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Western Publishing

From Alfawiki
Western Publishing
Company typePrivate
IndustryPublishing
Founded1907; 119 years ago (1907) in Racine, Wisconsin, United States
FounderEdward Henry Wadewitz
FateRenamed Golden Books Family Entertainment in 1996; acquired by Classic Media in 2001
Headquarters
Racine
,
United States
Area served
United States
Key people
Edward Henry Wadewitz (founder), Sam Lowe (marketing strategist), Georges Duplaix (Artists and Writers Guild leader)
ProductsChildren's books, Little Golden Books, games, jigsaw puzzles, playing cards, comic books
Number of employees
Over 2,500 (late 1970s)

Western Publishing, originally known as the Western Printing and Lithographing Company, was an American enterprise established in 1907 in Racine, Wisconsin. It gained prominence for producing the Little Golden Books. The company's Golden Books Family Entertainment division specialized in children's literature and family-oriented entertainment products. Editorial branches were located in New York City and Los Angeles. In 1996, Western Publishing adopted the name Golden Books Family Entertainment.

In 2001, Golden Books Family Entertainment was acquired through a bankruptcy sale by Classic Media, which owned the United Productions of America (UPA) catalog, along with book publisher Random House. The Little Golden Books brand continues under Penguin Random House, while the Golden Guides and Golden Field Guides are now published by St. Martin's Press.

Early years

Edward Henry Wadewitz, a 30-year-old son of German immigrant parents, was employed at Racine’s West Side Printing Company. When the owner was unable to pay wages, Wadewitz purchased the business in 1907 for $2,504, with financial assistance from his brother Albert. To strengthen operations, he recruited Roy A. Spencer, a printer from the Racine Journal Company.

In its inaugural year, the company generated $5,000 in sales and expanded its workforce to four employees to meet growing demand. Equipment included a cylinder press, two smaller presses, and an automatic power cutter. By 1910, after acquiring its first lithographic press, the firm was renamed Western Printing and Lithographing Company. Sales increased dramatically to over $127,000 by 1914, supporting investments in a larger offset press as well as electrotyping and engraving facilities.

Western accelerated its expansion by acquiring the struggling Hamming-Whitman Publishing Company in 1916, creating the Whitman Publishing division. This acquisition added two sales representatives and yielded more than $43,500 in its initial year by liquidating existing stock. That same year, Sam Lowe joined Western and introduced the innovative strategy of marketing affordable children’s books throughout the year, significantly enhancing market reach and profitability.

1920s

In 1923, Western broadened its product line by launching boxed games and jigsaw puzzles following the acquisition of a Potter offset press. By 1925, annual sales exceeded $1 million. The company expanded further through acquisitions such as the Sheffer Playing Card Company, which led to the establishment of the Western Playing Card Company subsidiary. In 1929, it acquired Stationer's Engraving Company, a Chicago-based manufacturer specializing in stationery and greeting cards. Another subsidiary named K.K. Publications—after Kay Kamen, a prominent figure in character merchandising at Walt Disney Studios—operated until the mid-1960s.

1930s

Amidst the Great Depression, Western diversified its product offerings by promoting Whitman jigsaw puzzles and launching the economical Big Little Books series in 1932, beginning with The Adventures of Dick Tracy. In 1933, Western obtained exclusive licensing rights for all Walt Disney characters, strengthening its competitive position. The company opened an eastern printing facility in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1934 to support collaborations with major publishers such as Dell Publishing and Simon & Schuster. From 1938 to 1962, Western partnered with Dell to produce color comic books featuring licensed characters. Additionally, Western established the Artists and Writers Guild in New York City to develop children’s literature and expanded westward during the early 1940s by opening an office in Beverly Hills to enhance relationships with film studios.

1940s

In 1940, Georges Duplaix assumed leadership of the Artists and Writers Guild and worked alongside Simon & Schuster executives to develop the Little Golden Books collection—a series of inexpensive, sturdy children's books priced at 25 cents each, made possible by a strategy of increased print volumes. Debuting in October 1942 with twelve titles, the collection sold 1.5 million copies within five months, representing a major commercial success. During World War II, Western secured contracts with the U.S. Army Map Service to produce field maps and manufactured books and playing cards for distribution abroad. In 1945, Western expanded its printing operations by acquiring the Wolff Printing Company located in St. Louis.

