Egmont Group
Encyclopedia
The Egmont Group is a media
corporation
founded and rooted in Copenhagen
, Denmark
. The business area of Egmont has traditionally been magazine publishing but has over the years evolved to comprise media generally.
Since 1948 Egmont has produced and published a local Scandinavian version of Donald Duck
magazine,
Egmont has a number of local country branches: China, Sweden, Bulgaria, Austria, Romania, Denmark, Czech Republic, Israel, Russia, Switzerland, Lithuania, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Germany, India, Hong Kong, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Taiwan, UK, Turkey, Hungary.
Egmont is one of Scandinavia’s leading media groups producing weeklies, magazines, comics, books, educational materials, activity products, movies and TV programs. The media group also operate movie theaters and TV stations, and the Egmont name is behind interactive games, game consoles, music and a wide range of digital media. Egmont publishes media in more than 30 countries, has 6,500 employees and generates revenue amounting to EUR 1.4 billion in 2010.
, a Donald Duck
comic magazine
in Sweden
and Norway
, in 1949 also in Denmark
. This magazine features all the well known Disney Characters, from Mickey Mouse
to Little Hiawatha
under license from Disney. With the acquisition in 1963 of the Danish publisher Aschehoug
, Egmont also entered the book market. From the late 80's the Egmont Group used the close connection with Disney to expanded their Scandinavian focus to a global focus, being the producer of Disney for the new Eastern European market, as well as for the Chinese market. In 1991, Egmont was co-founder of the Norwegian
television channel
TV 2
and now owns 50%. The following year, Egmont bought Nordisk Film
. In 2008 they acquired the minority stake in magazine publisher Hjemmet Mortensen which they did not already hold, from Orkla ASA.
, for example Toxic
.
In 1991, Egmont purchased the Fleetway
arm of IPC Media
in the UK
from a company owned by Robert Maxwell
, and merged it with their existing comics publishing division, London Editions, and thus became Britain's largest comic book publisher. The resultant company, Fleetway Editions, was absorbed into the main Egmont brand by 2000, having largely divested itself of its original portfolio (such as 2000AD) and continued with only reprint and licensed material titles (e.g. Sonic The Comic
). The Fleetway
archive comprises those comics characters first published by IPC
subsidiaries on or after 1 January 1970, together with 26 specifically named characters first published in Buster before that date.
EgmontUK is divided into two divisions: Egmont Press and Egmont Publishing.
novels, picture books, novelty books, illustrated books, fantasy
adventures and Egmont’s own Banana books (for five to nine year olds). Egmont Press also has a number of young adult fiction, award-winners, classics and epic tales.
They publish the work of authors such as Andy Stanton
, Jamila Gavin
, William Nicholson
, Michael Morpurgo
, Catherine Forde and Anne Fine
. They are also the UK publisher of A Series of Unfortunate Events
by Lemony Snicket
which has sold over 2 million copies.
Egmont Press’s illustrators include Helen Oxenbury
and Colin and Jacqui Hawkins.
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
founded and rooted in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The business area of Egmont has traditionally been magazine publishing but has over the years evolved to comprise media generally.
Since 1948 Egmont has produced and published a local Scandinavian version of Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
magazine,
Egmont has a number of local country branches: China, Sweden, Bulgaria, Austria, Romania, Denmark, Czech Republic, Israel, Russia, Switzerland, Lithuania, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Germany, India, Hong Kong, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Taiwan, UK, Turkey, Hungary.
Egmont is one of Scandinavia’s leading media groups producing weeklies, magazines, comics, books, educational materials, activity products, movies and TV programs. The media group also operate movie theaters and TV stations, and the Egmont name is behind interactive games, game consoles, music and a wide range of digital media. Egmont publishes media in more than 30 countries, has 6,500 employees and generates revenue amounting to EUR 1.4 billion in 2010.
History
The Egmont Group was founded by Egmont Harald Petersen in 1878 as a one-man printing business, but was quick at starting a magazine business. It was originally called "P. Petersen, Printers", named after Petersen's mother, as he was still too young at the time to register his own company. The company was renamed Gutenberghus in 1914 (after the famous inventor of the printing press), a name it kept until 1992. After the Second World War Gutenberghus, looking for new opportunities, sent its editor Dan Folke to Walt Disney Productions, and he managed to acquire a license for publishing comic magazines in Scandinavia. In 1948 the company started to publish Kalle Anka & C:oKalle Anka & C:o
- External links :* * * at the INDUCKS...
, a Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
comic magazine
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, in 1949 also in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. This magazine features all the well known Disney Characters, from Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
to Little Hiawatha
Little Hiawatha
Little Hiawatha is a 1937 animated cartoon produced by Walt Disney.-Synopsis:Over opening narration, Little Hiawatha is seen paddling his canoe down a river—at one point backwards—on his way to hunt game. Upon reaching land, he steps out and immediately falls down a hidden hole in the water,...
under license from Disney. With the acquisition in 1963 of the Danish publisher Aschehoug
Aschehoug (Egmont)
Aschehoug is the Danish division of Egmont Books. It is Denmark’s second largest publisher with a revenue of approximately EUR 55 million and with a strong schoolbook publisher, Alinea, as part of the publishing house...
