Collins White Circle Artists Part XIII - Franklin Carmichael (2)

In part I I discussed the one White Circle book published by Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd. that had art work by the distinguished Canadian artist Franklin Carmichael. To be more specific, the one book that acknowledges his work. I have a feeling that there were more White Circles in which he had a hand.

The first 50 White circles published in 1942 had text only covers. Illustrated covers were introduced with the spring 1943 books - numbers 51 through 72 plus 101 to 110. None of these books had signed art work. Starting with the fall 1943 books, number 74 on, Margaret Paull became responsible for the covers.

We know that Franklin Carmichael worked on three hard covers for Collins and that he was responsible for the hiring of Paull. An article in the trade magazine Quill & Quire (May, 1985, p. 20) says that after a short time at an advertising firm Paull joined Collins in 1943 when Carmichael, who was one of her former OCA teachers, “called her one day and suggested that she look into a position at [Collins] designing covers for and producing paperbacks”.

So it is possible that he was responsible for the paperbacks until someone could be found to take over on a permanent basis. The best evidence is the books themselves which show a sophisticated design hand. The covers are among the best Collins produced and significantly different from their American counterparts. Here are a few of them.

White Circle 54

White Circle 57

White Circle 60 (reprint)

White Circle 62

White Circle 66

White Circle 67

Export's Junior Weekly Part I

On the back cover of Export's Top Action Western (titled Top Adventure on the back cover) there is an ad for a new periodical called Junior Weekly. The comic is undated.

How many issues were published before Export's business was ruined by the Decmber 11, 1950 fire? I know of three dated December 2, 9 and 16, 1950. There is mention of "junior weeklies" in the December 15, 1950 story about the fire in the local newspaper, The Advertiser. This is likely the third and final issue.

Collins White Circle Artists Part XII - Franklin Carmichael (1)

Franklin Carmichael is a well known Canadian artist - one of the Group of Seven. In the 1940s, before his death in 1945, Carmichael designed three hard cover novels for Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd. One of the books was Grace Campbell's Thorn-Apple Tree. Here is what the book editor for the Globe & Mail W. A. Deacon had to say (G&M, October 17, 1942, p. 22) about Carmichael's work -

"For the first time in Canadian Publishing history, an artist skilled in book designing was put in charge of the production of a book for general sale, and given a completely free hand. ... The result is not only a book physically beautiful but a harmony evident between all parts of the work. We have had many Canadian books that had marvellous pictures or choice bindings or agreeable type. Seldom have all details stood in precise relation to each other."

Carmichael produced 15 wood engravings for the novel. After 17 printings of the first edition, Collins published a new edition in June 1947 as White Circle Pocket 310. The cover artist is unknown but all of Carmichael's woodcuts are in this edition.

Export and Magazines

In my posting about Export and comics I discussed the comics that Export Publishing Enterprises Ltd. published in addition to the paperbacks. I mentioned that they also published magazines/pulps. As far as I know they were all reprints of American periodicals. Here are a few.

The first is a 64 page magazine published in the US by Jones Publishing Co. of Skokie Illinois. At least six undated spiral bound annuals were produced by Jones. Export likely only published the first volume in Canada.

I haven't found an American version of Model Photography.

I have located only one pulp, Real Western, volume 13, number 6, dated August [1948]. It is 100 pages, including covers. The American edition is 116 pages, including covers, the difference being a sixteen page story not reproduced in the Canadian edition. The front cover has a price of 25 cents versus 15 cents for the American edition and the illustrations are poorly reproduced. The inside of the front cover and both sides of the back cover have the American ads replaced with Canadian ads. Three full page internal ads have also been changed in the Export edition.

Real Western back cover

Collins White Circle Artists Part XI - George Menendez Rae 1

George Menendez Rae was an artist better known in his early career as a Canadian comic book artist. He also worked on pulps and books, including two covers for the White Circle imprint published by Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd. Both books are 1948 and signed "G. M. Rae". Also presented in an earlier example of his work on the Canadian pulp Uncanny Tales published by Al Valentine.

White Circle 338

White Circle 342

Uncanny Tales Vol 2. No. 17 - May 1942