Compupress

Greek publishing company

Compupress is a Greek publishing company formed in 1982. Originally the company was formed in order to publish computer magazines and books. Following the decline of the computer magazine market, the company expanded to publish fantasy and science fiction, comic books and graphic novels, manga and children's magazines.

Compupress published the first Greek computer magazine: Computers For All (Computer Για Ολους) which celebrated its 300th issue in August 2009. In the past the magazine has licensed material from the well known British magazines Personal Computer World, PC Plus and PC Answers. Having already migrated as an e magazine to the iPad as well as the Adobe Digital Editions platforms in 2012, the magazine published its final paper issue (#344) in May 2013. The company also published Pixel, a Greek language home computing magazine during the era of the 8/16 bit micros (Sinclair ZX81, ZX Spectrum, VIC 20, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Amiga etc.). Pixel was one of the few Greek magazines to have a whole section dedicated to type in programs. Pixel helped initiate a large number of young Greeks to the computer revolution of the 1980s. In September 1989, Compupress launched PC Master similar to Pixel but with a focus on IBM Compatible computing. In 2007, the company launched Update an annual Business Software Guide aimed at the professional.

Since the early 1980s, Compupress had sporadically published a number of computer books, however in 1991, the company decided to launch a branch dedicated solely to this function. Thus was Anubis Publishing formed. In addition to Greek translations of previously written books, Anubis also publishes original works. Anubis has published more than 200 computer books and has diversified into business book publishing. Since the 2000s, Anubis has been publishing translations of well known science fiction and fantasy books.

In 1991, Compupress made a deal with ERT (Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi), the Greek National TV (at that time the only existing set of channels, given that there was still no private TV in Greece), through which it acquired the right to produce two 13 episode TV Shows promoting the use of computers and new technology. The first show, (Computers: Tools of the Year 2000) would deal with computers in the office and in everyday life while the second, (The Computer Show) would deal with computer games. Both shows would be fully financed by Compupress which would recuperate the costs by finding the required sponsors amongst the local computer companies. In 2008, celebrating 25 years of publishing "Computers For All", the magazine distributed videos of the two 17 year old TV series on the covermounted DVD ROM.

In 1992, Compupress launched CompuLink the largest Bulletin Board System in Greece. Initially CompuLink was just a large SCO UNIX based BBS running CoSy (the same system used by the British CIX) The CompuLink team developed and/or purchased on line services for target groups relating to the various computer magazines the company was publishing. Amongst its services was a full text searching facility for a large number of Greek magazines (apart from Compupress' own), a number of on line games (most notably Air Warrior and Federation II), an online database with scientific and business news, online access to a daily newspaper custom made according to each users' preferences etc. CompuLink was initially designed as an Athens based system with approximately 100 local telephone lines and (for that time period) state of the art modems at 2,400 9,600 baud. The BBS was successful enough to add local PoPs to other regions of Greece, and renamed itself the CompuLink Network. In April 1994, CompuLink Network became the first Greek commercial dial up Internet provider. This area however proved to be extremely competitive as, in the following years, a number of major players (Otenet, FORTHnet etc.) entered the market. In 1999, Compupress decided to exit the Internet provider arena and sold CompuLink Network to a group of investors. A few years later the fledgling company declared bankruptcy.

In the mid eighties, the company created a branch named Business Press through which it published magazines in the business area. Amongst these most prominent were Information and Today’s Enterprise (Σύγχρονη Επιχείρηση), two publications that urged the Greek companies of that period to abandon older concepts and enter the informatics era. Both magazines did quite well for a few years but eventually folded during the early nineties. In 1989, Compupress published Touristiki Agora (Τουριστική Αγορά), a trade monthly in the area of the Greek tourism industry. Touristiki Agora currently publishes Meet In Greece which is the only English language Conference Guide currently published in Greece. In 2001, the company launched Food Service, a trade monthly for the Food & Beverage market.

In the mid nineties, Compupress launched Millennium a science monthly that licensed material from Discover magazine. It proved financially unviable and folded two years later.

In 2003, the company launched Digital Living, a monthly magazine licensing material from Future Publishing's Digital Home and Hi Fi Choice and having a well known movie as a covermount DVD. Initially the magazine was successful, but in less than two years declining circulation forced it to fold. In November 2005, Compupress launched Mobile Magazine aimed at the mobile telephone users. By early 2006, the magazine had been incorporated as a supplement to Computers For All. In November 2005, the company also launched Play On! a cross console monthly for the video games market which proved to be extremely short lived.

