George Caragonne

George Caragonne (1965 – July 20, 1995) was a writer of comic books, 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. He also wrote a short Silver Surfer story for a custom comic produced for Charleston Chew, illustrated by Nelson Decastro; and he wrote a short backup tale for a Fantastic Four annual, illustrated by Larry Alexander. In the early 1990s he co-founded Penthouse Comix Magazine (with Horatio Weisfeld). The American version of the magazine published around 40 issues while the project became a long running international licensing success. Caragonne died in 1995 but 15 years after his death, Spanish Penthouse Comix published its 110th issue in 2010.

Career

In 1988, after hearing former Marvel Editor In Chief Jim Shooter 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.^{[citation needed]} 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 Caragonne to Penthouse magazine publisher Bob Guccione whom Caragonne tried to interest in publishing T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. Guccione asked Caragonne if he could instead create comic sections for Penthouse Magazine. Caragonne agreed and was given an office inside Penthouse's production building and recruited writer/editor Horatio Weisfeld to work with 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),^[1] and the three-issue (March/April 1995 - Oct./Nov. 1995) Omni Comix,^[2] 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 Caragonne (under Guccione's direction) began to change the material from soft-core erotica to hardcore pornography. Guccione also directed that Caragonne 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.^[3]

Death

On July 20, 1995, Caragonne, who lived on West 100th Street in Manhattan, committed suicide by leaping 500 feet to his death from the 45th floor of the Marriott Marquis Hotel, landing in an atrium.^[4]

Footnotes