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SunRey451/Dark Horse Comics
Parent companyEmbracer Group [1]
StatusActive
FoundedFebruary 4, 1986; 38 years ago (1986-02-04)
FounderMike Richardson [2]
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationMilwaukie, Oregon
Distribution Diamond Comic Distributors Penguin Random House [3]
Key peopleMike Richardson, CEO [4][5]
Neil Hankerson, Executive VP and COO[6][7]
Dave Marshall, Editor in Chief[8]
Freddye Miller, Managing Editor[9]
Randy Stradley[10]
Mike Mignola (Hellboy)
Frank Miller (Sin City)
Eric Powell (The Goon)
Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)
Geof Darrow (Hard Boiled)
Mike Allred (Madman)
Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo)
John Arcudi (The Mask)
Gerard Way (The Umbrella Academy)
Publication typesComics, graphic novels, manga, art books, novels [11]
Fiction genres
Imprintsimprint labels
Official websitewww.darkhorse.com

Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986.[12] The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known as Pegasus Books and founded in 1980.[12][13]

Dark Horse Comics has emerged as the third largest comic publishing company in the United States of America.[12] Dividing profits with artists and writers, as well as supporting artistic and creative rights in the comic book industry, Dark Horse Comics has become a strong proponent of publishing licensed material that often does not fit into mainstream media.[12][14] Several titles include: Sin City, Hellboy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 300, and Star Wars.[14]

In December 2021, Swedish gaming company Embracer Group launched its acquisition of Dark Horse Media, Dark Horse Comics' parent company, and completed the buyout in March 2022.[15]

History[edit]

Overview[edit]

Dark Horse has published many licensed comics, including comics based on Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Predator, and Terminator. [14][16] Dark Horse Comics holds a notoriety for being the most reputable publisher in regard to allowing creators to retain ownership of their work.[17] Founder Mike Richardson, created the company with creator rights in mind because of his frustration with the treatment of artists by comic publishers of the time.[13] They have published several creator owned comics such as Frank Miller's Sin City and 300, Mike Mignola's Hellboy, Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo, and Gerard Way's Umbrella Academy.[14][18][15][17] With an emphasis on mini and limited series, Dark Horse Comics has given itself immense flexibility in the comic book publishing industry.[17] This model allows the company to pull poorly performing series while also retaining the ability to reprint past works without intense scrutiny.[17]

Main article: List of Dark Horse Comics publications

1980-1986[edit]

Mike Richardson was an active follower of the Amateur Press Association (APA), an organization focused on critiquing comics through conventions, fan projects, and newsletters.[17] As a result of his involvement, Richardson became acquainted with Randy Stradley, an early Dark Horse Comics collaborator and editor.[17] The two used their contacts from the APA to recruit artists and writers, many of whom were working for several top comic publishing groups.[17]

1986–2006[edit]

Dark Horse was launched in July 1986 by Mike Richardson with Dark Horse Presents No. 1 and sold approximately 50,000 copies which was far better than predictions and included the first appearance of the successful comic; Concrete.[14] [17] The series has become a platform for new creators to highlight their works.[17] The success of Dark Horse Comics can be attributed to a change in comic book marketing that occurred in the 1980s when comics began to be sold in comic specific stores.[14] After his success, Richardson began buying the rights to several titles including: Godzilla in 1987, Aliens, Predator in 1989, and Star Wars in 1991 (owned by Marvel prior to the Dark Horse Comics acquisition).[17] Dark Horse evolved further and began producing toys in 1991.[14] Additionally, in 1992, Richardson formed Dark Horse Entertainment, the company's critically acclaimed film and television division.[12][14]

With the release of the first Aliens comic in 1988 and Predator in 1988, Dark Horse Comics' popular characters appeared in their own line of work as well as Dark Horse Presents and Tarzan and numerous crossovers.[17] Several titles include: Superman and Batman of DC Comics and WildC.A.T.s.[17]

In a 1991 issue of Dark Horse Presents, Frank Miller introduced Sin City, one of Dark Horse Comics' most successful titles.[17] In addition to this title, Miller introduced several other limited series set in dystopian societies including Give Me Liberty which ran from 1990-1991 and Hard Boiled.[17][19]

The Mask, a mini series from Mark Badger, debuted in Dark Horse Presents 10-20 in 1991 and had a successful film adaptation, starring Jim Carrey, in 1994.[17] However comic sales were not strengthened by the success of the film.[17]

