Hollywood’s Peter Guber Does “Geek Chic’

I first heard about this because of the rumor that “Peter Guber is buying all of Comic Con.” Well, that proved false when I checked it out. But, instead, he’s one of 3 grown men who are also media veterans aiming to feed the appetite of what they’re calling the “geekerati” audience by launching today a free daily email newsletter they want to be the definitive voice of geek culture. (A newsletter? How quaint…) It’s called GEEKCHICDAILY and it will purport to cover the tastemakers’ choice of video games, toys, tech & apps, movies & TV, comic books and collectibles and gear. Announced this morning at the Big Apple Comic Con, it’s backed by Wizard Entertainment’s Gareb Shamus, the founder and publisher of Wizard magazine of comic book, toy and character-based genre fare whiuch also started out as a newsletter. Shamus also owns and operates the Big Apple, Chicago, Philadelphia, Anaheim, and Toronto Comic Con festivals. Ergo why that rumor began… Also involved is Internet executive and video game investor Peter Levin. [Full Disclosure: Levin was my business agent in the sale of Deadline Hollywood to MMC.] Also in the partnership is Peter Guber, the CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group and former Sony Pictures studio mogul. The newsletter will be edited by Scott Gramling, former editor-in-chief of FHM and Wizard. “Gareb and I have been friends for many years and we’ve searched for the right project to embark upon together. Peter Guber became the secret sauce and GeekChicDaily was brought to life,” Levin said in a statement. “We strive to bring to market a daily, shot-in-the-arm of editorial covering the things we all get such a kick out of.” Added Guber, “ChicDaily captures the passion and thirst these hardcore fans have for being the first to know what is cool before the rest of the world finds out. My professional passion is all about storytelling; GeekChicDaily will allow us to tell pop culture stories in the most compelling way possible.” The venture is funded by Guber and Mandalay Corporate Enterprises, Kyoraku Yoshimoto Holdings, and Ken Wegner of The Jel Sert Company.

Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.