K.G. Murray Publishing Company
| Founded | 1936 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Kenneth G Murray |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Headquarters location | Sydney |
| Key people | Ken Murray, Chris Murray |
| Publication types | Novels, Comics, Magazines |
| Nonfiction topics | Sports, Education |
| Fiction genres | crime, war, thrillers, romance, Western |
| Imprints | multiple [see below] |
K.G. Murray Publishing Company, is an Australian publisher primarily known for its publication of DC reprint comics. Established in 1936 in Sydney, Australia by Ken 'K.G.' Murray, the company was a family-owned and run business until its sale to Australian Consolidated Press in 1973.
Murray had previously worked in advertising for Gordon and Gotch, an Australian magazine distributor. Murray's first publication was Man, a men's magazine, in December 1936. It was printed on heavy art paper with thick, glossy card covers and squared spine. The 100 page magazine sold for the price of two shillings.
In 1936 K.G. Murray issued a pocket-sized magazine, Man Junior, a 96-page publication which sold for a shilling and contained no advertising. this was followed by The Insider, a serious foreign affairs journal (which was relatively short-lived), and Cavalcade, a more general-focus news digest. In 1938 K.G. Murray launched the Digest of Digests.
The commencement of World War II forced the suspension of Man Junior and Cavalcade, leaving only Man and Digest of Digests as K.G. Murray's only on-going publications. When the war ended Man Junior and Cavalcade resumed publication, but The Insider fell by the wayside.
In 1946 K.G. Murray introduced Adam a pulp magazine of action, sport and adventure stories. The magazine blossomed over time and became noted for its lurid painted covers – many by Phil Belbin and Jack Waugh – featuring semi-naked women in various brands of peril.
In 1951 K.G. Murray was acquired by Publishers Holdings Ltd, a company which was then floated on the .
In the 1950s Man and its stablemates came under terrible pressure as American girlie magazines flooded the Australian market. By then K.G. Murray had diversified into a range of titles covering a range of highly specialised areas of reader interest, ranging from hunting and fishing to motor racing and farming. K.G. Murray also increased its number of men's magazine titles publishing Gals and Gags, Man's Life, Adventure Story and Man's Master Detective. On 1 February 1972, Kenneth Murray retired as Managing Director while remaining on the Board until 1974. On 30 June 1973, Australian Consolidated Press Ltd completed an acquisition and took control of the company. In 1974 Man magazine ceased publication.
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