243:
took the first steps towards creating the “direct market” by setting up a direct sales service for US comic book retailers, creating a direct sales service between them and Marvel and DC. Landau was a vocal supporter of
Seuling’s initiative and Comic Media Distribution Service became Seuling’s first
201:
set up the Eagle Awards, with Landau coming on board shortly after, prior to Conroy’s departure. Burton and Landau grew the Eagle Awards into an international comics industry event supported by the world’s major comics publishers. Landau continued to be involved with the Awards into the late 1980s.
218:
From fall 1975 to spring 1977, Landau studied for a postgraduate qualification in film and television production at the West Surrey
College of Art and Design, with the intention of forging a career in television. In addition to producing television drama and documentaries during this year, Landau
295:
Nick was clearly an exceptional person and I knew he would be of great value, but
Sanders rightly regarded most comic fans with deep suspicion, irrelevant to a mainstream undertaking. I agreed with the feeling and still do. Nick was the exception to an otherwise golden
251:
and then Mal Burns, Landau was joined by Mike Lake and Mike
Luckman at Comic Media Distribution Service. Landau and his partners came to feel that the company had grown out of its original name and re-branded their operation with Landau’s choice of company identity:
214:
to study for a degree in
Management Science. Whilst there he founded the Warwick University Television Society, and built their Film Society into one of the largest student-run organisations in the country, which ultimately won “film society of the year” in the UK.
235:
with US retailers. This evolved into a US fanzine importation service operating under the name Comic Media
Distribution Service. On a trip to the US, an opportunity arose to expand this service into importing US newsstand comics into the UK.
479:
By 1977, Landau and his distribution partners Lake and
Luckman had become increasingly concerned about their key customer’s ability to pay its bills. They decided their recourse was to open up their own retail outlet, named
471:. Landau’s reaction was “to ask why the title had been named after a cleaning fluid.” Very shortly after this, in the spring of 1979, Landau resigned from IPC and focused full-time on the world of commerce.
438:. The title was to feature heroes of past, present and future in their own strips, all secretly linked with each other (a fact that would only reveal itself over time) to battle a trans-time corporation.
397:, "rying to determine exactly what happened next is problematic, due to conflicting memories and the passage of time." The outcome was that, with issue No. 86 (cover-dated 14 October 1978), when
495:. Landau became sole owner of Titan Books and the Forbidden Planet mega stores (including the flagship London store); Luckman became sole owner of Forbidden Planet's New York store.
332:
and that was Nick Landau. He was halfway between editor and chief sub," and Roy
Preston was made a sub-editor to take up the slack and help Landau. With the focus on the launch of
511:, his business partner and wife. The group now includes the Forbidden Planet mega stores (including the flagship London store), Titan Books, Titan Comics and Titan Merchandise.
109:
A lifelong science-fiction, comics and movie fan, Landau’s career has spanned retail, publishing, distribution, theatre production, web TV production and convention organising.
441:
Although Landau was promised editorship of this title by IPC’s publisher, he was disappointed to find that Kelvin
Gosnell was ultimately named editor. Gosnell wanted to take
367:
taken off the market." They ran into legal problems over fill-in stories for "The Cursed Earth" (which satirised the big food companies, including figures like
807:
682:
488:. From summer 1978 to spring 1979, Landau combined his role at IPC with running Forbidden Planet, before focusing full-time on Forbidden Planet.
580:
671:"ICV2: Titan's Vivian Cheung and Nick Landau discuss Titan Entertainment's various channels, their merchandise business and future plans"
563:
ICV2: Titan's Vivian Cheung and Nick Landau discuss Titan
Entertainment's various channels, their merchandise business and future plans
752:
918:
291:
had become established, and following the interview, had decided that Landau would make a suitable chief sub-editor, saying:
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345:
190:
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670:
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562:
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314:, Landau was brought in as Gosnell's chief sub-editor. Gosnell was overwhelmed by the amount of work needed to launch
527:, is named for the original three founders (including Landau) of Titan Distributors and Forbidden Planet bookstores.
142:
magazine, in order to interview comic-book creators and bring news and features to a nascent British comics fandom.
