Centaur Publications
| Status | Defunct (1942) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1938 |
| Founder | Joe Hardie Fred Gardner Raymond Kelly |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | New York City |
| Key people | Bill Everett |
| Publication types | Comic books |
Centaur Publications (also known as Centaur Comics) (1938–1942) was one of the earliest American comic book publishers. During their short existence, they created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett's Amazing-Man.
Centaur developed primarily from the Comics Magazine Company, Inc. In 1936, comic-book entrepreneur Everett M. "Busy" Arnold gave financial or other unspecified help to that New York City-based firm, founded by John Mahon and Bill Cook, former employees of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's National Allied Publications (the primary forerunner of DC Comics). The duo published the premiere issue of The Comics Magazine (May 1936), using inventory content from National Allied's submissions. (One collector/historian suggests this was in lieu of pay.)
Among the Comics Magazine Company's original features was Dr. Mystic the Occult Detective (not to be confused with Mr. Mystic of newspapers' "The Spirit Section"). This two-page feature was by future Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and was part of their Doctor Occult continuity, with the name changed for trademark consideration. This was the beginning of a serial that introduced the villain Koth, and the Seven, that continued into DC's More Fun Comics #14-17 (issues also designated as vol. 2 #2-5).
The company's flagship title, the eponymous Comics Magazine, premiered with a May 1936 cover date. That comic-book series featured the first masked hero in American comics, writer-artist George Brenner's the Clock, in the November 1936 issue.
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