Private company

Harris Publications

Former American media company

Harris Publications Inc. was an American special interest media company, operating over 75 brands with print, digital, mobile and live-event platforms prior to its sale to Athlon Media in 2016. It produced magazines that educate, entertain and inform. Subject matters spanned an array of interests including decorating, gardening, beauty, automotive, entrepreneurship and small business, sports, outdoor living, history, tactical, entertainment and wellness.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1977Founded1

Harris Publications Inc. was an American special interest media company, operating over 75 brands with print, digital, mobile and live-event platforms prior to its sale to Athlon Media in 2016. It produced magazines that educate, entertain and inform. Subject matters spanned an array of interests including decorating, gardening, beauty, automotive, entrepreneurship and small business, sports, outdoor living, history, tactical, entertainment and wellness. Harris' titles covered a variety of markets and focused on niche special interests, primarily in the United States.2

The story

Harris Publications was founded in 1977 by Stanley R. Harris, who had been in the magazine publishing business since the late 1960s. Harris's father William invented the Harris Press printing press.

One of Harris Publications' first successful and long-running titles was Guitar World, which it published beginning in 1980, before selling the property to Future US in 2003. The company sold its music and millennial division including XXL to Townsquare Media in 2014. XXL was one of the largest music sites focusing on hip-hop and urban culture.

On April 28, 2016, Harris Publications operations and its magazine brands and trademarks were acquired by Athlon Media. Athlon integrated many of Harris' brands into its Decorating & Gardening group and announced plans to further distribute Harris' content through its newspaper distribution resources.

Harris Comics

In 1983, Harris acquired the assets of the defunct Warren Publishing, including their well-known horror magazines Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella. Forming Harris Comics in 1985, Harris published a single issue of Creepy (#146), but legal murkiness and a 1999 lawsuit by Warren publisher James Warren resulted in his reacquisition of the rights to Creepy and sister publication Eerie.

In the early 1990s Harris Comics revived Vampirella, publishing Vampirella stories in various series and formats from 1991 to 2007. A number of British creators worked for Harris on its Vampirella titles, including Grant Morrison, Gary Frank, Mark Millar, John Smith, Ian Edginton, and Malachy Coney. In January 2007 Fangoria Comics made the announcement that the character Vampirella was now owned by Fangoria, however, in April Harris replied that this was not factual, and began publishing Vampirella Quarterly.

Harris Comics also published a number of non-Vampirella comics in the superhero and science fiction genres. The 2002–2003 imprint Anarchy Studio published manga comics featuring the characters Vampi and Xin. Harris Comics operated until 2008, and in March 2010 Dynamite Entertainment acquired the Vampirella property.

Small Business Magazine, a Harris bi-monthly publication for first time entrepreneurs was launched in 1988 by Susan Rakowski. Two spinoff publications were published and sold worldwide.

From Wikipedia’s article on Harris Publications, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

Automotive

Mopar Action

Rides

America's Best Big Trucks

0-60

Read the full text

Beauty

Short Hair

Celebrity Hairstyles

Short Styles

Crafts

Christmas Crochet

Fresh Quilts

Room to Create

White Crochet

Comics

Creepy—published one issue of the former Warren Publishing title in 1985

Cyberfrog (1996)—Ethan Van Sciver character acquired from Hall of Heroes

Flux (1994–1995)—video games, comics, and music

Harsh Realm (1994)

The Rook (1995)—original Eerie character revamped by Harris

Vampi (2000–2002)

Vampirella (various titles, 1991–2008)—acquired from Warren Publishing

Xin (2002–2003)

Decorating

Beach Cottages

Country Collectibles

Decorating Shortcuts

Flea Market Style

Organized Room by Room

Romantic Country

Storage Solutions

Small Space Decorating

Dogs

Dog News—considered the bible of the conformation show industry

D—D is the Annual Magazine of Dog News released to coincide with the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Entertainment

Style Makers

Hollywood Icons

Music Icons

Gardening

Container Gardening

Fleas Market Gardens

Great Backyards

Porches and Gardens

Real Gardens

Music

Guitar World (1980 – 2003) — acquired by Future US

Revolver (2000–2003) — acquired by Future US

Scratch (2004–2007)

XXL (1997 – 2014) - acquired by Townsquare Media

elektro 2012-2014, acquired by Townsquare Media

Outdoor living

The New Pioneer

Harris' Farmer's Almanac

America Frontiersman

Small Business

Small Business Opportunities

Get Rich At Home

Start Your Own Business

Sports

Pro Football Draft

College Football Guide

Basketball Draft

SLAM Magazine—acquired by Peterson Publishing in 1998

Guns and weapons

Ballistic

Combat Handguns

Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement

Guns of the Old West

Tactical Weapons

Personal & Home Defense (published bi-annually)

Special Weapons for Military & Police

Survivor's Edge

Tactical Knives

Tactical Life

Guns (annual)

Gun Buyers Guide—2012, 2014 & 2015

The Complete Book of Guns—2015

The Complete Book of Handguns—2012 through 2015

Gun Annual—2014

The Complete Rifleman—1989 through 2011

Wellness

Naturally, Danny Seo

Herbal Remedies

Miscellaneous

PC How-To Guide

Woman—acquired by Condé Nast Publications in 1988

ANTENNA

Honey acquired by Vanguarde Media in 1999

From Wikipedia’s article on Harris Publications, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. 1977Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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