Greg Theakston, Comic Book Artist, Illustrator, Turned Publisher Says,”When no one else will print you, Hell! Print yourself!”
By Jennifer Belgard
As someone striving to become gainfully self-employed, I appreciate hearing experiences from others. Their words can often be encouraging or, in some cases, a cautionary tale. Greg Theakston’s story is one of encouragement and reinvention. When doors were not opened for him, he fashioned his own with little more than his talent and determination. He resurrected an icon, ushered in a cult craze that grows more popular every day, and created a restoration process allowing all kinds of works to be saved and reprinted. He is a comic book artist, illustrator, and publisher. With all these super powers at his disposal he finds himself forced to start again in the face of ever changing technology, and is inspired.
Greg Theakston
Greg Theakston began his publishing career in Detroit at the age of fifteen with friends Arvell and Desmond Jones. A comic book fanzine, “Fan Informer,” was produced in small runs once a month from 1967-1971. It attracted a couple hundred fans, but more importantly taught the young men the basics of reporting, writing copy and layouts. When no one else will print you, “Hell! Print yourself,” says Theakston. Armed with great spirit and know-how, off to New York City he went.
After a few semi-successful attempts to break into the New York City paperback illustration business, Greg moved back to Detroit in ’74. A witness to his son’s struggles, Lew Theakston asked the fateful question, “This comic book shit… You think you can make a living at it?” An ever supportive father, Lew funded the purchase of a graphic arts camera, a plate burner, and a printing press. Through trial and error Greg taught himself to use the gifts bestowed upon him. Theakston produced approximately 4,000 copy print runs on his own for his publishing company, Pure Imagination, since 1975. Most were comic book reprints, tribute books, and biographical studies. He continued illustrating and returned to conquer New York City in 1978. In 1986, Greg submitted samples of his work to Mad Magazine. Art Director, Leo Brenner, mistook them for Wally Wood’s work and hired him on the spot. He continued to work for Mad for ten years and 155 issues, but Greg saw Illustration as a dying art. His attention was drawn back to publishing in 1987 when his friend, Joe Anderko, reintroduced him to Bettie Page. Bettie’s unforgettable presence sparked something in him and started The Betty Pages.
The first issue of The Betty Pages was mainly photos produced as a digest. Uncertain of sales, the first press run was only 1500 copies. It sold out in less than a week. He doubled the copies and produced another run that also sold out in a week. Knowing he had something here, Theakston asked writer friends to contribute pieces, but they all asked for facts. He had none. Bettie Page had disappeared in 1957 and no one knew anything about her whereabouts. The Betty Pages (spelled that way because no one knew at the time) lead Greg on a quest to find the Queen of Pin-ups. He said, “One piece at a time, with feeble leads I began to stitch it together myself.” Greg printed stories, interviews, and photos of the “Dark Angel,” much to fans delight. “Around the second or third issue it caught the media’s attention. It was the perfect topic at the perfect time. Bettie appealed to the Rockabilly fashion sense, and to the Goth movement’s fetish aspects. The Swing Kids liked it, too,” said Theakston. It was a world-wide phenomenon. Women gave themselves “Bettie Bangs” and dyed their hair. Theakston and his fanzine had made Bettie Page world famous nearly 30 years after her career had “ended”. When he asked to meet her, she said no. Flustered, he asked why? In her lovely Southern drawl she replied, “Greg, you’re my biggest fan. You’d be most disappointed.” Instead, they continued Sunday evening phone conversations for 8 months.
During the early days of The Betty Pages, Greg discovered what is now known as Theakstonizing, coined by DC Comic’s Editor-In-Chief, Dick Giordano. Greg was often disappointed in the quality of photos reproduced from the 1940s-50s. He discovered a way to wash all interfering colors from the original printings, producing a clear black and white proof. He has provided this service on an estimated 12,000 pages of classic comic art, including: Superman, Batman, Captain America, Green Lantern, The Flash, Archie, Dick Tracy, Torchy, and Pogo to name a few as well as many collections of popular comics artists including Jack Kirby, Alex Toth, Basil Wolverton, Steve Ditko, Frank Frazetta, Jack Cole, Lou Fine, Wallace Wood, and numerous others.
So, what does the future hold for Greg Theakston? It’s an excellent question and he sees it as a welcome challenge. In the past ten years his distribution numbers have dwindled from 4,000 comic book stores to 2,000. “Comic book stores tend to be owned by comic book fans. Not business men. Technology presents another hurdle; The question arises: Why read a Wolverine comic when you can play a Wolverine video game? Comics can’t compete,” says Theakston.
There’s a whole generation of kids who never bought a book they didn’t download. Theakston is transferring his 200 + books to digital format. He will once again be his own publisher and distributor via the World Wide Web allowing for lower prices and higher sales. Theakston says, “Much like I realized the illustration was over, I recognize print books are almost obsolete. If you can overcome the evolution of the internet and its formats, you have a platform as valid as Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s. The internet provides an even playing field. Never before has the independent business person been able to reach the entire planet for small change. The possibility of making a lot of money after the initial effort has finished is unprecedented. It’s left to the entrepreneur to not only create a quality product, but figure out how to promote the hell out of it and reap the rewards. If you don’t like your life, grab it by its lapels and shake it hard!“
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