New Media Distribution/Irjax Enterprises was a

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

distributor A distributor is an enclosed rotating switch used in spark-ignition internal combustion engines that have mechanically timed ignition. The distributor's main function is to route high voltage current from the ignition coil to the spark plugs ...

and

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

active from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. In 1978, the company's legal actions against the dominant distributor of the era,

Sea Gate Distributors Philip Nicholas Seuling (January 20, 1934 – August 21, 1984) was a comic book fan convention organizer and comics distributor primarily active in the 1970s. Seuling was the organizer of the annual New York Comic Art Convention, originally held ...

, widened the field for the

direct market The direct market is the dominant distribution and retail network for American comic books. The concept of the direct market was created in the 1970s by Phil Seuling. The network currently consists of: * four major comic distributors: ** Lunar ...

to expand. In 1982, when Irjax's distribution arm went out of business, its processing centers and warehouses formed the basis for

Diamond Comics Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. They transport comic books and graphic novels, as well as other pop ...

, the now-dominant comics distributor. The company's publishing arm, New Media, continued in the business until 1995. New Media mainly published periodicals for comics/fantasy/science fiction enthusiasts, including the long-running critical journal ''

Comics Feature ''Comics Feature'' was an American magazine of news, criticism, and commentary pertaining to comic books, comic strips, and animation. Published by New Media Publishing, it produced 57 issues (and a number of specials) between 1980 and 1987. S ...

.'' Editors and writers with New Media included

Carol Kalish Carol Kalish (February 14, 1955Kraft, David Anthony. 1984, "Sales Director Carol Kalish: Marvel's Direct Sales Manager Tells Her Side," ''Comics Interview'', vol. 1, no. 18, pp. 57-71. – September 5, 1991) was an American writer, editor, comic bo ...

Richard Howell Richard Howell (October 25, 1754April 28, 1802) was the third governor of New Jersey from 1794 to 1801. Early life and military career Howell was born in Newark in the Colony of Delaware. He was a lawyer and soldier of the early United States ...

, Peter B. Gillis,

Kurt Busiek Kurt Busiek ( ) (born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the ''Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled ''Astro City'', a four-year run on ''The Avengers (comic book), The Avengers, Thunderbolts (comics ...

, Don and Maggie Thompson, James Van Hise,

Peter Sanderson Peter Sanderson Jr. (born April 25, 1952) In print issue #1650 (February 2009), p. 107 is a comic book critic and historian, as well as an instructor/lecturer in the New York area concerning the study of graphic novels/comic books as literature. ...

Max Allan Collins Max Allan Collins (born March 3, 1948) is an American mystery writer, noted for his graphic novels. His work has been published in several formats and his ''Road to Perdition'' series was the basis for a film of the same name. He wrote the '' Di ...

Ron Goulart Ronald Joseph Goulart (; January 13, 1933 – January 14, 2022) was an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy, and science fiction author. He published novelizations and other work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson, Con ...

Will Jacobs Will Jacobs (born 1955) is an American comics and humor writer. He was co-author with Gerard Jones on ''The Beaver Papers'', ''The Comic Book Heroes'', and the comic book '' The Trouble with Girls'' (1987–1993). He was a contributor to '' Nationa ...

and

Gerard Jones Gerard Jones (born July 10, 1957) is an American writer, known primarily for his non-fiction work about American entertainment media, and his comic book scripting, which includes co-creating the superhero Prime for Malibu Comics, and writing for ...

Steve Perrin Stephen Herbert Perrin (January 22, 1946 – August 13, 2021) was an American game designer and technical writer/editor, best known for creating the tabletop role-playing game ''RuneQuest'' for Chaosium. Early life and education Perrin earned a ...

, and

Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...

Distributor

Origins

Hal Schuster, his father, Irwin, and his brother, Jack, formed the distribution company Irjax Enterprises (a play on the names "Irwin" and "Jack"), based in

Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...

, in 1973.Gearino, Dan. ''Comic Shop: The Retail Mavericks Who Gave Us a New Geek Culture'' (Ohio University Press, 2017).