1950s

In the early 1950s, Western purchased Guild Press, Inc., a publisher specializing in Catholic literature and religious greeting cards. A new specialized printing facility was inaugurated in Hannibal, Missouri in 1955. That same year, commemorating its 50th anniversary, Western achieved $63 million in sales and acquired Kable Printing Company, a prominent rotogravure magazine printer.

Western collaborated with Dell and Simon & Schuster to sponsor the Story Book Shop on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland, which opened in 1955 and operated until 1995. The company also held an initial investment stake in Disneyland through partial ownership of Disneyland, Inc..

Toward the end of 1958, Western joined forces with Pocket Books, Inc. to form Golden Press, Inc., following their joint acquisition of all Golden Book assets from Simon & Schuster. Western continued to produce and publish Golden Books while Pocket Books managed marketing, sales, and distribution efforts. By 1959, more than 150 Little Golden Book titles had each sold over one million copies, with over 400 titles available in thirteen different languages.

1960s

The Golden Book Encyclopedia, a 16-volume set released in 1960, achieved sales of 60 million copies within two years. That same year, Golden Press's book sales neared $39 million. In 1960, the company adopted the name Western Publishing Company and issued common stock shares, with approximately eighty percent owned by management or employees. At this point, Western was the largest producer and publisher of children's books, paper games, and comic books. The company had maintained profitability every year since 1907, distributed dividends annually since 1934, and increased net sales from $40.5 million in 1950 to $123.8 million by 1960; net income grew from $3.1 million to $7.4 million over that decade. In 1961, Western launched a printing plant in Cambridge, Maryland, and by 1970 had acquired several firms including Odyssey Press, a textbook publisher.

By 1963, juvenile literature—including games—constituted 65% of total revenue; commercial printing accounted for 25%, with other activities making up the remaining 10%. Whitman contributed about 35% of overall revenue. Golden Press faced difficulties following losses in 1961-62; sales declined from $32.9 million to $22.5 million by 1963. In 1964, Western purchased Pocket Books' half-interest in Golden Press using stock valued at nearly $7.4 million. Odyssey assumed responsibility for adult Golden Books sales while Western managed children's titles.

In 1965, Western Printing & Lithographing was the largest division, generating roughly 40% of total sales. Subsidiaries included Artists & Writers Press (which produced books for commercial clients), Capitol Publishing (focused on educational materials and toys), Kable Printing (magazines and catalogs), Watkins-Strathmore Co. (children’s books and games), and Whitman (juvenile books, coin collecting products, games, crayons). The company also expanded internationally with subsidiaries established in Canada (1959) and France (1960).

In 1967, the Justice Department charged Golden Press along with seventeen other publishers with price-fixing related to library editions of children’s books; all parties agreed to a consent decree barring bid rigging or price-fixing schemes involving schools and libraries. The following year, Western acquired Skil-Craft Playthings, Inc., a Chicago-based leader in craft kits and children’s science products, issuing 100,000 shares of common stock as consideration.

1970s

In 1970, Western recorded sales of $171.5 million, although net earnings dropped to $3.9 million, influenced by the acquisition of a computerized typesetting facility and an eleven-week labor strike. By mid-1974, the Hannibal plant was shut down, resulting in the reduction of 1,500 jobs. That same year, profits rebounded to $10.1 million alongside sales surpassing $215 million. In 1971, Western collaborated with the Children's Television Workshop to create Golden Books featuring Sesame Street's Muppets. A decade-long printing agreement exceeding $50 million was secured with Dell Publishing in 1974, coinciding with the start of construction on a distribution and game assembly facility in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

By 1976, direct marketing constituted 25% of consumer product sales and accounted for 70% of total revenue. Fueled by initiatives such as the Betty Crocker Recipe Card Program, sales increased to $237.3 million with net income reaching $10.8 million. In 1979, Mattel Inc. acquired Western for $120.8 million through a combination of cash and stock.