In the summer of 2005, Compupress launched the first Greek Sudoku puzzle magazine. Since then it has followed up with a weekly, two biweeklies, as well as a couple of bimonthlies. In 2007, the company entered the local crossword magazine market launching the weekly Lytis (Λύτης) which proved to be extremely short lived. In 2010 Compupress returned to the cross word market, launching a new weekly crossword magazine, a biweekly, three monthlies and three bimonthlies.

In 2006, Compupress launched World Military History (Παγκόσμια Πολεμική Ιστορία) entering the already crowded Greek military history magazine arena. The initial success of the magazine created a series of special editions carrying DVDs concerning various military subjects. In 2008, responding to declining sales the magazine folded, however the thematic military "monographs" are still being published on a quasi regular basis.

During the late nineties, Anubis, the company’s book publishing branch, turned to translating fantasy and science fiction best sellers in order to compensate for the declining computer book sales figures. In the next few years the company gradually shifted its production from computer and business related titles to fantasy and science fiction. Amongst the authors that Anubis has introduced to the Greek public are Frank Herbert (Dune series), George R. R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire series), Terry Brooks (Shannara series), Guy Gavriel Kay (The Fionavar Tapestry, Tigana, A Song for Arbonne, The Lions of Al Rassan, The Sarantine Mosaic), Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth series), Robin Hobb (The Farseer trilogy, The Liveship Traders trilogy), David Gemmell (Drenai and Rigante series), Joe Abercrombie (The First Law trilogy). In addition, Anubis has also published more than 80 books of the classic RPG Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms series licensed from Wizards of the Coast, a number of Warhammer novels licensed from Black Library, as well as a dozen Warcraft and StarCraft novels licensed from Blizzard Entertainment. In 2002, Compupress launched CineFan a monthly dedicated to fantasy and science fiction film fans. This magazine also carried a well known movie from this genre as a DVD covermount. Similar to Digital Living CineFan was also canceled after a few years. In 2009, the company launched a Greek version of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine.

In 2005, Anubis Comics was created and formed a number of licensing agreements with DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics and other major comic book publishers. Consequently, since 2005 Compupress has published a number of well known comic book series, such as Batman, Superman, Ultimate Spider Man, several X Men titles, Conan the Barbarian, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. In June 2006, Anubis Comics launched Fantasy Heroes, a monthly magazine dedicated to the fantasy genre, serializing several fantasy series, such as the Dark Elf Trilogy G. R. R. Martin's The Hedge Knight, and Raymond Feist's Magician. In February 2009 the magazine ceased publication with its 33rd issue, citing the global financial turmoil as one reason for dwindling sales.

Since 2005, Anubis Comics has published a number of previously written graphic novels, including Alan Moore's V for Vendetta and Watchmen, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, Neil Gaiman's The Sandman: Endless Nights, G. R. R. Martin's The Hedge Knight, Superman: Birthright, Batman: Hush, Ultimate Iron Man, as well as a number of classic B&W Conan the Barbarian graphic novels. In May 2008, Anubis published 1453, its first original Greek graphic novel dealing with the fall of Constantinople. (Story by Orestes Manousos Art by Nikos Pagonis). The publication coincided with the 555th anniversary of the fall of the Byzantine Empire.

In 2006, the company formed the Anubis Manga branch which launched AkaSuki the first shōjo manga monthly to be published in Greece, as well as Manga No Sekai, an introductory edition covering the basics of Japanese manga products and terminology. Anubis Manga licenses titles from Hakusensha (such as Berserk and Fruits Basket), Kodansha (such as Love Hina and Blade of the Immortal), Shueisha (such as Naruto and Bleach), and Tokyopop (such as Princess Ai and various Warcraft and StarCraft titles).

2009 saw the launching of Anubis junior, a new branch of the company catering to the children and preteen market through a number of new magazines, some of which were licensed and some were designed by Compupress. The imprint publishes titles such as, Gormiti, Transformers, and titles based on licensed toys, superheroes and cartoons, such as Ben 10, Bakugan, Playmobil, Batman: Brave and the Bold, Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo and Patito Feo, an Argentinean teen comedy TV series, as well as other major children's brand names.