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Malibu Comics

Malibu Comics Entertainment, Inc. (also known as Malibu Graphics) was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles.[1][2][3] Notable titles published by Malibu included The Men in Black, Ultraforce, and Night Man.

Malibu Comics Entertainment, Inc.
The definitive variant of the Malibu Comics logo
IndustryComics
Founded1986; 37 years ago (1986)
Founder
Defunct1994; 29 years ago (1994)
FateAcquired by Marvel Comics
Headquarters
Key people
ProductsThe Men in Black
Ultraforce
Night Man
ParentMarvel Entertainment Group
DivisionsMalibu Interactive

The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu was initially publisher of record for Image Comics from 1992 to 1993. The company's other imprints included Adventure, Aircel and Eternity. Malibu also owned a small software development company that designed video games in the early to mid-1990s called Malibu Interactive.

History

Origins

Malibu Comics was launched in 1986 by Dave Olbrich and Tom Mason with the private financing of Scott Mitchell Rosenberg,[4] who was operating a comic book distribution company (Sunrise Distribution) at the time.[5] Unbeknownst to most people in the industry, Rosenberg was also financing a number of other small comics publishers: Eternity Comics, Amazing Comics, Wonder Color Comics, and Imperial Comics.[5]

Malibu's output began modestly, with creator-owned black-and-white titles; its first title was David Lawrence and Ron Lim's Ex-Mutants.

Mergers/acquisitions of other publishers

In 1987, after Rosenberg's behind-the-scenes roles were revealed, he discontinued most of the other small publishers, merging some with Malibu and retaining Eternity Comics as a Malibu brand. At this point, Chris Ulm joined Malibu as editor-in-chief.[6]

In 1988, Malibu effectively acquired the Canadian publisher Aircel Comics as an imprint,[7] and in 1989 it acquired Adventure Publications.[8]

From that point forward, the Malibu brand was used for superhero titles; while Eternity was used for the magazine line and also for anime-inspired titles like Robotech; Adventure was used for Malibu's licensed titles, such as Planet of the Apes and Alien Nation; and Aircel was used for Barry Blair's comics and Malibu's adult line.

In 1998, the company also acquired the character Shuriken from his creator Reggie Byers (a character that was self-published from 1985–1988 by Victory Productions).[9][10] Shuriken was published in three limited series and two one-shots by Malibu; later the character was introduced in the Ultraverse imprint.[11]

1989-1992

By this time, the company was publishing a combination of new series and licensed properties. Later, after a legal battle with the creators, Malibu created a shared universe called Shattered Earth.[12]

In 1992, heroes from Centaur Publications (a Golden Age publisher whose properties fell into the public domain) were revived in the form of the Protectors, consisting of Airman, Amazing-Man, Aura, Arc, Arrow, Ferret, Man of War and Mighty Man, among others. Several of these characters had short-lived spin-off titles of their own. The Centaur heroes and other characters from Adventure (Miss Fury and Rocket Ranger), and Eternity (Dinosaurs for Hire, Ex-Mutants) plus Dead Clown and Widowmaker, were put together in one Universe to form the Genesis line. This line, however, had a short lifespan.

The Bravura imprint was then launched for the creator-owned and licensed titles.

Image Comics' publisher of record

In early 1992, Malibu served as publisher of record for the first comics from Image Comics, giving the upstart creator-run publisher access to the distribution channels.[13] This move led to Malibu obtaining almost ten per cent of the American comics market share,[14] temporarily moving ahead of industry giant DC Comics.[15]

By the beginning of 1993, Image's financial situation was secure enough to publish its titles independently, and it left Malibu.[16]

Malibu Interactive and Ultraverse

In late 1992, seeking to capitalize on the growing video game market, Malibu merged with video game developer Acme Interactive to form Malibu Interactive.[17][18]

The Ultraverse line was launched in June 1993[19] during the "boom" of the early 1990s, roughly concurrent with the debut of publishers such as Image and Valiant, and new superhero lines from DC and Dark Horse (Milestone and Comics' Greatest World, respectively). The line was in part intended to fill the gap left by Image's independence.

