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35-517: Sky Masters of the Space Force was an American syndicated newspaper comic strip created on September 8, 1958, by writer/ penciler Jack Kirby and writer Dave Wood , featuring the adventures of an American astronaut . The strip stars the titular Major Skylar Masters—an American astronaut —and features his adventures in a fictionalized Space Race , including rocket launches, space stations, Moon landings, and double agents. Sky Masters of

70-838: A 2018 collaboration with Amigo Comics and the Jack Kirby Museum. In late 2017, Hermes Press published Sky Masters of the Space Force: The Complete Dailies . This was followed in 2018 by the Eisner Award nominated Sky Masters of the Space Force: The Complete Sunday Strips in Color from Amigo Comics , edited and designed by Ferran Delgado of the Spanish edition. Print syndication The syndicate

105-629: A large industry. Syndication properly took off in 1896 when the competitors the New York World and the New York Journal began producing Sunday comic pages. The daily comic strip came into practice in 1907, revolutionizing and expanding the syndication business. Syndicates began providing client newspaper with proof sheets of black-and-white line art for the reproduction of strips." By 1984, 300 syndicates were distributing 10,000 features with combined sales of $ 100 million

140-713: A score of newspapers in the U.S. northeast. By the end of the Civil War, three syndicates were in operation, selling news items and short fiction pieces. By 1881, Associated Press correspondent Henry Villard was self-syndicating material to the Chicago Tribune , the Cincinnati Commercial , and the New York Herald . A few years later, the New York Sun ' s Charles A. Dana formed

175-488: A syndicate to sell the short stories of Bret Harte and Henry James . The first full-fledged American newspaper syndicate was the McClure Newspaper Syndicate , launched in 1884 by publisher S. S. McClure . It was the first successful company of its kind, turning the marketing of columns , book serials (by the likes of Rudyard Kipling and Arthur Conan Doyle ), and eventually comic strips , into

210-686: A year. With the 1960s advent of the underground press , associations like the Underground Press Syndicate , and later the Association of Alternative Newsmedia , worked together to syndicate material — including weekly comic strips — for each other's publications. Prominent contemporary syndication services include: IFA-Amsterdam (International Feature Agency) provides news and lifestyle content to publications. Cagle Cartoons offers newspaper editorial cartoons and columns. 3DSyndication comprises syndication service from India,

245-849: Is an agency that offers features from notable journalists and authorities as well as reliable and established cartoonists. It fills a need among smaller weekly and daily newspapers for material that helps them compete with large urban papers, at a much lesser cost than if the client were to purchase the material themselves. Generally, syndicates sell their material to one client in each territory. News agencies differ in that they distribute news articles to all interested parties. Typical syndicated features are advice columns (parenting, health, finance, gardening, cooking, etc.), humor columns , editorial opinion, critic 's reviews, and gossip columns . Some syndicates specialize in one type of feature, such as comic strips. A comic strip syndicate functions as an agent for cartoonists and comic strip creators, placing

280-724: The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh in Batman #113 (Aug. 1958). Artist Lee Elias and Herron co-created the Clock King in World's Finest Comics #111 (Aug. 1960). With artist Bruno Premiani , Herron co-created Cave Carson in The Brave and the Bold #31 (Aug. 1960). In 1966 Herron moved to Harvey Comics , hired by his old associate Joe Simon . During that year, Herron was the lead writer for

315-778: The Marvel Comics forerunner Timely Comics . Herron and artists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby co-created the Red Skull in Captain America Comics #1 (Mar. 1941). Beginning in 1940 and continuing throughout the decade, Herron wrote various features for the publisher Quality Comics . From 1942 to 1944, Herron wrote the Captain Midnight strip for the Chicago Sun Syndicate . Herron joined Fawcett Comics in 1940, eventually becoming

350-458: The Space race in the wake of the previous year's launch of Sputnik . Schiff rejected Space Busters and then either collaborated in the creation of a new strip, or simply encouraged Kirby and Wood to produce "a strip that dealt with rocket launchings, moon shots, and general story lines just a little ahead of current developments in the news." Wally Wood 's first wife Tatjana Wood recalled in

385-530: The Tribune Content Agency and The Washington Post Writers Group also in the running. Syndication of editorial cartoons has an important impact on the form, since cartoons about local issues or politicians are not of interest to the national market. Therefore, an artist who contracts with a syndicate will either be one who already focuses their work on national and global issues, or will shift focus accordingly. An early version of syndication

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420-510: The U.S. Army in 1942, where he wrote for the military newspaper Stars and Stripes during his tour of duty. While at Stars and Stripes , Herron met artist Curt Swan , who later became the definitive Superman artist. According to Swan, it was Herron who first directed him to DC Comics . Herron began writing for DC Comics in 1945, initially on Green Arrow stories in Adventure Comics and World's Finest Comics . Herron

