Editing AC Comics

{{Short description|American comic book publishing company}}
{{Infobox company
 | name             = AC Comics
 | image            = 
 | logo             =
 | type             = Private
 | genre            =
 | foundation       = {{Start date and age|1969}}
 | founder          = Bill Black
 | location_city    = [[Longwood, Florida]]
 | location_country = U.S.
 | location         =
 | locations        =
 | area_served      =
 | key_people       =
 | industry         = [[Comic book]]s
 | services         =
 | revenue          =
 | operating_income =
 | net_income       =
 | owner            = Bill Black
 | num_employees    =
 | parent           =
 | divisions        =
 | subsid           =
 | caption           =
 | homepage         = http://www.accomics.com
 | footnotes        =
 | intl             =
}}
'''AC Comics''' (formerly known as '''Paragon Publications''' and '''Americomics''') is a [[comic book]] publishing company started by Bill Black.<ref name=lackcb>[https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/bill-black-paint-it-black/ "Comic Book Biography: BILL BLACK"] by [[Rik Offenberger]], [[First Comics News]], November 19, 2003</ref><ref name=blacknewsarama>[https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/bill-black-40-years-of-ac-comics/ "Bill Black: 40 Years of AC Comics"] by [[Rik Offenberger]], [[First Comics News]], May 20, 2009</ref>

AC Comics specializes in reprints of [[Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] comics from now-defunct companies whose properties lapsed into [[public domain]] and were not reprinted elsewhere. It also publishes a number of [[Modern Age of Comic Books|Modern Age]] adventures starring the Golden Age superheroes that appeared in those stories. The most famous of those titles is ''[[Femforce]]'', which features the adventures of an all-female superhero team, one of the first teams of this nature in the comics industry.

Based on its focus on Golden Age reprints and stories inspired by that style, AC has developed a reputation for straightforward, fun, and action-packed [[superhero]] tales which often avoid the darker themes of many modern comics. AC artists often make use of a style known as "[[good girl art]]", made popular in the Golden Age era, which combines attractive, clean linework with elements of [[Pin-up model#cite_note-1|cheesecake]] and humor. In addition to superheroes, AC has attempted to preserve other comic book genres inspired by the series of the past, such as Westerns and jungle adventure.

==History==

=== Paragon Publications ===
AC Comics was founded as "Paragon Publications" in 1969, and released the first issue of ''Paragon Illustrated'' magazine in Fall of that year, followed by its first comic titles—''Paragon Presents'' and ''White Savage''—in 1970. Other titles from Paragon's beginnings included ''Fem Fantastique'' and ''Paragon Golden Age Greats'' (1971), ''Macabre Western'' and ''[[Captain Paragon]]'' (1972), ''Paragon Magazine'' and ''Paragon Super Heroes'' (1973), ''[[Tara Fremont|Tara]] on the Dark Continent'' (1974), and ''Paragon Western Stars'' (1975). The company's early titles were cheaply published black-and-white comics. Though the company published several titles simultaneously, they were only able to produce a total of three issues a year, since nearly all writing, inking, and editing on the comics was done by Bill Black himself during this period.<ref name="DAK36">{{cite news | author = Borax, Mark | date = July 1986 | title = Bill Black | work = [[Comics Interview]] | issue = 36 | pages = 52–65 | publisher = [[Fictioneer Books]]}}</ref>

=== Americomics ===
In 1982, the company changed its name to "Americomics" before settling on "AC Comics" in 1984. The original plan behind the reintroduction as Americomics was to narrow the lineup to a single full-color anthology series, ''Americomics'', which the publisher could put out on a consistent basis, rather than the earlier model of several black-and-white titles published sporadically.<ref name="DAK36"/>

The first issues of ''Americomics'' coincided with the independent comics boom, and the publisher responded to this unexpected success by expanding its lineup of titles to include several creator-owned series, such as ''[[Dragonfly (AC Comics)|Dragonfly]]''. However, most of these titles were produced and funded by the creators themselves, with minimal creative oversight from Americomics.<ref name="DAK36"/>

=== AC Comics ===
In 1985, AC debuted ''[[Femforce]]'', which it still publishes today. Other AC series include ''Best of the West'' (1998–2009) and the ongoing ''Men of Mystery Comics''. Following the popularity of size-changing Femforce members [[Garganta]] and [[Tara Fremont|Tara]], AC made the [[giantess]] concept a recurring theme in their comics. Tapping into this cult following, AC has released stories and anthologies specifically catered to fans of giant women, as well as DVD releases which embrace this theme in the tongue-in-cheek style of 1950s [[science fiction]] B-movies. An ongoing giantess feature known as ''Gargantarama'' has even been added to the company's ''Femforce'' title.

By 1986, AC Comics had expanded to a staff of roughly 25 people. Production was largely handled through the mail, since only a handful of staff resided anywhere near AC's Florida headquarters.<ref name="DAK36"/>

AC has expanded into other DVD projects which collect classic [[movie serial]]s and other material now in the public domain, as well as low-budget films based on their own characters.

==Licenses==
AC Comics had used [[Charlton Comics]] characters, particularly the [[Blue Beetle]] and [[Captain Atom]], in the comic title ''[[Sentinels of Justice]]''.  When the rights for these characters were sold to [[DC Comics]], AC Comics created a second Sentinels of Justice team (writing the first out of continuity), composed of some of its original characters as well as ones from the [[public domain]]. Many of these are [[Homage (arts)|homage]]s to Charlton and Quality Comics heroes, such as the [[Scarlet Scorpion]] (a stand-in for [[Blue Beetle]]) and the Blue Bulleteer (later [[Nightveil]]) who is based on the [[Fox Comics]] version of [[Phantom Lady]]. Still another [[Phantom Lady]]-inspired character was The Black Mistress, whose first episode was scripted by former [[Vampirella]] writer [[T. Casey Brennan]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.popimage.com/content/images/blackmistress1.jpg |title=Jpeg of first appearance of the Black Mistress, showing the story and art credits. |access-date=2007-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930013112/http://www.popimage.com/content/images/blackmistress1.jpg |archive-date=2007-09-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Titles ==
{{Main|List of AC Comics publications}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|35em}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{gcdb publisher|id=454|title=AC Comics}}
*{{comicbookdb|type=publisher|id=79|title=AC Comics}}
*[http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/a/americom.htm AC Comics] at the International Catalogue of Superheroes
{{refend}}

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.accomics.com}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100609063332/http://accomics.net/index.php ACComics.net] (archive)

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[[Category:AC Comics| ]]
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1969]]
[[Category:Comic book publishing companies of the United States]]
[[Category:1969 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Longwood, Florida]]