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Current Comic Book Publishers from Z-A – entry #21

Dec 21, 2015

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Whoa, Nelly!! It’s day 21. Legal drinking age in the US 😉 It’s also an addictive card game. I digress. The list is heating up, or cooling down since it’s December!! Six more letters to go over a ten-day span. How is that?? Wait and see!

I have hit a brick wall with these particular publishers. I am savvy enough to use more than one search engine and consult the official sites. Nevertheless, any bread crumbs would be greatly appreciated 😀 All companies listed are under the purview of Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. You can see more of their selections in the monthly PREVIEWS catalog.

Established: 1994

Official Name: Gemstone Publishing

Place of Origin: Timonium, MD

Distinction: Stephen A.Geppi’s publishing ventures in the field of comics saw him form Gemstone Publishing Inc., which was formed in large part from other purchases – E. Gerber Products, LLC in 1992; Russ Cochran Publishing in 1993; Overstreet Publishing in 1994.[1]

Operations: Stephen A. Geppi (Founder) also CEO and President of Diamond Comic Distributors. You don’t say?? :O

Output: http://www.gemstonepub.com/price-guides-reference-books [Browse through ‘Categories’]

Current Titles: The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide; The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Movie Posters; The Overstreet Guide to Cosplay; The Overstreet Guide to…Everything!

Branches: N/A

Social Media: @GemPubDiamond ; Facebook

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: Unknown

Official Name: Gen Manga Entertainment

Place of Origin: Tokyo, Japan

Distinction: Gen is the future of manga. Gen is for people who grew up with manga, but want something new. Gen is for people who have never read manga, but want something off the beaten path[2].

原GEN (gěn) is prounouced with a hard G as in “get.” It comes from the Japanese kanji 原 which can be translated as “original,” as used in the word 原因 (genin) meaning “the origin.”[3]

Many manga readers will know the word shounen. GEN brings you the next step up, seinen. Seinen is for those who demand to see their lives reflected beyond the playgrounds of childhood. GEN is for a more mature audience[4].

The word doujinshi is tied to the western idea of indie or underground. Artists that we publish have made work for the love of the medium and based on their own pure creativity. We bring you these stories first[5].

Operations: Unknown

Output: http://genmanga.com/issues/index.html http://genmanga.com/stories/index.html

Current Titles: http://genmanga.com/books/index.html

Branches: http://www.cafepress.com/genmanga

Social Media: @GEN_Manga ; Facebook ; Pinterest ; Tumblr ; YouTube

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 2001

Official Name: Girl Twirl Comics

Place of Origin: Wiggins, MI

Distinction: Paige Braddock is an American cartoonist best known for her long-running comic strip, Jane’s World, the first gay-themed work in the United States to receive online distribution by a national media syndicate[6].

Operations: Paige Braddock (Founder, Creator, Owner, Writer, Artist)

Output: Jane’s World vol. 11 (2014); The Martian Confederacy vol. 2 (2011)

Branches: N/A

Social Media: @PaigeBraddock ; Facebook

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: Unknown

Official Name: Goff Books

Place of Origin: San Francisco, CA

Distinction: Inspired by his own creative streak and fascination with visual literature, founder Gordon Goff established GOFF BOOKS so that all types of book appreciators are able indulge in the satisfying pleasure that comes with visually compelling stories[7].

Satisfy. Rouse. Provoke[8].

Operations: Gordon Goff (Founder)

Output: http://www.goffbooks.com/books

Branches: Palace Press International, Earth Aware Publishing, Insight Editions, Mandala Publishing, ORO Editions (imprints)

Social Media: @oroeditions ; Facebook ; iBooks ; LinkedIn ; Pinterest ; YouTube

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 2011

Official Name: Graphic India PTE Ltd.

Place of Origin: Bangalore, India (HQ)

Distinction: Graphic India is a character entertainment company focused on creating leading characters, comics and stories through mobile and digital platforms. Graphic believes that India is home to some of the most creative talent in the world, with more than 500 million people under the age of 25 and more than 850 million mobile phone users in the country. The Company’s mission is to create enduring stories and heroes that foster the imaginations and fuel the inspirations of a new globalized generation of youth in both India and around the world[9].

