Website: darbypop.com
Style Classification: Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: 7th Sword; Fake Empire; The Living Finger; various Bruce Lee content; Sidekicked
Story:
Darby Pop started as IDW's imprint for Creator Owned Content back in 2013. Hollywood vet Jeff Kline was responsible and filled out a talent roster from his close friends, who were also comic industry vets.
Their titles see original and novel, and a partnership with Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee's daughter, has brought many Lee-themed products to the comic book market.
Sidekicked looks promising: superhero sidekicks decide to strike and teach their prim dona bosses a lesson. The Living Finger follows character Jason as he finds a living disembodied finger, obsesses over it, finds a tapping-style form of communication to talk with it, and names it Wendy. Like Sidekicked, this sounds promising.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
BOOM! Studios
Website: boom-studios.com
Style Classification: Creator Owned Content; Licensed Properties
Notable Works: Lumberjanes; Adventure Time; Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers; Klaus
Story:
BOOM! has found widespread success with their Adventure Time license, having spread out and spun many stories out of Pendelton's universe. The market for Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers remains robust (for reasons I'm still trying to understand).
The BOOM! Box imprint has seen a runaway hit with Lumberjanes, a title that proved women shouldn't be ignored as a viable audience, follows a group of girls at a summer camp and their supernatural encounters, among other things. Fox has the property in the works for a live-action adaptation. Way to go Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, and Noelle Stevenson!
Industry veteran Grant Morrison found a home at BOOM! for his Klaus story, a dark imagining of the beginning of the Santa Claus, with a foundation in the blending of Viking lore and Siberian-shamanism---how did Santa start? Where does he come from? Check this title out for some wild answers.
Lastly, a title that has my own attention is Wild's End, an adaptation of HG Wells' War of the Worlds, with animal characters and sleepy English countryside villages as the setting. I'm a sucker for things that are different.
Style Classification: Creator Owned Content; Licensed Properties
Notable Works: Lumberjanes; Adventure Time; Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers; Klaus
Story:
BOOM! has found widespread success with their Adventure Time license, having spread out and spun many stories out of Pendelton's universe. The market for Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers remains robust (for reasons I'm still trying to understand).
The BOOM! Box imprint has seen a runaway hit with Lumberjanes, a title that proved women shouldn't be ignored as a viable audience, follows a group of girls at a summer camp and their supernatural encounters, among other things. Fox has the property in the works for a live-action adaptation. Way to go Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, and Noelle Stevenson!
Industry veteran Grant Morrison found a home at BOOM! for his Klaus story, a dark imagining of the beginning of the Santa Claus, with a foundation in the blending of Viking lore and Siberian-shamanism---how did Santa start? Where does he come from? Check this title out for some wild answers.
Lastly, a title that has my own attention is Wild's End, an adaptation of HG Wells' War of the Worlds, with animal characters and sleepy English countryside villages as the setting. I'm a sucker for things that are different.
Titan Comics
Website: titan-comics.com
Style Classification: Licensed Properties; Reprints
Notable Works: Dr. Who; Assassin's Creed; Samurai
Story:
Titan Publishing was founded in 1981, but the comics imprint, Titan Comics, is far newer. It seems like what major licenses that aren't held by IDW or Dynamite, Titan has them.
They've been finding success with the Dr. Who line of books, as well as some interesting Star Wars content. They're releasing a whole slew of Puss 'N Boots comics, along with television's Penny Dreadful, The Blacklist and Vikings as well as the upcoming Independence Day movie adaptation. They also have the market cornered on Silver Age Marvel reprints.
Titan offers the occasional Creator Owned Content comic, and boasts an Image Comics-style right's retention deal. The most interesting and beautiful looking comic I've seen under this heading is Samurai, Jean-Francois di Giorgio and Frederic Genet's gorgeous period stories in the Lone Wolf and Cub tradition.
For Samurai alone this company should have success.
Style Classification: Licensed Properties; Reprints
Notable Works: Dr. Who; Assassin's Creed; Samurai
Story:
Titan Publishing was founded in 1981, but the comics imprint, Titan Comics, is far newer. It seems like what major licenses that aren't held by IDW or Dynamite, Titan has them.
