Western Publishing
Encyclopedia
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin
firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books
. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment. The company was based in Racine with editorial offices in New York City and Los Angeles, California.
from 1933 to 1949. K.K. Publications became defunct during the mid/late 1960s.
By the late 1970s, Western was one of the largest commercial printers in the USA. It had four manufacturing plants and two distribution centers from Kansas to Maryland. It boasted of installing some of the first heatset web offset printing presses in the US as well has having the largest offset sheetfed presses, some exceeding 78" printing in five colors, and one of the largest bindery operations in the USA. Among other things, it printed mass paperback books under contract, was the primary manufacturer and distributor of the board games Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary, plus other table-top games. It developed and printed specialty cookbooks, premiums and collateral for many Fortune 500 clients. At one time, Western printed almost everything from "business cards to billboards", and employed over 2500 full time people. Most of their printing plants were closed and print operations consolidated to Racine by the mid 1990s.
and Walter Lantz Studio
, Western produced comics based on these characters, as well as original works. The editorial staff at the West Coast office over the years included Eleanor Packer, Alice Cobb, Chase Craig
, Zetta Devoe, Del Connell and Bill Spicer
. Bernie Zuber was an editorial artist, a position similar to that of a production artist
, from 1957 until 1982. Oskar Lebeck
, Matt Murphy and Wally Green are among those who oversaw the East Coast office.
From 1938 to 1962, Western's comics were published with the Dell Comics
imprint; Dell also handled the distribution and financing of the comics. During 1962, Western ended its partnership with Dell and published comics itself, establishing Gold Key Comics
. This imprint continued until the late 1970s, after which newsstand distribution was discontinued in favor of distribution to toy stores under the "Whitman Comics" banner. The company stopped publishing comics in 1984, and all its licenses have since gone to other publishers. Many of these new licensees have included among their offerings reprints of stories originally published by Western.
Prior to 1962, besides comics distributed through Dell, Western had some comics published under its own name, particularly giveaways such as March of Comics
and the annual kite safety title (which featured an array of licensed characters) published over a span of 32 years for power utility companies. Both series had print runs in the hundreds of thousands.
In the 1990s Valiant Comics
licensed Magnus, Turok and Dr. Solar and published modified versions of the characters, initially to great success. By mid-decade Valiant's sales slumped as the speculative boom collapsed. It ceased publishing in 1999.
In 2004, Dark Horse Comics
began reprinting some of Western's original comic book properties, which are now owned by Random House
, along with Tarzan from the Jesse Marsh
era. The company plans to re-launch new versions of various Gold Key characters with Jim Shooter
, who spearheaded the Valiant revival, as head writer.
), mostly under the Golden Books and Whitman Publishing brand names. The Little Golden Books
was a very popular series. Lucille Ogle helped develop the format for the low-priced books, which told simple stories and were among the first children's books with full-color illustrations. The first was published in 1942. Beginning as the "Whitman Famous Classics," and later renamed the "Golden Press" imprint, Western published a series of (public domain) classics, such as Little Women
, Little Men
, Black Beauty
and Heidi
.
, Ginny Gordon
, Donna Parker
, Meg Duncan
and Trudy Phillips. Boys' series included the Walton Boys, Power Boys
, and Troy Nesbit mysteries. The series from the 1950s to the 1970s also included a number of titles licensed from popular movies and television shows: Lassie
, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
, many television Westerns, and Walt Disney
's Spin and Marty
and Annette, (from the serial featuring Annette Funicello
that aired on The Mickey Mouse Club). The company also was the original American publisher of Tintin
, issuing six titles in English translation in 1959-1960, before discontinuing further releases because of what were considered disappointing sales.
. Then in late 1955 Western initiated Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club Magazine with content produced by Disney Studio staff members. It was intended to promote The Mickey Mouse Club television series. Eventually the name was changed to Walt Disney's Magazine and the focus shifted to contemporary Disney movie and television productions. During the 1960s Western published The Golden Magazine for Boys and Girls with Cracky the Parrot as its mascot.
cookbooks, reputed to have sold in the millions. Often these were issued in a 3-ring binder format so recipe pages could be removed for easy consultation while cooking.
until at least 1989.
