Through Syndicated Features Corp., Hughes and artist Dave Gabrielson created the superhero the Black Terror in Standard's "Exciting Comics" #9 (May 1941). Also in 1941, Hughes edited and wrote the tabloid-sized satirical-humor magazine "TNT" for Sangor's Cinema Comics imprint, and at least edit the small 7 1/2 x 9 1/4-inch promotional comic book "Cinema Comics Herald" used to promote films including "Mr. Bug Goes to Town", "Lady for a Night" and others through 1943. By the following year Hughes was editing comics for Standard and living with his wife at 120 West 183rd Street in The Bronx, New York City. After Sangor founded his own comic-book company, American Comics Group, in 1943, Hughes edited the line, beginning with the funny-animal series "Giggle Comics" and "Ha Ha Comics", and the teen-humor titles ""Cookie"" and "The Kilroys". He created and scripted stories of the Fighting Yank, Pyroman, the Commando Clubs, and Super Mouse. In addition to his ACG work, Hughes also edited Standard's "Real Life Comics", as well as comics for publishers Rural Home, LaSalle, and Leffingwell. For Custom Comics, also called Culver Comics, an ACG division created in 1954, Hughes wrote promotional comics for the likes of police and fire departments, the Brown Shoe company (colloquially known as "Buster Brown Shoes"), Howard Johnson restaurants, the U.S. Air Force, and dozens of other clients.