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These comics were first printed as Spire Christian Comics by Fleming H. Revell Company of Old Tappan, New Jersey USA in the 1970s and early 1980s. Later in the '80s a number of these booklets were reprinted as NEW Barbour Christian Comics by Barbour & Company of Uhrichsville, Ohio USA, two or more of them with different titles. Several of the books were translated into Spanish and possibly other languages as well.
The first Spire comic books ("The Cross & the Switchblade" and "God's Smuggler") were published in Sept. 1972. All the books were 32 pages + cover, in full mechanical color (except for "Barney Bear: Tell It on the Mountain," which was hand-painted).
Overall sales of Mr. Hartley's comics are said to be more than 40 million copies, including international sales ("at least 60% of which were true US sales" or 24 million comics). 30-50% of that figure, or approximately 7.2 to 12 million copies, may represent just the "Archie" titles. (From information supplied by Al Hartley to Breakaway Magazine in their October '92 issue, confirmed/expanded by a source working with Barbour, with "Archie" supposition by Nate Butler.)
Victor Gorelick, editor of the secular Archie Comics titles, reports that he colored a few of the Christian "Archie" comics but that regular "Archie" colorist Barry Grossman did most of them. The majority were lettered by the late Bill Yoshida, who was also a regular letterer on the secular "Archie" titles.
The 57 titles below may be an incomplete list. Mr. Hartley said in print that he did 59 different comics titles, and others have reported that he told them 60 titles. It is possible he may have included his two hardcover "Yankee Doodle" storybooks in his totals. However, a CCI site visitor named Dave Treber believes that one of the "missing" titles may be a second version of "Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys." He writes: "The first was after they defeated Miami in a Super Bowl ... the second was a revised version later in the '70s to have their game against the Denver Broncos as the featured game ... their 2nd Super Bowl win."
You can find a few additional details about the Spire/Barbour Comics here. You can read Al Hartley's biography here.
(Cartoonist Al Bohl also drew some Barbour Christian comics after Al Hartley retired that are not listed here.)
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A History of Spire, Barbour, and their Christian Comics Titles
The "Spire Christian Comics" were first published by in the 1970s by the Fleming H. Revell Company which was founded originally in 1870.
Founder Fleming H. Revell (1849-1931) was the brother-in-law of Dwight L. Moody, the famous evangelist from Chicago. Moody had established a Sunday school publication and convinced Revell to take it over. Eventually the company became one of the largest and most influential publishers of evangelical books in North America.
Fleming Revell married Josephine Barbour and their son, Fleming Jr., joined the company in 1907. Fleming Sr. retired from the presidency in 1929, named Fleming Jr. his successor. William Barbour, Fleming Sr.'s nephew, became president in 1931, replacing Fleming Jr.
Both of Barbour's sons, William Barbour Jr. and Hugh Revell Barbour, became principals in the Revell-Barbour family business for many years.
After the death of William Sr., Wilbur Davies became president and launched a line of religious mass-market paperbacks, "Spire Books," in 1963. Spire became the top mass-market religious paperback imprint. Davies retired in 1968 and was succeeded by William Barbour Jr. At the same time the company moved to Old Tappan, New Jersey.
During the 1970s the Revell Company was a pioneer among evangelical publishers in getting its books into secular bookstores. By 1977 sales to these stores accounted for about half of the company's sales. It was during this period that the "Spire Christian Comics" titles were published. Many of the biographical comics were adapted from best-selling books in Revell's "Spire Books" and "Chosen Books" lines.
Financial pressures led to the Revell Company being sold in 1978, and again in 1983, 1986, and finally (to current owner Baker Book House) in 1992.
In 1981 Hugh Barbour left Revell and started his own company "Book Bargains" which bought and resold other publishers' excess stock. Soon the new company began publishing its own titles and became Barbour & Company. During this time it acquired the rights to republish many of the titles in the "Spire Christian Comics" line and did so under the "NEW Barbour Christian Comics" imprint.
Later the company became known as Barbour Publishing, Inc. After Hugh Barbour retired, it was acquired by president & CEO Tim Martins.
For a while Barbour was the publisher of the Christian manga (comic) series Serenity.
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Sources:
Barbour Publishing website
Serenity website
Baker Publishing website
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Biographical and Autobiographical (12 titles)
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David Wilkerson's
The Cross and
the Switchblade
(1972)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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God's Smuggler
(Brother Andrew)
(1972)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Corrie ten Boom's
The Hiding Place
(1973)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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In the Presence
of Mine Enemies
(Howard Rutledge)
(1973)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Tom Landry and
the Dallas Cowboys
(1973)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Through Gates of Splendor
(Nate Saint)
(1974)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Attack!