, were published with the Golden Press name. This series has since been revived by St. Martin's Press
. The company published a series of guidebooks for coin collectors with the Whitman name, which has been sold to H.E. Harris
.
and Simon & Schuster
, the company sponsored the Story Book Shop on Main Street, U.S.A.
in Disneyland which opened on July 17, 1955 and closed April 1, 1995. In addition it was one of the initial investors in the park by virtue of being a part-owner of Disneyland, Inc.
. This was done in appreciation of its long and lucrative business relationship with Walt Disney.
in Schaumburg, Illinois
in November 1992; the second in CityWalk
Center outside Universal Studios Hollywood
during June 1993; and the third store was opened in Rockefeller Center
in New York City during April 1994. They have all since closed. In the early 1990s they opened a few Books-R-Us stores inside Toys-R-Us. They were located in New Jersey
, New York and Boston
.
bought Western in June 1979, only to sell it in 1984 to private investors. By mid-1996, under the supervision of Simon & Schuster
expatriate Richard E. Snyder
, it was renamed Golden Books Family Entertainment and tried to emphasize on children's books. It sold the adult books (Golden Guide
) to St. Martin's Press
in 1999, and later the H.E. Harris
coin company bought Whitman Coin Products from St. Martin’s Press in 2003 and renamed it Whitman Publishing. By 1997, Western Publishing was absorbed into the Golden Books Publishing Company.
Golden Books Family Entertainment was acquired by Classic Media Inc.
and Random House
in a bankruptcy auction for $84.4 million on August 16, 2001, with Classic gaining rights to Golden's film and TV library (including Lamb Chop
, Lassie
, the pre-1974 Rankin/Bass
library, among other titles) as well as the production, licensing and merchandising rights for Golden's characters, while Random House grabbed Golden's publishing rights. Historian Michael Barrier
has lamented the apparent loss of Western's business records for the use of future researchers.
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books is a popular series of children's books. The first 12 titles were published on October 1, 1942:#Three Little Kittens#Bedtime Stories#Mother Goose#Prayers for Children#The Little Red Hen#Nursery Songs...
. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment. The company was based in Racine with editorial offices in New York City and Los Angeles, California.
History
The company was formed by brothers Edward Henry and Albert H. Wadewitz when they bought Racine's West Side Printing Company in September 1907 for $2,504 and changed its name in 1910. In 1915, the company acquired Chicago publisher Hammerung-Whitman Publishing Co., which became its subsidiary, Whitman Publishing Company. Another subsidiary was K.K. Publications, named after Kay Kamen, manager of character merchandising at Walt Disney StudiosThe Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
from 1933 to 1949. K.K. Publications became defunct during the mid/late 1960s.
By the late 1970s, Western was one of the largest commercial printers in the USA. It had four manufacturing plants and two distribution centers from Kansas to Maryland. It boasted of installing some of the first heatset web offset printing presses in the US as well has having the largest offset sheetfed presses, some exceeding 78" printing in five colors, and one of the largest bindery operations in the USA. Among other things, it printed mass paperback books under contract, was the primary manufacturer and distributor of the board games Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary, plus other table-top games. It developed and printed specialty cookbooks, premiums and collateral for many Fortune 500 clients. At one time, Western printed almost everything from "business cards to billboards", and employed over 2500 full time people. Most of their printing plants were closed and print operations consolidated to Racine by the mid 1990s.
Comic books
With licenses for characters from Walt Disney Productions, Warner Brothers, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Edgar Rice BurroughsEdgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
and Walter Lantz Studio
Walter Lantz Studio
Walter Lantz Productions was an American animation studio. It was in operation from 1928 to 1948 and then 1950 to 1972 and was the principal supplier of animation for Universal Studios, now part of the media conglomerate NBC Universal.-History:...
, Western produced comics based on these characters, as well as original works. The editorial staff at the West Coast office over the years included Eleanor Packer, Alice Cobb, Chase Craig
Chase Craig
Chase Craig is an American writer-cartoonist who worked on comic strips and comic books. During the 1940s and 1950s, he was an editor and scripter for Western Publishing....
, Zetta Devoe, Del Connell and Bill Spicer
Bill Spicer
Bill Spicer is an editor and publisher who spearheaded the 1960s movement away from commercial comics, opening the gateway to underground, alternative and independent comics, notably with his publication Graphic Story Magazine....
. Bernie Zuber was an editorial artist, a position similar to that of a production artist
Production artist
A production artist is a technical and creative position in a creative profession. The job title originated at advertising agencies, assigning what was known as paste-up work to the position. Production artists work closely with the designer and art director to execute the design...
