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76-727: The company name derives from oni , the word for the ogre demons popular in Japanese folklore . Oni Press used the term "real mainstream," coined by Stephen L. Holland of the UK comic shop Page 45, to suggest that the subject matter it publishes is more in line with the popular genres of other media, such as thrillers , romances and realistic drama . For the most part, Oni Press avoids publishing superhero titles, unless interesting creators approach these concepts from an unusual angle. However, at one point, Rich Johnston of All The Rage reported that Oni Press and Marvel Comics were creating

152-540: A 'ghost' or the 'soul of the dead'. On the other hand, the Japanese dictionary Wamyō Ruijushō ( 和名類聚抄 ) written in Japan in the 10th century explained the origin of the word oni as a corruption of on/onu ( 隠 ) , meaning 'to hide'. The dictionary explained that oni is hidden and does not want to reveal itself. When the character for 鬼 was first introduced to Japan, it was pronounced as ki ( キ ) in

228-450: A character as an oni, such as horns or a distinctive skin colour, although the character may otherwise appear human, lacking the oni's traditionally fearsome or grotesque features. The context of oni in popular culture is similarly varied, with instances such as appearances in animated cartoons, video games and use as commercial mascots. Simon %26 Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC ( / ˈ ʃ uː s t ər / , SHOO -stər )

304-576: A charm made of holly leaves and dried sardine heads are used as a guard against oni. There is also a well-known game in Japan called oni gokko ( 鬼ごっこ ) , which is the same as the game of tag that children in the Western world play. The player who is "it" is instead called the "oni". Oni are featured in Japanese children's stories such as Momotarō ( Peach Boy ), Issun-bōshi , and Kobutori Jīsan . In more recent times, oni have lost some of their original wickedness and sometimes take on

380-406: A federal judge approved a settlement of the antitrust claims, in which Simon & Schuster and the other publishers paid into a fund that provided credits to customers who had overpaid for books due to the price-fixing. In 2014, Simon & Schuster signed a partnership deal with Amazon over ebooks and also launched a new speculative fiction imprint. On October 21, 2014, Simon & Schuster signed

456-526: A heart attack; six years later, Max Schuster retired and sold his half of Simon & Schuster to Leon Shimkin. Shimkin then merged Simon & Schuster with Pocket Books under the name of Simon & Schuster. In 1968, editor-in-chief Robert Gottlieb , who worked at Simon & Schuster since 1955 and edited several bestsellers including Joseph Heller 's Catch-22 , left abruptly to work at competitor Knopf , taking other influential S&S employees, Nina Bourne , and Tony Schulte. Simon & Schuster

532-489: A more protective function. Men in oni costumes often lead Japanese parades to dispel any bad luck, for example. Japanese buildings sometimes include oni-faced roof tiles called onigawara ( 鬼瓦 ) , which are thought to ward away bad luck, much like gargoyles in Western tradition. Many Japanese idioms and proverbs also make reference to oni. For example, the expression "Oya ni ninu ko wa oni no ko" ( 親に似ぬ子は鬼の子 ) (Translation: "A child that does not resemble its parents

608-418: A multi-book and co-publishing deal with Glenn Beck which fell over many of its imprints and included adult non-fiction, fiction, children, and YA literature as well as e-book and audiobook originals. As part of CBS, Simon & Schuster has been the primary publisher for books related to various media franchises owned by and/or aired on CBS such as CSI . The company has also held a license to publish books in

684-431: A multi-year partnership deal with Amazon.com in negotiations concerning the price of e-books. Simon & Schuster also launched a new science fiction imprint called Simon451 that would publish titles across science fiction and fantasy with an emphasis on ebooks and online communities. The name of the imprint was inspired by Ray Bradbury 's book Fahrenheit 451 (the temperature at which books burn). Bradbury's classic

