Ayers & James by James Zee

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The Invisible Avenger 6
The Invisible Avenger (Illustrated, 1950 series) #6
1950 (Illustrated Publications, Sydney)

What was Magazine Management?

In his landmark history of Australian comics, Panel by Panel, John Ryan reports in passing that Ayers & James was involved with a number of comics that include different publisher names.

These comics are:

"Punch" Perkins of the Fighting Fleet 8
"Punch" Perkins of the Fighting Fleet (Red Circle, 1950 series) #8
1951 (The Red Circle Press, Sydney)

Virgil Reilly's The Invisible Avenger, later drawn by Peter Chapman and renamed Invisible Avenger Comics.11"…Virgil created another character for Ayers and James, The Invisible Avenger..." p. 200, John Ryan (1979), Panel By Panel: A...   The publisher actually printed in at least some issues of this comic is Illustrated Publications.

 

Virgil Reilly's "Punch" Perkins of the Fighting Fleet, later renamed Fighting Fleet Comics.22"Starting in November 1950, Virgil must have become one of the businest and most prolific comic artists in the contry....   The comics include a brand on the cover, "From the Red Circle Press", which Ryan describes as "Ayers and James Red Circle Series". The publisher listed on at least some of these comics is The Red Circle Press, 149 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.

 

Paul Wheelahan's Rex Strong The Space Patrol.33"Wheelahan produced his best comic art for two issues of Rex Strong, a space patrol commander who looked very much...   Ryan reports this title was "published by Magazine Management (a successor to Ayers and James) in 1960". The publisher for this series is reported elsewhere as Approved Publications, 149 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.

 

Rex Strong The Space Patrol 1
Rex Strong of the Space Patrol (Approved, 1957 series) #1
1957? (Approved Publications, Sydney)

George Needham's Choclit and His Kid Bruvver Coco, a revival of the earlier famous Australian series, was "commissioned" by Magazine Management.44"In the late 'fifties, Magazine Management commissioned Needham to draw another three issues of the comic which were published in...   This comic is published by Red Circle Press, 149 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.

 

Keith Chatto's Skippy, was created when "Magazine Management obtained the rights to the Fauna Production television series."55"Magazine Management obtained the rights to the Fauna Production television series, Skippy, and approached Keith Chatto to draw a comic...   The listed publisher for this series is Junior Readers' Press, Crows Nest.

 

The critical link in these publications appears to be The Magazine Management Co. Pty. Ltd., although they share a cluster of other similarities, including publishing address, cover style, branding and relationship with the enigmatic 'Jayar Studios'.66Jayar Studios provided cover artwork for some Australian comics. It is also reported as writing and drawing many other comics...  

Choclit and His Kid Bruvver Coco 2
Choclit and His Kid Bruvver Coco (Red Circle, 1956 series) #2
1956 (Red Circle Press, Sydney). Note the 'Parent Approved' logo.

Magazine Management is not well documented. John Ryan treats the company only obliquely, as if his readers would know about it. Magazine Management was located at 149 Castlereagh Street during the 1950s,77See job advertisement for a "Telephonist-Typist" p. 30 SMH 8/12/54. Note that "Magazine Management Co. Pty. Ltd. is not the...   like most of the publishers Ryan associates with Ayers & James. It was also later based at 81 Walker Street, North Sydney in the 1960s and then at 5-7 Alexander Street, Crows Nest, in the 1970s and 1980s—addresses also used by Ayers & James and associated companies.88Based on a 1970s North Sydney Council building application (www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au). The following addresses are used by Ayers & James/Magazine...  

A December 1960 article in the Observer99From "The Comics Business" in the Observer 10 December 1960 (Vol.3/No.25). Thanks to Kevin Patrick for republishing the article as...   stated that Magazine Management established a 'Committee of Parents' to respond to censorship attacks in the mid-1950s. This provides a possible explanation for the 'Parent Approved' logo on some comics in the 1950s from companies associated with Ayers & James.1010Some comics with the logo included an explanatory box: "A Pledge to Parents This insignia is a positive guarantee to...  