, from 1957 until 1982. Oskar Lebeck
Oskar Lebeck
Oskar Lebeck was a stage designer and an illustrator, writer and editor who is best known for his role in the establishment of the very successful line of Dell comic books during the Golden Age....
, Matt Murphy and Wally Green are among those who oversaw the East Coast office.
From 1938 to 1962, Western's comics were published with the Dell Comics
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
imprint; Dell also handled the distribution and financing of the comics. During 1962, Western ended its partnership with Dell and published comics itself, establishing Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
. This imprint continued until the late 1970s, after which newsstand distribution was discontinued in favor of distribution to toy stores under the "Whitman Comics" banner. The company stopped publishing comics in 1984, and all its licenses have since gone to other publishers. Many of these new licensees have included among their offerings reprints of stories originally published by Western.
Prior to 1962, besides comics distributed through Dell, Western had some comics published under its own name, particularly giveaways such as March of Comics
March of Comics
March of Comics was a long-running comic book series published by Western Publishing. 488 issues were published from 1946 to 1982. Comic book writer writer Mark Evanier has described it as "...one of the most widely-circulated comic books in the history of mankind ... some issues reportedly were...
and the annual kite safety title (which featured an array of licensed characters) published over a span of 32 years for power utility companies. Both series had print runs in the hundreds of thousands.
In the 1990s Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics is a comic book imprint published by various publishers since its inception with Voyager Communications, Inc. in 1989, later Acclaim Comics, Inc. Its assets were purchased from the bankruptcy of the Acclaim Entertaintment by Valiant Entertainment, Inc. in 2007.-Voyager...
licensed Magnus, Turok and Dr. Solar and published modified versions of the characters, initially to great success. By mid-decade Valiant's sales slumped as the speculative boom collapsed. It ceased publishing in 1999.
In 2004, Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
began reprinting some of Western's original comic book properties, which are now owned by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
, along with Tarzan from the Jesse Marsh
Jesse Marsh
Jesse Marsh was a comic book and animation artist. His main claim to fame is his work on the early Tarzan and related books for Western Publishing that saw print through Dell Comics and later Gold Key Comics. He was the first artist to produce original Tarzan comic books. Up to that time, all...
era. The company plans to re-launch new versions of various Gold Key characters with Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
, who spearheaded the Valiant revival, as head writer.
Children's books
Beginning in the 1920s and 1930s, Western published a wide range of children books (puzzle books, coloring books, Tell-a-Tale books, Big Little BooksBig Little Books
The Big Little Books, first published during 1932 by the Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin, were small, compact books designed with a captioned illustration opposite each page of text...
), mostly under the Golden Books and Whitman Publishing brand names. The Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books is a popular series of children's books. The first 12 titles were published on October 1, 1942:#Three Little Kittens#Bedtime Stories#Mother Goose#Prayers for Children#The Little Red Hen#Nursery Songs...
was a very popular series. Lucille Ogle helped develop the format for the low-priced books, which told simple stories and were among the first children's books with full-color illustrations. The first was published in 1942. Beginning as the "Whitman Famous Classics," and later renamed the "Golden Press" imprint, Western published a series of (public domain) classics, such as Little Women
Little Women
Little Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott . The book was written and set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts. It was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869...
, Little Men
Little Men
Little Men, or Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott, first published in 1871. The novel reprises characters from Little Women and is considered by some the second book of an unofficial Little Women trilogy, which is completed with Alcott's 1886 novel...
, Black Beauty
Black Beauty
Black Beauty is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she remained in her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate bestseller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, long enough to see her first and only...
and Heidi
Heidi
Heidi is a Swiss work of fiction, published in two parts as Heidi's years of learning and travel and Heidi makes use of what she has learned.It is a novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather's care, in the Swiss Alps...
.
Older juvenile literature
From the 1940s to the 1980s, Western published several series of books for older children and young teenagers, initially under its Whitman line. Girls' mystery series included Trixie BeldenTrixie Belden
Trixie Belden is the title character in a series of 'girl detective' mysteries written between 1948 and 1986. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell Tatham, who also wrote the Ginny Gordon series, then continued by various in-house writers from Western Publishing under the pseudonym...