Entering the direct market

By 1978, in addition to Irjax Enterprises, Hal Schuster had a

comic book store The direct market is the dominant distribution and retail network for American comic books. The concept of the direct market was created in the 1970s by Phil Seuling. The network currently consists of: * four major comic distributors: ** Luna ...

in Rockville. After

Phil Seuling Philip Nicholas Seuling (January 20, 1934 – August 21, 1984) was a comic book fan convention organizer and comics distributor primarily active in the 1970s. Seuling was the organizer of the annual New York Comic Art Convention, originally held ...

established the

in 1972, his company

maintained a virtual monopoly on comic book distribution, until a lawsuit brought by Irjax in 1978."Direct Distribution," in Duin, Steve and Richardson, Mike (ed.s). ''Comics Between the Panels'' ( Dark Horse Publishing, 1998), pp. 126-130. Irjax sued the comic book publishers DC,

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

Archie Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathematici ...

, and

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...

for their anti-competitive arrangement with Seagate. As a result of the lawsuit Irjax gained "a sizeable chunk of the direct-distribution market," with distribution centers in Boston and Tampa."Diamond Timeline Chronicles 30 Years of Service & Success,"

Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. They transport comic books and graphic novels, as well as other po ...

official website. Accessed Feb. 10, 2015. The Boston-area division was known as Solar Spice and LiquorsDavid, Peter
"Carol,"
PeterDavid.net (December 11, 2002). (named after a fictional corporation created by science fiction writer

Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...

); and was staffed by

and her partner

Exit New Media/Irjax, enter Diamond Comics Distributors

Meanwhile, Baltimore retailer

Steve Geppi Stephen A. Geppi (born January 24, 1950) is an American comic book distributor, publisher and former comic store owner. Having established an early chain of comic shops in Baltimore in the mid-late 1970s, he is best known for his distributing busi ...

had four comic book storesResume for "Stephen A. Geppi" at BusinessWeek, September 8, 1998
Accessed March 5, 2009.Warshaw, Michael. "From Mailman to Tycoon," in DeGarmo, Scott (ed.), ''

Success Success is the state or condition of meeting a defined range of expectations. It may be viewed as the opposite of failure. The criteria for success depend on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. One person mig ...

'' (June, 1994), pp. 28–32. and was acting as a sub-distributor, "doing a little informal distributing . . . for smaller retailers." By 1981, Geppi was one of New Media/Irjax's biggest accounts. In late 1981, the company, now known as New Media Distribution, or New Media/Irjax, filed for Chapter 11. One of the "last loyal customers" when New Media began having fiscal difficulties, Geppi made a deal with Schuster: " e owner was going into retail," so Geppi agreed to provide Schuster with "free books for a period of time in return for his account list." Hal Schuster relocated to Florida early in 1982, and he asked "Geppi to service more accounts for a bigger discount," thereby effectively selling Geppi the distribution end of the business."Newswatch: New Media Distribution out of Business," ''The Comics Journal'' #72 (May 1982), p. 16. Geppi took over New Media/Irjax's office and warehouse space and had to "sort out the good customers from the bad overnight," negotiating with creditors to continue Schuster's distribution business as

Diamond Comic Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. They transport comic books and graphic novels, as well as other po ...

."Diamond Comic Distributors," in Duin, Steve and Richardson, Mike (ed.s). ''Comics Between the Panels'' ( Dark Horse Publishing, 1998), pp. 125-126

Publisher

In addition to their comics distribution business, in 1975 Hal and Jack Schuster set up a publishing operation, originally producing periodicals for comics/fantasy/science fiction enthusiasts. In a practice similar to the

pulp magazine Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...

era, the brothers set up a number of publishing entities, especially during the period 1985–1987. Overall, the Schusters published material from 1975 to 1995. Befitting the overall fly-by-night feeling, over the years the Schusters operated publishers out of

;

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

; the

Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater in ...

area ( Largo and

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

); various

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

locations (

Studio City Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, ...

Topanga Topanga () (Tongva: ''Topaa'nga'') is a census-designated place (CDP) in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, the community exists in Topanga Canyon and the surrounding hills. The narrow s ...

Canoga Park Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a rancho, and after the American victory it was converted into wheat farms and t ...

, and Granada Hills); and finally

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

Irjax Enterprises

The brothers' first publishing venture, Irjax Enterprises, lasted from 1975 to 1977, releasing one publication each summer, on such subjects as ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' and

Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck first appeared in ''Adventure into F ...

. Each issue of the various titles was labeled #1 but was never continued.

New Media Publishing

In 1980 the Schuster brothers established New Media Publishing (NMP), which ultimately produced the bulk of the company's output overall. Hal had the title of Publisher, while Jack had the title of President. They hired

(doing double duty since they were still helping operate Solar Spice distribution), and Peter B. Gillis (as editorial director), and announced a slate of new titles, most of them professionally produced

fanzines A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...

