30 Facts About Western Publishing

Western Publishing, known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company, was a Racine, Wisconsin, firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books.

Western Publishing had editorial offices in New York City and Los Angeles, California.

In 1910, the company changed its name to Western Publishing Printing and Lithographing Company after the purchase of its first lithographic press.

Western Publishing installed a larger offset press and added electrotyping and engraving departments.

Western Publishing convinced Western and Whitman to publish a 10-cent children's book in 1918 and convinced retailers that children's books could be sold year-round.

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Western Publishing introduced boxed games and jigsaw puzzles in 1923 after purchasing a 38-inch by 52-inch Potter offset press.

Western Publishing added another subsidiary, the Western Publishing Playing Card Company after purchasing the Sheffer Playing Card Company.

In 1929, Western Publishing purchased a Chicago stationery and greeting card manufacturer, Stationer's Engraving Company.

Western Publishing won exclusive book rights to all Walt Disney licensed characters in 1933, and in 1934 established an eastern printing plant at the former Fiat factory site in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Western Publishing expanded to the West Coast in the early 1940s, opening an office in Beverly Hills to make it easier to do business with studios that owned the characters the company licensed.

The group originally discussed a 50-cent price for the books, but Western Publishing did not want to compete with other 50-cent books already on the market.

In 1945, Western Publishing acquired another major printing plant, Wolff Printing Company of St Louis.

Western Publishing achieved sales of $63 million in 1957, the year of its 50th anniversary.

The arrangement called for Western Publishing to continue to create and manufacture Golden Books which Pocket Books would promote, sell, and distribute.

Western Publishing had operated at a profit every year since 1907, paid a dividend every year since 1934, and seen net sales increase from $40.

In 1961, Western Publishing opened another printing plant, in Cambridge, Maryland, and in 1970 acquired several companies, including Odyssey Press, a high school and college textbook publisher.

Western Publishing's half-share in Golden Press, Inc was a problem.

Capitol Western Publishing, purchased in 1961, originated and produced educational materials and games for children, as well as toys and novelty products.

In 1971 Western Publishing entered into an agreement with Children's Television Workshop to produce Golden Books featuring the Muppets.

In 1979, Western Publishing ceased to be an independent company when Mattel Inc purchased the company for $120.

At one time, Western Publishing printed almost everything from "business cards to billboards", and employed over 2500 full-time employees.

In fiscal 1983 Western Publishing had sales of $246 million with an operating loss of $2.

In 1992, Western celebrated the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Little Golden Books publishing a boxed set of the twelve original titles for $19.

In 1993, Western Publishing decided to close the advertising specialty division and took a $21.

From 1938 to 1962, Western Publishing's properties were published under a partnership with Dell Comics, which handled the distribution and financing of the comic books.

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In 1962, Western Publishing ended this partnership and published comics itself, establishing the imprint Gold Key Comics.

Western Publishing stopped publishing comics in 1984, and all of its licenses have since gone to other publishers.

Western Publishing was the original American publisher of The Adventures of Tintin, issuing six titles in English translation in 1959 and 1960, before discontinuing further releases because of what were considered disappointing sales.

Western Publishing produced games such as Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary until Hasbro bought that division in 1994.

Western Publishing published the children's science books The World of Science and The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments, while the Golden Guide nature guides were published with the Golden Press name.