Establishing itself as the first company as the first to use digital coloring for all its titles,[20] Malibu boasted improved production values over traditional comics, including higher-quality paper, and a roster of talented and respected writers and artists. Emphasizing the tight continuity between the various series in the Ultraverse line, Malibu made extensive use of crossovers, in which a story that began in one series would be continued in the next-shipping issue of another series. Various promotions for special editions or limited-print stories followed. The Ultraverse line came to dominate Malibu's catalog.

Malibu launched additionally the Rock-It Comix imprint for rock band comics in early 1994. Malibu worked with the Gold Mountain Entertainment management firm in dealing with the musicians, while International Strategic Marketing was distributing the line to comic book shops, music outlets, and newsstands.[1]

Acquisition by Marvel Comics

As sales declined industry-wide in the mid-1990s, Malibu canceled lower-selling series.[21] But their biggest problem was their game division, started in an attempt to break into the video game market, which cost them more than $200,000 a month.[22] Nonetheless, the company's assets were still seen as attractive enough to garner interest from DC Comics in the spring of 1994.[23] In addition, Rosenberg and Malibu signed with the William Morris Agency.[24]

Because Malibu had sufficient market share that an acquisition from DC would make the latter surpass Marvel's market share, Marvel decided to purchase Malibu themselves to prevent this from happening: on November 3, 1994, Malibu was purchased by Marvel Comics.[25][26][27][28][29] To slow down rumors that Ultraverse titles would be canceled as soon as the deal closed, Malibu claimed that Marvel wanted them because of their digital coloring system.[30]

In the middle of the next year, 1995, Malibu standard-bearers Mason and Ulm left the company.[31]

Marvel did eventually cancel the entire Ultraverse line, but (during the Black September event)[20] re-launched a handful of the more popular titles as well as a number of crossovers with Marvel characters. The "volume 2" series each started with "# (infinity)" issues and were canceled a short time later. Within the Marvel Comics multiverse, the Genesis Universe is designated as Earth-1136 and the Ultraverse as Earth-93060.[32]

Very little Malibu content was published after 1996.

Potential Ultraverse revival

In June 2005, when asked by Newsarama whether Marvel had any plans to revive the Ultraverse, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada replied that:

Let's just say that I wanted to bring these characters back in a very big way, but the way that the deal was initially structured, it's next to impossible to go back and publish these books. There are rumors out there that it has to do with a certain percentage of sales that has to be doled out to the creative teams. While this is a logistical nightmare because of the way the initial deal was structured, it's not the reason why we have chosen not to go near these characters, there is a bigger one, but I really don't feel like it's my place to make that dirty laundry public.[33]

In May 2012, Steve Englehart suggested in a podcast interview that the reason Marvel will not presently publish the Ultraverse characters is because five percent of the profits from those books would have to go to the Malibu creators that are still alive.[34] Marvel Editor Tom Brevoort later denied that the five percent was what was holding Marvel back, but was unable to give a real explanation due to a non-disclosure agreement.[35]

It has been speculated that Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's ongoing producer deal for all Malibu properties (and his alleged personal troubles) is another possible factor.[36][37][38][39]

Titles

Some of Malibu's titles included:

Genesis

This line made use of many Centaur heroes plus characters previously published by Adventure, Aircel and Eternity:

  • Airman #1 (January 1993)
  • Arrow #1 (October 1992)
  • Dead Clown #1–3 (October 1993 – February 1994)
  • Dinosaurs for Hire (volume 2) #1–12 (February 1993 – February 1994)
  • Ex-Mutants (volume 2) #1–18 (November 1992 – April 1994)
  • The Ferret (volume 1) #1 (September 1982)
  • The Ferret (volume 2) #1–10 (May 1993 – March 1994)
  • Genesis #0 (October 1993)
  • Gravestone #1–7 (1993 – February 1994)
  • The Malibu Sun #24 (April 1993, the issue contained a four-page story featuring Widowmaker)
  • Man of War #1–8 (April 1993 – February 1994)
  • Protectors #1–20 (September 1992 – May 1994)
  • Protectors Handbook #1 (November 1992)

