
 * Farrell Publications / Four Star Publications (defunct, 1958)
 * Fiction House (defunct, 1955)
 * Fox Feature Syndicate (defunct, 1950)
 * Green Publishing (defunct, 1957)
 * Iger Studios (defunct, 1955)
 * Key Publications (defunct, 1956)
 * Kiddie Kapers Company (defunct, 1945)
 * Magazine Enterprises (defunct, 1958)
 * Mainline Publications (defunct, 1956)
 * Master Comics (defunct, 1955)
 * Medal Comics / Timor Publications (Stanley Morse) (defunct, 1956)
 * Nesbit (defunct, 1955)
 * Novack Publishing (defunct, 1945)
 * Novelty/Premium/Curtis (defunct, 1949)
 * Prize Comics
 * Quality Comics (defunct, 1956)
 * Reston Publications (defunct, 1955)
 * Spark Publications (defunct, 1946)
 * St. John Publications (defunct, 1958)
 * Stanhall Publishing (defunct, 1954)
 * Star Publications (defunct, 1954)
 * Superior Publishers Limited (defunct, 1956)
 * Timely Comics / Atlas Comics / Marvel Comics
 * Toby Press (defunct, 1955)
 * Youthful (defunct, 1954)
 * Ziff-Davis Comics (defunct, 1953)

Titles

 * Algie (1964, 1 issue) — Timor Publications property
 * Apache (1958, 1 issue) — Fiction House property
 * The Avenger (1958, 1 issue) — Magazine Enterprises property
 * Battle Stories (1963–1964, 7 issues) — war comics material from Avon Comics, Toby Press, Magazine Enterprises, Farrell Publications, and Superior Publishers Limited
 * Billy and Buggy Bear (1958–1964, 3 issues) — funny animal material from All Surprise Comics (Marvel, 1944)
 * Black Knight (1963, 1 issue) — Toby Press property
 * Blazing Sixguns (1958, 10 issues) — Western comics from Fox Feature Syndicate, Timor Publications, Mainline Publications, Stanley Morse, and Youthful
 * The Brain (1958–1963, 9 issues) — Magazine Enterprises property
 * Buccaneer / The Buccaneers (1958, 1964, 3 issues) — Quality Comics property
 * Buster Bear (1958, 2 issues) — funny animal material from Frisky Fables (Novelty/Premium/Curtis, 1947)
 * Candy (1963–1964, 3 issues) — Quality Comics title
 * Casper Cat (1958–1963, 3 issues) — material from Dopey Duck (Marvel/Timely, 1946)
 * Cosmo Cat (1958, 1 issue) — Fox Feature Syndicate title
 * Cowboys 'N' Injuns (1958–1963, 3 issues) — mostly material from Tick Tock Tales (Magazine Enterprises, 1951)
 * Danger (1963–1964, 7 issues) — material from Novack Publishing, Toby Press, Novelty Press, Marvel/Timely, Dynamic Publications
 * Danger is Our Business (1958, 1 issue) — Toby Press property
 * Daring Adventures (1963–1964, 9 issues) — material from Star Publications, Novelty Press, Superior Publishers, Fox Feature Syndicate, Avon Comics, Spark Publications
 * Dogface Dooley (1958, 2 issues) — Magazine Enterprises property
 * Doll Man (1963–1964, 3 issues) — Quality Comics property
 * Dr. Fu Manchu (1958, 1 issue) — Avon Comics property (The Mask of Dr. Fu Manchu)
 * Dream of Love (1958, 4 issues) — romance comics material from Magazine Enterprises and Toby Press
 * Dynamic Adventures (1958, 2 issues) — material from Fiction House and Avon Comics
 * Dynamic Comics (1958, 1 issue) — Superior Publishing Limited property
 * Eerie (1958, 3 issues) — horror material from Baily Publishing Company, Fiction House, and Toby Press
 * Eerie Tales (1963–1964, 4 issues) — material from Star Publications, Novelty Press, Toby Press, and Avon Comics
 * Famous Funnies (1963–1964, 3 issues) — funny animal material from Farrell Publications, Novelty Press, St. John Publications, and Avon Comics
 * Fantastic Adventures (1963–1964, 7 issues) — material from Toby Press, Star Publications, Harry "A" Chesler, Farrell Publications, Iger Studios, and Nesbit
 * Fantastic Tales (1958, 1 issue) — Avon Comics property (City of the Living Dead)
 * Fighting Daniel Boone (1958, 1 issue) — Avon Comics property
 * Firehair (1958, 1 issue) — Fiction House property