453:), far away from Landau’s original concept (which had been influenced by the harder-hitting and more contemporary
950:
385:. Concerns were raised over the violence in the story, but the sequence of events is unclear, as detailed in the
631:
542:
701:
491:
In 1993, Landau, Luckman and Lake dissolved their partnership and sold Titan Distributors to the U.S.-based
620:"Deadline: Titan Books' Vivian Cheung & Nick Landau discuss their partnership with Alcon Entertainment"
481:
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Gosnell points out, however, that "his wonderful gush of creative freedom they felt when I started on
683:"Titan's Cheung and Landau announce their partnership with Jagex to creat Runescape comics and books"
520:
337:
67:
300:
When Landau arrived at IPC Magazines, he found himself assigned to their controversial weekly comic
906:
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that attracted around 250 attendees, which later expanded into significantly larger events at the
248:
194:
146:
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632:"Den of Geek: Nick Landau discusses his Titan/Forbidden Planet partnership with Vivian Cheung"
393:
211:
186:
659:"ICV2: Titan's Vivian Cheung and Nick Landau discuss Titan Publishing's roots and expansion"
543:
Den of Geek: Nick Landau discusses his Titan/Forbidden Planet partnership with Vivian Cheung
922:
730:"Comic Catalog is Dead! Long Live Comic Media!", Comicon '72 program booklet (1972), p. 17.
461:). The last straw for Landau was when Gosnell returned from an IPC board meeting where the
198:
558:
ICV2: Titan's Vivian Cheung and Nick Landau discuss Titan Publishing's roots and expansion
8:
504:
91:
117:
Landau’s first involvement in comics fandom was in 1968 when he attended the very first
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372:
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344:'s future were made while they were running the show. They were responsible for "
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608:"Financial Times interview with Titan's owners Nick Landau & Vivian Cheung"
485:
416:
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581:"Nick Landau's Titan Entertainment Group ownership listing at Companies House"
548:
Financial Times: interview with Titan's owners Nick Landau & Vivian Cheung
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95:
79:
336:(issue No. 1 was cover-dated 13 May 1978), Landau, Preston, and art editor
267:
In the spring of 1977, Landau changed focus to join the editorial staff of
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349:
340:
had more creative freedom. As Mills says, "Some of the best decisions on
445:
in a direction influenced by the classic IPC titles of the 50s and 60s (
647:"Review Graveyard interview with Titan's Vivian Cheung and Nick Landau"
553:
Review Graveyard: Titan Entertainment's Vivian Cheung and Nick Landau
406:
324:, and Landau took up the slack. As Gosnell describes it, "As soon as
284:
538:
An interview with Nick Landau and Vivian Cheung at sci-fi-online.com
698:
805:"A brief history of Starlord" from "Watch the stars!" website
328:
came on the scene, I lost it. I had to have someone running
162:
271:. The opportunity came from an interview he conducted for
426:” Landau devised a new British comic-book concept called
699:"Early days of UK comics conventions and marts, part 3"
277:
at the offices of the still-new science fiction comic
642:
640:
348:", credit cards and encouraged talented artists like
231:
In the early 70s Landau started trading his magazine
159:(a “buy and sell” magazine for the comics industry).
149:, with whom he built a group of magazines, including
90:
is a British entertainment entrepreneur. He co-owns
637:
932:
907:Company information on Titan Entertainment Group
205:
210:From fall 1972 to summer 1975, Landau attended
223:, a documentary about a UK circus in decline.
405:, Landau was moved into the same role at the
259:
693:
691:
919:"Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #148"
688:
603:
601:
523:, a fictional organization appearing in
163:Conventions, Comic Mart and Eagle Awards
155:(later taken over solely by Burton) and
145:Landau was joined the following year by
864:
287:. Mills was planning on resigning once
239:At this time, a Brooklyn teacher named
175:. Later that year, Landau created the
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888:
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852:
840:
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816:
786:
774:
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733:
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484:and based in London’s Tin Pan Alley,
708:DezSkinn.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2013.
