| Founded | 1942 |
|---|---|
| Defunct | 1948 |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | Holyoke andSpringfield,Massachusetts |
| Key people | Joe Kubert, Charles Quinlan, Allen Ulmer,Carmine Infantino,Dan Barry |
| Publication types | Comic books |
| Fiction genres | Superhero, war, humor |
TheHolyoke Publishing Company was an American magazine andcomic-book publisher with offices inHolyoke, andSpringfield,Massachusetts, andNew York City, Its best-known comics characters wereBlue Beetle and thesuperhero duoCat-Man (later rendered as Catman, sans hyphen) andKitten, all inherited from defunct former clients of Holyoke's printing business.
Holyoke is sometimes confused with companies owned byFrank Z. Temerson, including Helnit, Et-Es-Go, and Continental; with Worth Carnahan's Bilbara Publishing Company; and with Temerson's art directorL. B. Cole's packaging clients Narrative Publishers and Aviation Press.
Holyoke Publishing originated with Sherman Bowles, who had taken over his family'sSpringfield, Massachusetts newspaper dynasty, consisting ofThe Republican and other papers.[1] He entered comic-book publishing through his printing division,[2] which took over two existing titles from Frank Z. Temerson's Helnit Publishing Company:[3] thesuperhero seriesCat-Man Comics and thewar comics seriesCaptain Aero Comics. This occurred in late 1941, with comicscover-dated January 1942[4] and February 1942.[5] Temerson's staff, including artist Charles Quinlan, continued to produce both series.[2] Quinlan had previously partnered with publisher Worth Carnahan in the companies Bilbara Publishing and Hit Publishing, leading them to often be erroneously grouped with Holyoke.[6] Holyoke's next acquisition was the superhero seriesBlue Beetle, taking it over fromVictor A. Fox'sbankrupt[7]Fox Publications[8] beginning with issue #12 (June 1942).[9]
The two titles acquired from Heinit reverted to Temerson's new company Et-Es-Go Magazines (later Continental Magazines) following Holyoke'sCat-Man Comics vol. 3, #7, the overall 17th issue, andCaptain Aero Comics vol. 2, #4, the overall 10th issue (both Jan. 1943).[4][5] Later that year, Fox wonBlue Beetle back in a lawsuit;[2] Holyoke's final issue was #30 (Feb. 1944).[9]
By 1949, Holyoke Publishing was based inSpringfield,Massachusetts and publishedThe Open Road for Boys magazine.[10][11] Holyoke Publishing leased commercial space at 1475Broadway inManhattan in April 1944.[12]
Because of incomplete documentation of the early days of theAmerican comic book, some sources misstate Holyoke's role. One common resource, for example, erroneously refers to Holyoke "imprints including Et-Es-Go Mags, Continental Magazines, Helnit Publishing Co. and Tem Publishing Co."[13] The bookThe Comic Book in America erroneously states that Holyoke "entered the comic-book superhero business withCrash Comics (May 1940)....",[14] thoughCrash Comics Adventures was a Temerson title predating Holyoke.[15] That book also erroneously claims Temerson as the Holyoke founder, writing, "Temerson also changed his company's name to Holyoke Publishing," and additionally claims, "By 1943, Holyoke was known as Continental Publishing."[16]Howard Keltner'sGolden Age Comic Index 1935-1955 (Revised Edition) groups Bilbara, Tem, Helnit, Et-Es-Go, Narrative Publishers and Aviation Press with Holyoke.[17] Narrative and Aviation were both clients of Temerson's art director,L. B. Cole, giving their publications a similar look.[3]
As well, notes the standard reference theGrand Comics Database, the Bilbara Publishing Company, one of publisher Worth Carnahan's companies, "has often been erroneously tied to Holyoke and to Frank Z. Temerson's companies because [artist] Charles Quinlan was involved in this and other Carnahan ventures, and took the character name 'Volton' (but not any other aspect of the character) with him to Helnit/Holyoke. Also, Bilbara'sCyclone Comics (featuring a character called Tornado Tom) appeared at the same time that one of Temerson's earlier companies producedWhirlwind Comics (featuring a character called Cyclone)."[18]
Among comics creators who did some of their earliest work at Holyoke areJoe Kubert, on features starring Volton, Flagman and Alias X forCat-Man Comics andCaptain Aero Comics.[19]Dan Barry drew the Hood and Tiger Squadron.[20]Carmine Infantino drew "Hell's Angels", a war series, forSparkling Stars.[21]
Sherman Hoar Bowles was the scion of three generations of men named Sam Bowles who ran theSpringfield, Massachusetts newspaperThe Republican and other periodicals from 1797 to 1919, when Sherman took the reins.[22] His mother, Elizabeth Hoar, ofConcord, Massachusetts, was the Beth ofLouisa May Alcott's novelLittle Women.[22] Bowles attended Springfield High School;Phillips Academy, inAndover, Massachusetts; andHarvard, from which he graduated in 1912 after having served as business manager ofThe Harvard Crimson.[22] After working a year atThe Republican, he spent two years as circulation manager of thePhiladelphia,PennsylvaniaPublic Ledger, then two years with theSpringfield Daily News, his family's weekday-evening paper.[22] After two years with theUS Marine Corps duringWorld War I,[22] he became publisher of his family newspapers, which also included theMorning Union, and Sunday'sThe Springfield Union and Republican.[1]
Bowles later also became an official of the Atlas Tack Company inFairhaven, Massachusetts, and theLongchamps andBuffet Exchange restaurant chains, and held interests inBell Aircraft, theReo Motors, Inc., theBowles Agawam Airport inAgawam, Massachusetts, andWestern Union,[22][23] as well as Alliance Manufacturing[1] ofAlliance, Ohio.[24] He eventually turned over his holdings to a beneficial trust for his 500 newspaper employees.[1][22]
Bowles died March 3, 1952, age 61,[22] or 62[1] (accounts differ). He had suffered a heart attack at a friend's apartment while inNew York City on business; after being treated by a physician, he returned to his own apartment at 201 East 47th Street where a building superintendent found him dead the following morning.[22] He was survived by wife Esther Johnson Bowles, with whom he had sons Francis T. and John, and daughters Elizabeth and Amy.[1] A cousin of the siblings wasChester Bowles, a governor ofConnecticut andambassador toIndia.[25]
Comic books[2]
Uncertain:
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 The Lost Heroes of Holyoke, FizzPop via Youtube |