New Media/Irjax

New Media Distribution/Irjax Enterprises

Company type	Private
Industry	Comic book distribution and publishing
Founded	1973 in Rockville, Maryland, United States
Founder	Hal Schuster, Irwin Schuster, Jack Schuster
Defunct	1995 (publishing branch)
Fate	Distribution division ceased 1982; facilities became Diamond Comic Distributors
Headquarters	Rockville, Maryland (originally) , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Hal Schuster (founder, publisher), Jack Schuster (president)
Products	Comics Feature magazine, various comics and fanzines

New Media Distribution/Irjax Enterprises functioned as a comic book distributor and publisher from the mid-1970s through the mid-1980s. In 1978, its legal confrontation with the leading distributor Sea Gate Distributors played a pivotal role in broadening the direct market. When Irjax's distribution division ceased operations in 1982, its processing facilities became the cornerstone for Diamond Comics Distributors, which has since emerged as the top comics distributor.

The publishing branch, known as New Media, remained active until 1995, specializing in periodicals catering to fans of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Among its notable publications was the influential magazine Comics Feature. Prominent editors and contributors included Carol Kalish, Richard Howell, Peter B. Gillis, Kurt Busiek, Don and Maggie Thompson, James Van Hise, Peter Sanderson, Max Allan Collins, Ron Goulart, Will Jacobs, Gerard Jones, Steve Perrin, and Roy Thomas.

Origins

In 1973, Hal Schuster, along with his father Irwin and brother Jack, established Irjax Enterprises—a name derived from "Irwin" and "Jack"—with its headquarters located in Rockville, Maryland.

Entering the direct market

By 1978, Hal Schuster also owned a comic book retail store in Rockville. Following Phil Seuling’s creation of the direct market in 1972, his company Sea Gate Distributors held a dominant position until Irjax filed a lawsuit in 1978 against DC, Marvel, Archie, and Warren for engaging in anti-competitive agreements with Seagate. This legal challenge enabled Irjax to secure a substantial portion of the direct-distribution sector, operating distribution centers in Boston and Tampa. The Boston branch was known as Solar Spice and Liquors and employed Carol Kalish and Richard Howell.

Exit New Media/Irjax, enter Diamond Comic Distributors

Baltimore-based retailer Steve Geppi, proprietor of four comic shops, served as a sub-distributor for smaller retailers and by 1981 had become one of New Media/Irjax’s largest clients. Toward the end of 1981, the company—referred to as New Media Distribution or New Media/Irjax—filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As one of the few remaining dedicated customers during this period, Geppi negotiated with owner Hal Schuster to receive complimentary inventory in exchange for access to New Media/Irjax’s client list.

In early 1982, after Schuster moved to Florida, he requested Geppi to manage additional accounts at a deeper discount, effectively transferring control of the distribution business. Geppi assumed control over New Media/Irjax’s offices and warehouse, settled with creditors, and continued operations under the new name Diamond Comic Distributors, establishing the foundation for what would grow into a leading comics distribution enterprise.

Publisher

Alongside distribution efforts, Hal and Jack Schuster initiated a publishing venture in 1975 aimed at audiences interested in comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Between 1985 and 1987, they formed several publishing companies that remained active until 1995. Their operations were based across multiple locations including Rockville, Maryland, Boston, the Tampa Bay region (Largo and Tampa), various neighborhoods in Los Angeles (Studio City, Topanga, Canoga Park, Granada Hills), and ultimately settled in Las Vegas.

Irjax Enterprises

The Schuster siblings' initial foray into publishing, Irjax Enterprises, was active from 1975 until 1977. This venture produced one-off issues each summer, focusing on well-known properties such as Star Trek and Howard the Duck, but none of these publications extended beyond their debut edition.

New Media Publishing

Established in 1980, the Schuster brothers launched New Media Publishing (NMP), which became the central pillar of their publishing activities. Hal assumed the role of Publisher while Jack took on the presidency. They brought on board key figures including Carol Kalish, Richard Howell, and Peter B. Gillis as editorial director, initiating a series of professionally crafted fanzines. Despite ambitious announcements for titles like Artform and Brush Strokes, many planned projects never came to fruition.