They've been finding success with the Dr. Who line of books, as well as some interesting Star Wars content. They're releasing a whole slew of Puss 'N Boots comics, along with television's Penny Dreadful, The Blacklist and Vikings as well as the upcoming Independence Day movie adaptation. They also have the market cornered on Silver Age Marvel reprints.
Titan offers the occasional Creator Owned Content comic, and boasts an Image Comics-style right's retention deal. The most interesting and beautiful looking comic I've seen under this heading is Samurai, Jean-Francois di Giorgio and Frederic Genet's gorgeous period stories in the Lone Wolf and Cub tradition.
For Samurai alone this company should have success.
Aspen Comics
Website: aspencomics.com
Style Classification: Creator Owned Content; (soon to be) Shared Universe
Notable Works: Fathom; Soulfire
Story:
Founded in 2003 by Michael Turner, Aspen Comics focuses on an Image Comics-styled Creator Owned Content. It looks like this summer, 2016, the two most prominent properties of the company will combine in a crossover, uniting Turner's Fathom and Soulfire universes into one shared and cohesive so-called "Aspen Universe."
I had no idea of the backstory.
Michael Turner came to LA from Tennessee in 1993, and by 1994 was a rising star in the Image Comics stable. By 1995 his work on Witchblade made him front and center in the public tastes, and in 1996 his first solo property for Image, Fathom, was an instant success. He continued working for Image into the early aughts until he struck out on his own, founding Aspen Comics. (Aspen Matthews is the name of the main character in Fathom.)
The company over the years has continued to publish new and unique voices in the industry, and titles like Bubblegun and Executive Assistant: Iris got attention and brought readers closer to some of the other offers, like the horror-title Dead Man's Run or the fantasy-title Damsels in Excess.
Michael Turner passed away in 2008 after a long battle with cancer. Bummer. Pour some out for the homies...
Style Classification: Creator Owned Content; (soon to be) Shared Universe
Notable Works: Fathom; Soulfire
Story:
Founded in 2003 by Michael Turner, Aspen Comics focuses on an Image Comics-styled Creator Owned Content. It looks like this summer, 2016, the two most prominent properties of the company will combine in a crossover, uniting Turner's Fathom and Soulfire universes into one shared and cohesive so-called "Aspen Universe."
I had no idea of the backstory.
Michael Turner came to LA from Tennessee in 1993, and by 1994 was a rising star in the Image Comics stable. By 1995 his work on Witchblade made him front and center in the public tastes, and in 1996 his first solo property for Image, Fathom, was an instant success. He continued working for Image into the early aughts until he struck out on his own, founding Aspen Comics. (Aspen Matthews is the name of the main character in Fathom.)
The company over the years has continued to publish new and unique voices in the industry, and titles like Bubblegun and Executive Assistant: Iris got attention and brought readers closer to some of the other offers, like the horror-title Dead Man's Run or the fantasy-title Damsels in Excess.
Michael Turner passed away in 2008 after a long battle with cancer. Bummer. Pour some out for the homies...
Black Mask Studios
Website: blackmaskstudios.com
Style Classification: Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: Young Terrorists; 4 Kids Walk into a Bank
Story:
Founded in the recent past by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz and comic industry vets Steve Niles and Matt Pizzolo, Blask Mask Studios claims to bring the punk rock ethic to the comics industry.
Their offers beyond the two listed above, offers like Space Riders (psychedelic swashbuckling in space), The Disciples (ghost story in space), and Mayday (drug fiends who may or may not be at the center of a Satanic overtake on LA) show the exciting and bizarre reaches the company strives toward.
4 Kids Walk into a Bank is fun and original, with a look that feels like an older time and a plot that's novel in its approach. Young Terrorists was named to many "Best Of..." lists for 2015 in independent comic categories for its story of the escaped daughter of an assassinated kingpin who leads her fellow escapees against shadowy governmental forces.
If Black Mask Studios can avoid another prolonged legal snafu (like the one that threatened to shelve this year's slate of releases), and if they continue on their current path, the future is very exciting and plenty more success will find them. I find myself as a serious devotee, for what's it worth.
Special Status: SOLID COMPANY
Style Classification: Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: Young Terrorists; 4 Kids Walk into a Bank
Story:
Founded in the recent past by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz and comic industry vets Steve Niles and Matt Pizzolo, Blask Mask Studios claims to bring the punk rock ethic to the comics industry.
