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NOW Library, NOW Video, and NOW Comics, started in late 1985 as a
sole-proprietorship, with the first publications
shipping in May 1986.
In a
four-year period, NOW Comics grew from a one-man operation with
annual sales of $110,000, to an international (12
countries) multi-million dollar Illinois corporation, on
Michigan Avenue, with 20+ employees, 70+ freelancers and
number three in market share. NOW
Comics produced almost 1,000 publications since 1986,
through a dozen distributors, including WARNER PUBLISHER SERVICES, the world's
largest distributors of magazines and books,and Diamond Comic Distributors.
These publications included VECTOR (the world's first
computer generated color comic magazine), MR. T & THE FORCE , SPEED RACER, ASTRO BOY, ALIAS, THE TERMINATOR, THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS,
FRIGHT NIGHT, GHOSTBUSTERS II, MARRIED...WITH
CHILDREN and THE GREEN HORNET, and SPEED RACER Home Videos and Gift Sets.
These highly recognized characters were licensing
arrangements with companies such as COLUMBIA (SONY)
PICTURES, BROADWAY VIDEO, ELP COMMUNICATIONS, CBS
ENTERTAINMENT, INC., SPEED RACER ENTERPRISES and LEISURE
CONCEPTS, INC.
NOW
Comics appeared in dozens of radio, television and print
interviews and articles within such publications as THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE, THE CHICAGO
SUN-TIMES, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE NEW YORK TIMES,
CBS TV, and INSIDE CHICAGO.
NOW acquired the
talents of such industry legends as Harlan Ellison, Neal
Adams, Jim Steranko, Bill Sienkiewicz, Mike Baron, Jeff
Butler, David Dorman and Chuck Dixon. Caputo and NOW
Comics also "discovered" Alex Ross (TERMINATOR: THE BURNING
EARTH). In addition, collaborated with celebrities,
MR. T, Van Williams (TV's GREEN HORNET)
and Terry Gilliam (of MONTY PYTHON).
In his
relentless pursuit for additional sales, NOW organized
cross-promotional activities with RALSTON PURINA (THE
REAL GHOSTBUSTERS cereal), COCA-COLA FOODS (SLIMER'S Ecto-Cooler Hi-C drink), FUJI FILM, VENTURE STORES and COLUMBIA (SONY) PICTURES. In 1988, NOW
purchased to rights to release the classic Japanimation; SPEED RACER on home video. Under the banner, NOW
Video, NOW released 22 volumes of SPEED RACER videos and three special Gift Sets, including the SILVER
ANNIVERSARY EDITION
In 1989, NOW co-produced THE WHAT NOW CAPER, a sixty-minute
comedy-documentary on comic book production, with City
Video Productions, and has worked as a publishing
consultant for various companies, including Walt Disney
Publications.
In 1991, NOW
Comics was reborn as NOW Entertainment
Corporation through a bankruptcy reorganization, the outcome of an attempted hostile takeover by Quebecor Printing. This new infusion of over $2 million
in goodwill payments and capital catapulted the company to number five in
market share within its first quarter of business and
NOW Entertainment was nominated as best new publisher of
1991. NOW Entertainment Corporation ceased publishing
forever in 1994 six months after its founder Tony C Caputo left to pursue legal action against the company's new owners, as they attempted an intial public offering (IPO).
NOW Comics was
re-launched as NOW Media Group, Inc. a graphic novel
"self-publisher" in 2003, giving creators a partnership
role in the business. NOW Media Group, Inc folded in 2004, but NOW Comics
will live on forever.
© 2010 NOWcomics.com
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