760-482: A new literary fiction imprint under Gallery Books Group. They also launched North Star Way, a platform-based program to provide authors with services beyond publishing including brand management, online courses, sponsorship, and business partnerships. Also as of 2016, Simon & Schuster had more than 18k e-books available for sale and signed a deal to distribute Start Publishing LLC, a catalog of 7,000 e-book titles. In 2019, CBS and Viacom reunited to form ViacomCBS. As

836-589: A publishing deal for Oni creators to work on Marvel superhero characters, but the deal fell apart. Oni Press publishes few comic books on an ongoing monthly basis - Marc Guggenheim 's Resurrection , Antony Johnston and Christopher Mitten's Wasteland and Brian Hurrt and Cullen Bunn 's Sixth Gun . Greg Rucka 's Queen & Country was published monthly from 2001 to 2007. Most of its titles are either irregular recurring miniseries, often published in four to six monthly installments, or original graphic novels . Oni Press material initially released as comic books

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912-456: A result, Simon & Schuster became part of the newly formed ViacomCBS. Since February 15, 2022, ViacomCBS is known as Paramount Global . In March 2020, ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish announced the company's intention to sell the Simon & Schuster division, as it "does not have significant connection for our broader business." Bakish expected the sale to close in 2020, a date that was delayed by

988-464: A software publisher in partnership with Davidson & Associates named Simon & Schuster Interactive. The studio published video games such as Outlaw Golf , Deer Avenger , I.M. Meen , Chill Manor , EVE Online , and games based on Richard Scarry 's characters. S&S Interactive shut down in 2003. In 1998, Viacom sold Simon & Schuster's educational operations (including Prentice Hall, Macmillan, and Jossey-Bass) to Pearson plc ,

1064-604: A strong wrestler. This custom began with the aristocratic and samurai classes in the Muromachi period (1336–1573). According to the Ainōshō (壒嚢鈔), a dictionary compiled in the Muromachi period, the origin of this custom is a legend from the 10th century during the reign of Emperor Uda . According to the legend, a monk on Mount Kurama threw roasted beans into the eyes of oni to make them flinch and flee. Another theory

1140-479: A third eye in the center of the forehead. They are typically depicted with red, blue, black, or yellow colored skin, wearing loincloths of tiger pelt , and carrying iron kanabō clubs. They also have three to six digits on each hand and foot tipped with claw-like nails. Oni are able to change their looks to fool their victims into trusting them. Oni can be male or female, but have been predominantly male throughout history. Female oni are sometimes referred to by

1216-414: A wicked soul beyond rehabilitation transforms into an oni after death. Only the very worst people turn into oni while alive, and these are the oni causing troubles among humans as presented in folk tales. Some scholars have even argued that the oni was entirely a concept of Buddhist mythology. Oni bring calamities to the land, bringing about war, plague/illness, earthquakes, and eclipses. They have

1292-417: Is also published by Simon & Schuster. Simon & Schuster expanded beyond book publishing in 2015 by offering a new business model and additional services for authors. In 2015, Simon & Schuster announced the creation of a new publishing unit and imprint called North Star Way. The imprint would publish non-fiction titles such as self-improvement, inspirational and mind-body-spirit titles. In addition,

1368-542: Is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster . Along with Penguin Random House , Hachette , HarperCollins and Macmillan Publishers , Simon & Schuster is considered one of the 'Big Five' English language publishers. As of 2017 , Simon & Schuster was the third largest publisher in

1444-411: Is called " onihitokuchi ". In Nihon Ryōiki , The Tales of Ise and Konjaku Monogatarishū , for example, a woman is shown being eaten in one mouthful by a oni . There is the theory that the reason why stories of onihitokuchi were common is that wars, disasters, and famines where people lose their lives or go missing were interpreted as oni from another world appearing in

