# George Caragonne > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/George_Caragonne > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/George_Caragonne.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Caragonne > Source revision: 1345205419 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American comic book writer (1965–1995) George Caragonne Born September 16, 1965 (1965-09-16) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Died July 20, 1995(1995-07-20) (aged 29) New York City, U.S. Area Writer, Editor Notable works Penthouse Comix **George Caragonne** (September 16, 1965 – July 20, 1995) was an American [comic book](/source/Comic_book) writer and editor, most notable for being co-founder of *[Penthouse Comix](/source/Penthouse_Comix)* magazine. He died on July 20, 1995. The cause of death was [suicide](/source/Suicide). ## Early life George Caragonne was born in San Antonio, Texas, the only male child born to Alexander Caragonne (author/architect) and Alice Caragonne.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] He has a sibling and a niece named Alice Caragonne, who was born February 4, 1994.[1] ## Career George Caragonne's career in comics began when he sent an unsolicited submission to [Marvel Comics](/source/Marvel_Comics) in 1984. He eventually trained under the guidance of Editor-in-Chief [Jim Shooter](/source/Jim_Shooter).[1] Caragonne wrote primarily for Marvel Comics and their subsidiary [Star Comics](/source/Star_Comics), throughout the latter half of the 1980s. Titles he wrote included *[Masters of the Universe](/source/Masters_of_the_Universe#Marvel_Star_comic_series)*, *[Planet Terry](/source/Planet_Terry)*, and *[Star Brand](/source/Star_Brand)*. He also worked in the animation field.[2] In 1988, after hearing that former Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter was forming [Valiant Comics](/source/Valiant_Comics), Caragonne drove from California to New York, and, unannounced, knocked on Shooter's door to offer his services.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Caragonne agreed to do work for Valiant, all while holding a full-time job.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] After Valiant was established, Caragonne wrote such titles as *[Captain N](/source/Captain_N%3A_The_Game_Master#Comic_Series)*, *[The Legend of Zelda](/source/The_Legend_of_Zelda_(Comics))*, and *[Punch-Out!!](/source/Punch-Out!!#Other_appearances_in_media)[*[broken anchor](/source/MOS%3ABROKENSECTIONLINKS)*]*. After leaving Valiant, Caragonne wrote a few freelance stories for Marvel, including a short [Silver Surfer](/source/Silver_Surfer) story for a custom comic produced for [Charleston Chew](/source/Charleston_Chew),[3] and a short backup tale for a *[Fantastic Four Annual](/source/Fantastic_Four_Annual)* #25 (1992).[4] Around this time Caragonne created a [comics packaging](/source/Comics_packaging) studio called Constant Developments, Inc. (CDI). CDI optioned the rights to produce new comics featuring the 1960s superhero team [T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents](/source/T.H.U.N.D.E.R._Agents) (from [John Carbonaro](/source/John_Carbonaro), then the rights-holder).[5] An acquaintance introduced Caragonne to *[Penthouse](/source/Penthouse_(magazine))* magazine publisher [Bob Guccione](/source/Bob_Guccione), whom Caragonne tried to interest in publishing T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. Guccione instead hired Caragonne to create [soft-core](/source/Soft-core) erotica comic sections for *Penthouse* magazine. Caragonne was given an office inside Penthouse's headquarters. After several sections of comics had been produced for *Penthouse*, Guccione directed Caragonne to produce a stand-alone comics magazine for his company; the first issue of *[Penthouse Comix](/source/Penthouse_Comix)* appeared in early 1994. With stories by Caragonne and illustrations by artists that included [Adam Hughes](/source/Adam_Hughes), [Garry Leach](/source/Garry_Leach), [Arthur Suydam](/source/Arthur_Suydam), [Milo Manara](/source/Milo_Manara), [Richard Corben](/source/Richard_Corben), [Bart Sears](/source/Bart_Sears), and [Gray Morrow](/source/Gray_Morrow), *Penthouse Comix* was an immediate international success, and spawned a full line that included the seven-issue *Men's Adventure Comix* and the three-issue *Omni Comix*,[2] the latter a companion to the science magazine *[Omni](/source/Omni_(magazine))*, which was also published by Guccione.[6][7] (A T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents story did eventually find publication in a Guccione publication, in the first issue of *Omni Comix*.)