That 1960 article also reported that Magazine Management had previously published 150 comics a month, but was down to 40 by 1960. "Magazine Management are continuing to publish 40 titles a month in order to keep the artists, block-makers and printers working for it: having had years of experience of Government chopping and changing, it wants to be ready to step up publishing again if import restrictions are re-imposed…"1111See Kevin Patrick's Australian Comics – A 1960 Snapshot at comicsdownunder.blogspot.com....  

Under the publisher name Transpacific Publications (and possibly Transpacific Magazines Ltd), Magazine Management also produced movie magazines and 'true confessions' magazines in the 1960s, including titles such as True Life Secrets, True Confidential Confessions, Revealing Confessions, Real Life Confessions and International Crime Detective. There were also men's soft porn magazines published into the 1970s, such as Man's Adventure and Man in Action.1212It is possible Transpacific Magazines Ltd and Transpacific Publications are not exactly the same company, but they use the same...   At times, these magazines include advertising for Ayers & James books and explicitly list the Magazine Management company name alongside Transpacific.

In Ryan's closing chapter, he comments in passing that the company was "importing more than 5 million comics each year from America and Europe" in the 1970s—a role, consistent with Ayers & James's historic importing operations.1313p. 214, John Ryan (1979), Panel By Panel: A History of Australian Comics, Cassell Australia Ltd. Keven Patrick has read...   Despite this, "Magazine Management" only appears on a few Skippy the Bush Kangaroo comics.1414There are hints for further possible pulps and magazines from this company, such as from publishers the Original Novels Foundation,...  

