Red Circle II
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From the Original Archie Comics Website
Michael Silberkleit and Richard GoldwaterBiography
Michael
Silberkleit, Chairman and Co-Publisher, and Richard Goldwater, President and
Co-Publisher, are the sons of John Goldwater and Louis Silberkleit, who along
with Maurice Coyne, founded Archie Comic Publications.
Originally doing business in the late 1930’s as “MLJ Publications”
(which stood for Maurice, Louis and John), the trio soon changed the name of the
company when the ARCHIE character became such a sensation.
Messrs.
Silberkleit and Goldwater started working for Archie Comics after graduating
from college, learning all facets of the business.
Mr. Goldwater leaned toward the editorial side of the industry, while Mr.
Silberkleit concentrated on business and sales.
The
Archie Comics line of comic books is one of the most successful, longest running
lines in the history of the comic industry.
Compared to other comic publishers whose audiences are primarily male,
the comics of Archie Comics are read and enjoyed by males and females alike.
With sales in excess of 850,000 copies per month, the comics of Archie
Comics can be found at such diverse outlets as supermarket checkouts, bookstores
and comic shops. With a pass-along
readership of 6.7 per issue, the comics of Archie Comics are favorite reading of
young people and young at heart adults. They are also published in nearly a
dozen different foreign languages and distributed all over the world.
Messrs.
Silberkleit and Goldwater preside over a company that has not only spawned
characters that have been successfully exploited in comics, but characters whose
popularity has spilled over into other media and who have become part of current
culture. For example, in addition
to comic books, ARCHIE has found success on television, radio and in the music
industry. SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH
has also become a major television star with two animated series and a live
action network sitcom that is in its seventh season.
JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS have also enjoyed success beyond comics, with an
animated series and a recording career, and a major motion picture.
Under
their leadership, the characters of Archie Comics have also found success on the
Internet, at www.archiecomics.com,
as the basis for licensed merchandise and as spokesmen for commercial and
charitable causes.
Much
of this success is due to the commitment of Messrs. Silberkleit and Goldwater to
maintaining the wholesome integrity of Archie Comics’ world renowned
characters. Parents, educators and
business leaders alike agree that the Archie Comics group of characters is among
the safest, most positive available in the marketplace today.
Chuck GrimesBiography
CEO
of Archie Comics Entertainment, LLC since February 2003, and CEO of its
predecessors for the previous five years, Chuck Grimes is a recognized
intellectual property attorney who has provided invaluable assistance to clients
in connection with their efforts to commercialize their valuable assets.
He is also the founder and owner of companies that exploit intellectual
properties, an adviser to companies that have launched extremely successful
intellectual property licensing programs, an author and editor, a film,
television and Internet website producer, a lecturer and an adjunct professor.
Mr.
Grimes joined the
Archie Comics team in 1985, and took on a simple assignment – bring the
company’s characters to life in media besides comics.
Since that time, Archie Comics has grown and prospered as a direct result
of Mr. Grimes’ efforts. Archie
Comics’ characters have come to life in a Sabrina MOW, a Sabrina live action
television series, a Sabrina animated television series, a Sabrina DTV, an
Archie MOW, an Archie animated television series, Josie and Archie animation on
video, and most recently -- the Josie and the Pussycats live action motion
picture.
Mr.
Grimes has also been the moving force behind the launch of Archie Comics’
website at www.archiecomics.com,
a site that is regularly visited by millions of fans worldwide.
He
is also a founder and managing partner of the Grimes & Battersby, LLP law
firm, He previously was also a
founder of Avecmedia, Inc. and ProBatter, LLC, companies which exploit
intellectual property assets that he helped develop in the fields of media
delivery systems and interactive sports recreation, respectively.
He
is a nationally recognized and highly regarded counselor in the intellectual
property, licensing and media fields. He has assisted numerous companies besides
Archie Comics (clients such as Scholastic, Hearst, King Features, Garfield,
Discovery Channel, Givenchy, Louis Nichole, Toys R Us, Boston Whaler, Gale
Hayman, and Consolidated Cigar) in developing protection for their intellectual
properties and achieving commercial exploitation of those properties through
licensing and the creation of strategic alliances.
He
is a founder and Executive Editor of Kent Communications, Ltd., a leading
publisher of legal and licensing journals and publications.
He serves as executive editor of a number of different monthly
publications in the intellectual property, licensing and media fields, including
The Licensing Journal, The IP Litigator
and the Multimedia & Technology
Licensing Law Report. He has
authored a number of texts on these subjects, including the seminal work: The
Law of Merchandise & Character Licensing.
He also lectures widely on these subjects and is an adjunct professor at
Sacred Heart University.
He
received a B.S. degree from the Pennsylvania State University and a J.D. degree
from the University of Denver Law School. Allan GrafmanBiography
President
of Archie Comics Entertainment, LLC since February 2003, Allan Grafman is
a recognized entertainment industry executive with a successful track record
achieving impressive business growth for several top media companies.
Prior
to taking the helm of Archie Comics Entertainment, Mr. Grafman served in
senior-level capacities for leading entertainment companies including Tribune
Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment, and ABC/Capital Cities Cable.
