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NOW Comics

Comic book publisher

NOW Comics was a comic book publisher founded in late 1985 by Tony C. Caputo as a sole-proprietorship. During the four years after its founding, NOW grew from a one-man operation to operating in 12 countries, and published almost 1,000 comic books. The company was headquartered in the Chicago Loop in Chicago, Illinois.2 It ceased to exist in 2005.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1985Founded1

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NOW Comics was a comic book publisher founded in late 1985 by Tony C. Caputo as a sole-proprietorship. During the four years after its founding, NOW grew from a one-man operation to operating in 12 countries, and published almost 1,000 comic books.2

The story

Founded by Tony C. Caputo in 1985.1

NOW Comics started in late 1985 as a sole-proprietorship, with the first publications shipping in May 1986. It became Caputo Publishing, Inc. in 1987.

In a four-year period, CPI grew from a one-man operation with annual sales of $110,000 to an international multimillion-dollar corporation, with close to 100 full-time employees and freelancers, and the #3 position in comic book market share. During this period, CPI created such cross-promotional ventures as The Real Ghostbusters cereal (with Ralston Purina) and Slimer's Ecto-Cooler Hi-C drink (with Coca-Cola Foods).

In 1989, the comics division began to lose steam, suffering from lack of focus and internal dissension. In 1990, NOW was forced to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy by Quebecor Printing and the General Learning Corporation. After being bought by General Learning, NOW Comics relaunched in 1991 as the NOW Entertainment Corporation This new infusion of over $2 million in 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.

In 1993, NOW and Malibu/Eternity co-published the crossover series Ninja High School featuring Speed Racer.

In 1994, the company ceased publishing after its "January 1995" releases, six months after founder Caputo left.

In 2003, Caputo returned, reviving the publisher as NOW Media Group, Inc. The new company, dubbed "NOW Comics 3.0" by Caputo, was re-launched as a graphic novel "self-publisher", giving creators a partnership role in the business. Books published by this iteration of NOW Comics included Vespers (an original graphic novel written and illustrated by Caputo), Vinny, the Bug Man (a 3D animated graphic novel by Chet Spiewak, including a CD-ROM), and black and white collected editions of Marc Hansen's Ralph Snart, Doctor Gorpon, and Weird Melvin series. Planned but unreleased were Mirrorwalker (collecting the originally intended two issues of the Barry Daniel Peterson and Marv Wolfman 1990 series) and Syphons (collecting volume two of the series), which was later published by Image Comics. The business plan didn't pan out and the company folded in 2005, with the corporation fully dissolved in February 2006.

From Wikipedia’s article on NOW Comics, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Leadership

Who has led NOW Comics, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Products and brands

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989), #1–4

3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994), #1

A Boy and His 'Bot (1987), #1

Alias (1990), #1–5

Read the full text

Bats, Cats, & Cadillacs (1990), #1–2

Dai Kamikaze! (1987–1988), #1–12

Doctor Gorpon (2004), B&W, collects Doctor Gorpon (1991), #1–3 from Eternity.

Eb'nn (June 1986 – January 1987), #3–6 [from #1–2 (1985–1986) published by Crowquill Comics]

FanGraphiX (1984–1986), #1–4 [as Tony Caputo Publishing]

Freejack (1992), #1–3

Fright Night Part II (1988), TPB adapting the Fright Night Part 2 film

Fright Night

v1 (1988–1990), #1–22

3-D Special (1992)

3-D Fall Special (1992)

Halloween Annual (1993)

3-D Winter Special (1993)

Ghostbusters II (1989), #1–3

Graves Inc. Derides Again (1988), collects Graves Inc. newspaper strips [as Caputo Publishing/NOW Library]

The Green Hornet

v1 (1989–1990), #1–14

v2 (1991–1995), #1–40

Tales of, v1 (1990), #1–2

Tales of, v2 (1992), #1–4

Tales of, v3 (1992), #1–3

Sting of (1992), #1–4

1992 Annual (1992), #1

1994 Annual (1994), #1

Solitary Sentinel (1992–1993) #1–3

Dark Tomorrow (1993), #1–3

Kato

v1 (1991), #1–4 (indicia reads Kato of the Green Hornet, v1)

v2 (1992), #1–2 (indicia reads Kato of the Green Hornet II, v1)