Ultraverse

  • The All-New Exiles #1–11 (October 1995 – August 1996)
  • Black September (May 1995 – October 1995, universe-changing event)
  • Break-Thru #1–2 (December 1993 – January 1994, crossover mini-series)
  • Codename: Firearm #0–5 (June–August 1995)
  • Eliminator #0–3 (April–July 1995)
  • Elven #0–4 (October 1994 – May 1995)
  • Exiles #1–4 (August–November 1993)
  • Firearm #1–18 + 0 (September 1993 – February 1995)
  • Freex #1–18 (July 1993 – February 1995)
  • Godwheel #0–3 (January–February 1995, crossover mini-series)
  • Hardcase #1–26 (June 1993 – August 1995)
  • Hostile Takeover (September 1994, ashcan)
  • Lord Pumpkin #0 (October 1994, one shot)
  • Lord Pumpkin/Necro-Mantra #1–4 (April–July 1995, mini-series)
  • Mantra #1–24 (July 1993 – August 1995)
  • The Night Man 1–23 (October 1993 – August 1995)
  • Prime #1–26 (June 1993 – August 1995)
  • Prototype #1–18 + 0 (August 1993 – February 1995)
  • Rafferty #1 (November 1994, ashcan)
  • Ripfire #0 (January 1995, one shot)
  • Rune #0–9 (January 1994 – April 1995)
  • Siren #1–3 (October–December 1995)
  • Sludge #1–12 (October 1993 – December 1994)
  • Solitaire #1–12 (November 1993 – December 1994)
  • The Solution #1–17 + 0 (September 1993 – February 1995)
  • The Strangers #1–24 (June 1993 – May 1995)
  • Ultraforce #1–10 + 0 (August 1994 – July 1995)
  • Ultraverse Premiere #0 (November 1993, a rotating backup series)
  • Ultraverse Double Feature #1 (January 1995, one-shot)
  • Ultraverse Origins #1 (January 1994, one-shot)
  • Warstrike #1–7 (May–November 1994)
  • Wrath #1–9 (January–December 1994)
  • Year Zero: The Death of the Squad #1–4 (April–July 1995, mini-series)

Crossovers with Marvel Comics

  • The All-New Exiles vs. X-Men #0 (October 1995)
  • Avengers/Ultraforce #1 (October 1995)
  • Conan vs. Rune #1 (November 1995)
  • The Night Man/Gambit #1–3 (March–May 1996)
  • The Night Man vs. Wolverine #0 (August 1995)
  • The Phoenix Resurrection (December–March 1996)
  • Prime vs. The Incredible Hulk #0 (July 1995)
  • Prime/Captain America #1 (March 1996)
  • Rune vs. Venom #1 (December 1995)
  • Rune/Silver Surfer #1 (April 1995, published in a flip book with the other side reading Silver Surfer/Rune)
  • Ultraforce/Avengers #1 (October 1995)
    • Ultraforce/Avengers Prelude #1 (July 1995)
  • Ultraforce/Spider-Man #1A, #1B (January 1996)

Adventure Comics

  • Alien Nation:
    • Alien Nation: The Spartans #1–4 (1990)
    • Alien Nation: A Breed Apart #1–4 (November 1990 – March 1991)
    • Alien Nation: The Skin Trade #1–4 (March–June 1991)
    • Alien Nation: The Firstcomers #1–4 (May–August 1991)
    • Alien Nation: The Public Enemy #1–4 (December 1991 – March 1992)
  • Ape Nation #1–4 (February–June 1991, a crossover featuring elements from Alien Nation and Planet of the Apes)
  • Demon's Tails #1–4 (January–April 1993)
  • Dracula: The Suicide Club #1–4 (August–November 1992, original sequel to the Bram Stoker novel Dracula and the Robert Louis Stevenson series The Suicide Club)
  • H. P. Lovecraft #1–4 (Adaptations of The Lurking Fear, Beyond the Wall of Sleep, The Tomb, and The Alchemist)
  • Logan's Run #1–6 (June 1990 – April 1991, based on the 1967 novel of the same title)
  • Logan's World #1–6 (May 1991 – March 1992, based on the 1977 novel of the same title)
  • Miss Fury – In Full Color! #1–4 (November 1991 – February 1992)
  • Paranoia #1–6 (November 1991 – August 1992, based on the role-playing game of the same title)
  • Planet of the Apes:
    • Planet of the Apes #1–24 (April 1990 – July 1992)
    • Ape City #1–4 (August–November 1990)
    • Planet of the Apes Annual #1 (1991)
    • Planet of the Apes: Urchak's Folly #1–4 (January–April 1991)
    • Terror on the Planet of the Apes #1–4 (June–December 1991, reprint of the Marvel Comics storyline)
    • Planet of the Apes: Blood of the Apes #1–4 (November 1991 – February 1991)
    • Planet of the Apes: Sins of the Father #1 (March 1992)
    • Planet of the Apes: The Forbidden Zone #1–4 (December 1992 – March 1993)
  • Re-Animator #1–3 (Adaptation of 1985 film Re-Animator)
  • Rocket Ranger #1–5 (September 1991 – July 1992, based on the Cinemaware computer game)