455-561: The India Today Group's Syndications Today , and Times Syndication Service of India. France Herron Francis Edward Herron (July 23, 1917 – September 2, 1966) was an American comic book writer and editor active in the 1940s–1960s, mainly for DC Comics . He is credited with co-creating Captain Marvel Jr. and the Red Skull , as well as such characters as Cave Carson , Nighthawk , and Mr. Scarlet and Pinky

490-608: The Space Force #1. From 1996 to 1998 the daily strips were reprinted by Manuscript Press in Comics Revue (#124–142, 144–153, and Comics Revue Special #1), and from 1998 to 2002 the remaining Sundays were reprinted in color on the front and back covers of odd-numbered issues (#145–191). Almost all of the Sky Masters strips (774 dailies and 53 of 54 Sundays) are reprinted in The Complete Sky Masters of

525-476: The Space Force (1991) from Pure Imagination . The book features the Sunday strips in black and white only, and includes one daily on the back cover only rather than in-sequence. A remastered Spanish edition containing the complete dailies was published by Glénat in two volumes in 2008 and 2009, edited and designed by Ferran Delgado. A planned third volume containing the complete Sundays remained unpublished until

560-522: The Space Force began life as a science fiction strip created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Dave Wood called Space Busters , which was designed to be sold to a newspaper syndicate . This strip did not sell, however. In 1958, Harry Elmlark, "an agent from the George Matthew Adams Service ", asked DC Comics editor Jack Schiff for a science fiction comic to be adapted into strip form, to capitalize on American interest in

595-524: The Space Force: Book One , published by Quality Comic Art Productions of Buffalo, New York, reprinted the beginning of the strip and, while smaller in format, often featured artwork less modified by artists involved in the reprint production than the later Pure Imagination publications. In 1991, Pure Imagination reprinted the dailies from 8 September 1958 to 8 May 1959 and the eight color Sundays from February to March 1959 as Sky Masters of

630-1053: The Whiz Kid . Herron spent the bulk of his time in the comics industry writing for such characters as Green Arrow , Superman , and the Western character Tomahawk . Herron was born in 1917 in Ohio farm country. Claiming to be of partial Cherokee descent , he grew up in West Virginia. Herron got his start in comics while still a teenager, with the Harry "A" Chesler "packaging" studio in 1937, writing and editing for such Centaur Comics ' titles as Star Comics and Star Ranger Funnies . In 1939, Herron joined Fox Features Syndicate , where he first met Joe Simon and Jack Kirby . In 1940–1941, Simon and Kirby hired Herron to write stories for their new creation Captain America , published by

665-865: The Wood biography Wally's World that it was Jack Kirby who sought out the science fiction artist to collaborate on Sky Masters . Wallace Wood had previously worked on EC's Weird Science , Weird Fantasy and Wood was invited by Will Eisner to collaborate on the Outer Space Spirit newspaper series. By the time Kirby was thinking about a space strip, Wood had given up comic book work for higher-paying magazine and advertising work, including Mad and illustrating science fiction stories in Galaxy , Worlds of If , and other American magazines and books. Wally Wood accepted Kirby's invitation. With art samples and story outline approved by Elmlark, Kirby penciled

700-448: The apparent expectation that Kirby would personally cover the strip's production costs) strained the relationship between Kirby and Schiff. Kirby also butted heads with writer Dave Wood, requesting a higher percentage of the royalties, ostensibly to cover costs of paying Wally Wood for inking. When Kirby threatened to leave the strip, Schiff implied Kirby should ink himself, and noted that Dave Wood required money to pay his brother, Dick, who

735-437: The beginning, before me." Dave Wood promised Schiff "a percentage for arranging the deal," which Kirby allegedly assumed was a one-time payment but that Schiff understood to be on-going. In Spring 1958, pre-publication, Kirby verbally agreed to pay Schiff an ongoing percentage, in large part to safeguard his (Kirby's) lucrative relationship with DC. But confusion over whether the percentage should come from gross or net income (and

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770-418: The cartoons and strips in as many newspapers as possible on behalf of the artist. In some cases, the work will be owned by the syndicate as opposed to the creator. A syndicate can annually receive thousands of submissions from which only two or three might be selected for representation. The leading strip syndicates include Andrews McMeel Syndication , King Features Syndicate , and Creators Syndicate , with

805-976: The company's executive editor by 1942. With artist Mac Raboy , he created Captain Marvel Jr. in Whiz Comics #25 (Dec. 1941), and with Jack Kirby he created Mr. Scarlet in Wow Comics #1 (Winter 1940–1941) and Pinky the Whiz Kid in Wow Comics #4 (Spring 1942). It was in the Mr. Scarlet story in Wow Comics #1 that the name " Gotham City " first appeared in the comics. Comics historian Greg Theakston notes that this pre-dates its name as such in DC Comics ' Batman #4. During this period, Herron wrote for such Fawcett titles as Captain Marvel Adventures and Captain Marvel Jr. . Herron joined