Operations: Sharad Devarajan (CEO, co-founder), Gotham Chopra, Suresh Seetharaman (co-founders)

Output: http://graphicindia.com/comics/

Current Titles: Chakra the Invincible; Empire of Blood; Grant Morrison’s 18 Days; Mistry, P.I.; The Sadhu: Birth of the Warrior; Shadow Tiger

Branches: Owned and operated by Liquid Comics and CA Media LP.

http://graphic-india.myshopify.com/

Social Media: @GraphicIndia ; Facebook ; Instagram ; YouTube

Multi-Media: CA Media LP ; Chernin Group, LLC ; Chakra the Invincible animated series on Toon TV, 18 Days and Sholay: Gabbar are YouTube series; The Sadhu is in film development.

Established: 1982

Official Name: Graphitti Designs, Inc.

Place of Origin: Anaheim, CA

Distinction: One of the leading producers of pop culture and comics related merchandise for over [three] decades. Focusing on everything from apparel to collectibles, Graphitti Designs also specializes in deluxe limited edition hardcovers like Mike Allred’s Madman and hard-to-find trade paperbacks like Sergio Aragones’ The Life of Groo and Kevin Smith’s Jay & Silent Bob series[10].

Operations: Unknown

Output: http://www.graphittidesigns.com/ [books]

Current Titles: The Sandman Gallery Edition; Superman/Batman Michael Turner Gallery Edition

Branches: N/A

Social Media: @GraphittiDesign

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: Unknown

Official Name: Graphix

Place of Origin: New York, NY

Distinction: Graphic novels for kids and teens.

Operations: Richard Robinson (CEO, Chairman, President of Scholastic)

Output: http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/books/?lnkid=stacks/nav/b_and_a/main

Upcoming Titles: Amulet vol. 7: Firelight; The Babysitter’s Club vol. 4: Claudia & Mean Jeannie; Bunny vs. Monkey

Branches: Children’s book imprint of Scholastic

Social Media: @GraphixBooks

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: Unknown

Official Name: Griffin Books

Place of Origin: Newark, NJ

Distinction: William Edmund Butterworth III (founder, used Griffin as penname) http://www.webgriffin.com/authors.html

Operations: William Edmund Butterworth IV (son)

Output: http://www.webgriffin.com/books.html

Branches: N/A

Social Media: @webgriffintales ; Facebook

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 2010

Official Name: Grind House Comics

Place of Origin: Portland, OR

Distinction: Grind House Comics ain’t your mama’s comic book company. We won’t hold your hand. We won’t tuck you in at night. All we do is bring together the top talent in the industry and give them the freedom to express their vision. Sometimes those visions may remind you the world isn’t always pretty. Grind House Comics hasreleased multiple titles including Escape from the Dead, followed by Rowdy Roddy Piper: Monster Killer[11].

Crushin’ Bones & Grindin’ Souls[12].

Operations: Unknown

Output: Convoy: Zombie Highway; Crawdaddy; Escape from the Dead; Rowdy Roddy Piper: Monster Killer; S.W.A.T; Videostore

Branches: N/A

Social Media: Facebook

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 2015

Official Name: Guardian Knight Comics

Place of Origin: San Antonio, TX

Distinction: We are excited to be working on some amazing creator owned titles and are growing fast. Guardian Knight Comics, where adventures are told and legends are born[13].

Our mission is to create a new local, independent, creator owned comic book publishing company to rival our competitors. Through innovation and a grassroots approach to marketing we strive to be unlike any other comic book publishing company[14].

We will create an environment that fosters creativity and collaboration. We will bridge the gap between the old and the new and bring big name artists and writers together with new and young talent to create original content[15].

We hope to shake up the comic book and pop culture world! Are you ready?[16]

Operations: Apple de la Fuente (Founder)

Current Titles: Gears & Bones; Moonstreak; Sanitarium

Upcoming Titles: Ghost Agents; The Knox; Savage Sasquanaut

Branches: N/A

Social Media: @GKComics ; Facebook ; Instagram

Multi-Media: N/A

Established: 2009

Official Name: Guilded Age

Place of Origin: Unknown

Distinction: Guilded Age is a fantasy webcomic about heroes who have come together to work for a common goal: Three squares and a warm bed. Also there’s an inevitable conflict brewing between warring coalitions based on centuries-old feuds, but we try to focus on what’s important[17].

Operations: T. Colin Campbell, Erica Henderson, Phil Kahn (Authors); John Waltrip (Illustrator)

Output: http://guildedage.net/newreaders/

Branches: N/A

Social Media: @GuildedAge ; Facebook

Multi-Media: N/A

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemstone_Publishing

[2] http://www.genmanga.com/about/index.html

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paige_Braddock

[7] http://www.goffbooks.com/page/about-us