1520-490: Is that the origin of this custom lies in the word 豆 ( mame ) , which means bean. The explanation is that in Japanese, まめ, マメ ( mame ) can also be written as 魔目 ( mame ) , meaning the devil's eye, or 魔滅 ( mametsu ) , meaning to destroy the devil. During the Edo period (1603–1867), the custom spread to Shinto shrines , Buddhist temples and the general public. Regionally around Tottori Prefecture during this season,

1596-423: Is the child of an oni.") may be used by a parent to chastise a misbehaving child. They can be used in stories to frighten children into obeying because of their grotesque appearance, savage demeanor, as well as how they can eat people in a single gulp. The oni remains a very popular motif in Japanese popular culture. Their varied modern depiction sometimes relies on just one or two distinctive features which mark

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1672-511: Is usually later collected into trade paperbacks . They have published well over 100 titles, with multiple books undergoing reprints due to sustained popularity. Several of their books have won the Eisner Award including: Bryan Lee O'Malley 's Scott Pilgrim , Rick Spear and Chuck BB 's Black Metal , Hope Larson 's Grey Horses , and Greg Rucka 's Whiteout: Melt and Queen & Country , with many more receiving nominations. It

1748-595: The on'yomi reading. The character 鬼 has changed over time in Japan to become its own entity, and there are significant differences between the Japanese oni ( 鬼 ) and the Chinese guǐ (鬼). The Chinese guǐ generally refers to the disembodied spirits of the dead and are not necessarily evil. They usually reside in the underworld, but those with a grudge sometimes appear in the human world to haunt, and Taoist priests and others have used their supernatural powers to exterminate them. Japanese oni ( 鬼 ) , on

1824-460: The Chicago Sun , purchased Simon & Schuster and Pocket Books. The company was sold back to Simon and Schuster following his death in 1957 for $ 1 million. In the 1950s and 1960s, many publishers including Simon & Schuster turned toward educational publishing due to the baby boom market. Pocket Books focused on paperbacks for the educational market instead of textbooks and started

1900-773: The Star Trek franchise under Pocket Books . In 2011, Simon & Schuster signed a number of co-publishing deals. Glenn Beck signed a new co-publishing deal with Simon & Schuster for his own imprint, Mercury Ink . Under Atria, Simon & Schuster also launched a publishing venture with Cash Money Records called Cash Money Content. On April 11, 2012, the United States Department of Justice filed United States v. Apple Inc. , naming Apple , Simon & Schuster, and four other major publishers as defendants. The suit alleged that they conspired to fix prices for e-books , and weaken Amazon.com 's position in

1976-492: The COVID-19 pandemic . In September 2020, German media group Bertelsmann , which owns Penguin Random House , announced that it was interested in acquiring Simon & Schuster. According to Bertelsmann chief executive and chairman Thomas Rabe , "We've been the most active player on the consolidation of the book publishing market in the last 10 years. We combined Penguin and Random House very successfully to create by far

2052-564: The United States Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit to block Penguin Random House's proposed acquisition of Simon & Schuster. The lawsuit argues that the acquisition would create a publisher with too much influence over books and author payments. A federal judge sided with the plaintiff, leading Paramount to nullify the deal in November 2022. In 2022, Simon & Schuster employee Filippo Bernardini

2128-405: The kimon was also known as the ushitora (丑寅), or " Ox Tiger " direction. One hypothesis is that the oni ' s bovine horns and tiger-skin loincloth developed as a visual depiction of this term. Temples are often built facing that direction, for example, Enryaku-ji was deliberately built on Mount Hiei which was in the kimon (northeasterly) direction from Kyoto in order to guard

2204-408: The "Male-who-invites") and Izanami (イザナミ, meaning "She-who-invites" or the "Female-who-invites"). These two were brother and sister. They also are married and had many children, one of them being Kagutsuchi (カグツチ, Fire). Upon birth, Kagutsuchi mortally wounded Izanami, who went to Yomi (黄泉, 黄泉の国, World of Darkness) on her death and was transformed into a Kami of death. Izanami, who gave life in