. Right off the bat, however, NMP began to promise more than it could deliver, such as announcing the critical journals ''Artform'' and ''Brush Strokes'' — which never appeared. Gillis left NMP by mid-1981,"Headlines: NMP Editorial Shake-Up," ''Comics Feature'' #12/13 (Sept./Oct. 1981), p. 18: Peter Gillis leaves New Media Publishing. replaced as editorial director by Howell. He and Kalish, however, left in 1982 — the same year New Media's distribution business failed. By then, NMP had developed a reputation for announcing titles that never appeared and/or releasing titles late and otherwise behind schedule.Thompson, Kim. "NMI in Trouble, to File for Chapter 11," ''The Comics Journal'' #70 (Winter 1981–1982), p. 16. For instance, in 1981 NMP took over publication of the long-running fanzine ''

Rocket's Blast Comicollector ''Rocket's Blast Comicollector'' (''RBCC'') was a comics advertising fanzine published from 1964 to 1983. The result of a merger with a similar publication, ''RBCCs purpose was to bring fans together for the purpose of adding to their comic book c ...

'' (previously edited and published by NMP writer/editor James Van Hise), but only put out three issues in the period 1981 to 1983 before ''RBCC'' was canceled. Similarly, New Media acquired the British fanzine '' BEM'' in 1981, ostensibly to distribute ''BEM'' in the U.S. and widen its readership."Newswatch: New Media Distribution out of Business," ''The Comics Journal'' #72 (May 1982), p. 16. But, after many delays, NMP only produced two U.S. issues, #35 and #36, and ''BEM'' faded away.Willis, Russell
"AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN LOCK (PART 1 , THE BEM YEARS),"
''Under the Stairs'' (2013). Retrieved Jan. 8, 2020. NMP's most notable publications included: * ''

'' — magazine of comics criticism and commentary which published 57 issues (and a number of specials) between 1980 and 1987; original editors included

Dean Mullaney Dean Mullaney (born June 18, 1954) is an American editor, publisher, and designer whose Eclipse Enterprises, founded in 1977, was one of the earliest independent comic-book companies. Eclipse published some of the first graphic novels and was on ...

, and

*''LoC'' — subtitled "On Comics Opinion and Comics Review," it published 10 issues between 1980 and 1983, changing its name to ''Comic Fandom's Forum'' with issue #8. * '' Enterprise Incidents'' — an influential early ''

fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...

originally published by James Van Hise through the SFCA (Science Fiction and Comics Association, publishers of ''

'') which published 4 issues in 1976–1977. NMP picked up the title in 1981 and published 32 more issues (and numerous specials) between 1981 and late 1985; its title became ''SF Movieland'' with issue #28. Edited by James Van Hise. * ''Fantasy Empire'' — about comics, fantasy fiction, and

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

; it published 18 issues in the period 1981 to 1985. Spinoffs included 6 issues of ''Fantasy Empire Collectors Edition'' in 1983–1984, and 3 issues of ''Fantasy Empire Limited'' in 1984. * ''Golden Age of Comics'' — reprints of classic comic books and comic strips alongside articles about comics history originally edited by Don and Maggie Thompson, it published 8 issues (plus one special) from 1982 to 1984; continued in different form as ''Comics, the Golden Age'' (a.k.a. ''

's Comics the Golden Age''), which published five issues in the period 1984–1985. * ''Daredevils'' — devoted to adventure films and TV, it published 14 issues in 1983–1985. * ''Monsterland'' — originally edited by

Forrest J Ackerman Forrest James Ackerman (November 24, 1916 – December 4, 2008) was an American magazine editor; science fiction authors, science fiction writer and literary agent; a founder of science fiction fandom; a leading expert on science fiction, horror ...

as his follow-up to ''

Famous Monsters of Filmland ''Famous Monsters of Filmland'' is an American genre-specific film magazine, started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman. ''Famous Monsters of Filmland'' directly inspired the creation of many other similar publicat ...

'', it published 17 issues between late 1984 and June 1987 (with the last eight issues being published by one of Schuster's follow-up publishing entities, Movieland Publishing). Other notable names who worked for New Media as editors and/or writers included Don and Maggie Thompson,

, and

. NMP also published a few actual

comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

— three in total — featuring such creators as

Doug Moench Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, ''Electric Warrior'' and ''Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critically ...