474:
13:
531:
430:, coming out of his experience at
422:While “resting in the trenches of
375:) but the main problems came over
310:after sixteen issues, replaced by
193:and ran through to 1978. In 1977,
14:
962:
465:name was jettisoned in favour of
167:In August 1972, Landau organised
755:Six Inch Nails and Baling String
221:Six Inch Nails and Baling String
917:Cronin, Brian (27 March 2008).
911:
900:
798:
746:
739:Burton, Richard. "Meditorial,"
724:
717:Burton, Richard. "Meditorial,"
593:"Nick Landau and Vivian Cheung"
676:
664:
652:
625:
613:
586:
574:
247:After first being assisted by
133:
1:
568:
306:. When Mills stepped down at
206:Film and television societies
173:British Comic Art Convention
138:In 1971, Landau established
119:British Comic Art Convention
7:
52:Retailer, editor, publisher
10:
967:
753:"Nick Landau, director of
610:Retrieved 15 December 2022
595:Retrieved 14 December 2022
493:Diamond Comic Distributors
181:, a one-day event held at
112:
946:Titan Entertainment Group
685:Retrieved 2 February 2023
673:Retrieved 2 February 2023
661:Retrieved 2 February 2023
649:Retrieved 2 February 2023
634:Retrieved 1 February 2023
622:Retrieved 2 February 2023
583:Retrieved 1 February 2023
521:Landau, Luckman, and Lake
128:
73:
68:Titan Entertainment Group
56:
46:
38:
28:
23:
810:28 November 2011 at the
244:international customer.
191:Central Hall Westminster
187:Royal Horticultural Hall
102:Limited store chain and
125:), held in Birmingham.
951:British comics writers
759:Retrieved 3 March 2023
415:(swapping places with
298:
104:Titan Publishing Group
98:, which comprises the
895:Thrill-Power Overload
883:Thrill-Power Overload
871:Thrill-Power Overload
859:Thrill-Power Overload
847:Thrill-Power Overload
835:Thrill-Power Overload
823:Thrill-Power Overload
793:Thrill-Power Overload
781:Thrill-Power Overload
769:Thrill-Power Overload
743:#29 (Jan./Feb. 1977).
394:Thrill-Power Overload
293:
923:Comic Book Resources
721:#20 (May/June 1975).
318:'s new sister title
16:British entrepreneur
505:Titan Entertainment
499:Titan Entertainment
227:Comics distribution
94:, with his partner
92:Titan Entertainment
704:2012-02-01 at the
515:In popular culture
503:Landau set up the
260:IPC Magazines and
254:Titan Distributors
212:Warwick University
373:Jolly Green Giant
178:London Comic Mart
171:, the fifth ever
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475:Forbidden Planet
401:was merged into
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346:The Cursed Earth
274:Comic Media News
152:Comic Media News
100:Forbidden Planet
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63:Forbidden Planet
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509:Vivian Cheung
507:in 1993 with
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58:Notable works
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757:at the BFI"
363:nearly got
350:Garry Leach
233:Comic Media
199:Mike Conroy
169:Comicon '72
140:Comic Media
134:Comic Media
88:Nick Landau
39:Nationality
24:Nick Landau
935:Categories
873:pp. 46-47.
569:References
121:(known as
409:magazine
407:war comic
285:Pat Mills
219:directed
75:Spouse(s)
897:, p. 51.
808:Archived
795:, p. 36.
771:, p. 34.
702:Archived
399:Starlord
391:history
371:and the
361:Starlord
334:Starlord
326:Starlord
321:Starlord
783:, p. 35
468:Tornado
459:2000 AD
451:Valiant
432:2000 AD
403:2000 AD
388:2000 AD
377:Inferno
365:2000 AD
342:2000 AD
330:2000 AD
316:2000 AD
308:2000 AD
289:2000 AD
280:2000 AD
262:2000 AD
123:Comicon
113:Origins
65:Limited
48:Area(s)
42:British
885:p. 50.
861:p. 45.
849:p. 44.
837:p. 42.
825:p. 41.
463:Heroes
455:Action
443:Heroes
436:Action
428:Heroes
424:Battle
412:Battle
303:Action
129:Career
296:rule.
457:and
447:Lion
434:and
352:and
189:and
29:Born
419:).
356:."
937::
921:.
690:^
639:^
600:^
449:,
256:.
106:.
925:.
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