2280-403: The "nucleus of S&S's educational and informational business." Three California educational companies were also purchased between 1988 and 1990 – Quercus, Fearon Education and Janus Book Publishers. In all, Simon & Schuster spent more than $ 1 billion in acquisitions between 1983 and 1991. In the 1980s, Snyder also made an unsuccessful bid toward video publishing which

2356-572: The 14th century in various arts, traditional performing arts and literature such as emakimono , jōruri , noh , kabuki , bunraku , and ukiyo-e . The tachi (Japanese long sword) " Dōjigiri " with which Minamoto no Yorimitsu decapitated Shuten-dōji' in the legend is now designated as a National Treasure and one of the Tenka-Goken (Five Greatest Swords Under Heaven). They are popular characters in Japanese art , literature , and theater and appear as stock villains in

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2432-620: The 1930s, the publisher moved to what has been referred to as "Publisher's Row" on Park Avenue in Manhattan , New York. In 1939, Simon & Schuster backed Robert Fair de Graff to found Pocket Books , America's first paperback publisher. In 1942, Simon & Schuster and Western Publishing launched the Little Golden Books series in cooperation with the Artists and Writers Guild. In 1944, Marshall Field III , owner of

2508-1060: The Bureau of Business Practice was sold to Wolters Kluwer . Subsequently, Macmillan Library Reference's children's imprints (Silver Burdett Press, Dillon Press, Crestwood House, Silver Press, New Discovery and Julian Messner ) were closed. Then, Gale acquired Macmillan Library Reference (Charles Scribner's Sons Reference, Macmillan Reference, Thorndike Press, G.K. Hall , Twayne Publishers and Schirmer Books). Finally, IDG Books acquired Macmillan General Reference (including Frommer's , J.K. Lasser , Betty Crocker Cookbooks, Weight Watchers Dieting and Cookbooks and Howell House Pet Books but excluding Complete Idiot's Guides , which Pearson later transferred to Macmillan Computer Publishing under Alpha Books and currently part of Penguin Random House under Dorling Kindersley ). In 2002, Simon & Schuster acquired its Canadian distributor Distican. Simon & Schuster began publishing in Canada in 2013. At

2584-565: The Heian period. In Konjaku Monogatarishū ( 今昔物語集 ) , the character for 鬼 is read as mono . It was not until the end of the Heian period that the reading of oni for the character 鬼 became almost universal. Particularly powerful oni may be described as kishin or kijin (literally "oni god"; the "ki" is an alternate character reading of "oni"), a term used in Japanese Buddhism to refer to Wrathful Deities . The oni

2660-558: The Netherlands and Belgium, as well as its sister companies, the audiobook producer Thinium , and Bookchoice , a subscription-based platform for e-books and audiobooks. This is the first expansion of Simon & Schuster into a non-English market. In September 2024, it was announced that Simon & Schuster Australia had entered an agreement to acquire publisher Affirm Press . Simon & Schuster has published thousands of books from thousands of authors. This list represents some of

2736-463: The S&;S Video division never took off. Simon & Schuster launched its audiobook division in 1985. According to Korda, audiobooks were a major business for Simon & Schuster by the 1990s. In 1989, Gulf and Western Inc., owner of Simon & Schuster, changed its name to Paramount Communications Inc. In 1990, The New York Times described Simon & Schuster as the largest book publisher in

2812-474: The United States with sales of $ 1.3 billion the previous year. That same year, Simon & Schuster acquired the children's publisher Green Tiger Press. In 1993, Simon & Schuster bought Macmillan (including Scribner's , Free Press , and Jossey-Bass), and changed its name to Paramount Publishing. Viacom then bought Paramount in 1994 and changed the name back to Simon & Schuster. Macmillan

2888-406: The United States, publishing 2,000 titles annually under 35 different imprints . In 1924, Richard Simon 's aunt, a crossword puzzle enthusiast, asked whether there was a book of New York World crossword puzzles, which were popular at the time. After discovering that none had been published, Simon and Max Schuster decided to launch a company to exploit the opportunity. At the time, Simon