Aircel Comics

  • Bodyguard #1–3 (September–November 1990, reprint of Australian title with new material)
  • Carmilla #1–6 (February–July 1991)
  • Casanova #1–10 (March–December 1991)
  • The Cat #1–2 (November–December 1991)
  • Cat & Mouse #1–18 (March 1990 – September 1991)
  • Flesh Gordon #1–4 (March–July 1992, based on the 1974 film of the same title)
  • Full Throttle #1–2 (October–November 1991, reprint of Australian titles Rip Snorter and Raw Tonnage with new material)
  • Galaxina #1–4 (December 1991 – March 1992, based on the 1980 film of the same title)
  • The Men in Black:
    • The Men in Black #1–3 (January–March 1990)
    • The Men in Black Book II #1–3 (May–July 1991)
  • Samurai #1–23 (January 1986 – October 1987)
  • Samurai (volume 2) #1–3 (December 1987 – February 1988)
  • Samurai (volume 3) #1–7 (July 1988 – January 1989)
  • Scum of the Earth #1–3 (August–October 1991, based on the 1963 film of the same title)
  • Silver Storm #1–4 (May–August 1990)
  • The Southern Squadron #1–4 (August–November 1990, reprint of Australian superhero title with new material)
  • Team Nippon #1–7 (June–December 1989)
  • Vampyre's Kiss #1–4 (1990)

Eternity Comics

  • Captain Harlock #1–13 (October 1989 – December 1990)
  • Cat Claw #1–9 (September 1990 – October 1991)
  • Charlie Chan #1–6 (March–August 1989)
  • Cosmic Heroes #1–11 (October 1988–1989)
  • Demonic Toys #1–4 (January–August 1992, based on the film series of the same title)
  • Dinosaurs for Hire (volume 1) #1–9 (March 1988 – January 1990)
  • Dollman #1–2 (1991–1992, based on the 1991 film of the same title)
  • Dracula #1–4 (December 1989 – March 1990, adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel Dracula)
  • Dracula: The Lady in the Tomb #1 (January 1991, adaptation of the Bram Stoker short story Dracula's Guest)
  • Galactic Patrol Lensman #1–5 (July 1990 – November 1990)
  • Ghosts of Dracula #1–5 (September 1991 – January 1992)
  • Invaders from Mars #1–3 (March–May 1990, adaptation of the 1953 film Invaders from Mars)
  • Invaders from Mars #1–3 (June–August 1991, original sequel to the 1953 film Invaders from Mars)
  • The Mantus Files #1–4 (August–November 1991)
  • Ninja High School by Ben Dunn (1988–1993) – title inherited from (and then taken back by) Antarctic Press[40]
  • Plan 9 from Outer Space: Thirty Years Later! #1–3 (January–March 1991)
  • Puppet Master:
    • Puppet Master – In Full Color! #1–4 (November 1990 – May 1991)
    • Puppet Master: Children of the Puppet Master #1–2 (August–September 1991)
  • Robotech
  • Scimidar #1–4 (June–September 1988)
  • The Southern Squadron: The Freedom of Information Act #1–4 (January–April 1991, reprint of Australian superhero title with new material)
  • Street Heroes 2005 #1–3 (January–March 1989)
  • Subspecies #1–4 (May–August 1991, based on the 1991 film of the same title)
  • Trancers: The Adventures of Jack Deth #1–2 (August–September 1991, based on the Trancers film series)
  • White Devil #1–6 (June–November 1990)