Bill Sienkiewicz Boleslav William Felix Robert Sienkiewicz ( ; born May 3, 1958) is an American artist known for his work in comic books—particularly for Marvel Comics' ''New Mutants'', '' Moon Knight,'' and '' Elektra: Assassin''. Sienkiewicz's work in the 198 ...

Pat Boyette Aaron P. "Pat" Boyette (July 27, 1923 – January 14, 2000) was an American broadcasting personality and news producer, and later a comic book artist best known for two decades of work for Charlton Comics, where he co-created the character the Pe ...

Owen Wister Owen Wister (July 14, 1860 – July 21, 1938) was an American writer and historian, considered the "father" of western fiction. He is best remembered for writing '' The Virginian'' and a biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Biography Early life ...

Don Heck Donald L. HeckDonald L. Heck
at the Social Security Death Index. Retrieved on Septembe ...

John Warner John William Warner III (February 18, 1927 – May 25, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1979 to 200 ...

Tom Sutton Thomas F. Sutton (April 15, 1937 – May 1, 2002) He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from high school in 1955, and worked on art projects while stationed at Fort D.A. Russell (Wyoming), Fort Francis E. Warren, near Laramie, Wyom ...

P. Craig Russell Philip Craig Russell (born October 30, 1951) is an American comics artist, writer, and illustrator. His work has won multiple Harvey and Eisner Awards. Russell was the first mainstream comic book creator to come out as openly gay. Biography ...

Steve Ditko Stephen John Ditko Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular act ...

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early li ...

Don McGregor Donald Francis McGregor (born June 15, 1945) is an American comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics; he is the author of one of the first graphic novels. Early life Don McGregor was born in Providence, Rhode Island, where he w ...

Mark Evanier Mark Stephen Evanier (; born March 2, 1952) is an American comic book and television writer, known for his work on the animated TV series ''Garfield and Friends'' and on the comic book ''Groo the Wanderer''. He is also known for his columns and bl ...

Steve Leialoha Steve Leialoha (born January 27, 1952) is an Americans, American comics artist whose work first came to prominence in the 1970s. He has worked primarily as an inker, though occasionally as a penciller, for several publishers, including Marvel Comi ...

Grass Green Richard Edward "Grass" Green (May 7, 1939Social Security Death Index. – August 5, 2002) was an African American cartoonist notable for being the first black participant in both the 1960s fan art movement and the 1970s underground comics movement. ...

, and

Mike Sekowsky Michael Sekowsky (; November 19, 1923 – March 30, 1989) was an American comics artist known as the penciler for DC Comics' ''Justice League of America'' during most of the 1960s, and as the regular writer and artist on ''Wonder Woman'' during t ...

. In October 1982, Marilyn Bethke of ''

The Comics Journal ''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...

'' published a takedown of the Hal Schuster and his various publications.Bethke, Marilyn. "New Media's Publishing Empire," ''The Comics Journal'' #76 (Oct. 1982), pp. 154-157, 159, 161. Branching into book publishing in 1985, the brothers established New Media Books (NMB), which published a few softcover books in the same vein as the company's periodicals.

Post-NMP magazine publishing companies

With the demise of New Media Publications in 1987, things became much more complicated. By then, the brothers were running four publishing corporations — New Media Books, Movie Publisher Services/Movieland Publishing, Psi Fi Movie Press, and Heroes Publishing — all sharing the same office space in

Topanga, California Topanga () (Tongva: ''Topaa'nga'') is a census-designated place (CDP) in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, the community exists in Topanga Canyon and the surrounding hills. The narrow s ...

. Jack was the president of New Media Books, Movie Publisher Services, and Heroes Publishing; while Hal was president of Psi Fi Movie Press.KF. "Marvel Takes Legal Action: Marvel Files Suit Against Hal and Jack Schuster," ''The Comics Journal'' #116 (July 1987), pp. 16–17. Psi Fi published ''Files'' magazine, as described in ''The Comics Journal'': ''Files Magazine'' also covered Marvel and DC heroes; article authors included Martin Cannon, Edward Gross, Glenn A. Magee, Doug Murray, John Peel, and James Van Hise; with Schuster serving as editor and publisher. In 1986, Schuster announced that Movie Publisher Services would release a 60-page paperback collection of articles and interviews with the comics superstar

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on Daredevil (Marvel Comics ser ...