2964-576: The Washington Square Press imprint in 1959. By 1964 it had published over 200 titles and was expected to put out another 400 by the end of that year. Books published under the imprint included classic reprints such as Lorna Doone , Ivanhoe , Tom Sawyer , Huckleberry Finn , and Robinson Crusoe . In 1967, Simon & Schuster acquired Monarch Press Publishing, Inc., along with its extensive line of college and high school study guides published. In 1960, Richard Simon died of

3040-495: The capital, and similarly Kan'ei-ji was built towards that direction from Edo Castle . However, skeptics doubt this could have been the initial design of Enryaku-ji temple, since the temple was founded in 788, six years before Kyoto even existed as a capital, and if the ruling class were so feng shui -minded, the subsequent northeasterly move of the capital from Nagaoka-kyō to Kyoto would have certainly been taboo. Japanese buildings may sometimes have L-shaped indentations at

3116-452: The company. Additionally, Oni Press cancelled both their floor space and their panels at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con . Also in July 2022, Christina "Steenz" Stewart – an Oni freelancer and former Lion Forge editor – alleged on social media that Oni Press wasn't paying creators their royalties, with several Oni creators responding with similar complaints. In December 2022, Hunter Gorinson

Oni Press - Misplaced Pages Continue

3192-505: The dead. The Izumo no Kuni Fudoki , whose compilation began in 713, tells the story of a one-eyed oni who ate a man. Nihon Shoki , completed in 720, tells of a hat ( kasa ) -wearing oni watching the funeral of Emperor Saimei from the top of Mount Asakura. The character for 鬼 is believed to have been read as oni when the Nihon Shoki was completed, and was also read as kami , mono , and shiko in

3268-538: The destructive power of lightning and thunder, which terrifies people through their auditory and visual effects. Most Japanese folklore come from the Kojiki (古事記, "Records of Ancient Matters" or "An Account of Ancient Matters") and Nihongi (日本紀, "Japanese Chronicles"). These stories are the history and development of Japan in ancient times. At the beginning of time and space, Takamagahara (高天原, "Plane of High Heaven" or "High Plane of Heaven") came into being, along with

3344-533: The end of 2005, Viacom split into two companies: CBS Corporation (which inherited S&S and Paramount Parks ), and the other retaining the Viacom name. Also in 2005, Simon & Schuster acquired Strebor Books International, which was founded in 1999 by author Kristina Laferne Roberts, who has written under the pseudonym "Zane". A year later, in 2006, Simon & Schuster launched the conservative imprint Threshold Editions . In 2009, Simon & Schuster signed

3420-471: The global publisher and then owner of Penguin and the Financial Times ; Pearson then merged the operations with Addison-Wesley Longman to form Pearson Education . Later, Pearson sold several of the acquired S&S divisions: first Appleton & Lange was divested to McGraw-Hill and Master Data Central was sold to Master Data Center . Then, Jossey-Bass was sold to John Wiley & Sons and

3496-548: The group would also serve as a platform and set of services for authors that go beyond what a traditional book publisher offers to find their audience. The services include helping authors expand their reach through online courses, seminars, workshops, mobile applications, video and audiobooks, sponsorships and business partnerships, and podcasts. North Star Way sits within the Gallery Publishing Group division. According to Michele Martin, publisher and founder,

3572-516: The ideas in the books into a variety of platforms." The name prompted Marvel Comics to attempt to register the name of their superhero Northstar in February 2015. The application was denied as Simon & Schuster had already made a trademark application for North Star Way in January. Simon & Schuster launched SimonSays.com a portal for online video courses in 2016, along with Scout Press,