 * Foxhole (1963–1964, 6 issues) — war comics material from Mainline Publications, Magazine Enterprises, and Toby Press
 * Frontier Romances (1958, 2 issues) — material from Avon Comics and Fiction House, including a large quantity of Phantom Lady stories
 * Full of Fun (1958, 1 issue) — material from Bernard Baily Studio
 * Great Action Comics (1958, 3 issues) — material from Cambridge House Publishers (Golden Medal Comics) and Fox Feature Syndicate (Phantom Lady)
 * Great Western (1958, 4 issues) — western comics material from Magazine Enterprises, including a large quantity of Straight Arrow stories
 * Gunfighters (1963–1964, 5 issues) — Western comics material from Toby Press, Farrell Publications, and Magazine Enterprises
 * Hollywood Secrets of Romance (1958, 1 issue) — Quality Comics property (Hollywood Secrets)
 * Human Fly (1958, 2 issues) — Fox Feature Syndicate's property (Blue Beetle)
 * Indian Braves (1958, 1 issue) — Ace Comics' property
 * Indians of the Wild West (1958, 1 issue) — Fiction House property (Indians)
 * Intimate Confessions (1958–1964, 4 issues) — Avon Comics property
 * Jet Power (1958, 2 issues) — Magazine Enterprises property
 * Jungle Adventures (1963–1964, 5 issues) — material from Fox Feature Syndicate, Star Publications, Avon Comics, Fiction House, and Novelty Press
 * Jungle Comics (1958, 1 issue) — Fiction House property
 * Ka'a'nga (1958, 2 issue) — Fiction House property
 * Kat Karson (1958, 1 issue) — Magazine Enterprises property (Cowboys 'N' Injuns)
 * Kid Koko (1958, 2 issues) — Magazine Enterprises property (Koko and Kola)
 * Kiddie Kapers (1963, 4 issues) — funny animal material from Timor Publications (Animal Adventures) and Magazine Enterprises (Cowboys 'N' Injuns)
 * Kit Carson (1963, 1 issue) — Avon Comics property
 * Krazy Krow (1958–1963, 3 issues) — Marvel/Timely property
 * Leo the Lion (1958, 1 issue) — Green Publishing property (Adventures of Patoruzu)
 * Little Eva (1958–1964, 14 issues) — St. John Publications title
 * Little Spunky (1958, 1 issue) — Novelty Press title (Frisky Fables)
 * Love and Marriage (1958–1964, 7 issues) — romance material from Canadian publisher Superior Publishers Limited and later Quality Comics
 * Malu in the Land of Adventure (1958, 1 issue) — Avon Comics property (Slave Girl Comics)
 * Man o' Mars (1958, 1 issue) — science fiction material from Fiction House
 * Marmaduke Monk (1958–1963, 2 issues) — Ace Comics property (Monkeyshines Comics)
 * Marty Mouse (1958, 1 issue) — not a reprint apparently original material from Vincent Fago, among others
 * Master Detective (1964, 1 issue) — Novelty Press title (Criminals on the Run)
 * Meet Merton (1958–1963, 3 issues) — Toby Press property
 * Mighty Atom (1958, 1 issue) — Magazine Enterprises property (Mighty Atom and the Pixies)
 * Muggsy Mouse (1958–1963, 3 issues) — Magazine Enterprises property
 * Muggy-Doo, Boy Cat (1963–1964, 2 issues) — Stanhall Publishing property
 * My Secret Marriage (1958, 1 issue) — Superior Publishing Limited property
 * Mystery Tales (1964, 3 issues) — mystery/horror material from Toby Press, Avon Comics, and St. John Publications
 * Nemo in Adventureland (1964, 1 issue)
 * Pee-Wee Pixies (1958–1963, 3 issues) — Magazine Enterprises property
 * Pinky The Egghead (1958–1963, 3 issues) — Comic Media property
 * Planet Comics (1958, 2 issues) — Fiction House property
 * Plastic Man (1963, 3 issues) — Quality Comics property
 * Police Trap (1963–1964, 4 issues) — Mainline Publications property
 * Purple Claw (1958, 1 issue) — Toby Press property
 * Realistic Romances (1958, 3 issues) — Avon Comics property
 * Red Mask (1958, 3 issues) — Magazine Enterprises title
 * Robin Hood (1958–1964, 5 issues) — Magazine Enterprises title
 * Romantic Love (1958–1963, 5 issues) — romance comics material from Avon Comics (Romantic Love) and Toby Press (Great Lover Romances and Young Lover Romances)
