Leonard Matthews

Leonard James Matthews (10 October 1914 – 9 November 1997) was an English editor, publisher, writer and illustrator of comics and children's magazines, best known as the founder of the educational magazine Look and Learn.

Early life Born in Islington, London, on 10 October 1914, he joined the Amalgamated Press (AP) as an editorial assistant in 1939, starting as a sub-editor on the weekly comic Knockout under editor Percy Clarke. he and Matthews remained friends until McNeill died in 1969. and Dick Turpin serials for H. M. Brock and D. C. Eyles.

Comics career In 1949 he became editor of a second comic, Sun, acquired by AP from rival publisher J. B. Allen. Again, he increased the adventure content, hiring Geoff Campion to draw Billy the Kid, and introducing new characters like Max Bravo and Battler Britton. and later became editor of Thriller Comics, which published historical adventure stories in the same format. He scripted several of them, including adaptations of Lorna Doone and Quentin Durward.

Nicknamed "Napoleon of the Comics," while at Fleetway, Matthews nonetheless left the company at the end of 1968 to set up his own company, Martspress, packaging comics and juvenile publications like TV21 and Once Upon a Time for City Magazines.

Death Matthews died in Esher, Surrey, on 9 November 1997.