, Ginny Gordon
Ginny Gordon
Ginny Gordon is the central character in a series of books for adolescent girls published by the Whitman Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Western Publishing of Racine, Wisconsin, in the 1950s...
, Donna Parker
Donna Parker
Donna Parker is the lead character of a seven-volume book series for girls that was written by Marcia Levin under the pseudonym Marcia Martin from the 1950s through the 1960s....
, Meg Duncan
Meg Duncan
The Meg Duncan books are a series of six juvenile mystery books originally published by Western Publishing between 1967 and 1972, and reprinted in 1978....
and Trudy Phillips. Boys' series included the Walton Boys, Power Boys
Power Boys
The Power Boys are two fictional brothers in a series of 6 children's novels by Mel Lyle, published in the mid 1960s by Whitman Publishing.-The characters:...
, and Troy Nesbit mysteries. The series from the 1950s to the 1970s also included a number of titles licensed from popular movies and television shows: Lassie
Lassie (1954 TV series)
Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie named Lassie and her companions, human and animal. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12, 1954, to March 24, 1973...
, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin is an American children's television program which originally aired in 166 episodes on ABC from October 1954 until August 1959. It starred child actor Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy orphaned in an Indian raid, who was being raised by the soldiers at a US Cavalry post known...
, many television Westerns, and Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
's Spin and Marty
Spin and Marty
Spin and Marty was a popular series of television shorts that aired as part of ABC's Mickey Mouse Club show of the mid-1950s produced by Walt Disney. There were three serials in all, set at the Triple R Ranch, a boys' western-style summer camp. The first series of 25 eleven-minute episodes,...
and Annette, (from the serial featuring Annette Funicello
Annette Funicello
Annette Joanne Funicello is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.-Early life and early stardom:...
that aired on The Mickey Mouse Club). The company also was the original American publisher of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
, issuing six titles in English translation in 1959-1960, before discontinuing further releases because of what were considered disappointing sales.
Magazines
In 1937 Western, as the request of Kay Kamen (who oversaw licensing and marketing at Disney), assumed production of the newsstand version of Mickey Mouse Magazine, which in October 1940 was succeeded by the comic book Walt Disney's Comics and StoriesWalt Disney's Comics and Stories
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, sometimes abbreviated WDC or WDC&S, is an anthology comic book series that has an assortment of Disney characters, including Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Mickey Mouse, Chip 'n Dale, Lil Bad Wolf, Scamp, Bucky Bug, Grandma Duck, Brer Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, and...
. Then in late 1955 Western initiated Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club Magazine with content produced by Disney Studio staff members. It was intended to promote The Mickey Mouse Club television series. Eventually the name was changed to Walt Disney's Magazine and the focus shifted to contemporary Disney movie and television productions. During the 1960s Western published The Golden Magazine for Boys and Girls with Cracky the Parrot as its mascot.
Cookbooks
Golden Press for many years was publisher of Betty CrockerBetty Crocker
Betty Crocker AKA: batter witch is a cultural icon, as well as brand name and trademark of American Fortune 500 corporation General Mills. The name was first developed by the Washburn Crosby Company in 1921 as a way to give a personalized response to consumer product questions. The name Betty was...
cookbooks, reputed to have sold in the millions. Often these were issued in a 3-ring binder format so recipe pages could be removed for easy consultation while cooking.
Corporate annual reports
Western had a very lucrative division that used Western's expertise in specialized, technically unique publishing formats.Automobile service manuals
Western printed automobile service manuals for VolvoVolvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
until at least 1989.
Other
The popular series of nature guides, Golden GuideGolden Guide
The Golden Guides, originally Golden Nature Guides, are a series of pocket-sized books that were created by Western Publishing and published under their "Golden Press" line, primarily a children's book imprint, beginning in 1949...
, were published with the Golden Press name. This series has since been revived by St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin's Press is one of the United States' largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin's Press , St...
. The company published a series of guidebooks for coin collectors with the Whitman name, which has been sold to H.E. Harris
Henry Ellis Harris
Henry Ellis Harris was a philatelist and stamp dealer who through his company, H.E. Harris & Co., popularized philately for many Americans, especially children.-Selling stamps:...
.
Disneyland Story Book Shop
With partners DellDell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
and Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
, the company sponsored the Story Book Shop on Main Street, U.S.A.
Main Street, U.S.A.
