Viking Press is an American publishing company as of 2011^[update] owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim. The firm's name and logo—a Viking ship drawn by Rockwell Kent—were meant to evoke the ideas of exploration and enterprise implied by the word "Viking".

The house has been home to many prominent authors of fiction, non-fiction, and play scripts. Five Viking authors have been awarded Nobel Prizes for Literature and one received the Nobel Peace Prize; Viking books have also won numerous Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, and other important literary prizes.

As of 2011^[update] Viking published approximately 100 books a year. It is notable for publishing both successful commercial fiction and acclaimed literary fiction and non-fiction. Viking's literary paperbacks are published by Penguin Books, while its commercial paperbacks are published by Signet Books or Putnam Books. Viking's current president is Clare Ferraro.

Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 3, #48 (1994), as part of the "Emerald Twilight" storyline, in which DC Comics replaced Green Lantern Hal Jordan with Rayner, who was the sole Green Lantern for years until the late 1990s. During this period he was also briefly known as Ion.

Following Jordan’s return to Green Lantern status in the 2004–2005 limited series Green Lantern: Rebirth, and the 2005 crossover event "Infinite Crisis", Rayner returned to his alias of Ion. After the events of the "Sinestro Corps War", Rayner returned to his original role as a Green Lantern officer, along with a promotion to Honor Guard Illustres of the Corps.

Kyle Rayner's father is a Mexican-American CIA agent named Gabriel Vasquez (Green Lantern vol. 2, #150), who worked under various codenames including Aaron Rayner, and currently the identity of Raymond Hauser. When Gabriel's deep-cover work threatened his wife and infant son, he was forced to sever all traceable ties with them, and even conspired with Maura Rayner in fabricating a domestic violence incident to explain their abrupt separation. To Gabriel's regret, the resulting absence from his family's life and lack of his financial support forced Kyle and his mother into a rather modest lifestyle.

Svend Viking Karlsen (born October 6, 1967) is a former Norwegian strongman, powerlifter, and IFBB professional bodybuilder.

Svend started out as a powerlifter in 1986, winning a number of titles and setting 30 Norwegian records, 3 European records, and 1 world record. Soon after, Svend began pursuing a career in bodybuilding. He traveled on the road doing posing exhibitions with some bodybuilding friends to help pay the bills. Svend won the Mr. Norway title, and took second place at the World Games. This victory earned him his IFBB pro card and he could now compete as a professional. Svend moved to California to focus on his bodybuilding career, and his first pro show was the IFBB Night of Champions. Svend suffered a severe muscle tear that forced him to retire from bodybuilding, and in 1996 he quickly moved on to strongman competitions.

Svend competed in one of the 1996 World's Strongest Man qualifying heats and narrowly missed qualifying for the finals. In the 1997 World's Strongest Man contest, Svend qualified for his first of 7 consecutive finals from 1997, 1999-2004(did not compete in 1998). Svend was leading the finals on points, but during the warm-up for the squat event, he tore his hamstring and had to withdraw from the rest of the contest. Svend returned in 1999, finishing in third place, and finished in second place in 2000. Svend finally became victorious at the 2001 World's Strongest Man competition in Victoria Falls, Zambia.

Travis Ortmayer (born August 9, 1981) is an American Professional Strongman athlete from Cypress, Texas. Travis is the owner of Athletic Nation gym. Travis is nicknamed the Texas Stoneman due to his many world records in the Atlas Stone event.

Travis's strongman training complex is called "The Unit" and his father, Roger Ortmayer, trains with him. Travis is supported by his mom, Sonja Ortmayer, his sister, Tara Ortmayer, and his wife Lucy Ortmayer. Travis was born in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Travis started out training Bodybuilding in his early teens and eventually decided to train and compete in Powerlifting. Travis then met Marshall White who introduced him to the Strongman sport. In 2002, Marshall and Travis formed "the Unit" strongman training grounds in Cypress, Texas. "The Unit" was also joined by World's Strongest Man competitor Josh Thigpen and professional strongman Jim Glassman. Travis earned his ASC (American Strongman Corporation) Professional Strongman card by winning the 2004 NAS (North American Strongman) Amateur USA National Heavyweight Championships.

Mark Felix (born April 17, 1966 in Grenada) is a strongman competitor and regular entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition. Felix has won numerous international grip contests, including the Rolling Thunder World Championships in 2008 & 2009, as well as the Vice Grip Viking Challenge in 2011 & 2012. Mark has also held the Rolling Thunder world record since 2008, as well as the Captains of Crush "COC" Silver Bullet world record. Due largely in part to his grip achievements, Mark is widely regarded as having the strongest grip in the world.

Mark Felix was born in 1966 in Grenada. At the age of 23 he moved to Great Harwood, Lancashire, England. He was a dedicated body builder and turned his attention to strongman competitions in 2003 at the age of 37, comparatively late in relation to other strength athletes.

Mark Felix turned pro as a strongman within a year when the IFSA Strongman Federation was launched in 2004.

Mark came third in England's Strongest Man in 2004, and in 2005 he went on to come second to Eddy Elwood in the IFSA version of England's Strongest Man (England's Strongest Man (IFSA)). This led him to the IFSA British Championships which he won in 2005. Of the five events, Felix won three (Deadlift, Farmer’s Walk and Atlas Stones). Aftwerwards Felix credited his victory to "Big hands, big heart"