Quality Communications
| Status | defunct,c.2008 |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | Dez Skinn |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Headquarters location | 3 Lewisham Way London |
| Publication types | Comic magazines,Magazines |
| Fiction genres | Superheroes, Science fiction, Horror |
Quality Communicationswas a Britishpublishing companyfounded byDez Skinnthat operated from 1982 toc.2008. The company's most notable publications were the monthlycomicsanthologyWarrior,which featured early work by writerAlan Moore;and the comicstrade magazineComics International,which Skinn published and edited for 16 years. Quality was involved with comics in both theUKand theU.S.,mainly with reprint material fromWarriorand repackaging2000 ADmaterial for the U.S. market.
History[edit]
Quality was initially formed to publishWarrior,which featured theAlan MoorestoriesV for VendettaandMarvelman.Warriorwon 17Eagle Awardsduring its short run (including nine Eagles in 1983 alone).[1]Quality was also involved in the U.S. completion ofMarvelmanandV for Vendetta.
Quality's main period as a comics publisher was from 1982 to 1988.2000 ADcontent repackaged for the U.S. market included the titles2000 A.D. Presents,Spellbinders,andScavengers.During this period, Quality also published 7 issues ofHalls of Horror,a title Skinn had originated earlier withThorpe & Porter(the British publishing division ofWarner Communications).
In 1990, Quality shifted focus to magazines, launched the comics trade journalComics International,which Skinn published and edited for the following 16 years. His "Sez Dez" column was a regular feature in issues #100–#200. With issue #200, in 2006, Skinn sold the magazine to Cosmic Publications.[2](Comics Internationalstruggled along for another couple of years before folding in 2010.)[3]
Quality published a few sporadic titles in the 2000s, includingToy Max(2003), a one-off magazine for toy collectors,[4]and Skinn's hardcover bookComix: The Underground Revolution(2004). In 2005, Quality publishedAce Comics,an anthology of ten comic strips byCity College Brighton & Hovestudents of Skinn's; it was distributed for free inEast Sussex.
In 2008, Quality Communications published the 15th-anniversary issue (numbered #15) ofJack KirbyQuarterly.[5]
Titles published[edit]
Comics[edit]
- 2000 A.D. Presents(20 issues, Aug. 1986–May 1988) — reprinting classic stories from2000 AD(license acquired fromEagle Comics;later continued byFleetway Publications)
- Ace Comics(1 issue, July 2005)
- Fighting Figurines(1 issue, 1996) — byPaul HoneyfordandDave Heaven,collecting the story originally anthologized inRevolver
- Halls of Horror Dracula Comics Special(1 issue, Apr. 1984)
- Marvelman Special(1 issue, 1984)
- Scavengers(14 issues, Dec. 1987–Jan. 1989) — reprinting dinosaur-themed stories from2000 AD
- Spellbinders(12 issues, Dec. 1986–Dec. 1987) — reprinting stories with a magic/horror twist:
- SláineandNemesis the Warlockfrom2000 AD
- Cursitor Doom/Amadeus Wolf fromSmash!
- "Library of Death" stories fromScream!
- Steel Claw(4-issue limited series, Dec. 1986– Mar. 1987) — byKenneth Bulmer,Garry Leach,andJesús Blasco;colourized reprints ofSteel Clawstories from theIPC MagazinestitleValiant
- Storm: The Deep World(1 issue, 1982) — by Saul Dunn andDon Lawrence;reprintingDe diepe wereld(originally serialized inEppomagazine, Oberon, 1977)
- Warrior(26 issues, Mar. 1982–Feb. 1985)
- Warrior Summer Special(1 issue, 1983)
Magazines[edit]
- Comics International(200 issues, 1990–2006)
- Halls of Horror(7 issues, 1982–1984) — acquired from G.B.D. Ltd./Top Sellers Ltd(imprints ofThorpe & Porter) (Warner Communications) with issue #24; previously known asHouse of Hammer,Hammer's House of Horror,andHammer's Halls of Horror
- Jack Kirby Quarterly#15 (1 issue, 2008) — 15th-anniversary issue
- Toy Max(1 issue, June 2003) — edited by pop culture expert Tim Pilcher[4]
Books[edit]
- Comix: The Underground Revolution(2004) — by Dez Skinn
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^Green, Steve."This Month,"The Birmingham Science Fiction Group#147 (Nov. 1983), p. 2.
- ^Johnston, Rich."Comics International Closes Shop,"Archived2010-10-28 at theWayback MachineBleeding Cool (May 27, 2010).
- ^Freeman, John."Comics International publisher company dissolved,"DownTheTubes (May 21, 2010).
- ^ab"Magazine offers toys for grown-ups,"Press Gazette(May 1, 2003).
- ^Freeman, John."Jack Kirby Quarterly Returns,"DownTheTubes.net (JULY 12, 2008).
Sources[edit]
- Quality Communicationsat theGrand Comics Database
- Quality Communicationsat the Comic Book DB (archived fromthe original)
External links[edit]
- Quality Communications entry,DezSkinn.com