Toward the end of the 1970s, Western ranked among the largest commercial printers in the United States, managing four manufacturing plants and two distribution centers spanning from Kansas to Maryland. The company installed some of the earliest heatset web offset presses in the country and operated substantial sheet-fed presses capable of five-color printing. It maintained one of the nation’s most extensive bindery operations. Western also produced mass-market paperbacks under contract and served as the principal manufacturer and distributor of games like Trivial Pursuit and other tabletop products. Additionally, it created specialty cookbooks and promotional materials for numerous Fortune 500 companies, employing over 2,500 full-time personnel.

1980s

In 1980, Western introduced the Sesame Street Book Club and transferred the Skil-Craft manufacturing plant from Chicago to Fayetteville. Sales rose to $278 million by 1981. Nevertheless, Mattel’s investment deteriorated; fiscal year 1983 recorded sales of $246 million but an operating loss of $2.4 million following a $7.5 million charge linked to closing the Poughkeepsie facility. Confronted with financial difficulties, Mattel divested Western in December 1983 to Richard A. Bernstein, a New York real estate investor, for $75 million plus assumed liabilities estimated at $40 million. Bernstein restructured it as Western Publishing Group; Western Publishing Co., now a subsidiary, remained headquartered in Racine.

Under Bernstein’s direction, eight videocassettes featuring Golden Books characters were launched in 1985, distributing 2.5 million units. Western expanded into licensed games for Tonka and Hasbro and developed branded storybooks as promotional items—referred to as "sponsored publishing." In 1986, Western acquired Penn Corporation, a producer of party paper goods and advertising specialties, for $108 million.

Bernstein took the company public in April 1986, generating over $70 million on his initial $5 million investment while retaining a 21% ownership stake. The firm thrived; fiscal year ending January 31, 1989 reported sales of $551 million with earnings close to $30 million.

1990s

Western’s sales declined to $508 million in 1990, with earnings at $23 million, partly due to reduced board game Pictionary sales dropping from $118 million to $42 million. Fiscal year 1991 saw further declines with sales at $491 million and earnings reduced to just $8 million; share prices fell from $28 to $9.

In 1992, Western celebrated Little Golden Books’ fiftieth anniversary by releasing a boxed collection of original titles and launching the Golden Little Nugget Book series, which sold over 1.9 million units within six months. The company also debuted trade children’s books in 1993 under its Artists and Writers Guild Books imprint.

Net sales rebounded to $552.4 million with net income of $13.7 million in fiscal 1992 and grew further to $649.1 million with earnings of $17.5 million in 1993. Despite this growth, Western closed its advertising specialty division in 1993, incurring a writedown of $21.8 million and invested $10 million establishing bookstores inside Toys "R" Us locations. Attempts to expand into discount retailers and supermarkets required a $20 million investment but failed to compensate for losses stemming from the school book club initiated in 1990. These factors culminated in a loss of $55.8 million on sales totaling $613.5 million for fiscal year 1994.

Between 1992 and 1994, three Golden Books Showcase Stores opened at Woodfield Mall (Illinois), Universal CityWalk (California), and Rockefeller Center (New York), exclusively retailing Western products; all have since ceased operations. By the mid-1990s, most printing facilities were shuttered as operations consolidated at Racine.

Growing losses escalated Western's debt load to approximately $250 million and resulted in bond ratings being downgraded to junk status. Unable to find a buyer for the company, Bernstein initiated extensive restructuring: Hasbro acquired the games and puzzles division for $105 million; Troll purchased the school book club for $4.3 million; portions of the advertising specialty unit were sold; workforce reductions cut staff by 28%; and new Just For Kids sections were introduced within Walmart stores offering books alongside video and music products.

