Wilfred Fawcett was widely known as a hunter, trap shooter, golfer, and pilot. But his fame rested on his career as a publisher. He started Fawcett Publishing in 1919, with his first publication named “Captain’s Billy Whiz Bang,” which was based on his nickname (Captain Billy) and a World War I artillery shell. Fawcett ran away from home when only 16 and joined the Army. He later became a police reporter for the Minneapolis Journal. He served as an Army captain in World War I, working on The Stars and Stripes as a reporter, and this gave him the notion to get into publishing. The company became hugely successful, making Fawcett extremely rich. It was eventually run by his sons and became known for publishing comic books and popular cheap novels. Fawcett Publications was eventually sold in the 1970s.
United States