Four Color Comics was an anthology series that Dell Comics published from the late 1930s to early 1960s. The book was named after the four main colors used in comic book printing, which are black, cyan (blue/green), yellow, and magenta (red/purple).

Four Color differed from most of its contemporaries in two major ways. First, it did not follow a specific character or team, rather each issue featured different sets of characters in one-shot stories. One issue would be about a cartoon character and the next might use characters from a movie or TV show. Second, nearly all of the characters in Four Color Comics were licensed from other properties, rather than being original creations.

The comic began with Dick Tracy, Don Winslow, Myra North, and Donald Duck reprints of comic strips. This format continued with more reprints from Gang Busters, Terry and the Pirates, Little Orphan Annie, Tillie Toiler, Mickey Mouse, and stories from Disney movies like Dumbo. The first 25 issues, published from 1939 to early ’42, are considered the first series of the book.

The second series quickly picked up after that with reprints of Little Joe, Harold Teen, Alley Oop, and Smilin’ Jack. Early issues also included the series’ first original tales with Raggedy Ann and Andy and Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold.

Dell would then change its focus from nearly all reprints to more original stories. Those tales were then used to determine if the character(s) could sustain their own series. Little Lulu was one the first characters to breakout into their series in 1948, Donald Duck soon followed with a successful solo series that began in 1952, and Porky Pig also got a solo series in 1952.

Throughout its run, Four Color told a wide variety of stories, starring characters from animation, comic strips, radio programs, TV, movies, even musicians and Westerns. The book featured fairy tales, Roy Rogers and Lone Ranger stories, Christmas and other holiday issues, action stars like Steve Canyon, TV issues with I Love Lucy, Captain Kangaroo, and Leave it to Beaver, adventures with The Hardy Boys, Yogi Bear, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and much more.

The series ended in 1962 with Four Color #1354.