During the first three quarters of 1994, Western posted a loss of $11.6 million on revenues totaling $303.9 million. By April 1995, its stock price had fallen below $10 from a peak near $21 in 1993; no dividends had been paid since Bernstein’s acquisition from Mattel in 1984. Bernstein retained close to a 20% shareholding; the Gabelli Group owned about 17%, while Prudential Insurance held approximately 8.6%. Long-term debt stood at nearly $250 million.

By mid-1996, under leadership of former Simon & Schuster executive Richard E. Snyder, Western was rebranded as Golden Books Family Entertainment, focusing primarily on children's publishing interests. Bernstein resigned from his executive roles but maintained his equity stake. The adult-oriented Golden Guide book division was sold to St. Martin's Press in 1999.

2000s

In June 2001, DIC Entertainment revealed intentions to acquire Golden Books Family Entertainment for $170 million to prevent its bankruptcy; however, the deal was later abandoned due to excessive expenses. Subsequently, in August 2001, Classic Media—which owned the United Productions of America (UPA) library—and book publisher Random House jointly purchased Golden Books for $84.4 million. This transaction granted Random House and Classic Media ownership of Golden Books' entertainment assets, including rights to Broadway Video's family entertainment properties, the pre-1974 Rankin/Bass Productions collection, as well as the Gold Key Comics and Dell Comics catalogs. Random House maintained control over Golden Books' publishing operations.

In 2003, Whitman Coin Products was acquired from St. Martin's Press by the H. E. Harris stamp and coin company and subsequently rebranded as Whitman Publishing.

On July 23, 2012, DreamWorks Animation purchased Classic Media for $155 million and rebranded it as DreamWorks Classics. Following this, on July 1, 2013, Random House merged with the Penguin Group, creating Penguin Random House. In April 2016, NBCUniversal announced its acquisition of DreamWorks Animation—including DreamWorks Classics—in a $3.8 billion transaction.

Historian Michael Barrier has highlighted that the disappearance of Western's business records has hindered future scholarly research.

Comic books

Western obtained licenses to produce comics featuring characters from Walt Disney, Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Walter Lantz Studio, alongside original creations. The editorial team featured notable figures such as Eleanor Packer, Alice Cobb, Chase Craig, Zetta Devoe, Del Connell, and Bill Spicer. Bernie Zuber contributed as an editorial artist between 1957 and 1982. The East Coast office was overseen by Oskar Lebeck, Matt Murphy, and Wally Green.

Between 1938 and 1962, Western collaborated with Dell Comics for distribution and financial support. In 1962, Western ended this partnership to independently publish under the Gold Key Comics label. According to Murphy, this separation enabled both firms to expand their markets without exclusivity restrictions; Western managed creative development while Dell handled publishing and distribution duties.

Gold Key Comics continued operations until the late 1970s when newsstand distribution shifted toward toy stores under the "Whitman Comics" brand. Western discontinued comic production in 1984; afterward, its licenses were transferred to various publishers who frequently reprinted Western’s original material.

Prior to 1962, Western also released promotional giveaways such as March of Comics and an annual kite safety booklet featuring licensed characters. These were widely distributed for more than thirty years with print runs reaching hundreds of thousands.

During the 1990s, characters from Western/Gold Key like Magnus, Turok, and Dr. Solar were licensed to Valiant Comics and enjoyed commercial success until Valiant’s decline in the late decade. Starting in 2004, Dark Horse Comics began reissuing Western’s original series including Jesse Marsh’s Tarzan stories. In 2009, announcements were made to revive Gold Key characters with former Valiant editor-in-chief Jim Shooter appointed as lead writer.

Children's Literature

Starting in the 1920s and 1930s, Western offered a diverse range of children's books—including puzzle books, coloring books, Tell-a-Tale editions, and Big Little Books—primarily through the Golden Books and Whitman Publishing labels. The Little Golden Books collection, introduced in 1942 with Lucille Ogle’s innovation of an affordable, fully illustrated, full-color format, gained widespread popularity. Additionally, Western published public domain classics such as Little Women, Little Men, Black Beauty, and Heidi under the "Golden Press" brand.