— unauthorized by Miller, who threatened legal action. Ultimately the book was released by Heroes Publishing as ''Frank Miller, A Work In Progress: Great Comic Artist File'' (part of the ''Files Magazine'' series). In 1987

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

sued the Schuster brothers for copyright and trademark infringement, claiming they had improperly used Marvel artwork in various issues of ''Files''. The Marvel lawsuit appears to have put the various Schuster Brother operations out of business, as they stopped publishing after that point.

Pioneer Books

In 1989 Hal Schuster got back into book publishing by starting a new company, Pioneer Books. Pioneer published softcover books in a pop culture vein similar to New Media; many volumes were written by James Van Hise. Schuster designed and edited most of the books. Based in

, Pioneer operated from 1989 to 1995.

Schuster Brothers publishing entities

This is a breakdown of the various Schuster Brothers publishing entities from 1975 to 1995: * 1975–1977 Irjax Enterprises, Inc. (Rockville, Maryland) * 1980–1987 New Media Publishing (Boston; Florida; Los Angeles) * 1985–1988 New Media Books, Inc. (Canoga Park, California) ** 1985–1987 Psi Fi Movie Press *** 1985–1988 Pop Cult, Inc. * 1986 Heroes Publishing, Inc. (Mexico) * 1986–1991 Movie Publisher Services, Inc./Movieland Publishing (Canoga Park, California) * 1989–1995 Pioneer Books (Las Vegas)

Titles published

Irjax Enterprises

* ''Media Spotlight'' #1: ''

Lives Again!'' (Summer 1975) — tabloid newspaper * ''The Wonderful World of Marvel'' #1: ''

'' (Summer 1976) — tabloid * ''The Wonderful World of Comics'' (August 1977) — magazine format

New Media Publishing (NMP)

Hobbyist publications

* ''Comic News'' (2 issues, 1983) * ''

'' (57 issues, Mar. 1980–July 1987) ** ''Comics Feature Collectors Edition'' (2 issues, 1984) ** ''Comics Feature Interviews'' (1 issue, 1984) ** ''Comics Feature Summer Special'' (1 issue, 1983) ** ''Comics Feature — The Fandom Zone'' (1 issue, 1980) — edited by Don and Maggie Thompson * ''Comics, the Golden Age'', aka ''

's Comics the Golden Age'' (5 issues, 1984–1985) * ''Daredevils'' (14 issues, Nov. 1983–Jan. 1985) — edited by Hal Schuster and Cynthia Broadwater * ''Enterprise Incidents''/''SF Movieland'' (32 issues, 1981–Dec. 1985) ** ''Enterprise Incidents Presents Stephen King'' (1984) ** ''Enterprise Incidents Presents The Alien Cook'' (1984) ** ''Enterprise Incidents: Special Edition Spotlight on Interviews'' (1984) ** ''Enterprise Incidents: Special Edition Spotlight on the Technical Side'' (1984) ** ''Enterprise Incidents: Special Collector's Edition'' (6 issues, Nov. 1983–Jan. 1985) ** ''Enterprise Incidents: Spotlight on Leonard Nimoy'' (June 1984) ** ''Enterprise Incidents: Spotlight on William Shatner'' (June 1984) ** ''Enterprise Incidents: Summer Special'' (1983) ** ''Enterprise Incidents Technical Book'' (Oct. 1984) * ''Fantasy Empire'' (18 issues, July 1981–July 1985) ** ''Fantasy Empire Collectors Edition'' (6 issues, 1983–1984) ** ''Fantasy Empire Limited'' (3 issues, 1984) ** ''Fantasy Empire Presents H. P. Lovecraft'' (1984) ** ''Fantasy Empire Special Summer Issue'' (Summer 1983) * ''Future Gold'' / ''Golden Age of Comics'' (10 issues, c. 1980–Feb. 1984) — as ''Future Gold'' was the "Magazine of Comic Nostalgia and Investment" by Geoffrey Schutt; final 8 issues published as ''Golden Age of Comics'' ** ''Golden Age of Comics Summer Special'' (Summer 1982) — edited by Don and Maggie Thompson *''LoC'' / ''Comic Fandom's Forum'' (10 issues, Jan. 1980–Jan. 1983) * ''Monsterland'' (17 issues, Dec. 1984–June 1987)

Original titles

* ''

Xal-Kor, the Human Cat Richard Edward "Grass" Green (May 7, 1939Social Security Death Index. – August 5, 2002) was an African American cartoonist notable for being the first black participant in both the 1960s fan art movement and the 1970s underground comics movement. ...