840-479: The first half of 1959. Once Kirby and Schiff got into a dispute, Wally Wood moved on to other projects. Later Sky Masters strips were written by Kirby, and inked by Dick Ayers , with the final month penciled and inked by Kirby alone. Ayers described his participation in a 1996 interview: I also began [work on] Sky Masters , the newspaper strip. There is a lot of confusion on this; people think Wally Wood inked them all, because they're signed Kirby/Wood. But that

875-434: The publisher's short-lived Harvey Thriller superhero line, working on characters such as Dynamite Joe, Glowing Gladiator, Jack Q. Frost, and Lone Tiger, in the titles Robot Parade and Spyman . In addition to his work in the comic book field, Herron wrote syndicated newspaper comic strips for Columbia Features . Beginning in 1955, he wrote the daily strips Davy Crockett, Frontiersman and Nero Wolfe —staying on

910-502: The signed agreement promising Schiff an ongoing percentage led to Schiff being successful after a "very short trial at the supreme court in White Plains , New York". Kirby left then "market leader" DC, and returned to work for Atlas Comics , but continued to draw Sky Masters until early 1961. Daily stories (8 September 1958 – 25 February 1961) Sunday stories (8 February 1959 – 7 February 1960) A 1980 collection, Sky Masters of

945-558: The situation, Kirby attempted to buy Schiff out of the contract, reiterating the feeling that Schiff was only due a onetime payment rather than an ongoing percentage of the royalties. Schiff refused the offer, and subsequently fired Kirby from Challengers of the Unknown , claiming that ideas from the Challengers story conferences were finding their way into Kirby's Sky Masters work. On December 11, 1958, Kirby discovered that Schiff

980-469: The strip, which was initially written by brothers Dick and Dave Wood and inked by the unrelated Wally Wood; at that same time, Dave Wood was also working with Kirby on the Showcase Comics issues of Kirby's "Challengers of the Unknown" feature for DC Comics , and Wally Wood would later ink issues #4-8 of Kirby's Challengers of the Unknown comic book series during the last half of 1958 and

1015-666: The title until 1961. Herron wrote mystery comics titles including House of Mystery , Mystery in Space , Strange Adventures , and Tales of the Unexpected . From 1953 to 1959, he wrote many stories for such DC war comics as All-American Men of War , Our Army at War , Our Fighting Forces , and Star Spangled War Stories ; returning to such work in 1963–1964. With artist Dick Sprang , Herron co-created Firefly in Detective Comics #184 (June 1952) and

1050-585: Was Dave Wood, the writer [who was unrelated to artist Wally Wood]. I began Sky Masters with the 36th Sunday page; Jack's pencils, my inks, in September of 1959. I ended the Sundays in January 1960. I also did the dailies for a period of [over] two years, from September of '59 to December of '61. These were complete inks; I was the only one doing it at the time. Of course, Wally Wood also worked on that strip, in

1085-432: Was Green Arrow's lead writer throughout the 1950s, staying with the character until 1963. Other superhero titles Herron worked on included Superman , which he wrote many stories for throughout the 1950s, and Challengers of the Unknown , which Herron was the lead writer for from 1959 until 1966. He wrote a number of Batman and Robin stories for Detective Comics and Batman in the mid-1950s and mid-1960s. Herron

Sky Masters - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-468: Was helping with the writing. On April 15, 1958, Schiff drew up a formal agreement documenting the royalty cuts between Kirby and Wood, and also Schiff himself (4%). By July, Schiff requested a higher percentage before the strip debuted on September 8, 1958, in "over three hundred newspapers." With the arrival of the first royalty checks, the Wood brothers sent money to Schiff, but Kirby refused, leading to tension between himself and DC. In an attempt to defuse

1155-530: Was one of the lead writers on Batman during the overhaul of the character and the introduction of his "New Look." Throughout the 1950s and the 1960s, Herron partnered with artist Fred Ray as the creative team on DC's Tomahawk and the Tomahawk stories which appeared in World's Finest Comics during this period. In the mid-1950s, Herron wrote the features Pow Wow Smith and Nighthawk for DC's Western Comics omnibus; he continued to write spot stories for

1190-615: Was practiced in the Journal of Occurrences , a series of newspaper articles published by an anonymous group of "patriots" in 1768–1769 in the New York Journal and Packet and other newspapers, chronicling the occupation of Boston by the British Army. According to historian Elmo Scott Watson , true print syndication began in 1841 with a two-page supplement produced by New York Sun publisher Moses Yale Beach and sold to

1225-772: Was suing both him and the Woods for breach of contract, and counter-sued Schiff. Kirby claimed that Schiff was merely an editor who had "assigned him, the Wood brothers, and Eddie Herron freelance work," that Kirby and the Woods had visited Elmlark without Schiff, that Schiff was not involved in the agency agreement, but that he and the Woods had offered Schiff a gift. Kirby further alleged that Schiff had implied that not paying his demands would lead to Kirby losing work at DC. Schiff's lawyer Myron Shapiro questioned Kirby at trial, and confirmed that Schiff had not verbalised such threats. Jack Liebowitz (executive vice president and general manager of National /DC) testified on Schiff's behalf, and

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