Laing Comics Collection

A wide variety of Dell Comics and comics published by the Gilbertson Company. The Dell comics include western, Disney, and Looney Toons titles. The Gilbertson Company published Classics Illustrated and Classic Comics, based on classic literature.

Dell Publishing got its start in pulp magazines and then created the branch of Dell Comics. It was popular from 1929 to 1974. At its peak it was considered one of the largest and most successful comic publishers in the world boasting in 1953 to be selling over 26 million comic per month. This is largely due to the comics scare in the early 1950s led by psychologist Fredrick Wertham. Instead of adopting the Comics Code in 1954 Dell created their own slogan for parents that "Dell Comics are Good Comics". The Gilbertson Company published adaptations of famous novels into comics including those by authors Walter Scott Robert Louis Stevenson and Mary Shelley. By the time of the Comics Code in 1954 these comics were the only ones largely unregulated because they came from literature and were deemed educational rather than creating child delinquents.

Usually chronological within series.

Open for consultation subject to preservation requirements. Access must also conform to the restrictions of the Data Protection Act (2018), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, 2018) and any other relevant legislation or restrictions. Clinical information is closed for 100 years.

Gifted by Margaret Laing

Dell Publishing got its start in pulp magazines and then created the branch of Dell Comics. It was popular from 1929 to 1974. At its peak it was considered one of the largest and most successful comic publishers in the world boasting in 1953 to be selling over 26 million comic per month. This is largely due to the comics scare in the early 1950s led by psychologist Fredrick Wertham. Instead of adopting the Comics Code in 1954 Dell created their own slogan for parents that "Dell Comics are Good Comics". The Gilbertson Company published adaptations of famous novels into comics including those by authors Walter Scott Robert Louis Stevenson and Mary Shelley. By the time of the Comics Code in 1954 these comics were the only ones largely unregulated because they came from literature and were deemed educational rather than creating child delinquents.

Description compiled by Hailey Austin 06/08/2019

Reproduction is available subject to preservation requirements. Charges may be made for this service, and copyright and other restrictions may apply; please check with the Duty Archivist.

Nothing disposed of

The Laing family had bought and kept the comics which were inherited by the depositor.

Not expected

Published

Catalogued

MS 447