First

Now back in business, First Comics has had a re-launch and is now coming out with new creator owned titles and is being led again by Ken F. Levin.

Name:

First

Aliases:

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History

First Comics was founded by Ken Levin and Mike Gold in Evanston, Illinois in 1983. Their first big publishing break came when they successfully purchased the publishing rights to all of Capital Comics lineup after the distribution company folded up its publishing arm in 1984. The titles that carried over from Capitol: Badger, Nexus, and Whisper, along with Dreadstar, Grimjack, and American Flagg formed the core of their comics line. In 1984 First brought a lawsuit against Marvel Comics and the primary printer of comic books at the time, World Color Press (nee Quebecor), citing anti-competitive activities. The suit dragged on through most of the 80's before it was finally settled in 1988. In 1985, First moved its offices to Chicago and co-founder Mike Gold left to take an editorial position at DC, taking Howard Chaykin, Mike Grell and Timothy Truman with him.

In 1986 First started newsstand distribution, making it one of the few independent comics publishers of the time to use both direct market and newsstand distributing. First continued to experiment with different publications from the mid 80s through the early 90s. First worked closely with Michael Moorcock, adapting several of his Eternal Champion stories, including Elric, Corum, and Dorian Hawkmoon. They published the English translation of Kazuo Kaike and Goseki Kojima's Lone Wolf and Cub, and Shatter, the first all digital comic. Their final publishing venture was a partnership with Berkeley Books bringing back Classics Illustrated, the revered adaptations of "classical literature" started by Albert Lewis Kanter in 1941. Unfortunately, the series was short lived as First Comics ceased publication in 1992.

Publications List

1986 Alter Ego 1-4 (limited series)
1983-1988 American Flagg! 1-50
1986 American Flagg Special (one shot)
1988-1989 Amerikan Flagg! 1-12
1985-1991 Badger 5-70
1989 Badger Goes Berserk 1-4 (limited series)
1991 Badger Bedlam (one shot)
1989 Beauty and the Beast: Portrait of Love (one-shot)
1990 Beauty and the Beast: Night of Beauty (one-shot)
1987-1988 The Chronicles of Corum 1-12 (limited series)
1989 Corum: The Bull and the Spear 1-4 (limited series)
1990-1991 Classics Illustrated 1-27
1988 Crossroads 1-5 (limited series, company wide crossover)
1986-1991 Dreadstar 27-64
1986-1988 Dynamo Joe 1-15
1987 Dynamo Joe Special (one shot)
1985-1986 Elric: Sailor on the Seas of Fate 1-7 (limited series)
1986-1987 Elric: Weird of the White Wolf 1-5 (limited series)
1987-1988 Elric: The Vanishing Tower 1-6 (limited series)
1988-1989 Elric: The Bane of the Black Sword 1-6 (limited series)
1983-1985 E-Man 1-25
1987-1989 Evangeline 1-12
1987 Filmation's Ghostbusters 1-4 (limited series)
1985-1986 First Adventures 1-5 (limited series, anthology featuring: Whisper, Blaze Barlow, and Dynamo Joe)
1987 First Six-Pack 1-2 (previews of 6 comics per issue)
1990 The Gift (one-shot holiday special)
1984-1991 Grimjack 1-81
1990-1991 Grimjack Casefiles 1-5 (reprints several Grimjack backup stories)
1990 Hammer of God 1-4 (limited series)
1991 Hammer of God: Sword of Justice 1-2 (limited series)
1986 Hawkmoon: The Jewel in the Skull 1-4 (limited series)
1987 Hawkmoon: The Mad God's Amulet 1-4 (limited series)
1987 Hawkmoon: The Sword of Dawn 1-4 (limited series)
1988 Hawkmoon: The Runestaff 1-4 (limited series)
1983-1988 Jon Sable, Freelance 1-56
1990 Mike Grell's Jon Sable 1-10
1987-1991 Lone Wolf and Cub 1-45 (reprints the original Japanese Manga series)
1984-1985 Mars 1-12
1991 Meta-4 1-3 (limited series)
1988-1991 Munden's Bar Annual 1-2
1983-1991 Nexus 1-80
1989-1991 Nexus Legends 1-23 (reprints the original series)
1989 The Next Nexus 1-4 (limited series)
1985-1986 Original E-Man & Michael Mauser 1-7
1985 The P.I.'s: Michael Mauser and Ms. Tree 1-3 (limited series)
1987 Psychoblast 1-9
1988-1990 Sable 1-27
1989 Sensei 1-4 (limited series)
1985-1988 Shatter 1-14
1985 Shatter Special (one-shot)
1983-1985 Starslayer 7-34
1989 Squalor 1-4 (limited series)
1988 Team Yankee 1-6 (limited series)
1989 Twilight Man 1-4 (limited series)
1983-1985 Warp 1-19
1983-1984 Warp Special 1-3 (limited series focusing on Chaos and Lord Cumulus)
1986-1990 Whisper 1-37
1985 Whisper Special (one-shot)
1990 Zero Tolerance 1-4 (limited series)

First Graphic Novels

#1 Beowulf 1985
#2 Time Beavers 1985
#3 American Flagg! Hard Times (reprints American Flagg! 1-3) 1985
#4 Original Nexus (Reprints Capital Comics magazine sized Nexus series 1-3) 1985
#5 The Enchanted Apples of Oz 1986
#6 Elric of Melnibone 1986
#7 The Secret Island of Oz 1986
#8 Time 2: The Epiphany 1986
#9 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book I 1986
#10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book II 1987
#11 Elric: Sailor On the Seas of Fate (reprints issues 1-7 of the original series) 1987
#12 Time 2: The Satisfaction of Black Mariah 1987
#13 American Flagg! Southern Comfort (reprints American Flagg! 4-6) 1987
#14 The Ice King of Oz 1987
#15 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book III 1987
#16 Badger: Hexbreaker 1988
#17 The Forgotten Forest of Oz 1988
#18 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book IV 1988
#19 Mazinger 1988
#20 Team Yankee (reprints Team Yankee 1-6) 1989
#21 Elric: The Weird of the White Wolf (reprints issues 1-5 of the original series) 1989
#22 Lone Wolf and Cub (reprints issues 1-6 of the original series) 1989
#23 American Flagg! State of the Union (reprints American Flagg! 7-9) 1989
#24 Grimjack: Demon Knight 1989