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Famous 1st Edition #C-63
Famous First Edition: New Fun #1 C-63 (New Fun
In celebration of its 85th anniversary, DC Comics reprints for the very first time its first-ever published comic book, New Fun #1, the comic that transformed the fledgling industry by being the first ongoing title made up of new stories instead of reprints of newspaper comic strips. First published in 1935, this landmark comic book carried a diverse set of original content features cowboys, spies, detectives, funny animals, space explorers, soldiers of fortune and more, including features that were written by Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, the founder of the company that would become DC Comics. This tabloid-size, black-and-white comic is reprinted as a commemorative hardcover and will include essays by comics historian Roy Thomas and Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson, grand-daughter of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, and more. Collects New Fun #1.
48 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2020
About the author
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
56 books6 followersMajor Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson was honored with a posthumous Eisner Award at San Diego Comic Con in 2008 for his contributions to the comic book industry. He was the founder of DC Comics, was the first publisher to see the sketch of Superman, hired Siegel and Shuster and was the first publisher to use all original scripts and art in comic books.
“The Major” as he was known was born near Greeneville, Tennessee on January 7, 1890 and spent his childhood there and in the Pacific Northwest.
His army career was full of adventure. In 1912 he served under General Pershing on the Mexican border chasing bandits and revolutionaries among them Pancho Villa while commanding Troop K of the historic African-American Buffalo Soldiers. By 1915 he was in the Philippines breaking world records for machine gun readiness and in his off-duty moments winning polo cups. During WWI he was in Military Intelligence and in 1917 was in Siberia attached to the Japanese Embassy. He saw first hand the cruelty of the Cossacks towards the local peasantry as well as the nuances of the constantly changing alliances between the Chinese and Japanese, the Cossack chiefs and Bolshevik Revolutionaries. These real life experiences would later appear in adventure stories and in his non-fiction articles and books.
Enter the roaring twenties and the Major is posted to Paris. There he met Elsa Karolina Bjorkbom, a Swedish woman of aristocratic background. After a fairytale proposal in the Eiffel Tower they were married in the Kaiser’s Chapel in Koblentz, Germany.
After a dramatic ending to his military career--a court martial and assassination attempt--apparently as the result of his refusal to give in to racist policies of his superior officers, Wheeler-Nicholson began writing adventure stories in 1922. Over his lifetime he wrote at least 160 short stories, novels and serials not including reprints and appearances in foreign countries. In addition there are several novels in hardback and paperback and works under 3 known pseudonyms. But wait there’s more—comic scripts and non-fiction.
The Major’s first venture as a writer of comic scripts and a publisher was in 1925 working with colleagues like screenwriter N. Brewster Morse and artist Oscar Hitt. Robert Louis Stevenson scholars note Wheeler-Nicholson as the first person to publish Stevenson in comic strip form and comic book format.
Wheeler-Nicholson was a popular writer and in 1928 he was able to move the family to France so that Elsa could be closer to her family. He continued writing for the pulps while living in Paris and an ancient chateau in Vic sur Aisnes. Unfortunately the Great Depression caught up with the Wheeler-Nicholsons and they were forced to return to New York in May of 1930. It was harder and harder to make money writing for the pulps and support a family of seven so what did the Major decide to do in the midst of the Depression? Why—start a comic book publishing company with the unique idea of using all original art and scripts instead of reprints from newspapers.
Surprisingly it turned out to be a very good idea but somebody else ended up making the money. Even worse others have been credited with his ideas and hard work. In fact, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson began the company that is still with us some 76 years later as DC Comics. Wheeler-Nicholson’s original comic book Fun Comics arrived on the newsstands in 1934. Based on his writing for the pulps it was his idea that these original scripts should be full of adventure and action and he wrote many of the scripts.
“The Major” as he was known was born near Greeneville, Tennessee on January 7, 1890 and spent his childhood there and in the Pacific Northwest.
His army career was full of adventure. In 1912 he served under General Pershing on the Mexican border chasing bandits and revolutionaries among them Pancho Villa while commanding Troop K of the historic African-American Buffalo Soldiers. By 1915 he was in the Philippines breaking world records for machine gun readiness and in his off-duty moments winning polo cups. During WWI he was in Military Intelligence and in 1917 was in Siberia attached to the Japanese Embassy. He saw first hand the cruelty of the Cossacks towards the local peasantry as well as the nuances of the constantly changing alliances between the Chinese and Japanese, the Cossack chiefs and Bolshevik Revolutionaries. These real life experiences would later appear in adventure stories and in his non-fiction articles and books.
Enter the roaring twenties and the Major is posted to Paris. There he met Elsa Karolina Bjorkbom, a Swedish woman of aristocratic background. After a fairytale proposal in the Eiffel Tower they were married in the Kaiser’s Chapel in Koblentz, Germany.
