George Caragonne
Encyclopedia
George Caragonne was a writer of comic book
s, primarily for Marvel Comics
and their subsidiary Star Comics
, throughout the 1980s. Titles he wrote included Masters of the Universe, Planet Terry
, and Star Brand
.
was creating a new comic book company, Valiant Comics
, Caragonne drove from California to New York and, unannounced, knocked on Shooter's door to offer his services. Caragonne agreed to all the grunt work needed for Valiant to be launched, while holding a full time job. After the company was on its feet, Caragonne wrote such titles as Captain N, The Legend of Zelda, and Punch Out.
After leaving Valiant, Caragonne optioned the rights to produce new comics based on the 60s characters T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
. An acquaintance then introduced Carrogonne to Penthous
magazine publisher Bob Guccione
whom Carrogonne tried to interest in publishing T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
. Guccione asked Carrogonne if he could instead create comic sections for Penthouse Magazine. Carragonne agreed and was given an office inside Penthouse's production building and recruited writer/editor Horatio Weisfeld
to assist him. After several sections of comics had been produced for regular Penthouse Magazine, Guccione directed that a stand alone magazine of comics be created for his company- and so the first issue of Penthouse Comix
appeared in spring 1994.
Penthouse Comix was an immediate international success and spawned a full line that included the seven-issue Men's Adventure Comix (cover-titled Penthouse Men's Adventure Comix) (April/May 1995 - April/May 1996), and the three-issue (March/April 1995 - Oct./Nov. 1995) Omni Comix, the latter a companion to the science magazine Omni
magazine.
After the third issue of Penthouse Comix Managing Editor Horatio Weisfeld
left the project and Carrogonne (under Guccione's direction) began to change the material from soft-core erotica to hardcore pornography. Guccione also directed that Carrogonne produce two additional magazines that would feature sexually explicit material and a fourth magazine that would be spun off from Omni magazine, which was owned by Penthouse.
In July 1995 Caragonne was dismissed from Penthouse Comix for financial impropriety.
, committed suicide by leaping 500 feet to his death from the 45th floor of the Marriott Marquis Hotel, landing in an atrium
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s, primarily for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and their subsidiary Star Comics
Star Comics
Star Comics was an imprint of Marvel Comics that began in 1984 and continued to publish comic books until early 1988. Titles published by the imprint were aimed at child readers and were often adaptations of children's television series, animated series or toys...
, throughout the 1980s. Titles he wrote included Masters of the Universe, Planet Terry
Planet Terry
Planet Terry was an American science fiction comic book aimed at young children. Published by Star Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics, the title lasted 12 issues, from April 1985 to March 1986...
, and Star Brand
Star Brand
The Star Brand is the name of a number of similar fictional comic book objects of power all of which exist in the multiverse created by the shared universes of Marvel Comics...
.
Career
In 1988, after hearing former Marvel Editor In Chief Jim ShooterJim 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...
was creating a new comic book company, 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...
, Caragonne drove from California to New York and, unannounced, knocked on Shooter's door to offer his services. Caragonne agreed to all the grunt work needed for Valiant to be launched, while holding a full time job. After the company was on its feet, Caragonne wrote such titles as Captain N, The Legend of Zelda, and Punch Out.
After leaving Valiant, Caragonne optioned the rights to produce new comics based on the 60s characters T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents is a fictional team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s. They were an arm of the United Nations and were notable for their depiction of the heroes as everyday people whose heroic careers were merely their day jobs...
. An acquaintance then introduced Carrogonne to Penthous
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...
magazine publisher Bob Guccione
Bob Guccione
Bob Guccione was the founder and publisher of the adult magazine Penthouse. He resigned from his publisher position in November 2003.-Early life:...
whom Carrogonne tried to interest in publishing T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents is a fictional team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s. They were an arm of the United Nations and were notable for their depiction of the heroes as everyday people whose heroic careers were merely their day jobs...
. Guccione asked Carrogonne if he could instead create comic sections for Penthouse Magazine. Carragonne agreed and was given an office inside Penthouse's production building and recruited writer/editor Horatio Weisfeld
Horatio Weisfeld
Horatio Weisfeld is a writer/editor/publisher who co-founded mass-market comics magazines and developed other media properties. His creation of often irreverent commercial entertainment follows in the footsteps of his father, Irwin Weisfeld, a writer and manufacturer of ubiquitous mid-late 60s...
to assist him. After several sections of comics had been produced for regular Penthouse Magazine, Guccione directed that a stand alone magazine of comics be created for his company- and so the first issue of Penthouse Comix
Penthouse Comix
Penthouse Comix was initially an American mass-market, magazine-sized comic book, published by Penthouse International from its inception in spring 1994 through July 1998, and thereafter by General Media Communications, parent company of Penthouse magazine. Initially edited by writers George...
appeared in spring 1994.
Penthouse Comix was an immediate international success and spawned a full line that included the seven-issue Men's Adventure Comix (cover-titled Penthouse Men's Adventure Comix) (April/May 1995 - April/May 1996), and the three-issue (March/April 1995 - Oct./Nov. 1995) Omni Comix, the latter a companion to the science magazine Omni
Omni (magazine)
OMNI was a science and science fiction magazine published in the US and the UK. It contained articles on science fact and short works of science fiction...
magazine.
After the third issue of Penthouse Comix Managing Editor Horatio Weisfeld
Horatio Weisfeld
Horatio Weisfeld is a writer/editor/publisher who co-founded mass-market comics magazines and developed other media properties. His creation of often irreverent commercial entertainment follows in the footsteps of his father, Irwin Weisfeld, a writer and manufacturer of ubiquitous mid-late 60s...
left the project and Carrogonne (under Guccione's direction) began to change the material from soft-core erotica to hardcore pornography. Guccione also directed that Carrogonne produce two additional magazines that would feature sexually explicit material and a fourth magazine that would be spun off from Omni magazine, which was owned by Penthouse.
In July 1995 Caragonne was dismissed from Penthouse Comix for financial impropriety.
Death
On July 20, Caragonne, who lived on West 100th Street in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, committed suicide by leaping 500 feet to his death from the 45th floor of the Marriott Marquis Hotel, landing in an atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
.