In 1993, Dark Horse established their own limited series superhero realm with the creation of Comics' Greatest World.[20][17] However comic publishing changed in the 1990s and all Comics' Greatest World titles were canceled except for Ghost.[20][17] As a result, Dark Horse Comics returned to their smaller scale business model.[20]

Dark Horse Comics created the imprint Legends and as part of their focus on creators, the publisher began working with Mike Mignola.[17] In 1994, Mignola's character Hellboy first appeared in Hellboy: Seed of Destruction the beginning of several limited and mini series with crossovers that included Batman of DC Comics.[17]

1994 saw the release of the monthly manga mini series, Oh My Goodness![17]

The licensing to the unpopular limited series, Tarzan, was purchased by Dark Horse Comics in 1995 and ended in 1998.[17]

Ghost, from Comics' Greatest World, began running as a solo title in 1995, but ended in 1998 and was subsequently launched once more the same year.[17]

Eisner Award winning Usagi Yojimbo, written and drawn by third generation Japanese-American artist, Stan Sakai debuted in Dark Horse Comics in 1996 as a monthly issue and ran until 2019.[17][21]

Dark Horse Comics began translating the manga series from Hiroaki Samura, Blade of the Immortal, in 1996 and ending in 2015.[17][22]

For the first Free Comic Book Day on May 4, 2002, Dark Horse Comics published Star Wars: Tales - A Jedi’s Weapon and has participated in the event every year since.[23]

2006–Present[edit]

As the third largest publisher in the comics industry in 2006 with 5.59% of market shares, Dark Horse Comics came up only behind DC Comics (32.96%) and Marvel (36.97%).[14][24]

Dark Horse Comics founder Mike Richardson donated copies of all published works to the Portland State University Library in 2008.[25][12] By preserving the Dark Horse Comics catalog, Portland State University Library provides both a browsing collection and a research collection of book titles.[12] Housed in the Special Collections department, the research collection serves as an archive.[25] In July, 2016 Portland State's catalog of Dark Horse Comics reached 10,000 works.[26]

In 2009, Dark Horse Comics began republishing out of print works in addition to licensing domestic and international titles through partnerships and acquisitions. They include

As an independent publisher, Dark Horse Comics launched its own digital library in 2011 known as Dark Horse Digital.[50]

Dark Horse Comics lost the licensing to Star Wars in 2014 when Disney acquired Lucasfilm and moved the publishing to Disney owned Marvel Comics.[51] Dark Horse Comics began publishing Star Wars comics in 1989 and as a result of the acquisition had to conclude several running storylines.[51]

Vanguard Visionary Associates, a production company out of Hong Kong, became a partner of Dark Horse Comics' subsidiary, Dark Horse Entertainment in 2018.[52][53] Estimated to be $20,000,000, the funds will support Dark Horse Comics' acquisitions and publishing goals while providing Vanguard with a majority share of the company.[53][52][54]

In 2020, Dark Horse Comics announced it was ending its relationship with writer and editor Scott Allie after allegations of sexual harassment as well as assault dating back to 1999, emerged.[55][56] Following the report, numerous employees reinforced cries for Allie's removal from Dark Horse Comics' employment.[56] Allie was also accused of sexual assault in 2015 but was not removed from the company after he released a public apology.[56][57] Allie continued working as an executive editor for Dark Horse Comics in 2015 and ended full-time employment as he moved into a freelance editing position for the company in 2017.[56]As a result of the 2015 assault, Mike Richardson stated to The Beat:

"Dark Horse as a company, and myself as an individual, take [these] kinds of inexcusable incidents...very seriously—doubly so when it involves one of our employees. In cases such as these, we have been proactive in our response, with a variety of professional services involved, all with the goal of changing behavior. Additionally, a number of internal responses are acted upon, including termination if such behavior continues. Under no circumstance is any individual “harbored.” In this particular case, action was taken immediately, though we did not, and cannot, perform a public flogging, as some might wish."[58]

As part of Disney's purchase of 20th Century Fox, Marvel Comics acquired the licensing for the Alien and Predator series from Dark Horse Comics in 2020.[59]

In June 2021, Dark Horse Comics formed Dark Horse Games to create licensed video games based on current titles, characters, and stories.[60] Not solely focused on gaming, Dark Horse Games will work on new content, such as short films.[60]

Beginning in 2022, Dark Horse Comics announced a partnership with Lucasfilm and Disney Publishing Worldwide to publish a new line of Star Wars stories.[61] Dark Horse had previously held the licensing rights for producing Star Wars comics which ended in 2014.[62]

Acquisition by Embracer Group[edit]

According to Bloomberg in 2021, Embracer Group a gaming company out of Sweden, began acquiring Dark Horse Comics.[63] Approximately 80% of Dark Horse Comics was held by Vanguard Visionary Associates out of Hong Kong and the other 20% was owned by founder, Mike Richardson.[63] As a result of the acquisition, Embracer Group will have the rights to approximately 300 characters, stories, and titles from Dark Horse Comics.[63] However, CEO and founder, Mike Richardson, maintains control of Dark Horse Comics.[63][64] The partnership between Dark Horse Comics and Embracer Group allows both companies to explore new media options for their creative projects.[65] Embracer Group finalized the acquisition of Dark Horse on March 14, 2022.[66]

Awards[edit]

Dark Horse Comics has won numerous Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards (Eisner Awards) as well as Harvey Awards in addition to several other noteworthy comic awards.[17]

  • Eisner Awards:[17]
    • Best Comic Book Anthology - Dark Horse Presents
    • 1988: Best New Series - Concrete
    • 1988: Best Continuing Series - Concrete
    • 1991: Best Finites Series - Give Me Liberty[19]
    • 1991: Best Single Issue - Concrete Celebrates Earth Day
    • 1992: Best Limited Series - Concrete: Fragile Creature
    • 1998: Best Penciler/Inker - P. Craig Russell's Elric Stormbringer
    • 1999: Best Serialized Story - Usagi Yojimbo[21]
  • Harvey Awards:[17]
    • 1988: Best New Series - Concrete
    • 1989: Best Continuing Series - Concrete
    • 1994: Best Artist - Mike Mignola (Hellboy)
  • International Horror Guild Awards:[17]
    • 1996: Mike Mignola (Hellboy)
  • Award Winning Comics/Artists[17]
    • Mike Mignola's Hellboy
    • Frank Miller's Sin City
    • Paul Chadwick's Concrete

Imprints and studios[edit]

Main article: List of Dark Horse Comics imprint publications

Dark Horse Entertainment[edit]

Main articles: Dark Horse Entertainment and List of television series and films based on Dark Horse Comics publications

Created in 1992, Dark Horse Entertainment aimed to utilize Dark Horse Comics' licensed material as film and television content while highlighting creators.[20] Popular titles include The Mask and Hellboy.[20]

Comics' Greatest World[edit]

Created in 1993, Comics' Greatest World ran under Dark Horse Comics until July 1997.[67][17] The series included the first appearance of Ghost.[17]

Legend[edit]

A Dark Horse imprint which ran from 1994-1998.[68] Madman was added as a mini series to the imprint in 1994 and ran several crossovers including Superman of DC Comics.[17]

Dark Horse Manga[edit]

Beginning in 1997, Dark Horse Manga has released manga, translated from Japanese into English.[69][17]

Maverick[edit]

Main article: Maverick (Dark Horse)

Maverick ran from 1999 to 2002 with 105 issues.

Dark Horse Digital[edit]

Dark Horse Comics launched its own digital library in 2011 known as Dark Horse Digital.[50]

Kitchen Sink Books[edit]

Beginning in 2014 and ending in 2015 the partnership with Dark Horse Comics published three issues.[70]

Berger Books[edit]

Created by Vertigo's Karen Berger, the imprint began in 2017 and currently has almost 10,000 issues.[71][72]

Dark Horse Press[edit]

Created with novels and art books in mind, the imprint is intended to print works not in the comic format.[13]

Dark Horse Games[edit]

In 2021, Dark Horse Comics formed Dark Horse Games to create licensed video games based on current titles, characters, and stories.[60]

Jinxworld[edit]

Brian Michael Bendis moved his Jinxworld series to Dark Horse Comics in 2021.[47] The series, owned by Bendis, moved to Dark Horse Comics from DC Comics in order to control the rights related to his works.[47]

Secret Stash Press[edit]

Kevin Smith joined Dark Horse Comics in 2022 to create new creator owned stories and continue his View Askewniverse.[49][48] Named after his New Jersey comic book shop, Secret Stash Press will focus on Smith's film universe.[48][49]

Titles[edit]

Main article: List of Dark Horse Comics publications

References[edit]

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source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:SunRey451/Dark_Horse_Comics

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