Little Monsters (1990), #1–4

Married... with Children

v1 (1991), #1–7

v2 (1991–1992), #1–7

Collector's Special (1992), #1

Kelly Bundy Special (1992), #1–3

Flashback (1993), #1–3

3-D Special (1993), #1

Off Broadway (1993), #1

2099 (1993), #1–3

Quantum Quartet (1993–1994), #1–4 (#3 & 4 are combined as a flip-book)

1994 Annual (1994), #1

Buck's Tale (1994), #1

Bud Bundy, Fanboy in Paradise (1994), #1

Kelly Goes to Kollege (1994), #1–3

Lotto Fever! (1995), #1 (#2 & 3 were never released)

MirrorWalker (1990), #1 (#2 unpublished)

Mr. Lizard

Color Special (1993), #1 (with "Instant Ralph Snart" capsule)

3-D Special (1993), #1 (with "Instant Mr. Lizard" capsule)

Mr. T & The T-Force (1993–1994), #1–10

NOW What?! (1989), #1–13 (NOW Comics news magazine)

Prime Slime Tales, #3–4 [from Mirage Comics]

The Original Astro Boy (September 1987 – June 1989)

Racer X

v1 (1988–1989), #1–11

v2 (1989–1990), #1–10

Ralph Snart Adventures

v1 (1986), #1–3

v2 (1986–1987), #1–9

v3 (1988–1990), #1–26

v4 (1992), #1–3

3-D Special (1992)

v5 (1993), #1–4

The Lost Issues (1993), #1–3

Comic Collection #1 (2003), B&W, collects v1 #1–3 & v3 #1–16

Comic Collection #2 (2004), B&W, collects v3 #17–23, v4 #1–3, & v5 #1–5

The Real Ghostbusters

v1 (1988–1990), #1–27

v2 (1991–1992), #1–4

Spectacular 3-D Special (1991)

Annual (1992)

3-D Annual (1993)

3-D Slimer Special (1993)

Rust (1989)

v1 (1987–1988), #1–13

v2 (1989), #1–7

Silverwing (1987), #1, collects the back-up feature from Eb'nn #2–3

Slimer!

v1 (1989-1990), #1–19

The Big Comic Book (1991), collects Slimer! #1–3

Speed Racer

v1 (1987–1990), #1–38

Mach V Special (1988), #1

Classics v1 (1988), collects selected chapters of the original Mach GoGoGo manga [as Caputo Publishing/NOW Library] (225 pages)

Classics v2 (1989), collects selected chapters of the original Mach GoGoGo manga (100 pages)

v2 (1992), #1–3

featuring Ninja High School (1993), #1–2 — co-published with Malibu/Eternity

The New Adventures of (1993–1994), #0–5

Return of the GRX (1994), #1–2

Supercops (1990–1991), #1–4

Syphons

v1 (1986–1987), #1–7

v2 (1994), #1–3, collected as Syphons (2004) by Image Comics

v3 The Sygate Strategem (1994–1995), #1–3

The Terminator (1988–1990), #1–17

Terminator: All My Futures Past (1990), #1–2

Terminator: The Burning Earth (1990), #1–5; collected as Terminator: The Burning Earth (1990) [as Caputo Publishing/NOW Library]

The Twilight Zone

v1 (1990), #1 [reprinted as Twilight Zone Premiere (1991)]

v2 (1991–1992), #1–11 (#1 was a separate issue from Twilight Zone Premiere)

v3 (1993), #1–4

Annual (1993), #1

3-D Special (1993), #1

Universal Soldier (1992), #1–3

Valor Thunderstar and His Fireflies (1986), #1

Vector (1986), #1–4

Vespers (2004), TPB

Vinny, the Bug Man (2004), TPB (includes CD-ROM)

Weird Melvin

The Comic Book Collection (2004), B&W, collects Weird Melvin #1–5 (1995) from Marc Hansen Stuff

The Comic Strip Collection (2004), B&W, collects strips from the Comics Buyer's Guide (B&W)

From Wikipedia’s article on NOW Comics, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. 2005Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1985Founded Founded1

Sources

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

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