Their offers beyond the two listed above, offers like Space Riders (psychedelic swashbuckling in space), The Disciples (ghost story in space), and Mayday (drug fiends who may or may not be at the center of a Satanic overtake on LA) show the exciting and bizarre reaches the company strives toward.
4 Kids Walk into a Bank is fun and original, with a look that feels like an older time and a plot that's novel in its approach. Young Terrorists was named to many "Best Of..." lists for 2015 in independent comic categories for its story of the escaped daughter of an assassinated kingpin who leads her fellow escapees against shadowy governmental forces.
If Black Mask Studios can avoid another prolonged legal snafu (like the one that threatened to shelve this year's slate of releases), and if they continue on their current path, the future is very exciting and plenty more success will find them. I find myself as a serious devotee, for what's it worth.
Special Status: SOLID COMPANY
Zenescope Entertainment
Website: zenescope.com
Style Classification: Cohesive Universe
Notable Works: Grimm Fairy Tales; Robyn Hood
Story:
When I started looking into the Zenescope Universe, I was happy to see someone trying, and finding success, with the concept.
Founded as an entertainment company in 2005 by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco---screenwriter buddies---Zenescope focuses it's main "universe" on public domain characters. It started with Grimm Fairy Tales, and moved out into Wonderland, Neverland, Oz, and Robyn Hood spin offs. Their main offices are in the Philly metro area.
Their stories have been recognized for their originality and edginess, and Zenescope is considered a premier independent company.
Using public domain characters and doing something original and novel sounds easier than it is, and for this company to find a sustained success---for over a decade now---means they're doing something right.
Style Classification: Cohesive Universe
Notable Works: Grimm Fairy Tales; Robyn Hood
Story:
When I started looking into the Zenescope Universe, I was happy to see someone trying, and finding success, with the concept.
Founded as an entertainment company in 2005 by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco---screenwriter buddies---Zenescope focuses it's main "universe" on public domain characters. It started with Grimm Fairy Tales, and moved out into Wonderland, Neverland, Oz, and Robyn Hood spin offs. Their main offices are in the Philly metro area.
Their stories have been recognized for their originality and edginess, and Zenescope is considered a premier independent company.
Using public domain characters and doing something original and novel sounds easier than it is, and for this company to find a sustained success---for over a decade now---means they're doing something right.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Oni Press
Website: Oni Tumblr
Style Classification: Independent Disparates/Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: Stumptown; Letter 44; The Sixth Gun; The Bunker; Rick and Morty
Story:
I don't classify Oni Press as a primarily "Licensed Property" publisher, even if one of their highest profile titles is Rick and Morty, based off the acclaimed Adult Swim cartoon. That seemed like sweepstakes they won. It helps get their name and other books front and center in the heads of the reading public.
Which is a good thing.
Oni Press was formed in 1997 in Portland, Oregon, by a couple of guys---Bob Schreck and Joe Nozemack---who longed to see comics that they would want to read on the market, a market they felt was too saturated with superhero titles.
They profess to not publish any superhero books, but that leaves me curious about their Mighty Zodiac character. I imagine they have done something clever with the title, and from what I've read of theirs, I'm affording them the benefit of the doubt.
Their title The Bunker breaks all kinds of story-telling boundaries with both the narrative and the artwork. Letter 44 is another envelope pusher that's actually political sci-fi. The Sixth Gun was written by popular standout Cullen Bunn, and has just finished its multi-year run. It was a western about six mystical and powerful pistols, and one girl's fight to stay alive and in possession of the titular sixth gun.
I picked up the Oni Press starter pack and was happily enlightened.
Style Classification: Independent Disparates/Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: Stumptown; Letter 44; The Sixth Gun; The Bunker; Rick and Morty
Story:
I don't classify Oni Press as a primarily "Licensed Property" publisher, even if one of their highest profile titles is Rick and Morty, based off the acclaimed Adult Swim cartoon. That seemed like sweepstakes they won. It helps get their name and other books front and center in the heads of the reading public.
Which is a good thing.
Oni Press was formed in 1997 in Portland, Oregon, by a couple of guys---Bob Schreck and Joe Nozemack---who longed to see comics that they would want to read on the market, a market they felt was too saturated with superhero titles.
They profess to not publish any superhero books, but that leaves me curious about their Mighty Zodiac character. I imagine they have done something clever with the title, and from what I've read of theirs, I'm affording them the benefit of the doubt.
Their title The Bunker breaks all kinds of story-telling boundaries with both the narrative and the artwork. Letter 44 is another envelope pusher that's actually political sci-fi. The Sixth Gun was written by popular standout Cullen Bunn, and has just finished its multi-year run. It was a western about six mystical and powerful pistols, and one girl's fight to stay alive and in possession of the titular sixth gun.
I picked up the Oni Press starter pack and was happily enlightened.
Rothic Comics
Website: rothic.com
Style Classification: Cohesive Universe: Single Creator
Notable Works: Ancient Dreams
Story:
JP Roth was a mythology major in college, and parlayed her interest in that combined with her skills as an artist and writer into a series of "Rothic novels"---comics. At first blush it looks like this could all be exploitation books again, what with busty women wearing very little splashed all over the website, but that's not the case.
Roth, herself a beautiful and sexy lady---a so-called "fan favorite" on the convention circuit---has created and woven a series of stories deeply steeped in lore and mythos, stories about love, life, death, dreams, and magic, and each story stars a beautiful young lady. The website says that each title is intertwined and connected, hence the "Cohesive Universe" designation.
On a strange and mostly unrelated note, Google states that the publisher's address is literally right down my street, which is odd, since the area is a primarily residential neighborhood of downtown Long Beach, California
Anyway, while I have refrained from educating myself on Ms. Roth's work, POWER TO HER for finding success independently in this difficult industry, difficult for any company and especially single publishers.
Kick ass and take names, Ms. Roth. Keep it up!
Style Classification: Cohesive Universe: Single Creator
Notable Works: Ancient Dreams
Story:
JP Roth was a mythology major in college, and parlayed her interest in that combined with her skills as an artist and writer into a series of "Rothic novels"---comics. At first blush it looks like this could all be exploitation books again, what with busty women wearing very little splashed all over the website, but that's not the case.
Roth, herself a beautiful and sexy lady---a so-called "fan favorite" on the convention circuit---has created and woven a series of stories deeply steeped in lore and mythos, stories about love, life, death, dreams, and magic, and each story stars a beautiful young lady. The website says that each title is intertwined and connected, hence the "Cohesive Universe" designation.
On a strange and mostly unrelated note, Google states that the publisher's address is literally right down my street, which is odd, since the area is a primarily residential neighborhood of downtown Long Beach, California
Anyway, while I have refrained from educating myself on Ms. Roth's work, POWER TO HER for finding success independently in this difficult industry, difficult for any company and especially single publishers.
Kick ass and take names, Ms. Roth. Keep it up!
Aftershock Comics
Website: aftershockcomics.com
Style Classification: Independent Disparates/Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: Rough Riders; Black Eyed Kids; inSEXts
Story:
You get the idea that many of the characters are owned by the creators, and that no one tells anyone what to do with these characters, but it remains to be seen whether the creators own everything like at Image...
This company is barely a year old, starting business only in 2015, but in that time titles like Rough Riders, BEK, and even Captain Kid---about a middle age man who transform into a teenage superhero---feel fresh and are well executed.
The stable of talent they have housed is robust: Jimmy Palmiotti, Sam Keith, Mark Waid, Biran Azzarello, Marguerite Bennett, Garth Ennis, Raphael DeLatorre... If you were starting a company from scratch and the launch talent you could assemble had those names as a fraction of the list? Things would be looking good.
The founders were a combination of industry veterans---Mike Marts and Joe Pruett---and Hollywood development executive Lee Kramer. Together it looks like they pulled the correct strings about obtaining talent, shrewd marketing, and well executed, novel, and exciting content.
Special Status: SOLID COMPANY
Style Classification: Independent Disparates/Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: Rough Riders; Black Eyed Kids; inSEXts
Story:
You get the idea that many of the characters are owned by the creators, and that no one tells anyone what to do with these characters, but it remains to be seen whether the creators own everything like at Image...
This company is barely a year old, starting business only in 2015, but in that time titles like Rough Riders, BEK, and even Captain Kid---about a middle age man who transform into a teenage superhero---feel fresh and are well executed.
The stable of talent they have housed is robust: Jimmy Palmiotti, Sam Keith, Mark Waid, Biran Azzarello, Marguerite Bennett, Garth Ennis, Raphael DeLatorre... If you were starting a company from scratch and the launch talent you could assemble had those names as a fraction of the list? Things would be looking good.
The founders were a combination of industry veterans---Mike Marts and Joe Pruett---and Hollywood development executive Lee Kramer. Together it looks like they pulled the correct strings about obtaining talent, shrewd marketing, and well executed, novel, and exciting content.
Special Status: SOLID COMPANY
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Amryl Entertainment
Website: www.amryl.com
Style Classification: Exploitation
Notable Works: Cavewoman, (currently) Razor
Story:
So...what is there to say? The website has the main characters from their titles, and Cavewoman seems to be the most popular? Seeing as she has a Facebook fan club?
The site looks like it was put together in the mid '90s and the "About" tab takes you to a "We'll get this finished as soon as our new site is up and running" page. The copyright is 2011.
If you're looking for busty women fighting dinosaurs, or monsters, or living in caves doing cavewomanly stuff, all while wearing as little as possible and still be considered "covered", then this company's content is for you.
The popularity of this kind of material must have peaked in the past, when free pornography wasn't so readily available. Back in college we used to say that Maxim was like porn for guys who were too scared to buy porn, but that was wrong: Maxim was really just Playboy for guys too scared to get actual Playboy, and Playboy isn't porn. It's tits, a little muff, and lotsa other shit guys can spend money on and/or care about.
Anyway, I'd love to be proven as ass and come to learn that Cavewoman is a serious and wonderfully plotted and executed series.
Any takers on that bet?
Style Classification: Exploitation
Notable Works: Cavewoman, (currently) Razor
Story:
So...what is there to say? The website has the main characters from their titles, and Cavewoman seems to be the most popular? Seeing as she has a Facebook fan club?
The site looks like it was put together in the mid '90s and the "About" tab takes you to a "We'll get this finished as soon as our new site is up and running" page. The copyright is 2011.
If you're looking for busty women fighting dinosaurs, or monsters, or living in caves doing cavewomanly stuff, all while wearing as little as possible and still be considered "covered", then this company's content is for you.
The popularity of this kind of material must have peaked in the past, when free pornography wasn't so readily available. Back in college we used to say that Maxim was like porn for guys who were too scared to buy porn, but that was wrong: Maxim was really just Playboy for guys too scared to get actual Playboy, and Playboy isn't porn. It's tits, a little muff, and lotsa other shit guys can spend money on and/or care about.
Anyway, I'd love to be proven as ass and come to learn that Cavewoman is a serious and wonderfully plotted and executed series.
Any takers on that bet?
Dynamite Entertainment
Website:dynamite.com
Style Classification: Licensed Properties; Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: (currently) Vampirella, Bob's Burgers, Evil Ernie, Grumpy Cat
Story:
Dynamite was founded in 2004 and currenlt holds the rights to over 3000 characters, including the rosters of Charlton Comics, Warren, Harris Comics, and Chaos--all except Lady Death, whom creator Brian Pulido still seems to control.
At times they seemed interchangeable with IDW in that they produce high quality licensed content, but here the licenses are a little more unique. They developed the Grumpy Cat comic from an Internet meme. They've updated Vampirella, Red Sonja, and Deja Thoris to (slightly) less exploitative forms.
They've just brought back Evil Ernie and have an interesting update of Battlestar Galactica in the works. Less movies and pop-culture---save Bob's Burgers---and more kinda weird stuff.
They also work with talent like Alex Ross, Kevin Smith, and Matt Wagner on developing their ideas.
This is currently the home for the erstwhile old-school-Valiant character Dr. Solar, but seeing as how that had been a Warren (and Gold Key) property, that makes sense.
For all of you Army of Darkness needs, check no further than Dynamite.
Style Classification: Licensed Properties; Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: (currently) Vampirella, Bob's Burgers, Evil Ernie, Grumpy Cat
Story:
Dynamite was founded in 2004 and currenlt holds the rights to over 3000 characters, including the rosters of Charlton Comics, Warren, Harris Comics, and Chaos--all except Lady Death, whom creator Brian Pulido still seems to control.
At times they seemed interchangeable with IDW in that they produce high quality licensed content, but here the licenses are a little more unique. They developed the Grumpy Cat comic from an Internet meme. They've updated Vampirella, Red Sonja, and Deja Thoris to (slightly) less exploitative forms.
They've just brought back Evil Ernie and have an interesting update of Battlestar Galactica in the works. Less movies and pop-culture---save Bob's Burgers---and more kinda weird stuff.
They also work with talent like Alex Ross, Kevin Smith, and Matt Wagner on developing their ideas.
This is currently the home for the erstwhile old-school-Valiant character Dr. Solar, but seeing as how that had been a Warren (and Gold Key) property, that makes sense.
For all of you Army of Darkness needs, check no further than Dynamite.
Friday, June 17, 2016
IDW Publishing
Website: idwpublishing.com
Style Classification: Licensed Properties; Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: (currently) Transformers; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Godzilla; Wynonna Earp
Story:
Founded in 1999 in San Diego, IDW has grown into the fourth largest producer of comics in the United States. They have one of the most successful stables of well-executed licensed property divisions in the industry, cornering the market on original stories from the Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Godzilla, Transformers, X-Files, Star Trek, and even Dungeons and Dragons universes.
On the creator-driven division, they have signed exclusive deals with the likes of Kevin Eastman, half of the creative team of TMNT. They publish a wide variety of content that shows how the market has changed, like Time Looper (about a lesbian time-traveling bureaucratic underling) and Wynonna Earp (about a supernatural division or marshals whose star is the eponymous Wynonna). This cowgirl werewolf- and vampire-hunter has been green-lit for a television show on SyFy.
Publishing hundreds of original comics and graphic novels a year, to go along with their line of novels, video games, and other various television and digital content, IDW is a force in the industry, for sure.
They won an Eisner Award for their recent "Little Nemo's Return to Slumberland" limited series, a re-imagining of Windsor McKay's classic surreal work from the '20s and '30s.
Style Classification: Licensed Properties; Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: (currently) Transformers; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Godzilla; Wynonna Earp
Story:
Founded in 1999 in San Diego, IDW has grown into the fourth largest producer of comics in the United States. They have one of the most successful stables of well-executed licensed property divisions in the industry, cornering the market on original stories from the Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Godzilla, Transformers, X-Files, Star Trek, and even Dungeons and Dragons universes.
On the creator-driven division, they have signed exclusive deals with the likes of Kevin Eastman, half of the creative team of TMNT. They publish a wide variety of content that shows how the market has changed, like Time Looper (about a lesbian time-traveling bureaucratic underling) and Wynonna Earp (about a supernatural division or marshals whose star is the eponymous Wynonna). This cowgirl werewolf- and vampire-hunter has been green-lit for a television show on SyFy.
Publishing hundreds of original comics and graphic novels a year, to go along with their line of novels, video games, and other various television and digital content, IDW is a force in the industry, for sure.
They won an Eisner Award for their recent "Little Nemo's Return to Slumberland" limited series, a re-imagining of Windsor McKay's classic surreal work from the '20s and '30s.
Valiant Comics
Website: valiantentertainment.com
Style Classification: Cohesive Universe
Notable Works: X-O Manowar; Bloodshot; Shadowman; Faith
Story:
Jim Shooter tried to purchase Marvel Entertainment in the late 1980s, moving from a management role into an ownership one. It didn't work out, and he was eventually ousted. He left and started his own company, publishing Nintendo Entertainment System licensed properties initially. He and his other investors got a hold of three '60s-era Gold Key properties, Solar, Turok, and Magnus, and started from there to build their own cohesive universe.
By 1991, a stable of dynamic, connected and intertwined characters was existent, and the writing was so good that people began to notice. A psionically gifted tycoon senses the power of a teenager who's just beginning to discover his own powers. The older leader realizes that if this boy fully embraces his powers, innocent people will die. He decides to have this boy killed. Is it in a normal comic trope of calling him in the street as they battle in the skies over a metropolitan area? No; he pays the kid's best friend to shoot him in the head. The murder attempt of Peter Stancheck was unsuccessful, but this is the kid of story Valiant offered.
They also offered the only real independent cohesive universe with intertwining characters outside of DC and Marvel.
The original investors ousted Jim Shooter, then sold the properties to Acclaim, a video game maker looking to take advantage of the comics boom of the early '90s. They got in right as the bubble was bursting, and eventually they shuttered their comics productions, but not before altering some of the titles to be better suited for video game marketing.