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References

1
"…Virgil created another character for Ayers and James, The Invisible Avenger..." p. 200, John Ryan (1979), Panel By Panel: A History of Australian Comics, Cassell Australia Ltd.
2
"Starting in November 1950, Virgil must have become one of the businest and most prolific comic artists in the contry. As well as drawing Silver Flash he commenced drawing 'Punch' Perkins of the Fighting Fleet for Ayers and James Red Circle Series. The comic went through a series of name changes (e.g. Rocket Sqadron, Navy Combat) but ran up until 1954—which meant that Virgil was drawing up to 48 pages of comic per month." p. 200, John Ryan (1979), Panel By Panel: A History of Australian Comics, Cassell Australia Ltd.
3
"Wheelahan produced his best comic art for two issues of Rex Strong, a space patrol commander who looked very much like the film actor John Derek, published by Magazine Management (a successor to Ayers and James) in 1960." p. 208, John Ryan (1979), Panel By Panel: A History of Australian Comics, Cassell Australia Ltd.
4
"In the late 'fifties, Magazine Management commissioned Needham to draw another three issues of the comic which were published in colour but Choclit and his friends were no match for television." p. 195, John Ryan (1979), Panel By Panel: A History of Australian Comics, Cassell Australia Ltd.
5
"Magazine Management obtained the rights to the Fauna Production television series, Skippy, and approached Keith Chatto to draw a comic series. After Chatto had spent considerable time photgraphing on location, the first issue appeared in April 1970. It was a particularly well-done adaptation—but after the sixth issue, drawn by A. Cubi, appeared in July 1971 the comic was halted. The publishers had made a mistake in not marketing such a comic a few years earlier when Skippy was at its peak in popularity, instead waiting until it was about to join the re-runs." p. 212, John Ryan (1979), Panel By Panel: A History of Australian Comics, Cassell Australia Ltd.
6
Jayar Studios provided cover artwork for some Australian comics. It is also reported as writing and drawing many other comics that are clearly reprints. At most, it traced black and white line art for reproduction purposes from US colour comics. It might also have provided some form of paste-up or pre-production service. The claims of work done by Jayar studios seem to be predominantly (but not solely) in Ayers & James/Magazine Management companies. Earliest Jayar illustrations include the "Mother and baby animal book " children's books by Freda Vines, published by Ayers & James in 1950: Buster: the puppy who wanted to be brave and Rusty: the foal that wanted to be a wild horse. A rare piece of signed work is on the cover of Dick Tracy 6 (Illustrated Publications, 1950 series). As well as work on identified James & Ayers/Magazine Management titles, Jayar is credited on comics from Barmor Publications, Jubilee Publications, Regal Publications, Young's Merchandising Co., Consolidated Press and Associated Newspapers.
7
See job advertisement for a "Telephonist-Typist" p. 30 SMH 8/12/54. Note that "Magazine Management Co. Pty. Ltd. is not the Marvel Comics company of that name, which operated in New York in the 1970s.
8
Based on a 1970s North Sydney Council building application ( www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au). The following addresses are used by Ayers & James/Magazine Management: Columbia Building, 19 York Street, Sydney (pre-1918 to 1930/40); Box 2762E GPO, Sydney (1934); 24 Jamieson Street, Sydney (before 1946 to at least 1954); 149 Castlereagh Street, Sydney (1950s to about 1970); 5-7 Alexander Street, Crows Nest (1970s and 1980s, often printed as "North Sydney").
9
From "The Comics Business" in the Observer 10 December 1960 (Vol.3/No.25). Thanks to Kevin Patrick for republishing the article as Australian Comics – A 1960 Snapshot . He reports "Although it was published without a byline, the article was almost certainly written by Peter Coleman (b.1928), associate editor of the Observer, who used much of the material seen here in his book, Obscenity Blasphemy Sedition, which dealt at length with Australian censorship of popular literature, such as pulp magazines and comic books."
10
Some comics with the logo included an explanatory box: "A Pledge to Parents This insignia is a positive guarantee to Parents that any Comic Book bearing it contains only clean and wholesome entertainment. Our Editorial Code eliminates entirely, rather than regulates, material of a harmful or objectionable nature. And it is the Editor's pledge that when your child buys a PARENT APPROVED Comic Book it will be completely suitable and contain only good fun." (Text from Bugs Bunny 3, November 1956 (Junior Readers Press).
11
See Kevin Patrick's Australian Comics – A 1960 Snapshot at comicsdownunder.blogspot.com.
12
It is possible Transpacific Magazines Ltd and Transpacific Publications are not exactly the same company, but they use the same magazine style and branding. Other possible publications are Secret Confessions and My Personal Love Secrets. Associations with these companies suggest a link to another publisher name, Commag Publications in Hong Kong. While I've seen this listed on the internet, I've yet to confirm it in print directly associated with Magazine Management. Commag Publications appears to have published 1970s issues of International Crime Detective and Male World. Magazine indicia show Transpacific Magazines Ltd located at 1404B Watson's Estate, Watson Road, North Point, Hong Kong. They also show that much of the content was sourced from US publishers (such as Sterling Library Inc and Dauntless Books, Inc) and some magazines were republished or exported to the UK (through World Distributors (Holdings) Ltd). According to www.ipaustralia.com.au, from 1970 to 1973, Magazine Management Co., Inc. trademarked True Action, Action for Men, Man's World, For Men Only, Men, Male and True Secrets. This seems to be the same company. The trademarks have not been renewed.
13
p. 214, John Ryan (1979), Panel By Panel: A History of Australian Comics, Cassell Australia Ltd. Keven Patrick has read a Dept. of Customs and Excise report from 1959-60 that "mentions local publishers protesting plans by Rosnock to import 100,000s of back-dated US comics on the Australian market". See below for the link with Rosnock.
14
There are hints for further possible pulps and magazines from this company, such as from publishers the Original Novels Foundation, Hitchcock Publications and Magazine Enterprises. However, the early 1970s soft porn magazines, True Men and Real Men, from the similar sounding publisher Magazine Servies are from Publishers Holdings (KG Murray). Murray published similar magazines from Morse Communications Systems (New York), such as Amazing Detective Cases and Factual Detective Cases Annual.