During
his 13-year tenure with Tribune Entertainment, Mr. Grafman and his team led the
company from $2 million to over $125 million dollars in annual revenue.
As Vice President for all business and financial affairs, he helped
develop such popular programming as "At the Movies with Gene Siskel and
Roger Ebert," "Geraldo," "Joan Rivers," and
"Dennis Miller." Mr.
Grafman was also the Executive Producer of the highest rated special in
syndicated television history, "The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults."
As
Managing Director of Tribune, he was responsible for the company’s
international programming and distribution activities.
As
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at Hallmark
Entertainment, Mr. Grafman increased cash flow by $51 million through
restructured business operations and a successful turnaround.
Prior to his high-profile assignments with Tribune and Hallmark, Mr.
Grafman served as Vice President & General Manager at Capital Cities
Cable/ABC, where he created $65 million in company assets by winning and
operating numerous cable television franchises in Chicago.
As President of All Media Ventures, Mr. Grafman advised media companies
such as CanWest Global, Cable Start-up Corporation, Parco Productions, Princeton
Video and others.
In
addition to an extensive career in all areas of worldwide television programming
and distribution, Mr. Grafman is also a highly experienced executive involved in
new media and technology. As
President and CEO of Modelwire, he led an early stage media technology company
from beta test to successful commercialization of its services.
Modelwire enables companies representing fashion models to distribute
their model portfolios to over 4000 companies and ad agencies worldwide which
hire fashion models.
Mr.
Grafman began his media career in radio broadcasting as a local ad sales
representative and on-air announcer in St. Louis.
He is a graduate of Indiana University (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa Honors,
Russian) and Columbia University (M.B.A., Beta Gamma Sigma Honors, Finance) Gregory BattersbyBiography
Gregory
Battersby, VP
Business Affairs of Archie Comics Entertainment, LLC, is considered one of the
leading licensing attorneys in the country.
He is the author of ten books on the topic and a frequent author and
lecturer on the subject of licensing and intellectual property law.
He is counsel to the Licensing Association (“LIMA”) and has served as
a licensing expert for such entities as the Major League Baseball Players
Association, National Basketball Association Players Association, World
Wrestling Federation, and the Licensing Corporation of America, a division of
Time/Warner.
He
co-founded Grimes & Battersby, LLP, with Chuck Grimes, and ProBatter Sports,
LLC, of which he continues to serve as CEO (he is a former baseball player and
has been a youth baseball coach for the past fifteen years).
He
is a founder and Executive Editor of Kent Communications, Ltd., a leading
publisher of legal and licensing journals and publications.
He serves as executive editor of a number of different monthly
publications in the intellectual property, licensing and media fields, including
The Licensing Journal, The IP Litigator
and the Multimedia & Technology
Licensing Law Report. He has
co-authored a number of texts on these subjects, including the seminal work: The
Law of Merchandise & Character Licensing, Licensing Law Handbook 1985,
Licensing Law Handbook 1998, Multimedia
& Technology Licensing Forms Annotated, Licensing
Update 1999, Licensing Update 2000, Licensing
Desk Book, and Licensing Royalty
Rates -- 2000 Edition.
He
holds a BA degree (biology and chemistry) from Seton Hall University and a JD
degree from Fordham University School of Law. Fred MausserBiography
VP of Marketing and Sales of Archie Comics Entertainment, LLC, Fred Mausser is a 33 year veteran of the magazine industry. Prior to joining Archie Comic Publications, Inc. (ACP), Mr. Mausser handled prominent international titles of the magazine clients of national newsstand distributors Kable, Select and Curtis. For the past 12 years, Mr. Mausser has overseen the marketing and sales of the comics, digests and graphic novels of ACP. For the past 6 years, he has also been the moving force behind, and overseen the smooth operation of, the online store of ArComEnt’s predecessor, Archie Comics Online, LLC. Mr. Mausser provides marketing and sales expertise for ArComEnt, and continues with responsibility for the online store. He is the head of the marketing committee of the Comic Magazine Association of America.
Fred
Mausser E-Mail: FredM@archiecomics.com Victor GorelickBiography
VP Editorial of Archie Comics Entertainment, LLC, Victor Gorelick is a 44 year veteran of the comic industry. Mr. Gorelick joined Archie Comic Publications, Inc. (ACP) as an art assistant, and has served as production coordinator, art director and now as ACP’s managing editor. Mr. Gorelick has a unique knowledge of every facet of the editorial process required to create and publish successful comics. He has done everything from writing to coloring, and everything in between. He has highly regarded artistic skills and an eye for meticulous detail. He also has a well honed sense of the wholesome content of Archie Comics that has been the basis for the bond of trust built with readers by ACP down through the years. He has worked closely with numerous companies designing various custom comic books. For example, he has overseen collaborations between ACP and Kraft General Foods, Radio Shack and even the F.B.I.! He is a moving force on the Comic Magazine Association of America’s Code Authority Guidelines Committee, a member of the Board of Advisors of the Joe Kubert School where many of today’s comic artists first learned their craft, and he has taught cartooning as an instructor at the Kingsborough Community College in New York City.
Victor Gorelick E-mail: VicG@archiecomics.com |