D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.

Dundee Headquarters of DC Thomson & Co.

D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, is a publishing company based in Dundee, Scotland, best known for producing Oor Wullie, The Broons, The Beano, The Dandy and Commando comics. It also owns Parragon, and the Aberdeen Press and Journal.

The Company

The company began as a branch of the Thomson family business when W Thomson became the sole proprietor of Charles Alexander & Co., publishers of Dundee Courier and Daily Argus. In 1884, David Coupar Thomson took over the publishing business, and established it as DC Thomson in 1905. The firm flourished, and took its place as the third J in the "Three Js", the traditional summary of Dundee industry ('jam, jute and journalism').^[1] Thomson was notable for his conservatism, vigorously opposing the introduction of trade unions into his workforce, and denying employment to people of the Roman Catholic faith.^[2]

The company produces more than 200 million comic books, magazines, and newspapers every year from offices in Dundee, Glasgow, Manchester and London. As of 2006, the company employed around 1,950 workers.^[3] Although the principal offices are located outside the city centre, the Courier Building has been retained. This 1902 building was designed to resemble an American red stone, steel reinforced office block. When a tower extension was added in 1960, the architect T Lindsay Grey kept the same style.

Publications

DC Thomson publications include:

• Sunday Post
• The Courier
• The Evening Telegraph
• My Weekly
• The Scots Magazine
• The Beano
• The Dandy
• Commando
• Jackie
• Shout

See the list of DC Thomson publications for a complete listing.

References

See also

• List of DC Thomson Publications
• British comics

External links

• D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd

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