Main Street, U.S.A. is the first "themed land" inside the main entrance of the many 'Magic Kingdom'-style parks run by The Walt Disney Company around the world....
in Disneyland which opened on July 17, 1955 and closed April 1, 1995. In addition it was one of the initial investors in the park by virtue of being a part-owner of Disneyland, Inc.
Disneyland, Inc.
Disneyland, Inc. was incorporated in the State of California on December 16, 1952. The company was initially a jointly owned venture by Walt Disney Productions, Western Publishing, Walt Disney and the American Broadcasting Company to manage and built the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California...
. This was done in appreciation of its long and lucrative business relationship with Walt Disney.
Golden Books Showcase Stores
During the 1990s, at least three Golden Books Showcase Store locations were opened, which featured only Western Publishing products. The first was opened in the Woodfield MallWoodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, United States, at the intersection of Golf Road and Illinois Route 53....
in Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As...
in November 1992; the second in CityWalk
Universal CityWalk
Universal CityWalk is the name given to the entertainment and retail districts located adjacent to the theme parks of Universal Parks & Resorts. Originating as an expansion of Universal's first park, Universal Studios Hollywood, CityWalk serves as an entrance plaza from the parking lots to the...
Center outside Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
during June 1993; and the third store was opened in Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
in New York City during April 1994. They have all since closed. In the early 1990s they opened a few Books-R-Us stores inside Toys-R-Us. They were located in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, New York and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Acquisition
MattelMattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
bought Western in June 1979, only to sell it in 1984 to private investors. By mid-1996, under the supervision of Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
expatriate Richard E. Snyder
Richard E. Snyder
Richard Elliot “Dick” Snyder is an American publishing executive best known for his tenures at Simon & Schuster and Western Publishing.-Life and career:...
, it was renamed Golden Books Family Entertainment and tried to emphasize on children's books. It sold the adult books (Golden Guide
Golden Guide
The Golden Guides, originally Golden Nature Guides, are a series of pocket-sized books that were created by Western Publishing and published under their "Golden Press" line, primarily a children's book imprint, beginning in 1949...
) to St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin's Press is one of the United States' largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin's Press , St...
in 1999, and later the H.E. Harris
Henry Ellis Harris
Henry Ellis Harris was a philatelist and stamp dealer who through his company, H.E. Harris & Co., popularized philately for many Americans, especially children.-Selling stamps:...
coin company bought Whitman Coin Products from St. Martin’s Press in 2003 and renamed it Whitman Publishing. By 1997, Western Publishing was absorbed into the Golden Books Publishing Company.
Golden Books Family Entertainment was acquired by Classic Media Inc.
Classic Media
Classic Media, LLC, is an American production company and distributor of family programming. It was founded in 2000 by former Marvel Entertainment CEO Eric Ellenbogen and former Broadway Video executive John Engelman in hopes of acquiring mismanaged classic properties and giving exposure to...
and Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
in a bankruptcy auction for $84.4 million on August 16, 2001, with Classic gaining rights to Golden's film and TV library (including Lamb Chop
Lamb chop
Lamb chop or Lambchop may refer to:* Lamb chop , a chop of lamb* Lamb Chop , a sock puppet sheep created by Shari Lewis and now played by her daughter Mallory* Lambchop , an American alternative-country group...
, Lassie
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional collie dog character created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six...
, the pre-1974 Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
library, among other titles) as well as the production, licensing and merchandising rights for Golden's characters, while Random House grabbed Golden's publishing rights. Historian Michael Barrier
Michael Barrier (historian)
Michael Barrier is an American animation historian. Barrier was the founder and editor of Funnyworld, the first magazine exclusively devoted to comics and animation. It began as a contribution to the CAPA-Alpha amateur press association...
has lamented the apparent loss of Western's business records for the use of future researchers.
Slogans and taglines
- I grew up with Golden Books! (1980s)
- Silence isn't Golden. Reading to your child is. (1997)
External links
- Official Golden Books site at Random House
- Mark Evanier on the relationship between Dell Comics and Gold Key Comics
- Mark Evanier on the legacy of the book Walter Lantz Easy Way to Draw
- Scott Shaw on the history of Western's kite safety comic utility giveaway series
- An overview of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club Magazine/Walt Disney's Magazine (Winter 1956-Oct. 1959)
- Finding guide to Chase Craig collection held at the California State University-Northridge Oviatt Library Special Collections Department
- Comic Book Artist #22 (Oct. 2002)