By the late 1960s, Golden Books ventured into the educational sector by launching Goldencraft reinforced library bindings aimed at schools and libraries across the United States. This initiative was supported by an independent sales team led by general manager Roy Spahr. The company’s warehousing and distribution operations were centralized in Wayne, New Jersey.

Literature for Older Children

Between the 1940s and 1980s, Western’s Whitman imprint published numerous series catering to older children and early teenagers. Mystery series for girls included titles like Trixie Belden, Ginny Gordon, Donna Parker, Meg Duncan, and Trudy Phillips. For boys, popular series comprised the Walton Boys, Power Boys, Brains Benton, and Troy Nesbit mysteries. The company also secured licenses for well-known media properties such as Lassie, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, various television Westerns, and Walt Disney franchises like Spin and Marty and Annette, capitalizing on their cross-media popularity.

Western originally published the U.S. editions of The Adventures of Tintin, releasing six English-language translations during 1959–1960 before discontinuing further issues due to disappointing sales figures.

Periodicals

In 1937, responding to a request from Kay Kamen, Disney’s head of licensing and marketing, Western began producing the newsstand edition of Mickey Mouse Magazine. This publication was replaced in October 1940 by the comic book Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. From 1936 through 1954, Western’s subsidiary Story Parade, Inc. issued Story Parade: A Magazine for Boys and Girls, which focused on children’s literature. In late 1955, Western introduced Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club Magazine, developed by Disney Studio personnel to promote the television series The Mickey Mouse Club. This magazine later evolved into Walt Disney's Magazine, shifting its emphasis toward current Disney films and TV shows. Western also produced Gulf Oil’s Wonderful World of Disney premium (1969–1970), edited by Disney’s George Sherman. During the 1960s, Western published The Golden Magazine for Boys and Girls, featuring Cracky the Parrot as its mascot.

Additional Publications and Products

Golden Press was responsible for publishing Betty Crocker cookbooks, frequently issued in three-ring binder formats to facilitate easy recipe organization. Western also developed popular games such as Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary until divesting that division to Hasbro in 1994. Furthermore, the company produced children’s science books including The World of Science and The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments, alongside the Golden Guide nature series under the Golden Press label.

Slogans and taglines

  • I grew up with Golden Books! (1980s)
  • Silence isn't Golden. Reading to your child is. (1997)

Trademarks

Western Publishing Company Inc. registered numerous trademarks, many of which have since expired. Notable trademarks included:

  • FIRST FUN – Workbooks for children
  • MIRROR MANIA – Components for board games
  • A GOLDEN BLOCK BOOK – Miniature books for children
  • POP-UP GAME – Equipment for board and parlor games
  • V.I.P. – Jigsaw puzzles
  • IMAGE – Juvenile books, coloring books, jigsaw puzzles, and pre-recorded audio tapes
  • GOLDEN – Retail mail-order services, crayons, coloring books, jigsaw puzzles, board game equipment, juvenile books
  • GOLDEN PRESS SHOPPER'S SERVICE – Mail-order book retailing
  • DRIVE AWAY – Books for children
  • SPONSORED PUBLISHING – Marketing and advertising services
  • PICTURE PARADE – Illustrated books for children
  • DOODLE BUG – Children's literature
  • PAINT WITH WATER – Paint books designed for children
  • A GOLDEN MELODY BOOK / GOLDEN MELODY – Children's books featuring electronically produced melodies
  • KING'S COURT – Equipment for card games
  • PRETTY AS A PICTURE – Units for board and parlor games
  • GOLDEN STEP AHEAD / STEP AHEAD – Educational flash cards and workbooks targeting preschool and elementary students
  • IT ACTUALLY PLAYS MUSIC – Children's books with electronic melodies
  • MAGIC SLATE – Toy designed for temporary writing impressions
  • GOLDEN MINIATURE – Jigsaw puzzles
  • WHITMAN CLASSIC – Collectors’ coin folders and albums
  • A GOLDEN SUPER ADVENTURE BOOK / A GOLDEN THINKABOUT BOOK – Series of children's books

These trademarks highlight Western Publishing’s varied product range and its concentrated efforts within the children's education and entertainment sectors.

External links

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