, Egmont also entered the book market. From the late 80's the Egmont Group used the close connection with Disney to expanded their Scandinavian focus to a global focus, being the producer of Disney for the new Eastern European market, as well as for the Chinese market. In 1991, Egmont was co-founder of the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
television channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
TV 2
TV 2 (Norway)
TV 2 is the largest commercial television station in Norway. Over 30% of the time Norwegians spend watching TV is spent watching TV 2. The station has 65% of the market for TV commercials in Norway....
and now owns 50%. The following year, Egmont bought Nordisk Film
Nordisk Film
Nordisk Film , established in Denmark in 1906 by Danish filmmaker Ole Olsen, is the oldest continuously operating film studio in the world. Olsen started his company in the Copenhagen suburb of Valby under the name "Ole Olsen's Film Factory" but soon changed it to the Nordisk Film Kompagni...
. In 2008 they acquired the minority stake in magazine publisher Hjemmet Mortensen which they did not already hold, from Orkla ASA.
Group Management
- Steffen Kragh - President and CEO
- Hans J. Carstensen - CFO
- Torsten Bjerre Rasmussen - Executive Vice President (Egmont Magazines)
- Allan Mathson Hansen - Executive Vice President (Egmont Nordisk Film)
- Frank Knau - Executive Vice President (Egmont Kids Media)
Egmont Divisions
- Egmont Magazines
- Egmont Kids Media
- Egmont Books
- Egmont Nordisk Film
- TV 2 Group, Norway
UK branch
EgmontUK publishes books and magazines for children in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, for example Toxic
Toxic magazine
Toxic magazine was launched in September 2002 by London-based Egmont Publishing UK. The intention was to address the elusive boys' magazine market...
.
In 1991, Egmont purchased the Fleetway
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
arm of IPC Media
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from a company owned by Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
, and merged it with their existing comics publishing division, London Editions, and thus became Britain's largest comic book publisher. The resultant company, Fleetway Editions, was absorbed into the main Egmont brand by 2000, having largely divested itself of its original portfolio (such as 2000AD) and continued with only reprint and licensed material titles (e.g. Sonic The Comic
Sonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic, known to its many readers as STC, was a UK children's comic published fortnightly by Fleetway Editions between 1993 and 2002...
). The Fleetway
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
archive comprises those comics characters first published by IPC
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
subsidiaries on or after 1 January 1970, together with 26 specifically named characters first published in Buster before that date.
EgmontUK is divided into two divisions: Egmont Press and Egmont Publishing.
Egmont Press
Egmont Press is Egmont’s author and illustrator list. It includes fictionFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
novels, picture books, novelty books, illustrated books, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
adventures and Egmont’s own Banana books (for five to nine year olds). Egmont Press also has a number of young adult fiction, award-winners, classics and epic tales.
They publish the work of authors such as Andy Stanton
Andy Stanton
Andy Stanton is an English children's writer. He lives in North London.-Books:He has written nine books in the 'Mr. Gum' series:*You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum!*Mr. Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire*Mr Gum in 'The Hound of Lamonic Bibber...
, Jamila Gavin
Jamila Gavin
Jamila Gavin is a British writer born in Mussoorie, India in the foothills of the Himalayas.Her father was Indian and her mother English...
, William Nicholson
William Nicholson (writer)
William Nicholson FRSL is a British screenwriter, playwright, and novelist.-Family:A native of Lewes, Sussex, William Nicholson was raised in a Catholic family in Gloucestershire. By the time he reached his tenth birthday, he had decided to become a writer. He was educated at Downside School,...
, Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...
, Catherine Forde and Anne Fine
Anne Fine
Anne Fine, OBE FRSL is a British author best known for her children's books, of which she has written more than 50. She also writes for adults...
. They are also the UK publisher of A Series of Unfortunate Events
A Series of Unfortunate Events
A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series of children's novels by Lemony Snicket which follows the turbulent lives of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire after their parents' death in an arsonous house fire...
by Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American novelist Daniel Handler . Snicket is the author of several children's books, serving as the narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events and appearing as a character within the series. Because of this, the name Lemony Snicket may refer to both a fictional...
which has sold over 2 million copies.
Egmont Press’s illustrators include Helen Oxenbury
Helen Oxenbury
Helen Gillian Oxenbury is an award-winning illustrator of children's picture books. She lives with her husband, the illustrator John Burningham, in north London.- Background :...
and Colin and Jacqui Hawkins.
Egmont Publishing
Egmont Publishing publish a wide range of formats for children of all ages: storybooks, annuals, colouring, activity and sticker books as well as a wide range of novelty books. The Publishing list contains books featuring licensed characters, including:- BabarBabar the ElephantBabar the Elephant is a French children's fictional character who first appeared in Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff in 1931 and enjoyed immediate success. An English language version, entitled The Story of Babar, appeared in 1933 in Britain and also in the United States. The book is based on...
- BarbieBarbieBarbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
- Ben 10Ben 10The Omnitrix was originally created by a Galvan named Azmuth. The Omnitrix was intended to allow beings to experience life as other species in order to bring understanding and foster peace in the universe....
- Bob the BuilderBob the BuilderBob the Builder is a British children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series Bob appears as a building contractor specialising in masonry in a stop motion animated programme with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours and friends, and their gang of...
- CarsCars (film)Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...
- Cat Royal
- Charlie Bone
- Disney FairiesDisney FairiesDisney Fairies is a Disney franchise built around the character of Tinker Bell, whom Disney adapted in their 1953 animated film Peter Pan and subsequently adopted as a mascot for the company. In addition to the fictional fairy character created by J. M...
- Disney PrincessesDisney PrincessesDisney Princess is a Walt Disney Company franchise, based on fictional characters who have been featured as part of the Disney character line-up. The six original members of the franchise were Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle and Jasmine, who were later joined by Pocahontas, Mulan,...
- Dora the ExplorerDora the ExplorerDora the Explorer is an American animated television series created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner. Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000. The show is carried on the Nickelodeon cable television network, including the associated Nick Jr. channel. It aired on CBS until...
- Fireman SamFireman SamFireman Sam is a Welsh animated children's television series about a fireman called Sam, his fellow firefighters, and other townspeople in the Welsh town of Pontypandy . The original idea for the show came from two ex-firemen from Kent...
- Flat StanleyFlat StanleyFlat Stanley is a 1964 children's book written by Jeff Brown and originally illustrated by Tomi Ungerer. It is the first in a series of books featuring Stanley Lambchop.-Synopsis:...
- Go Girl
- LazyTownLazyTownLazyTown is a children's television program that was produced in Iceland with a cast and crew from Iceland, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was created by Magnús Scheving, a gymnastics champion and CEO of LazyTown Entertainment, who also stars in the show...
- MiffyMiffyMiffy is a small female rabbit in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. Miffy's original Dutch name is Nijntje which stems from a toddler's pronunciation of the word "konijntje" meaning "little rabbit"....
- Mr. Gum
- Mr. Men & Little MissMr. MenMr. Men is a series of 49 children's books by Roger Hargreaves commencing in 1971. Two of these books were not published in English. The series features characters with names such as Mr. Tickle and Mr. Happy who have personalities based on their names...
- NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
- NumberjacksNumberjacksNumberjacks is a children's television series in the UK for 4- to 5-year-olds shown regularly on CBeebies and occasionally on BBC2. It is produced by Open Mind Productions for the BBC and features a mixture of computer-generated animation and live action....
- Postman PatPostman PatPostman Pat is a British stop-motion animated children's television series first produced by Woodland Animations. It is aimed at pre-school children, and concerns the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman in the fictional village of Greendale .Postman Pat's first 13-episode season was screened on...
- All About...Prince of Persia: The Sands of TimePrince of Persia: The Sands of TimePrince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a third-person action-adventure computer and video game published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 21, 2003 and is a reboot of the landmark video game series Prince of Persia, created by Jordan Mechner in 1989.The Sands of Time, developed internally at...
- Power RangersPower RangersPower Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
- Roy of the RoversRoy of the RoversRoy of the Rovers is a British comic strip about the life and times of a fictional footballer named Roy Race, who played for Melchester Rovers...
- Rupert BearRupert BearRupert Bear is a children's comic strip character, who features in a series of books based around his adventures. The character was created by the English artist Mary Tourtel and first appeared in the Daily Express on 8 November 1920. Rupert's initial purpose was to win sales from the rival...
- Shaun the SheepShaun the SheepShaun the Sheep is a British stop-motion animated children's television series produced by Aardman Animations, and commissioned by the BBC and the WDR. It first aired in the UK on CBBC in March 2007...
- Sir Charlie Stinky Socks
- Stripy Horse
- The Little PrinceThe Little PrinceThe Little Prince , first published in 1943, is a novella and the most famous work of the French aristocrat writer, poet and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ....
- The Rainbow OrchidThe Rainbow OrchidThe Rainbow Orchid is a comic written and drawn by Garen Ewing, the first of a series of planned Julius Chancer books. It is set in the 1920s and follows Chancer's expedition to discover the mythical 'Rainbow Orchid'. Starting in England, the adventure takes the characters first to France, then...
- The Wind in the WillowsThe Wind in the WillowsThe Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Alternately slow moving and fast paced, it focuses on four anthropomorphised animal characters in a pastoral version of England...
- Thomas and Friends
- TintinThe Adventures of TintinThe Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
- Toxic
- Tumtum and NutmegTumtum and NutmegTumtum and Nutmeg is the first of a series of children's books by author Emily Bearn. The book is about Mr and Mrs Nutmouse who live in Nutmouse Hall, situated within the broom cupboard of Rose Cottage. It was first published in January 2008...
- Wallace and GromitWallace and GromitWallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series consisting of four British animated short films and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations...
- Winnie-the-PoohWinnie-the-PoohWinnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh , and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner...
- Zoey101