Shattered Earth

  • Ex-Mutants (volume 1) #1–8 (1986–1987)
  • Ex-Mutants: The Shattered Earth Chronicles #1–15 (April 1988 – February 1990)
  • The New Humans #1–15 (December 1987 – August 1989)
  • Shattered Earth #1–9 (November 1988 – August 1989)
  • Solo Ex-Mutants #1–6 (January 1988 – January 1989)
  • Wild Knights #1–10 (March 1988 – June 1989)

Shuriken spin-offs

  • Blade of Shuriken #1–5 (May 1987 – January 1988)
  • Hellbender #1 (January 1990)
  • Shuriken (volume 2) #1–6 (June–November 1991)
  • Shuriken Team-Up #1 (January 1988)
  • Shuriken: Cold Steel #1–6 (July–December 1989)

Bravura

Rock-It Comix

  • Black Sabbath #1 (February 1994)
  • Lita Ford #1 (December 1993)
  • Metallica #1 (December 1993)
  • Ozzy Osbourne #1 (December 1993)
  • Pantera #1 (August 1994)
  • Santana #1 (May 1994)
  • World Domination #1 (December 1993)

Other titles

  • Bruce Lee #1–6 (July–December 1994)
  • Mortal Kombat:
    • Mortal Kombat: Blood and Thunder (July–November 1994)
    • Mortal Kombat: Goro, Prince of Pain #1–3 (September–November 1994)
    • Mortal Kombat #0 (December 1994)
    • Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition #1 (December 1994)
    • Mortal Kombat: U.S. Special Forces #1–2 (January–February 1995)
    • Mortal Kombat: Battlewave #1–6 (February–July 1995)
    • Mortal Kombat: Rayden and Kano #1–3 (March–May 1995)
    • Mortal Kombat: Baraka #1 (June 1995)
    • Mortal Kombat: Kung Lao #1 (July 1995)
    • Mortal Kombat: Kitana and Mileena #1 (August 1995)
    • Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition II #1 (August 1995)
  • Project A-ko #1–4 (March–June 1994)
  • Raver #1–3 (April–June 1993, created by Star Trek actor Walter Koenig)
  • Star Blazers #0–11 (March 1995 – May 1997)
  • Star Trek:
    • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #1–32 (August 1993 – January 1996)
    • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine/The Next Generation #1–2 (October–November 1994, co-published with DC Comics)
  • Street Fighter #1–3 (September–November 1993)
  • Tarzan:
    • Tarzan the Warrior #1–5 (March–August 1992)
    • Tarzan: Love, Lies, and the Lost City #1–3 (August–October 1992)
    • Tarzan the Beckoning #1–7 (November 1992 – June 1993)
  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day:
    • Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Cybernetic Dawn #1–4 (November 1995 – February 1996)
    • Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Nuclear Twilight #1–4 (November 1995 – February 1996)
    • Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Nuclear Twilight/Cybernetic Dawn #0 (April 1996)

