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Current Comic Book Publishers from Z-A – entry #12

Dec 12, 2015

10243

Dig and delve for day twelve!! That’s almost the exact same amount of publishers! One is an imprint of another. Thus, I will feature it separately. At this point in the game, beyond learning so much, some of these various companies have the most interesting origins.

Don’t forget: all this is relating to the PREVIEWS monthly catalog produced by Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc.

Established: Unknown

Official Name: Pak Man Productions

Place of Origin: Unknown

Distinction: Greg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing “Kingsway West,” a new series from Dark Horse; “Batman/Superman” and “Action Comics” for DC Comics; and “The Totally Awesome Hulk” for Marvel. Pak wrote the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak’s children’s books include “The Princess Who Saved Herself,” also based on a Jonathan Coulton song, and the upcoming “ABC Disgusting.”[1]

Operations: Greg Pak

Output: The Citizen; Los Robos; Phantom Limb Ghostpuncher; Rio Chino; Vision Machine

Current Title: Code Monkey Save World

Upcoming Title: Kingsway West

Branches: Children’s titles – ABC Disgusting; The Princess Who Saved Herself

Social Media: @gregpak ; Facebook ; Tumblr

Multi-Media:

Full length: Robot Stories
Short: All Amateur Ecstasy, Asian Pride Porn, Cat Fight Tonight, Everybody’s Supersonic, Fighting Grandpa, Happy Hamptons Holiday Camp for Troubled Couples, Mister Green, Mouse, Mr. Lee, Ode to Margaret Cho, Penny Marshall Project, Po Mo Knock Knock, Super Power Blues
Educational video: Informed Consent Zone

Established: 1961

Official Name: Panini Publishing

Place of Origin: Modena, Italy

Distinction: Publishing represents the second biggest but fastest growing business area of the Group, making it one of the top three Europe-wide youth publishers. Today, the Division originates, edits, translates, and publishes over 4,000 comics, magazines and books per year throughout Europe and Brazil. The Division distributes its products not only in the traditional channels (kiosks, newsstands, bookshops and comic shops) but also in supermarkets and other mass market outlets[2].

Its titles include publications aimed at: the pre-school market with products such as activity books and licensed magazines; the pre-teen and teenage market with licensed and lifestyle magazines; the young adult market with comics books, graphic novels and books; and adult sport-fan products such as soccer club fan-zines and sports almanacs[3].

[Panini] is the world leader in the published collectable sector and one of the leading publishers of children’s magazines and books, comics, manga and graphic novels, in both Europe and Latin America[4].

Operations: The Panini Family

Output: Marvel UK –Essential X-Men; Marvel Legends; Mighty World of Marvel

Current Titles: Marvel UK – Astonishing Spider-Man; Avengers Universe; Incredible Hulks; Wolverine & Deadpool

Branches: http://www.paninigroup.com/business-areas/

Social Media: @figurinepanini ; Facebook ; YouTube

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 1978

Official Name: Panini UK Ltd.

Place of Origin: Kent, England, UK

Distinction: It was not until 1978 that Panini came to the UK in force with Football ’78. Since then, Panini has published a diverse range of sticker collections, from football collections, to pop, to TV series, along with Disney collections and great toy brands such as Barbie™ and Action Man. Some of the most popular current collections include The Simpsons, The Champions League and the Scottish Premier League. Although Panini is most famous for its sticker collections, it has a range of other products, such as trading cards, telephone cards and children’s comics and magazines[5].

Operations: Unknown

Output: Doc M^cStuffins; Doctor Who Adventures Magazine; Marvel Play Time!

Branches: http://collectibles.panini.co.uk/store/col_gbr_en

Social Media: @OfficialPanini ; Facebook ; YouTube

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 1942

Official Name: Pantheon Books

Place of Origin: New York, NY

Distinction: Pantheon works with some of the most iconic, innovative, and evocative writers and graphic novelists on the scene. Stay tuned for more updates from the Pantheon crew; we all love talking about our books[6].

Operations: Dan Frank (EIC)

Output: Building Stories; Habibi; Maus: A Surivor’s Tale; Persepolis; http://knopfdoubleday.com/genre/graphic-novels/

Branches: American book publishing imprint with editorial independence. It is part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group[7].