3648-583: The largest book publisher in the world, actually the only global book publisher. Given this position we would, of course, be interested in Simon & Schuster." Vivendi , which owns the French publisher Editis , and News Corp , which owns HarperCollins , were also named as contenders in acquiring Simon & Schuster. ViacomCBS expected the bids to be placed before November 26, 2020. On November 25, 2020, ViacomCBS announced it would sell Simon & Schuster to Penguin Random House for $ 2.175 billion. The deal

3724-643: The market, in violation of antitrust law . Simon & Schuster reorganized all of their imprints under four main groups in 2012. The four groups included the Atria Publishing Group, the Scribner Publishing Group, the Simon & Schuster Publishing Group and the Gallery Publishing Group. According to CEO Carolyn Reidy , the divisions were created to align imprints that complement one another and that

3800-659: The merger were also reported. The company began emphasizing the Oni brand, with the Lion Forge name becoming "largely dormant". In June 2021, Gaydos stepped down as editor-in-chief. Jones became interim editor-in-chief. In June 2022, Jones stated that "OLFPG has a staff of roughly 30 and expects to add more" and that it "plans to publish 40 original graphic novels in 2022 (60, counting books delayed by supply chain issues), in addition to an extensive list of periodical comics," with Simon & Schuster as their book distributor. Following

3876-446: The merger with Lion Forge, which had published the memoir Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe , the company became involved in controversy and legal actions involving the book. In June 2022, Virginian politicians Tim Anderson and Tommy Altman sued Kobabe and OLFPG over Gender Queer under state law, alleging that the graphic novel was "obscene for unrestricted viewing by minors". OLFPG filed a " Demurrer and Motion to Dismiss " which arguing

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3952-490: The name Yamauba . When in disguise, oni are capable of appearing as a man or woman, regardless of their gender. As monstrous as oni are, they have been linked to bringing good fortune and wealth. During the Heian period (794–1185), oni were often depicted in Japanese literature , such as setsuwa , as terrifying monsters that ate people. A prominent depiction of oni is that they eat people in one mouthful, which

4028-474: The name North Star reflects their mission, "to publish books that will help readers find the path to a better life, and to be a guide for our authors, not only through publication of their books but also in the many other activities that can help their message find the widest possible audience." In an interview with Kirkus Reviews , Michele Martin expanded that North Star Way, "aims to meet consumers where they are, in whatever form of media they consume. We expand

4104-507: The northeast to ward against oni. For example, the walls surrounding the Kyoto Imperial Palace have notched corners in that direction. The traditional bean-throwing custom to drive out oni is practiced during Setsubun festival in February. It involves people casting roasted soybeans indoors or out of their homes and shouting " Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! " ( "鬼は外！福は内！" , "Oni go out! Blessings come in!") , preferably by

4180-431: The other hand, are evil beings that have substance, live in certain places in the human world, such as mountains, have red or blue bodies with horns and fangs, are armed with kanabō (metal clubs) , and can be physically killed by cutting with Japanese swords . The Izumo no Kuni Fudoki ( 出雲国風土記 ) and Nihon Shoki ( 日本書紀 ) are the earliest written examples of oni as entities rather than soul of

4256-406: The physical world, continued to do so in the underworld, ultimately creating the very first oni. According to Chinese Taoism and esoteric Onmyōdō , the ways of yin and yang , the northeasterly direction is termed the kimon ( 鬼門 , "demon gate") and considered an unlucky direction through which evil spirits passed. Based on the assignment of the twelve zodiac animals to the cardinal directions,

4332-482: The plaintiffs misrepresent the nature of the book and further lacks standing to sue. In June 2022, Jones and Chu were fired by Polarity, followed by publicity director Tara Lehmann leaving the company. In July, the company laid off senior VP of sales and marketing Alex Segura, sales manager Henry Barajas, senior editor Amanda Meadows, and editor Jasmine Amiri. Senior vice president of games and operations Steve Ellis and associate publisher Michelle Nguyen remained with