Malibu Interactive games

References

  1. ^ a b Crisafulli, Chuck (1994-02-06). "Crank Up the Colors". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
  2. ^ Apodaca, Patrice (1992-10-13). "Publishing: After inking strategic deals, Malibu Comics has become a leader in the world of mutants and super-heroes". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
  3. ^ "Malibu Comics Launching New Super-Hero Line". The Los Angeles Times. 1993-06-15. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  4. ^ . The Comics Journal. Archived from the original on 2017-06-11.
  5. ^ a b "Distributor Finances Five Publishers". The Comics Journal. No. 115. April 1987. pp. 12–13. About Rosenberg and Eternity Comics, Imperial Comics, Amazing, Malibu, and Wonder Color Comics.
  6. ^ "Chris Ulm entry". Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  7. ^ "Eternity Merges with Aircel". The Comics Journal. No. 125. October 1988. p. 19.
  8. ^ "Malibu Acquires Adventure". The Comics Journal. No. 127. February 1989. p. 21.
  9. ^ The Masked Man (December 14, 2016). "SHURIKEN!". aintitcool.com/.
  10. ^ "Shuriken!". 1 September 2013.
  11. ^ Curse of Rune 1 (1995), Malibu Comics
  12. ^ Mitchell, Brian John (November 2004). "David Lawrence interview". QRD. No. 28. Silber Media.
  13. ^ "Bye Bye Marvel; Here Comes Image: Portacio, Claremont, Liefeld, Jim Lee Join McFarlane's New Imprint at Malibu". The Comics Journal. No. 148. February 1992. pp. 11–12.
  14. ^ "NewsWatch: Malibu Commands 9.73% Market Share". The Comics Journal. No. 151. July 1992. p. 21.
  15. ^ "Malibu Moves Ahead of DC in Comics Market,". The Comics Journal=. No. 152. August 1992. pp. 7–8.
  16. ^ "Image Leaves Malibu, Becomes Own Publisher," The Comics Journal #155 (January 1993), p. 22.
  17. ^ "Newswatch: Malibu to Produce Video Games: Comic publisher merges with video game developer Acme Interactive," The Comics Journal #153 (October 1992), p. 19.
  18. ^ "Malibu Comics Sells Stake to Animation Firm". The Los Angeles Times. 1994-01-11. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  19. ^ McLelland, Ryan (August 25, 2005). "Ultraverse Ten Years Later". Sequart. Sequart Organization. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Overstreet, Robert M. (1996). The Overstreet comic book price guide : books from 1897-present included : catalogue & evaluation guide-- illustrated (26 ed.). New York: Avon Books. pp. A-40. ISBN 0-380-78778-4. OCLC 34703954.
  21. ^ Straub, L. D. (1994-11-04). "Comic Book Giant Marvel Buys Upstart Rival Malibu". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
  22. ^ American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1990s
  23. ^ Tom Mason, quoted in MacDonald, Heidi. "Quote of the day: get in the time machine," The Beat (Nov. 16, 2013): "Marvel bought Malibu for only one reason: to keep it away from DC which had been negotiating to buy the company since April/May 1994."
  24. ^ "Malibu Signs with William Morris Agency," The Comics Journal #170 (August 1994), p. 40.
  25. ^ Reynolds, Eric. "The Rumors are True: Marvel Buys Malibu," The Comics Journal #173 (December 1994), pp. 29–33.
  26. ^ "Comics Publishers Suffer Tough Summer: Body Count Rises in Market Shakedown," The Comics Journal #172 (Nov. 1994), pp. 13–18.
  27. ^ "News!" Indy magazine #8 (1994), p. 7.
  28. ^ "Marvel buys Malibu Comics". United Press International. November 3, 1994. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  29. ^ "MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT BUYS UP MALIBU COMICS". Deseret News. November 16, 1994. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  30. ^ Cronin, Brian (Dec 16, 2016). "Comic Legends: Why Did Marvel REALLY Buy the Ultraverse?". Comic Book Resources.
  31. ^ "Mason, Ulm Leave Malibu,". The Comics Journal. No. 179. August 1995. p. 24.
  32. ^ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes Vol 4 #17 (2005)
  33. ^ "Joe Fridays – Week 9". Newsarama.
  34. ^ Johnston, Rich. "Steve Englehart – How 5% Doomed The Ultraverse," Bleeding Cool (May 22, 2012).
  35. ^ Johnston, Rich. "Marvel And Malibu – What's Five Percent Between Friends," Bleeding Cool (May 25, 2012).
  36. ^ "Quote of the day: get in the time machine". 15 November 2013.
  37. ^ "Miracleman, Malibu's Coloring Department & More!". 17 December 2013.
  38. ^ "¿Por qué Marvel Comics lleva veinte años sin relanzar Ultraverse?". 12 March 2021.
  39. ^ "GK's Where Are They Now?: Dinosaurs For Hire, Ain't No park Gonna Hold These Dinosaurs". 16 September 2013.
  40. ^ Ninja High School (Malibu), Grand Comics Database. Accessed Jan. 2, 2020.