After a dramatic ending to his military career--a court martial and assassination attempt--apparently as the result of his refusal to give in to racist policies of his superior officers, Wheeler-Nicholson began writing adventure stories in 1922. Over his lifetime he wrote at least 160 short stories, novels and serials not including reprints and appearances in foreign countries. In addition there are several novels in hardback and paperback and works under 3 known pseudonyms. But wait there’s more—comic scripts and non-fiction.
The Major’s first venture as a writer of comic scripts and a publisher was in 1925 working with colleagues like screenwriter N. Brewster Morse and artist Oscar Hitt. Robert Louis Stevenson scholars note Wheeler-Nicholson as the first person to publish Stevenson in comic strip form and comic book format.
Wheeler-Nicholson was a popular writer and in 1928 he was able to move the family to France so that Elsa could be closer to her family. He continued writing for the pulps while living in Paris and an ancient chateau in Vic sur Aisnes. Unfortunately the Great Depression caught up with the Wheeler-Nicholsons and they were forced to return to New York in May of 1930. It was harder and harder to make money writing for the pulps and support a family of seven so what did the Major decide to do in the midst of the Depression? Why—start a comic book publishing company with the unique idea of using all original art and scripts instead of reprints from newspapers.
Surprisingly it turned out to be a very good idea but somebody else ended up making the money. Even worse others have been credited with his ideas and hard work. In fact, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson began the company that is still with us some 76 years later as DC Comics. Wheeler-Nicholson’s original comic book Fun Comics arrived on the newsstands in 1934. Based on his writing for the pulps it was his idea that these original scripts should be full of adventure and action and he wrote many of the scripts.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 29, 2020
An impressive full-sized recreation of the very first "DC" comic, originally scheduled for publication back in the 70s but shelved because the rights to the character Oswald the Rabbit were unclear. Apparently Oswald is a free agent now, because DC finally published this. Strictly for historians and those interested in the unpromising seeds of the comic book field. I can't get enough of the pre-superhero age though and this is a prime batch of the goofy wonder so often reflected there. It's easy to put yourself in the head of a 1935 kid reading these meager offerings, trying to build the included airplane projects, collect stamps, etc. Fun! New Fun! More Fun!
March 17, 2026
The animal stories were fun but again too many storylines, hard to follow.
November 20, 2023
While there had been previous comic books, New Fun in 1935 was the first that carried all-new art and stories (the others were reprints of newspaper comic strips). This was the first of what would become DC Comics. An excellent reproduction--down to the original advertisements--of a book that began an industry that we take for granted today. Believe it or not, this even has the Charles Atlas ad/comic of the guy getting bullied on the beach. Unfortunately, it followed the formula set by newspapers and most of the one-page stories are cliffhangers, i.e., I would love to read the rest, but it won't happen. As far as art and content, the adaptation from Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" is the best of the collection and the film-noir feel of "Sandra of the Secret Service" is perfect. Among the funny animals is "Oswald the Rabbit" who will look very familiar since he was an early version by Disney of Mickey Mouse. I also enjoyed the various columns, including those for radio, movies, models, and popular science. No super-heroes here, that will come three years later with the advent of Superman. What can I say? This was just a FUN little read!
May 6, 2020
This 85th anniversary edition of NEW FUN COMICS #1, reprinted in an oversize format reminiscent of the original 1935 edition and with a cover celebrating the FAMOUS FIRST EDITION reprints DC published in the 1970s, is getting 5 stars for the historical significance more than any greatness of the issue.
Don't get me wrong: There are plenty of fine one-page stories with some beautiful writing and art, but nearly every story is the beginning of a story that readers most likely will never be able to finish -- IF the story was ever completed to begin with (as the various essays hint may have been the case, as the more unpopular strips were replaced).
A treat for me was seeing the comic book work of Clem Gretta (born Joseph Clemons Gretter). I know of Gretta's work as cover artist and internals illustrator for several Ted Scott Flying Series and Hardy Boys books written under the Stratemeyer Syndicate pseudonym of Franklin W. Dixon.
Don't get me wrong: There are plenty of fine one-page stories with some beautiful writing and art, but nearly every story is the beginning of a story that readers most likely will never be able to finish -- IF the story was ever completed to begin with (as the various essays hint may have been the case, as the more unpopular strips were replaced).
A treat for me was seeing the comic book work of Clem Gretta (born Joseph Clemons Gretter). I know of Gretta's work as cover artist and internals illustrator for several Ted Scott Flying Series and Hardy Boys books written under the Stratemeyer Syndicate pseudonym of Franklin W. Dixon.
July 16, 2024
It was pretty much the same as the first one. Even still it had comics that were better than the comic had previously. It was balanced out a little bit by also having more ads but I guess some people (such as me) see that as a plus because there is less to read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews