Origin uncertain. Possibly originated as a custom typeface for ABC (American Broadcasting Company). Shown under the names ABC Gothic (all caps, w/ an Outline variant a.k.a. ABC Special) and ABC Sans (w/ lc) [c.1981 FotoStar catalog], S & M Bold [late-1970s TSI catalog], and ABC Special (like ABC Gothic Outline) [1986 Castcraft specimen] [via Fontastique Faces]. Compugraphic had it as Zarana [1989 specimen] [1985 mention].

Copied by many early digital labels: OPTIZara (Castcraft, 1990; used for sample), Eremitage (Brendel Informatik, 1994), Zapotec (NovelFonts, 1994), Watford (SoftMaker, 1995).

Spaceage could be a follower.