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Odhams Press Ltd was a British publishing company, operating from 1920 to 1968. Originally a magazine publisher, Odhams later expanded into book publishing and then children's comics. The company was acquired by Fleetway Publications in 1961 and then IPC Magazines in 1963. In its final incarnation, Odhams was known for its Power Comics line of titles, notable for publishing reprints of American Marvel Comics superheroes.
On 28 January 1918 the Long Acre print works was hit by a bomb during a German air raid. There were 38 killed and 90 injured; it was the most damaging single bomb strike in the German bombing campaign.Cross, Roy A Bomber Aircraft Pocketbook London 1964 pp22-3
Odhams acquired a 51% share in the Trades Union Congress paper the Daily Herald in 1930 (by that point, Odhams was already publishing The Sunday People). A promotion campaign ensued, and in 1933, the Herald became the world's best-selling daily newspaper, with certified net sales of 2 million. This accomplishment set off a war with more conservative London papers, such as the Daily Express.
By 1937 Odhams had founded the first colour weekly, Woman, for which it set up and operated a dedicated high-speed print works. Odhams also expanded into book publishing, for example publishing Winston Churchill's Painting as a Pastime (1965), Rupert Gunnis's Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660–1851 (1953), and an edition of the complete works of William Shakespeare.
In 1954, Odhams Press Hall was built in Watford, designed by Yates, Cook and Derbyshire. The building was later protected by the Watford Borough Council because of the innovative clock tower, which houses a water tank for use in printing.
In the 1950s, Odhams was one of London's three leading magazine publishers – along with Newnes/Pearson and the Hulton Press.
Throughout the 1960s, Odhams Books Ltd (likewise founded by Odhams Press) operated the Companion Book Club (CBC). This published a large series of hardcover novels.
In 1959, Odhams purchased George Newnes Ltd The Times (19 June 1959). "George Newnes Co," Grace's Guide to British Industrial History. Retrieved 1 Apr. 2021. "Odhams Press," International Catalogue of Super-Heroes. Retrieved 3 Mar. 2021. as well as its imprint C. Arthur Pearson Ltd. Notable comics titles originally published by Pearson and continued by Odhams included the romance comics Mirabelle and Marty, and the Picture Stories and Picture Library series.
In 1959–1960, Odhams acquired Hulton Press, renaming it Longacre Press,. thus taking over publication of the children's comics Eagle, Girl, Swift, and Robin.
In 1960 Cecil Harmsworth King, chairman of the Daily Mirror newspaper, made an approach to Odhams on behalf of Fleetway Publications (formerly the Amalgamated Press). Odhams' board found this too attractive to refuse and, in 1961, Odhams was taken over by Fleetway.Birch, Paul. "Speaking Frankly," Birmingham Mail (14 December 2008). In 1963 its holdings were amalgamated with those of Fleetway and others to form the International Publishing Corporation (known as IPC). Between 1964 and 1968 Odhams operated as a subsidiary of IPC.
Odhams' "juveniles" (i.e., children's comics) competed for readers with DC Thomson, publisher of such popular titles as The Beano, The Dandy, and Commando. Alf Wallace, who had found success at Fleetway with his line of War Picture Library comics, was brought over to oversee Odhams' comics line. He was, however, unable to reverse the declining popularity of Eagle and Swift, or succeed with Boys' World, launched in 1963.Coates, Alan and David. "Smash!" British Comic World #3 (A. & D. Coates, June 1984). In fact, by early 1964, Swift and Boys' World had both been absorbed by Eagle, which, along with Girl, was then taken over by IPC.
In desperation, Wallace recruited veteran cartoonist Leo Baxendale, who had worked for DC Thomson for many years, to create a new, energetic comics weekly. Baxendale's Wham! debuted on 20 June 1964, breaking the mould of traditional British humour strips with its use of bizarre humour, outrageous puns, and surreal plots. With the success of Wham!, the next title in the new line, Smash!, debuted on 5 February 1966. With Odhams acquiring the Marvel Comics license in early 1966, The Hulk became the first Marvel superhero to show up in an Odhams title when he debuted in Smash! #16 (21 May 1966). The popularity of that strip led to Wham! adding Fantastic Four reprints beginning 6 August 1966. In late 1966, with two Odhams' titles featuring superheroes (and the third, Pow!, on the way), the Power Comics line was created. The line, which also came to include Fantastic and Terrific, was notable for its use of superhero material reprinted from Marvel, serving as an introduction of this new breed of American superheroes to UK readers.
| Odhams lost rights to Disney characters in 1957 |
| Contained many strip originally from Mickey Mouse Weekly |
| Originally launched by Hulton Press in 1950; merged into Lion in 1969 |
| Originally launched in 1951 by Hulton Press |
| Originally launched by Amalgamated Press in 1953; merged into IPC's Playhour in 1969 |
| Originally launched by Hulton Press in 1954 as a junior companion to Eagle |
| Published under the Longacre Press imprint |
| Absorbed Pow! and Wham! and then Fantastic and Terrific in 1968; merged into Valiant in 1971 |
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