Harry "A" Chesler

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Harry "A" Chesler

Nationality Flag of the United States American
Field Publisher

Harry Chesler, Jr. — most often credited as Harry "A" Chesler — was the entrepreneur behind what is often credited as the first comic book "packager" of the late-1930s to 1940s Golden Age of comic books, supplying complete comics to publishers testing the waters of the emerging medium. The "A" was an affectation rather than a true initial, and Chesler sometimes quipped that it stood for "anything." His studio was located at 28th Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City.

He later published comics himself through his Harry A. Chesler Feature Syndicate. His other imprints include "Dynamic Publications", "Home Guide Publications", "Magazine Press" (during a partnership with publisher Lev Gleason, as well as his own eponymous syndicate. Comic-book historians sometimes label all such imprints informally "Harry A Chesler Comics."

Chesler's studio produced comics work for such titles as Star Comics, Star Ranger, Dynamic Comics, Punch Comics and Yankee Comics. Chesler alumni include Jack Cole, Charles Biro, Mort Meskin, Jack Binder, and Otto Binder.

His comics enterprise was severely affected by World War II. Both he and his main pre-war editor, Phil Sturm, went on active duty for most of the war, severely curtailing the company's ability to produce comics. Except for a brief period of time in 1942, evidence from his publications' statements of ownership indicate that he was "on leave to the US Army". In his absence, his father, Harry Chesler, Sr., became the credited business manager of the company. However, like his son, he used the appellation 'Harry "A" Chesler', making it problematic today to separate the work of the father from the son.

[edit] List of Harry "A" Chesler titles

  • Bulls Eye Comics #11 (previously Komik Pages, retitled Kayo Komics?)
  • Carnival Comics #1-13 (1945)
  • Cocomalt Book of Comics one-shot giveaway (1939)
  • Dynamic Comics #1-24 (1941 – 1948)
  • Feature Funnies #1-20 (1937 – 1939; subsequently published as Feature Comics #21-144 by Quality Comics, 1939 – 1950)
  • Kayo Komics #12 (1945; previously Bull's-Eye Comics?)
  • Komic Pages #10 (1945; retitled Bull's-Eye Comics?)
  • Major Victory Comics #1-3 (1944 – 1945)
  • Punch Comics #1-23 (1941 – 1948)
  • Red Seal Comics #14-22 (1945 – 1947; previously Carnival Comics)
  • Scoop Comics #1-3, 8 (no issues #4-7 published; 1941 – 1942, 1945)
  • Skyrocket Comics #1 (1944)
  • Snap Comics #9 (no issues #1-8 published; 1944)
  • Spotlight Comics #1-3 (1944 – 1945)
  • Star Comics
  • Star Ranger
  • Yankee Comics #1-4 (1941 – 1942; fifth issue published as Danger #16 by IW/Super)

[edit] References