[8] According to comics writer and columnist [Mark Evanier](/source/Mark_Evanier), the success of his books with *Penthouse* led to excess on Caragonne's part, in particular drugs. He became a heavy cocaine user, and also began spending on extravagant items for himself and friends. He also went significantly overbudget on his magazines and on some other, non-*Penthouse* projects. His working patterns changed to the point where he was working all night in the *Penthouse* offices, before going home in the day, which concerned his close friends, who tried to [intervene](/source/Intervention_(counseling)) with him. According to Evanier, his employers also came to suspect Caragonne of financial "improprieties", and on the night of Friday, July 14, 1995, he discovered that he had been locked out of his office pending a full audit on his books.[2] ## Death After *Penthouse* locked Caragonne out of his offices on July 14, 1995, writer [Mark Evanier](/source/Mark_Evanier) says a number of friends in Caragonne's circle spent the following two nights unsuccessfully pleading with him by phone to get professional treatment. Caragonne's movements after this are not accounted for until Thursday, July 20, when he jumped from a 45th floor balcony in an atrium at a [hotel in Times Square](/source/New_York_Marriott_Marquis). Although no one else was killed, many of the witnesses, including some children, suffered emotional trauma and required years of treatment as a result of the event.[2][9] ## Screenwriting - *[G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero](/source/G.I._Joe%3A_A_Real_American_Hero_(1989_TV_series))* (1990) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-PenthouseComix_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-PenthouseComix_1-1) Caragonne, George (Ed.; July/August 1994). "Who's Who in *Penthouse Comix*", *[Penthouse Comix](/source/Penthouse_Comix)* #2, p 4. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Evanier_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Evanier_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Evanier_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Evanier_2-3) [Evanier, Mark](/source/Evanier%2C_Mark) (July 20, 2005). ["George"](http://www.newsfromme.com/2005/07/20/george-3/). POV Online: News from Me. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** "The Leader," *Marvel Collector's Edition* #1 (1992). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** "In Kang's Clutches," *Fantastic Four Annual* #25 (1992). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Sodaro, Robert J. "The Resplendent Sound of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.!" *Comics Value Annual* (1999). [Archived on ThunderAgents.com](http://www.thunderagents.com/rsot.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214854/http://www.thunderagents.com/rsot.html) March 3, 2016, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). Accessed February 8, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Ashley, Mike](/source/Mike_Ashley_(writer)) (2007). [*Gateways to Forever: The Story of the Science-Fiction Magazines from 1970-1980*](https://archive.org/details/gatewaystoforeve0000ashl). Liverpool: [Liverpool University Press](/source/Liverpool_University_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-8463100-2-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-8463100-2-7). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Robertson, Adi (August 8, 2013). ["*Omni*, reboot: an iconic sci-fi magazine goes back to the future"](https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/8/4599134/omni-reboot-an-iconic-sci-fi-magazine-goes-back-to-the-future). *[The Verge](/source/The_Verge)*. Retrieved August 9, 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** *Omni Comix* #1 (March 1995). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Lambiet, Jose; Merrill, Laurie C.; Siemaszko, Corky (July 21, 1995). ["Stunned Tourists See Man Plunge To Death"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111016123706/http://personals.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1995/07/21/1995-07-21_stunned_tourists_see_man_plu.html). *[Daily News](/source/Daily_News_(New_York))*. New York City. Archived from [the original](http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/stunned-tourists-man-plunge-death-article-1.703352) on October 16, 2011. ## External links - [George Caragonne](https://web.archive.org/web/2018010101/http://comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID=2147) at the Comic Book DB (archived from [the original](http://comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID=2147)) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF WorldCat National United States --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [George Caragonne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Caragonne) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Caragonne?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.