 * Sensational Police Cases (1958, 1 issue) — Avon Comics property (Prison Break)
 * Sharpy Fox (1958–1963, 3 issues) — material from Marvel/Timely, Kiddie Kapers Company, and Green Publishing
 * Sheena, Queen of the Jungle (1958, 1 issues) — Fiction House property
 * Silver Kid Western (1958, 2 issues) — Key Publications / Medal Comics property
 * Space Comics (1958, 1 issue) — Avon Comics property
 * Space Detective (1958, 2 issues) — Avon Comics property
 * Space Mysteries (1958, 2 issues) — science fiction comics material from Atlas Comics (Journey into Unknown Worlds) and Fiction House (Planet Comics)
 * Speedy Rabbit (1958–1963, 3 issues) — Stanley Morse material (Peter Cottontail)
 * The Spirit (1963–1964, 2 issues) — Quality Comics property (itself reprints of material from The Spirit section)
 * Star Feature Comics (1958, 1 issue) — Quality Comics property (Feature Comics)
 * Strange Mysteries (1958–1964, 8 issues) — material from Star Publications, Four Star Publications, Fox Feature Syndicate, Farrell Publications, Chesler/Dynamic, Toby Press, Master Comics, and Avon Comics
 * Strange Planets (1958, 8 issues) — science fiction material from EC Comics, Avon Comics, Novelty Press, Atlas Comics, and St. John Publications
 * Strange Worlds (1958, 1 issues) — Avon Comics property
 * Sunny, America's Sweetheart (1958, 1 issue) — Fox Feature Syndicate property
 * Super-Brat (1958, 6 issues) — Toby Press property
 * Super Rabbit (1958, 3 issues) — Timely/Marvel Comics title; one issue does not contain any Super Rabbit stories on the inside)
 * Teen Romances (1963–1964, 5 issues) — Star Publications property (Popular Teen-Agers)
 * Teen-Age Talk (1958, 3 issues) — teen humor material from Stanhall Publishing, Stanley Morse, and Superior Publishers Limited
 * Tell It To the Marines (1958–1964, 3 issues) — war comics material from Toby Press
 * Three Rascals (1958, 3 issues) — Magazine Enterprises property (Clubhouse Rascals)
 * Tippy Terry (1963, 2 issues) — Reston Publications property (Little Groucho)
 * Tom-Tom The Jungle Boy (1958–1963, 4 issues) — Magazine Enterprises property (Tick Tock Tales)
 * Top Adventure Comics (1958, 2 issues) — material from Ziff-Davis Comics, Decker, and Superior Publishers Limited
 * Top Detective Comics (1958, 1 issue) — Novelty Press property (Criminals on the Run)
 * Top Jungle Comics (1958, 1 issue) — Avon Comics property (White Princess of the Jungle)
 * Torchy (1964, 1 issue) — Quality Comics property
 * Tuffy Turtle (1958, 1 issue) — Green Publishing property (Ribtickler)
 * U.S. Fighting Air Force (1958, 2 issues) — Superior Publishers Limited property
 * U.S. Fighting Men (1963–1964, 7 issues) — war comics from Avon Comics, Toby Press, Superior Publishers Limited, and Marvel/Timely
 * U.S. Paratroops (1958, 2 issues) — Avon Comics property
 * U.S. Tank Commandos (1958, 2 issues) — Avon Comics property
 * Undersea Commandos (1964, 1 issue) — Avon Comics property (Fighting Undersea Commandos)
 * Wacky Duck (1958–1963, 4 issues) — Marvel/Timely property
 * Wacky Woodpecker (1958, 2 issues) — Toby Press property (Two-Bit the Wacky Woodpecker)
 * Wambi (1958, 1 issue) — Fiction House property (Wambi, Jungle Boy)
 * Western Action (1958, 1 issue) — Avon Comics property (Cow Puncher Comics)
 * Westerner (1963–1963, 3 issues) — Western comics material from Farrell Publications, Quality Comics, and Timor Publications
 * Whip Wilson (1958, 1 issue) — Marvel/Timely property
 * Wild Bill Hickok (1958–1964, 4 issues) — Western comics material from Avon Comics
 * Wild Western Roundup (1958, 1 issue) — Western comics material from Ziff-Davis (Kid Cowboy) and Decker ('"Wild Western Roundup'')
 * Young Hearts In Love (1963, 2 issues) — Prize Comics property (Young Love)
 * Ziggy Pig (1958, 4 issues) — funny animal comics from Marvel/Timely