4408-432: The present world who take away humans. It was not until the legend of Shuten-dōji was created that the oni began to be depicted in paintings, and the 14th century Ōeyama ekotoba ( 大江山絵詞 ) is the oldest surviving emakimono (picture scroll) depicting Shuten-dōji . Shuten-dōji has been regarded as the most famous and strongest oni in Japan. The legend of Shuten-dōji has been described since

4484-475: The publisher launched Limerence Press, an imprint for erotic and sex-education comics, "focused on positive, diverse, and approachable stories that reflect a wide variety of emotional and intimate experiences". Oni Press underwent a reorganization in January 2018, with Nozemack acting as founder and chief financial officer , Jones as publisher, Chu as vice president of creative & business development. and other staff also promoted. In January 2019, Sarah Gaydos

4560-422: The structure would "lead to a sharper editorial focus for our imprints even as it takes consideration of the natural affinities among them." In 2012, Simon & Schuster launched a self-publishing arm of the company, Archway Publishing. On November 14, 2013, Simon & Schuster signed a co-publishing agreement with former New York Yankees shortstop, Derek Jeter , to launch Jeter Publishing. In December 2013,

4636-702: The three divine beings Amenominakanushi (天之御中主, The Central Master or "Lord of the August Center of Heaven"), Takamimusubi (高御産巣日神, "High Creator"), and Kamimusubi (神産巣日, The Divine Creator). These three divine beings were known as Kami , and the three together are sometimes referred to as Kotoamatsukami (別天神, literally "distinguishing heavenly kami"). They manifested the entire universe. They were later joined by two more Kami, Umashiashikabihikoji (宇摩志阿斯訶備比古遅神, Energy) and Amenotokotachi (天之常立神, Heaven). Finally, two lesser Kami were made to establish earth, Izanagi (イザナギ/伊邪那岐/伊弉諾, meaning "He-who-invites" or

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4712-494: The well-known fairytales of Momotarō ( Peach Boy ), Issun-bōshi , and Kobutori Jīsan . Although oni have been described as frightening creatures, they have become tamer in modern culture as people tell less frightening stories about them like Oni Mask and Red Oni Who Cried . Oni , written in kanji as 鬼, is read in China as guǐ ( pinyin ) , meaning something invisible, formless, or unworldly, in other words,

4788-468: Was syncretized with Hindu - Buddhist creatures such as the man-devouring yaksha and the rakshasa , and became the oni who tormented sinners as wardens of Hell ( Jigoku ), administering sentences passed down by Hell's magistrate, King Yama (Enma Daiō). The hungry ghosts called gaki (餓鬼) have also been sometimes considered a type of oni (the Kanji for "ki" 鬼 is also read "oni"). Accordingly,

4864-472: Was a piano salesman and Schuster was editor of an automotive trade magazine. They pooled US$ 8,000 , equivalent to $ 142,000 today, to start a company that published crossword puzzles. The new publishing house used "fad" publishing to publish books that exploited current fads and trends. Simon called this "planned publishing". Instead of signing authors with a planned manuscript, they came up with their own ideas, and then hired writers to carry them out. In

4940-477: Was acquired by Gulf+Western in an 8-for-1 stock swap on January 28, 1975. Four years later in 1979, Richard Snyder was named CEO of the company. Over the next several years he would help the company to grow substantially. After the death of Gulf+Western head Charles Bluhdorn on February 19, 1983, the company made the decision to diversify. Bluhdorn's successor Martin Davis told The New York Times , "Society

5016-478: Was acquired for US$ 552.8 million. Later that year, Snyder was suddenly fired from S&S and was replaced by the company's president and chief operating officer Jonathan Newcomb. Simon & Schuster then sold several peripheral assets, such as selling Charles E. Simon Co. to CDB Infotek. Gousha was sold to Rand McNally in 1996. In 1994, S&S acquired the software operations of Markt+Technik . Later that year, Simon & Schuster (through Paramount) launched

