Former type Comic publisher Defunct 1994 Founded 1988 | Industry Comics Founder David Campiti Ceased operations 1994 | |
Headquarters Wheeling, West Virginia, United States | ||
Innovation Publishing (also known as Innovation Books) was an American comic book company based in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was co-founded by David Campiti in 1988 after writing a business proposal and raising US$400,000 to finance its launch. Innovation became #4 in market share, below Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Dark Horse Comics.
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The company published many adaptations and tie-in series of existing media properties, such as Anne Rice's novels Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and Queen of the Damned. It also published Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality: On a Pale Horse; the TV series Dark Shadows, Quantum Leap, Beauty and the Beast and Lost in Space; and the movie series Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street among others.
Innovation's original series included Angel Heat; Dangerous Secrets; Dream Angel; The Experimentals; writer Al Rio's Exposure; Galaxy Girl; Greylore; writer Kevin Juaire's Hero Alliance; Legends of the Stargrazers; and writer Mike Barr's The Maze Agency (continuing a series originally published by Comico).
Innovation was one of the first companies to delve heavily into recruiting talents from Brazil, starting the American careers of Mike Deodato and Joe Bennett, among others. 1992 Russ Manning "Best Newcomer" Award-winner Mike Okamoto broke into comic books illustrating The Maze Agency #15 (Aug. 1990) and Hero Alliance #11-12 (Nov.-Dec. 1990).
Campiti left Innovation in 1993 to launch Glasshouse Graphics, a studio/agency for illustrators, writers, painters, and digital designers. Shortly thereafter, in early 1994, Innovation closed, leaving substantial debts to creators, printers, and investors.