External links

  • Malibu Comics at the Grand Comics Database
  • Newsarama.com: "Joe Fridays", by Joe Quesada
  • Comic Book Resources: "Lying in the Gutters", by Rich Johnston

malibu, comics, entertainment, also, known, malibu, graphics, american, comic, book, publisher, active, late, 1980s, early, 1990s, best, known, ultraverse, line, superhero, titles, notable, titles, published, malibu, included, black, ultraforce, night, enterta. Malibu Comics Entertainment Inc also known as Malibu Graphics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles 1 2 3 Notable titles published by Malibu included The Men in Black Ultraforce and Night Man Malibu Comics Entertainment Inc The definitive variant of the Malibu Comics logoIndustryComicsFounded1986 37 years ago 1986 FounderDave Olbrich Tom Mason Scott Mitchell RosenbergDefunct1994 29 years ago 1994 FateAcquired by Marvel ComicsHeadquartersCalabasas CaliforniaKey peopleDave Olbrich Publisher Tom Mason Creative Director Chris Ulm Editor in Chief Scott Mitchell Rosenberg President ProductsThe Men in BlackUltraforceNight ManParentMarvel Entertainment GroupDivisionsMalibu InteractiveThe company s headquarters was in Calabasas California Malibu was initially publisher of record for Image Comics from 1992 to 1993 The company s other imprints included Adventure Aircel and Eternity Malibu also owned a small software development company that designed video games in the early to mid 1990s called Malibu Interactive Contents 1 History 1 1 Origins 1 2 Mergers acquisitions of other publishers 1 3 1989 1992 1 3 1 Image Comics publisher of record 1 4 Malibu Interactive and Ultraverse 1 5 Acquisition by Marvel Comics 1 5 1 Potential Ultraverse revival 2 Titles 2 1 Genesis 2 2 Ultraverse 2 2 1 Crossovers with Marvel Comics 2 3 Adventure Comics 2 4 Aircel Comics 2 5 Eternity Comics 2 5 1 Shattered Earth 2 5 2 Shuriken spin offs 2 6 Bravura 2 7 Rock It Comix 2 8 Other titles 2 8 1 Malibu Interactive games 3 References 4 External linksHistory EditOrigins Edit Malibu Comics was launched in 1986 by Dave Olbrich and Tom Mason with the private financing of Scott Mitchell Rosenberg 4 who was operating a comic book distribution company Sunrise Distribution at the time 5 Unbeknownst to most people in the industry Rosenberg was also financing a number of other small comics publishers Eternity Comics Amazing Comics Wonder Color Comics and Imperial Comics 5 Malibu s output began modestly with creator owned black and white titles its first title was David Lawrence and Ron Lim s Ex Mutants Mergers acquisitions of other publishers Edit In 1987 after Rosenberg s behind the scenes roles were revealed he discontinued most of the other small publishers merging some with Malibu and retaining Eternity Comics as a Malibu brand At this point Chris Ulm joined Malibu as editor in chief 6 In 1988 Malibu effectively acquired the Canadian publisher Aircel Comics as an imprint 7 and in 1989 it acquired Adventure Publications 8 From that point forward the Malibu brand was used for superhero titles while Eternity was used for the magazine line and also for anime inspired titles like Robotech Adventure was used for Malibu s licensed titles such as Planet of the Apes and Alien Nation and Aircel was used for Barry Blair s comics and Malibu s adult line In 1998 the company also acquired the character Shuriken from his creator Reggie Byers a character that was self published from 1985 1988 by Victory Productions 9 10 Shuriken was published in three limited series and two one shots by Malibu later the character was introduced in the Ultraverse imprint 11 1989 1992 Edit By this time the company was publishing a combination of new series and licensed properties Later after a legal battle with the creators Malibu created a shared universe called Shattered Earth 12 In 1992 heroes from Centaur Publications a Golden Age publisher whose properties fell into the public domain were revived in the form of the Protectors consisting of Airman Amazing Man Aura Arc Arrow Ferret Man of War and Mighty Man among others Several of these characters had short lived spin off titles of their own The Centaur heroes and other characters from Adventure Miss Fury and Rocket Ranger and Eternity Dinosaurs for Hire Ex Mutants plus Dead Clown and Widowmaker were put together in one Universe to form the Genesis line This line however had a short lifespan The Bravura imprint was then launched for the creator owned and licensed titles Image Comics publisher of record Edit In early 1992 Malibu served as publisher of record for the first comics from Image Comics giving the upstart creator run publisher access to the distribution channels 13 This move led to Malibu obtaining almost ten per cent of the American comics market share 14 temporarily moving ahead of