Comic book advertisements are a common feature in American comic books mainly from the 1940s onwards. As these advertisements were directed at young people, many made sensational claims,[1] and sold the products for a few dollars or less, to be sent to a post office box. Products offered included novelty items, toys, and self-improvement courses such as drawing and body building.
The Johnson Smith Company placed advertisements for gadgets and toys[2] that appeared on the back cover of many historically significant comic books, including Action Comics #1 (June 1938)[3] (the first appearance of the character Superman) and Detective Comics #27 (May 1939) (the first appearance of the character Batman).[citation needed]
The ads also included recruitment of youngsters to act as salespeople for products such as greeting cards and the national newspaper Grit.
