Timely Comics
Origins
Timely Comics, the predecessor to the modern Marvel Comics, was an American comic book company that was founded in 1939. The company was initially a division of pulp magazine publisher Martin Goodman's company, Timely Publications. The first comic book it published, Marvel Comics #1 (cover dated Oct. 1939), included the first appearance of Carl Burgos' android superhero, the Human Torch, and the first appearances of Bill Everett's anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner, among other features.
Golden Age
During the 1940s, often referred to as the Golden Age of Comic Books, Timely had its own staff in New York City. The staff was headed by Goodman's wife, Jean, who was the company's business manager. The staff included such comics creators as writer-artist Joe Simon, writer-artist Jack Kirby, and artist Syd Shores. Other notable creators associated with Timely include Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, and Mike Sekowsky. Funnies, Inc. was one of several outside "packagers" who created comics on demand for publishers.
Post-War Era
In the post-war era, Timely Comics became known as Atlas Comics by the early 1950s. The company, which by then would evolve into Marvel Comics, went through a series of name changes that included becoming Atlas Comics in 1951 and Marvel Comics in 1961. During the Atlas era, the company published a wide variety of genres, including horror, crime, western, romance, and humor comics.
Legacy
Timely's most popular and enduring characters were Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner. Most of Timely's superhero and adventure characters were created by the comic book packager Funnies, Inc. The first issue of Timely's first comic book, Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939), sold out in its first day of publication, prompting Goodman to produce a second printing, cover-dated November 1939. The issue sold approximately 900,000 copies, according to an affidavit by the publisher's Circulation Auditor.