5092-697: Was appointed publisher and president of OLFPG. Sierra Hahn was then named the company's new editor-in-chief in February 2023. Oni An oni ( 鬼 （ おに ） ) ( / oʊ n i / OH -nee ) is a kind of yōkai , demon , orc , ogre , or troll in Japanese folklore . They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like thunder and lightning, along with their evil nature manifesting in their propensity for murder and cannibalism . They are typically portrayed as hulking figures with one or more horns growing out of their heads, massive teeth, and occasionally

5168-411: Was arrested for the 2016–2021 literary phishing thefts . The company released a statement saying they were "shocked and horrified to learn today of the allegations of fraud and identity theft by an employee." In June 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that HarperCollins and investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) had emerged as potential frontrunners for the company. On August 3, 2023, it

5244-507: Was believed to have led to the company's success in the audiobook business. Snyder was dismayed to realize that Simon & Schuster did not own the video rights to Jane Fonda's Workout Book , a huge bestseller at the time and that the video company producing the VHS was making more money on the video. This prompted Snyder to ask editors to obtain video rights for every new book. Agents were often reluctant to give these up – which meant

5320-416: Was brought into the company fold in 1985 for over $ 700 million and was viewed by some executives to be a catalyst for change for the company as a whole. This acquisition was followed by Silver Burdett in 1986, mapmaker Gousha in 1987 and Charles E. Simon in 1988. Part of the acquisition included educational publisher Allyn & Bacon which, according to then editor and chief Michael Korda , became

5396-479: Was expected to close in 2022, but was blocked by US federal judge Florence Y. Pan on October 31, 2022. An appeal to the court ruling was announced a day later by Bertelsmann, but it was ultimately canceled on November 21. In 2021, Simon & Schuster made book deals with former Trump administration officials, such as Vice President Mike Pence and Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway . This prompted protests among Simon & Schuster staff. On November 2, 2021,

5472-413: Was founded in 1997 by Bob Schreck and Joe Nozemack with the goal of publishing comics and graphic novels they would want to read. Unsatisfied with the material that was dominating the industry, they believed firmly that sequential art could be used to tell virtually any story. Schreck left the company in 1999, leaving Oni Press owned by Nozemack and Jamie S. Rich. In 2004, Rich left the company; Oni Press

5548-504: Was promoted to editor in chief. In March 2019, Oni was the 9th or 10th ranked publisher on Diamond's Direct Market market share chart, by unit share or dollar share. In May 2019, Oni Press merged with Lion Forge Comics , becoming Oni–Lion Forge Publishing Group (OLFPG), a subsidiary of Polarity . Nozemack stepped down as president in an advisory role. Jones remained as publisher and president, and Chu remained as vice president of creative & business development. Multiple layoffs due to

5624-409: Was reported that KKR was in "advanced talks" with Paramount Global. On August 7, 2023, Paramount Global announced that it had agreed to sell Simon & Schuster to KKR for $ 1.62 billion. The sale was completed on October 30, 2023. In May 2024, Simon & Schuster acquired Veen Bosch & Keuning (VBK), the largest Dutch book publishing company. The acquisition includes all of VBK's imprints in

5700-479: Was then owned by Nozemack, James Lucas Jones, and Charlie Chu. Oni Press had a film and television production unit, Closed on Mondays, headed by Eric Gitter and located in Los Angeles, California . However, in 2015, because of creative differences originating from the geographical distance between offices, Oni and Gitter parted ways, and Oni established a new film and production arm, Oni Entertainment. In 2016,

5776-475: Was undergoing dramatic changes so that there was a greater need for textbooks, maps, and educational information. We saw the opportunity to diversify into those areas, which are more stable and more profitable than trade publishing." In 1984, Simon & Schuster with CEO Richard E. Snyder acquired educational publisher Esquire Corporation, owner of companies including Allyn & Bacon (and former owner of Esquire magazine), for $ 180 million. Prentice Hall

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