In 2012, the resurrection was launched, as new investors bought the rights to the characters and have since been making waves for themselves in a tight market. They have the sci-fi story (X-O Manowar), the action story (Bloodshot), the espionage story (Ninjak), and the horror/magic story (Shadowman). The characters are interesting, novel, and well executed.
Valiant is also getting some attention for the publication of Faith, a comic about a positive super-hero (as opposed to the dark anti-heroes so popular today) who also happens to be a big girl.
(For full disclosure: I am a total Valiant homer.)
It remains the only true cohesive universe to rival those of DC and Marvel.
Style Classification: Cohesive Universe
Notable Works: X-O Manowar; Bloodshot; Shadowman; Faith
Story:
Jim Shooter tried to purchase Marvel Entertainment in the late 1980s, moving from a management role into an ownership one. It didn't work out, and he was eventually ousted. He left and started his own company, publishing Nintendo Entertainment System licensed properties initially. He and his other investors got a hold of three '60s-era Gold Key properties, Solar, Turok, and Magnus, and started from there to build their own cohesive universe.
By 1991, a stable of dynamic, connected and intertwined characters was existent, and the writing was so good that people began to notice. A psionically gifted tycoon senses the power of a teenager who's just beginning to discover his own powers. The older leader realizes that if this boy fully embraces his powers, innocent people will die. He decides to have this boy killed. Is it in a normal comic trope of calling him in the street as they battle in the skies over a metropolitan area? No; he pays the kid's best friend to shoot him in the head. The murder attempt of Peter Stancheck was unsuccessful, but this is the kid of story Valiant offered.
They also offered the only real independent cohesive universe with intertwining characters outside of DC and Marvel.
The original investors ousted Jim Shooter, then sold the properties to Acclaim, a video game maker looking to take advantage of the comics boom of the early '90s. They got in right as the bubble was bursting, and eventually they shuttered their comics productions, but not before altering some of the titles to be better suited for video game marketing.
In 2012, the resurrection was launched, as new investors bought the rights to the characters and have since been making waves for themselves in a tight market. They have the sci-fi story (X-O Manowar), the action story (Bloodshot), the espionage story (Ninjak), and the horror/magic story (Shadowman). The characters are interesting, novel, and well executed.
Valiant is also getting some attention for the publication of Faith, a comic about a positive super-hero (as opposed to the dark anti-heroes so popular today) who also happens to be a big girl.
(For full disclosure: I am a total Valiant homer.)
It remains the only true cohesive universe to rival those of DC and Marvel.
Dark Horse Comics
Website:darkhorse.com
Style Classifications: Creator Owned Content/Licensed Properties
Notable Works: Sin City; Hellboy; Aliens vs Predator; The Mask
Story:
Up until recently, Dark Horse was the most important independent comic publisher in America. That title has since been taken by Image, but Dark Horse remains a success story for all times. This year marks their 30 anniversary, and for many years, they were the biggest rival---in terms of sales and stature---to Marvel and DC. In fact, they were the only rival.
Founded by Mike Richardson in 1986, the company was an offshoot from Richardson's 1980 gamble to open a comic shop in Bend, Oregon. He wanted to give artists a cushy-gig, so to say. They found early success with their Predator comics, and again a few years later with their Alien comics. By 1990, they had the market cornered with official Star Wars Universe books, and the leading edge of movie licensed properties was set.
Over the years, on the creator owned content side of the spectrum, they gave Matt Wagner a home for his Grendel series; Richardson himself loosed The Mask on the world; they let Mike Mignola create an entire Hellboy universe; saw the entire collection of Frank Miller's Sin City as well as his critically acclaimed story of Leonidas at Thermopolae in 300.
In those few well known works listed above, there are at least eight movies: two Mask movies (1994 and 2005), two Hellboy movies (2004 and 2008), two Sin City movies (2005 and 2014), and two 300 movies (2007 and 2014). (The second 300 movie is based on Miller's unpublished prequel about Xerxes.)
Chances are, if you don't know comics but can name one or two independent books not called Spawn or Walking Dead, you'll be familiar with Dark Horse's industry footprint.
Style Classifications: Creator Owned Content/Licensed Properties
Notable Works: Sin City; Hellboy; Aliens vs Predator; The Mask
Story:
Up until recently, Dark Horse was the most important independent comic publisher in America. That title has since been taken by Image, but Dark Horse remains a success story for all times. This year marks their 30 anniversary, and for many years, they were the biggest rival---in terms of sales and stature---to Marvel and DC. In fact, they were the only rival.
