Bongo Comics Group

From Hey Kids Comics

Bongo Comics Group
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Founded 1993
Founder Steve Vance, Cindy Vance, Bill Morrison, Matt Groening
Country of origin Template:Flag/core
Headquarters location Santa Monica, California
Key people Nathan Kane, creative director
Matt Groening, publisher
Publication types Comics
Official website [1]

Bongo Comics Group is a comic book publishing company founded in 1993 by Steve and Cindy Vance, Bill Morrison, and Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groening.[1] It publishes comics related to the Animated Television series The Simpsons and Futurama, as well as providing distribution services for the SpongeBob SquarePants comic; along with original material. It was named after Bongo, a rabbit character in Groening's comic strip Life in Hell.

Bongo has, at some time in its history, printed Simpsons Comics, Simpsons Comics and Stories, Futurama Comics, Krusty Comics, Lisa Comics, Bart Simpson, Bartman, Itchy & Scratchy Comics and Radioactive Man.

Zongo Comics, also created by Groening, was Bongo Comics' counterpart geared towards older audiences.

History[edit | edit source]

Groening launched Bongo Comics Group in 1993, perceiving a lack of funny books in the comic book industry at the time: "I go into comic book stores and look at all the stuff, and, for the most part, it looks like fairly grim science-fiction and superhero stuff ... I guess I just thought there was room out there for funny comic books."[2] The company launched four titles, the bi-monthly Simpsons Comics and Radioactive Man Vol. 1, and the thrice-annually Itchy & Scratchy Comics and Bartman.[2] Groening hoped that the new company would revitalise the industry, and held discussions to publish cross-overs with characters from other publishing companies.[2] The comics use original story-lines rather than simply adapt episodes of the television series, although in 2011 editor Bill Morrison explained that the stories "fit in with the continuity of the shows."[3]

File:Bongo Comics logo.jpeg
Original Bogo Comics logo

The company launched Futurama Comics, based on the cartoon series of the same name in 2000.[4]

2012 saw the company change their logo, and a new creative director was unveiled, with Nathan Kane promoted internally to replace the departing Bill Morrison.[5]

All series[edit | edit source]

Single issue publications[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "The Legend of Bongo Comics". Bongo Comics. Retrieved 25 June 2013. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Richmond, Ray (27 November 1993). "Groening Enjoying Being Eye Of Hurricane". Times-News. p. 20. 
  3. Laird, Jonathan (6 November 2011). "Writers and Artists of The Simpsons Sign Autographs". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 12 September 2012. 
  4. "Groening lanches 'Futurama Comics'". The Gazette. 19 November 2000. 
  5. Armitage, Hugh (January 28, 2012). "Bongo Comics unveils new logo, creative director". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2012. 

External links[edit | edit source]

Template:Matt Groening