'' (1 issue, Aug. 1980) —

's popular character, originally from the fanzine ''

Star-Studded Comics ''Star Studded Comics'' is the name of three comics-related publications, including a comic from the Golden Age of Comics, a comics fanzine, and a modern comic homage to the previous. Cambridge House Publishers title The first publication to us ...

''. * ''Adventure Illustrated'' (1 issue, Winter 1981) — adventure comics by

Jim Starlin James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, and ...

(cover),

, Alan Gordon,

Don Heck Donald L. HeckDonald L. Heck
at the Social Security Death Index. Retrieved on Septembe ...

, and

Scholz, Carter. "INDIGO BALL-BEARINGS AND PUSTULENT RUNNING SORES," ''The Comics Journal'' #72 (May 1982), pp. 34–26. * ''Doctor and the Enterprise'' (2 issues, 1986) — ''

''/''

fan fiction Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settin ...

Jean Airey Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...

(not comics — text story with illustrations) * ''Fantasy Illustrated'' (1 issue, Apr. 1982) — fantasy anthology (not to be confused with 1960s

) edited by

; contributors include

, Alan Gordon, and

Books

* Goulart, Ron (1985). ''Comics, the Golden Age: The History of DC Comics'' * Gross, Edward (May 1987). ''Star Trek: The Movies: The First Complete Book''. — behind-the-scenes details and interviews related to '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'', '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'', '' Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'', and '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'' * Van Hise, James (May 1985). ''Classic Files Magazine'' — The V Files (2 volumes) — about the '' V'' television show

Psi Fi Movie Press

* ''Files Magazine'' (1985–1987)

Pioneer Books

* Airey, Jean. (November 1989) '' The Doctor and the Enterprise''. * Altman, Mark A. (1991). ''

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on American Broadcasting Company, ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cance ...

Behind-the-Scenes: An Unofficial Visitors Guide to Twin Peaks''. . * Anderson, Robert (1994). ''The

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

Book: The Exclusive, Unauthorized, Uncensored Story of America's Favorite Martial Arts Show''. * Cawley, John; Korkis, Jim (November 1990). ''The Encyclopedia of Cartoon Superstars: From A to (Almost Z)''. * Gross, Edward (1989). ''The Making of the

Next Generation Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to: Publications and literature * ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company * Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...

''. * Gross, Edward (1990). ''

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age story, coming-of-age situation comedy, comedy/Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol L. Black, Carol Black. It ran on American Broadcasting Company ...

: Growing up in the Sixties''. * Scott; Fherenbach, Kurt (1992). ''SNL!: The World of

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

''. * Van Hise, James (1989). '' Batmania''. * Van Hise, James (1989). ''The

Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of media ...

Book''. * Van Hise, James (1989). ''How to Draw Art for Comic Books: Lessons from the Masters''. * Van Hise, James (1989). ''The Serial Adventures of

the Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator, and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by writer Walter ...

''. * Van Hise, James (1990). ''Who Was That Masked Man? The Story of the

Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

''. * Van Hise, James (1992). ''Batmania II''. * Van Hise, James (1993). ''Hot Blooded Dinosaur Movies''. * Van Hise, James (1993). ''Sci-Fi TV from Twilight Zone to

Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the '' Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication fr ...

''. * Van Hise, James (1995). ''Batmania III''. * Van Hise, James with

Hal Schuster New Media Distribution/Irjax Enterprises was a comic book distributor and publisher active from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. In 1978, the company's legal actions against the dominant distributor of the era, Sea Gate Distributors, widened the fi ...

(1995). ''The Unauthorized Trek: The Complete

''.

Notes

References

*
NMP (New Media)
at MyComicShop.com
New Media Publishing
at MyComicShop.com
''Comics Feature''
at Atomic Avenue {{DEFAULTSORT:New Media Irjax 1973 establishments in Maryland 1995 disestablishments American companies established in 1973 Publishing companies established in 1975 Comics industry Defunct comics and manga publishing companies Companies based in Rockville, Maryland Companies based in Los Angeles Book distributors

Distributor

Origins

Entering the direct market

Exit New Media/Irjax, enter Diamond Comics Distributors

Publisher

Irjax Enterprises

New Media Publishing

Post-NMP magazine publishing companies

Pioneer Books

Schuster Brothers publishing entities

Titles published

Irjax Enterprises

New Media Publishing (NMP)

Hobbyist publications

Original titles

Books

Psi Fi Movie Press

Pioneer Books

See also

Notes

References