(Mitsuo Fuchida)
(1975)
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[Interior art & lettering by Dick Ayers]
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Tom Skinner's
Up from Harlem
(1975)
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[Art assist by Dick Ayers]
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Hansi, the Girl who
Loved the Swastika
(Maria Anne Hirschmann)
(1976)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Hello, I'm Johnny Cash
(1976)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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On the Road with
Andrae Crouch
(1977)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Chuck Colson's
Born Again
(1978)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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"Archie" Series (19 titles)
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Archie's One Way
(1973)
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[Cover Image only in COMIX35 files]
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Archie's Love Scene
(1973)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie's Clean Slate
(1973)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie's Sonshine
(1974)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Christmas with Archie
(1974)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie's Something Else!
(1975)
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[Inking by Chic Stone?]
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie's Parables
(1975)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie's World
(1976)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie and Mr. Weatherbee
(1976?)
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[Cover Image only in COMIX35 files]
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Archie's Festival
(1976?)
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[Cover Image only in COMIX35 files]
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Archie Gets a Job
(1977)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie's Family Album
(1978)
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[There is a copy of the Barbour reprint in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie's Car
(1979)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Jughead's Soul Food
(1979)
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[Art assist by Dan DeCarlo]
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie's Date Book
(1981)
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[Cover Image only in COMIX35 files]
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Archie's Roller Coaster
(1981)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie's Sports Scene
(1982)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Archie and Big Ethel
(1982)
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[Cover Image only in COMIX35 files]
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Archie's Circus
(1984)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Bible Story Adaptations (6 titles)
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My Brother's Keeper
(1974)
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(modernized story of Joseph)
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Adam & Eve
(1975)
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(modernized story)
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Live It Up
(1976)
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(reprinted as "The Prodigal Son")
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Alpha and Omega
(1978)
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(futuristic Adam & Eve/Jonah story)
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Paul: Close Encounter
of a Real Kind
(1978)
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(modernized story of Paul)
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Jesus
(1979)
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(reprinted as "He's the Greatest!)
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Other Book/Movie Adaptations (4 titles)
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Joseph P. Bayly's
The Gospel Blimp
(1974)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Hal Lindsey's
There's A New World Coming
(1974)
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[Inking by Jack Abel, others?]
[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Time to Run
(1975)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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In His Steps
(1977)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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"Kiddies Christian Comic" (10 titles) and "Growth Series" (1 title)
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God Is...
(1975)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Noah's Ark
(1975)
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[Cover Image only in COMIX35 files]
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Barney Bear
Wakes Up!
(1977)
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[Cover Image only in COMIX35 files]
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Barney Bear:
Lost & Found
(1979)
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[There is a copy of the Barbour reprint in the COMIX35 library]
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Barney Bear:
Home Plate
(1979)
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[There is a copy of the Barbour reprint in the COMIX35 library]
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Barney Bear:
Out of the Woods
(1980)
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[Cover Image only in COMIX35 files]
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Barney Bear:
The Swamp Gang
(1980)
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[Cover Image only in COMIX35 files]
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Barney Bear:
Sunday School Picnic
(1981)
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[There is a copy of the Barbour reprint in the COMIX35 library]
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Barney Bear:
Family Tree
(1982)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Barney Bear
in Toyland
(1982?)
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[Cover Image only in COMIX35 files]
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Barney Bear:
Tell It on the Mountain
(1988)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Misc./Others (including "Adventure with the Brothers" Series) (5 titles)
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CrossFire
(1976)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Adventure with the Brothers:
Hang in There
(1979)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Adventure with the Brothers:
The Cult Escape
(1980)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Adventure with the Brothers: Smashing the Smugglers' Ring
(1982)
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[There is a copy of this issue in the COMIX35 library]
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Yankee Doodle,
the Spirit of Liberty
(1984)
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[There is a copy of the CBN Partner's Edition in the COMIX35 library]
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Return to Main "Notable Christian Comics" Page
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This web site is administered and maintained by COMIX35 / ROX35 Media, Inc. as a ministry service. "Christian Comics International", "Christian Comics Catalog", "International Christian Comics Competition (ICCC)", "Christian Comics Pioneers", "CCN: Christian Comics News", and the series title "Personal Testimony Comics" (in continuous use since first publication in Christian Comics & Games Magazine in 1996) are all trademarks of Nate Butler currently administered by ROX35 Media, Inc. by special arrangement. "COMIX35" and "ANIMAX35" are both DBAs and trademarks of ROX35 Media, Inc. "Creating Christian Comics for Your Culture" is a trademark of ROX35 Media, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Other names, logos, and/or images used on this site that are not DBAs or trademarks of ROX35 Media, Inc., or are not copyrighted by ROX35 Media, Inc., are TM and/or Copyright © by their respective owners. Please note that it is impossible to screen all the text on all the external links listed on this site. Please do not assume that all opinions expressed on externally linked sites are identical to those of COMIX35 / ROX35 Media, Inc.
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is a ministry of

A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization
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