DC's "Other" Comics

2/14/2012

Trojan/Ribage/Merit
Trojan was ostensibly owned by Adolphe  Barreaux and Frank Armer, although Harry Donenfeld's wife Gussie was listed as an owner in the annual statements of ownership that had to be published in each title that had a second class postal permit. Michael Estrow and Stanley M Estrow of Leader News were probably financially behind the company.

As the pulp magazine market died out at the end of the forties, Trojan tried to switch their material to comic books.  Most of their pulps had carried comic strips anyway, so it wasn't that difficult.  Trojan and its sister companies passed around titles willy-nilly and renamed things depending on wind direction, so the following is a bit confusing.  Leader News went bankrupt in July 1956, causing major disruptions in magazine publishing.
   

1950

  
       
Sep

Trojan begins Western Crime-Busters

125 East 45th Street

Adolphe Barreaux, editor

Stars Six-Gun Smith, Wilma West, K Bar Kate and Fighing Bob Dale

  
 

TROJAN

    
Oct   Crime Smashers begins, starring the comic strip heroes who had previously appeared in the Trojan pulps.  Sally the Sleuth, Ray Hale, Dan Turner and Gail Ford.  Overstreet lists this as Ribage, but it's not.

     

TROJAN
   

1951

  
Apr   Crime Smashers #4 is published by Trojan  
       
       
       
       
       
   

1952

  
Apr  

Western  Crime Busters 10 -last issue

Statement of Ownership

Trojan

125 E 45th St

Editor Adolphe Barreaux

Owners: Michael Estrow, Stanley Estrow and Anna Estrow

     

TROJAN
May

Crime Mysteries #1 published by Ribage, 480 Lexington Ave. Adolphe Barreaux, editor. 
Michael Feldman says  Michael Estrow and Stanley M Estrow as agents for Leader News Co are the listed owners.  They are located at 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. (This is National's address)  Michael and Stanley are the owners of Leader News. Jerry Bails lists the owners of Ribage as Frank Armer and Adolph Barreux.  Ribage features many of the standard Trojan charactes
 
 

RIBAGE

    
   

1953

  
Jan

Attack taken over from Youthful by Trojan with #5.  Youthful continues same numbering with Atomic Attack #5.

Beware taken over from Youthful by Trojan with #13

 

 Youthful Romances 15-18 1/53-7/53
(follows Pix Parade series and then retroactively renumbered 1-4)

 

TROJAN

 TROJAN  

TROJAN
JAN  

Oh, Brother! 1-5

Stanhall begins.  Stanhall apparently stands for Stanley Estrow and Hal Seeger.   The books are edited by Adolphe Barreaux but copyright by Seegar.  Editorial address is 480 Lexington Ave, same as Leader News.

Stanhall's comics are quite different from Trojan's.  I suspect most were intended for sale through army PX's.

Seegar had quite a career as an animator and writer.  He wrote Leave it to Binky and A Date With Judy for National and went on to produce Fearless Fly and Batfink for TV.

 

     

STANHAL
Mar   Crime Smashers ends with # 15

     

TROJAN
May

Crime Mysteries 7 printed by Charlton in Derby Ct. Cover now says "Combined with Crime Smashers."

G.I. Jane- Stanhal 1-10

 

RIBAGE

  

STANHALL
JUL   Muggy Do, Boy Cat #1- Stanhall 1-4(1/54)

     

STANHALL
Sep

Attack renumbered.  issues 5-8 now considered 1-4. Sep issue is number 5 (again).

Beware renumbered. Issues 13-16 now considered 1-4. Sep issue is number 5.

 

TROJAN

  

TROJAN
undated

Overstreet lists this as 1951 but that's about two years too early.  Jingle Dingle is a puppet character related to Foodini which was published by Continental.  Created by Leon Jason, the puppet was built by Maury Bunin and licensed to local tv cartoon hosts. Hal Seegar didn't have anything to do with this.   
 

STANHALL

    
   

1954

  
Feb

Farmer's Daughter #1-4  
 

STANHALL

    
Mar

Broadway Hollywood Blackouts #1 Stanhal (1-3)

Crime Mysteries 12 combined with Crime Smashers published by Ribage. Printed by Charlton.

 

STANHALL

  

RIBAGE
Aug   Youthful Romances ends with #9.  
Sep Crime Mysteries ends with #15

 

Attack ends with #5.

  
 

RIBAGE

    
Nov   Crime Mysteries becomes Secret Mysteries with #16.
     

RIBAGE
   

1955

  
Mar

Secret Mysteries 17 now published by Merit. Still distributed by Leader News. Edited by Adolphe Barreaux. 2 East 45th St., New York 17, N.Y. (Mar 1955)-(Jul 1955)

Printed in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

GI Jane 15 now published by Merit.

Beware 14 statement of ownership. Trojan owned by Michael Estrow.

 

MERIT

  

MERIT
May  

Secret Mysteries 18 approved by the Comics Code Authority

Dark Mysteries and Romantic Hearts (Master Comics) taken over by Trojan with 23 and 11.  Adolphe Barreaux edits last two issues.

Beware ends with 15.
     

MERIT
July

Secret Mysteries 19- last issue

Dark Mysteries 24-last issue

Romantic Hearts 12-last issue

  
 

MASTER

    

 

 

 


 


 

Bibliography