Founded by Mike Richardson in 1986, the company was an offshoot from Richardson's 1980 gamble to open a comic shop in Bend, Oregon. He wanted to give artists a cushy-gig, so to say. They found early success with their Predator comics, and again a few years later with their Alien comics. By 1990, they had the market cornered with official Star Wars Universe books, and the leading edge of movie licensed properties was set.
Over the years, on the creator owned content side of the spectrum, they gave Matt Wagner a home for his Grendel series; Richardson himself loosed The Mask on the world; they let Mike Mignola create an entire Hellboy universe; saw the entire collection of Frank Miller's Sin City as well as his critically acclaimed story of Leonidas at Thermopolae in 300.
In those few well known works listed above, there are at least eight movies: two Mask movies (1994 and 2005), two Hellboy movies (2004 and 2008), two Sin City movies (2005 and 2014), and two 300 movies (2007 and 2014). (The second 300 movie is based on Miller's unpublished prequel about Xerxes.)
Chances are, if you don't know comics but can name one or two independent books not called Spawn or Walking Dead, you'll be familiar with Dark Horse's industry footprint.
Image Comics
Website: imagecomics.com
Style Classification: Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: Spawn; The Walking Dead
Story:
The story of Image Comics inside the comic industry needs no introduction, and even outside the industry needs very little explanation. There's a reason Image is first in these breakdowns: it is the most important independent comic publisher today, having wrested that title from Dark Horse sometime in the last ten years.
Superstar artists from Marvel (and one from DC), upset about having no control over the characters they created, bet on themselves and struck out on their own to create a world in which they would have complete control over their characters and the fruits from other media and licensing properties associated with those books. They could create the kinds of stories they wanted to create, and reap the financial windfalls, if any, all for themselves. It was an experiment in the American Dream, and nearly twenty-five years later, it has proven successful.
It turned Todd McFarlane into a toy magnate (he seemed to have learned the most valuable lesson from George Lucas's Star Wars experiment: the plumpest fruit is merchandising) and spawned probably the most important independent comic book series ever: "The Walking Dead."
If you have an idea for a nifty comic story and the art to boot, ship it off to Image and they will check it out. If they agree it's awesome and could find an audience, they will publish it, cover their costs, and give you everything that's left over. Want to make a TV show? A movie? A mixed-media art-installation that charges french-kisses for entry (which is kinda gross...)? Have at it. Image won't stand in your way, and they'll happily applaud any success you find.
They also won't help you get those ideas off the ground either, but that's just not what they do.
If you're looking for top-notch, independent and bizarre stories, and an environment that is the most friendly to creators, Image Comics is the standard-bearer.
Style Classification: Creator Owned Content
Notable Works: Spawn; The Walking Dead
Story:
The story of Image Comics inside the comic industry needs no introduction, and even outside the industry needs very little explanation. There's a reason Image is first in these breakdowns: it is the most important independent comic publisher today, having wrested that title from Dark Horse sometime in the last ten years.
Superstar artists from Marvel (and one from DC), upset about having no control over the characters they created, bet on themselves and struck out on their own to create a world in which they would have complete control over their characters and the fruits from other media and licensing properties associated with those books. They could create the kinds of stories they wanted to create, and reap the financial windfalls, if any, all for themselves. It was an experiment in the American Dream, and nearly twenty-five years later, it has proven successful.
It turned Todd McFarlane into a toy magnate (he seemed to have learned the most valuable lesson from George Lucas's Star Wars experiment: the plumpest fruit is merchandising) and spawned probably the most important independent comic book series ever: "The Walking Dead."
If you have an idea for a nifty comic story and the art to boot, ship it off to Image and they will check it out. If they agree it's awesome and could find an audience, they will publish it, cover their costs, and give you everything that's left over. Want to make a TV show? A movie? A mixed-media art-installation that charges french-kisses for entry (which is kinda gross...)? Have at it. Image won't stand in your way, and they'll happily applaud any success you find.
They also won't help you get those ideas off the ground either, but that's just not what they do.
If you're looking for top-notch, independent and bizarre stories, and an environment that is the most friendly to creators, Image Comics is the standard-bearer.
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