By mid-1981, editorial leadership shifted when Gillis departed and Howell assumed control. Both Howell and Kalish exited in 1982, coinciding with the collapse of NMP’s distribution division that same year. The company became known for frequent publication delays and cancellations. For instance, after acquiring Rocket's Blast Comicollector in 1981, NMP managed to release only three issues before discontinuing it. Similarly, their takeover of the British fanzine BEM led to just two U.S. editions before the title ceased.

Among NMP’s significant titles were:

• Comics Feature — a magazine dedicated to comics criticism, which ran for 57 issues between 1980 and 1987; its initial editorial team included Dean Mullaney, Kalish, and Howell.
• LoC — issued 10 times from 1980 to 1983 before being renamed Comic Fandom's Forum.
• Enterprise Incidents — a leading Star Trek fanzine published by NMP with 32 issues from 1981 through 1985 under editor James Van Hise.
• Fantasy Empire — covering comics, fantasy literature, and Doctor Who, it produced 18 issues between 1981 and 1985 along with related spin-offs.
• Golden Age of Comics — featuring reprints and historical content, this title released eight issues from 1982 to 1984 before continuing as Comics, the Golden Age.
• Daredevils — concentrating on adventure films and television, it published 14 issues from 1983 to 1985.
• Monsterland — under the editorship of Forrest J Ackerman, this magazine issued 17 editions from late 1984 until June 1987.

Prominent contributors to NMP included Don and Maggie Thompson, Kurt Busiek, and Peter Sanderson. Additionally, NMP produced three comic book titles featuring creators such as Doug Moench, Bill Sienkiewicz, Steve Ditko, and Mark Evanier.

In October 1982, a critical review of Hal Schuster’s publishing practices appeared in The Comics Journal, authored by Marilyn Bethke.

The brothers expanded into book publishing in 1985 by launching New Media Books (NMB), which released several softcover volumes aligned with their magazines’ subject matter.

Post-NMP magazine publishing companies

After New Media Publications ceased operations in 1987, the Schuster brothers continued managing four separate publishing entities—New Media Books, Movie Publisher Services/Movieland Publishing, Psi Fi Movie Press, and Heroes Publishing—all headquartered in Topanga, California. Jack held presidential roles at New Media Books, Movie Publisher Services, and Heroes Publishing; meanwhile, Hal led Psi Fi Movie Press.

Psi Fi was responsible for producing the Files magazine series—60-page magazine-sized books priced between $4.95 and $7.95—that explored topics such as comic book characters, television series, rock bands, and films through a combination of text, photographs, and illustrations. Noteworthy editions covered subjects including James Bond, Doctor Who, The Monkees, and Star Trek. The series also featured Marvel and DC superheroes with contributions from writers like Martin Cannon, Edward Gross, Glenn A. Magee, Doug Murray, John Peel, and James Van Hise. Schuster fulfilled both editorial and publishing duties.

In 1986, Movie Publisher Services announced a paperback compilation of articles and interviews centered on comics creator Frank Miller. Despite Miller’s legal objections, Heroes Publishing eventually released the volume titled Frank Miller, A Work In Progress: Great Comic Artist File, as part of the Files Magazine collection.

A lawsuit filed by Marvel Comics in 1987 accused the Schuster brothers of copyright and trademark violations due to unauthorized use of Marvel imagery within the Files series. This legal action effectively terminated their publishing ventures.

Pioneer Books

Hal Schuster resumed his involvement in book publishing in 1989 by founding Pioneer Books, headquartered in Las Vegas. This imprint specialized in softcover titles centered on pop culture, closely resembling the type of publications produced by New Media. Many of these works were penned by James Van Hise, with Schuster himself responsible for the design and editorial oversight of most releases. Pioneer Books remained active until 1995.

