Most collectors do, and can quite easily reach over to their book shelf (or cabinet), and pull out one or two and share their affection for these odd shaped books. I myself have 4 or 5, and would love to have a near complete Tarzan, Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers and Buck Jones set. But, where did they come from? Who 'invented' these gems of literature? And lastly, where can I find a comprehensive list or price guide for them?
The depression: America in the 1930's was a world of unemployment, starvation, Gower Gulch movies, comic strips and of course radio drama/comedy. And out of this period of economic devastation came many of the centuries most enduring concepts. Superman, Batman, the Shadow, Doc Savage, Blondie, Buck Rogers, The Phantom, the Singing Cowboys, Alley Oop, Mandrake the Magician, and many other almost immortal characters were all born out of a great desire for escapism.
At Western Publishing in 1933, the home of a great empire, business was booming. Colouring books, punch out dolls, and other merchandising tools were keeping them busy. As they printed out each book, the cutting machine left behind a thick wad of paper, about a fists size. Samuel Lowe, a young sales and creative manager, leaned over and picked up a pad one day. He remarked to the cutter, "Don't you think this would make a great book?", and to the publisher, and to the janitor. Eventually, they thought it would. As a trial, they decided upon Little Orphan Annie, Dick Tracy, and Mickey Mouse.
The result was magic!
Every corner store had a rack devoted to Big Little Books, which became Better Little Books in 1938. And over the next 30 years, the books sold amazingly well. Other publishers came out with similar formats in a short time.
Where did they get the stories and characters?
From the newspapers, the radio, and of course comic books. Drawing heavily on licensed characters, Western Publishing created a wealth of material that every kid wanted! From L'il Abner to Zorro, every possible character was used. Disney heroes graced hundreds of books. Movie icons like Tarzan, G Men, the Shadow and Western legends such as Gene Autry, Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, Andy Devine, Monte Hale and others fed the publics appetite for adventure.
Each book featured an abundance of excellent artwork, some photos, and of course the story. Artwork was done by the best craftsman available, the stories were sometimes done by staff writers who were paid minimally for their efforts and sometimes by the actual creators under agreement with their syndicate (Chic Young, Maxwell Grant, Fran Striker, Milt Canniff etc).
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