Social Media: @PantheonBooks ; Facebook ; Pinterest ; Tumblr

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 2005

Official Name: Papercutz

Place of Origin: New York, NY

Distinction: We’re all about publishing great graphic novels for all ages. Popular with reluctant readers and gifted readers alike, Papercutz graphic novels for kids, tweens, and teens include a wide range of genres, including humor, action adventure, mystery, horror, and favorite characters. Papercutz is proud to be the only publisher exclusively dedicated to children’s graphic novels. We work every day to introduce young readers to the imaginative wonders waiting to be discovered in comics[8].

Operations: Terry Nantier & Jim Salicrup (founders). Stefan Petrucha, Michael Petranek.

Output: Ariol; Breadwinners; Disney Fairies; Harvey Beaks; Nancy Drew Diaries; Sanjay and Craig; Scarlett: Star on the Run; Smurfs Anthology; Thea Stilton; Zodiac Legacy: Tiger Island

Branches: Super Genius

Social Media: @PapercutzGN ; Facebook

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 1935

Official Name: Penguin Book UK

Place of Origin: City of Westminster, London, UK

Distinction: http://www.penguin.co.uk/about-penguin/

Operations: Allen Lane (founder). Peter Field (CEO)

Output: The 14^th Dalai Lama: a Manga Biography; Artemis Fowl; Bigfoot: I Not Dead; How to Be a SuperHero; You Can Do a Graphic Novel

Branches: Penguin and Random House merged in 2013. Several imprints under Penguin.

Social Media: @PenguinUKBooks ; Facebook ; Instagram ; Pinterest ; Soundcloud

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 2013

Official Name: Perfect Square

Place of Origin: San Francisco, CA

Distinction: Squarely Perfect Storytelling. Perfect Square produces comics, manga and other books dedicated to strong storytelling, eye-popping graphics, empowering themes, and a dash of irreverence, that capture the imagination of a whole new generation[9].

Operations: Ken Sasaki (President), Hidemi Fukuhara (Vice-President)

Output: Ben 10 Omniverse; Hello Kitty; Max Steel; Pokémon Adventures; Yo-Kai Watch and much more!!

Branches: Imprint of VIZ Media, formerly VIZ Kids.

Social Media: @PerfectSqrBooks ; Facebook

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 2009

Official Name: POP! Goes the Icon

Place of Origin: Las Vegas, NV

Distinction: Pop! Goes the Icon (PGTI) is a boutique print and online publishing house, specializing in comic books, graphic novels, webcomics, and other forms of graphic literature and pop art. Our products are available for purchase in several physical and digital stores, as well as directly from our website[10].

Pop! Goes the Icon is a boutique print and online publishing house, specializing in sequential art — both in traditional pamphlet form (comic books) and as online presentations (webcomics) — as well as prose books, posters, prints and whatever else we feel like foisting upon the world. We publish rad comics, graphic novels and books[11].

Operations: PJ Perez

Output: Omega Comics Presents; San Hannibal; Tales from the Boneyard; Tales from Fremont Street; Tales from Las Vegas; The Utopian

Current Title: Old Wounds

Branches: N/A

Social Media: @PopGoesTheIcon ; Facebook ; Feedburner ; Tumblr ; YouTube

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 2011

Official Name: Project-H

Place of Origin: Gardenia, CA

Distinction: https://www.projecthentai.com/about

Operations: Hikaru Sasahara (President)

Output: Aqua Bless; One Kore; Puru Puru Hearts; Totally Exposed and many more!

Branches: Project-H is a new imprint of Digital Manga Inc. powered by 801 Media to publish solely explicit Seinen hentai manga which will carry a mature warning “For adults 18+ only”[12].

Social Media: @projecthbooks ; Facebook

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 1999

Official Name: PS Artbooks

Place of Origin: Hornsea, England, UK

Distinction: PS Artbooks aims to make available—either for the first time or as a reprint—volumes of artwork-based material, sometimes simply paintings or posters, sometimes the sequential work produced by the pioneers of the four-color comic, in collectible but affordable limited editions produced to the highest achievable standards[13].

Operations: Paul Stephenson (Creative Director), Peter Crowther (Editor/Director), Roy Thomas (Series Consultant)

Output: ACG Collected Works; Harvey Horros; Pre-Code Classics; Roy Thomas Presents Planet Comics

Branches: N/A

Social Media: @psartbooks ; Facebook

Multi-Media: N/A