Schuster Brothers publishing ventures

An overview of the various publishing companies operated by the Schuster Brothers between 1975 and 1995 includes:

• 1975–1977 Irjax Enterprises, Inc. (Rockville, Maryland)
• 1980–1987 New Media Publishing (locations included Boston, Florida, and Los Angeles)
• 1985–1988 New Media Books, Inc. (Canoga Park, California)
  • 1985–1987 Psi Fi Movie Press
    • 1985–1988 Pop Cult, Inc.
• 1986 Heroes Publishing, Inc. (Mexico)
• 1986–1991 Movie Publisher Services, Inc./Movieland Publishing (Canoga Park, California)
• 1989–1995 Pioneer Books (Las Vegas)

Irjax Enterprises

• Media Spotlight #1: Star Trek Lives Again! (Summer 1975) — tabloid newspaper format
• The Wonderful World of Marvel #1: Howard the Duck (Summer 1976) — tabloid edition
• The Wonderful World of Comics (August 1977) — published as a magazine

Publications for enthusiasts

• Comic News (2 issues, 1983)
• Comics Feature (57 issues from March 1980 to July 1987)
  • Comics Feature Collectors Edition (2 issues, 1984)
  • Comics Feature Interviews (1 issue, 1984)
  • Comics Feature Summer Special (1 issue, 1983)
  • Comics Feature — The Fandom Zone (1 issue, 1980), edited by Don and Maggie Thompson
• Comics, the Golden Age, also known as Ron Goulart's Comics the Golden Age (5 issues between 1984 and 1985)
• Daredevils (14 issues from November 1983 to January 1985), edited by Hal Schuster and Cynthia Broadwater
• Enterprise Incidents/SF Movieland (32 issues spanning 1981 to December 1985)
  • A series of special editions in 1984 concentrating on interviews and technical details
  • Dedicated spotlight editions featuring Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner (June 1984)
• Fantasy Empire (18 issues from July 1981 through July 1985)
  • Included collector’s editions and themed specials during 1983 and 1984
• Future Gold / Golden Age of Comics (10 issues approximately from 1980 to February 1984), a magazine focused on nostalgia and comic investment; later issues renamed as Golden Age of Comics
• LoC / Comic Fandom's Forum (10 issues from January 1980 to January 1983)
• Monsterland (17 issues published between December 1984 and June 1987)

Unique titles

• Xal-Kor, the Human Cat (single issue, August 1980), featuring a character created by Grass Green originating from fanzine roots
• Adventure Illustrated (one issue, Winter 1981), showcasing adventure comics with contributions from notable creators such as Jim Starlin, Bill Sienkiewicz, Mark Evanier, among others
• Doctor and the Enterprise (two issues released in 1986), a text story complemented by illustrations that combined elements of Star Trek and Doctor Who fan fiction authored by Jean Airey
• Fantasy Illustrated (one issue, April 1982), a fantasy anthology edited by Richard Howell, including work from distinguished industry figures like P. Craig Russell, Steve Ditko, and Steve Englehart

Publications

• Goulart, Ron (1985). Comics, the Golden Age: A History of DC Comics
• Gross, Edward (May 1987). Star Trek: The Movies: The Definitive Guide — in-depth interviews and behind-the-scenes insights on the first four Star Trek films
• Van Hise, James (May 1985). Classic Files Magazine — two volumes titled The V Files covering the V television series

Psi Fi Movie Press

• Files Magazine (1985–1987)

Pioneer Publishing

• Airey, Jean. (November 1989) The Doctor and the Enterprise
• Altman, Mark A. (1991). Twin Peaks Behind-the-Scenes: An Unofficial Visitor’s Guide
• Anderson, Robert (1994). The Kung Fu Book: The Exclusive History of America’s Favorite Martial Arts Series
• Cawley, John; Korkis, Jim (November 1990). The Encyclopedia of Cartoon Superstars: From A to Nearly Z
• Gross, Edward (1989). The Making of The Next Generation
• Gross, Edward (1990). The Wonder Years: Growing Up in the Sixties
• Scott; Fherenbach, Kurt (1992). SNL!: Exploring the World of Saturday Night Live
• Van Hise, James (1989–1995). Various works including Batmania, The Green Hornet Book, and Sci-Fi TV from Twilight Zone to Deep Space Nine
• Van Hise, James with Hal Schuster (1995). The Unauthorized Trek: The Complete Next Generation

See also

• Capital City Distribution
• Pacific Comics
• Sunrise Distribution
• List of book distributors
• Amazing Heroes
• Comics Buyer's Guide
• The Comics Journal

References

• Company profile and publications of New Media Publishing available at MyComicShop.com and Atomic Avenue