industry giant DC Comics 15 By the beginning of 1993 Image s financial situation was secure enough to publish its titles independently and it left Malibu 16 Malibu Interactive and Ultraverse Edit In late 1992 seeking to capitalize on the growing video game market Malibu merged with video game developer Acme Interactive to form Malibu Interactive 17 18 The Ultraverse line was launched in June 1993 19 during the boom of the early 1990s roughly concurrent with the debut of publishers such as Image and Valiant and new superhero lines from DC and Dark Horse Milestone and Comics Greatest World respectively The line was in part intended to fill the gap left by Image s independence Establishing itself as the first company as the first to use digital coloring for all its titles 20 Malibu boasted improved production values over traditional comics including higher quality paper and a roster of talented and respected writers and artists Emphasizing the tight continuity between the various series in the Ultraverse line Malibu made extensive use of crossovers in which a story that began in one series would be continued in the next shipping issue of another series Various promotions for special editions or limited print stories followed The Ultraverse line came to dominate Malibu s catalog Malibu launched additionally the Rock It Comix imprint for rock band comics in early 1994 Malibu worked with the Gold Mountain Entertainment management firm in dealing with the musicians while International Strategic Marketing was distributing the line to comic book shops music outlets and newsstands 1 Acquisition by Marvel Comics Edit As sales declined industry wide in the mid 1990s Malibu canceled lower selling series 21 But their biggest problem was their game division started in an attempt to break into the video game market which cost them more than 200 000 a month 22 Nonetheless the company s assets were still seen as attractive enough to garner interest from DC Comics in the spring of 1994 23 In addition Rosenberg and Malibu signed with the William Morris Agency 24 Because Malibu had sufficient market share that an acquisition from DC would make the latter surpass Marvel s market share Marvel decided to purchase Malibu themselves to prevent this from happening on November 3 1994 Malibu was purchased by Marvel Comics 25 26 27 28 29 To slow down rumors that Ultraverse titles would be canceled as soon as the deal closed Malibu claimed that Marvel wanted them because of their digital coloring system 30 In the middle of the next year 1995 Malibu standard bearers Mason and Ulm left the company 31 Marvel did eventually cancel the entire Ultraverse line but during the Black September event 20 re launched a handful of the more popular titles as well as a number of crossovers with Marvel characters The volume 2 series each started with infinity issues and were canceled a short time later Within the Marvel Comics multiverse the Genesis Universe is designated as Earth 1136 and the Ultraverse as Earth 93060 32 Very little Malibu content was published after 1996 Potential Ultraverse revival Edit In June 2005 when asked by Newsarama whether Marvel had any plans to revive the Ultraverse Marvel editor in chief Joe Quesada replied that Let s just say that I wanted to bring these characters back in a very big way but the way that the deal was initially structured it s next to impossible to go back and publish these books There are rumors out there that it has to do with a certain percentage of sales that has to be doled out to the creative teams While this is a logistical nightmare because of the way the initial deal was structured it s not the reason why we have chosen not to go near these characters there is a bigger one but I really don t feel like it s my place to make that dirty laundry public 33 In May 2012 Steve Englehart suggested in a podcast interview that the reason Marvel will not presently publish the Ultraverse characters is because five percent of the profits from those books would have to go to the Malibu creators that are still alive 34 Marvel Editor Tom Brevoort later denied that the five percent was what was holding Marvel back but was unable to give a real explanation due to a non disclosure agreement 35 It has been speculated that Scott Mitchell Rosenberg s ongoing producer deal for all Malibu properties and his alleged personal troubles is another possible factor 36 37 38 39 Titles EditSome of Malibu s titles included Genesis Edit This line made use of many Centaur heroes plus characters previously published by Adventure Aircel and Eternity Airman 1 January 1993 Arrow 1 October 1992 Dead Clown 1 3 October 1993 February 1994 Dinosaurs for Hire volume 2 1 12 February 1993 February 1994 Ex Mutants volume 2 1 18 November 1992 April 1994 The Ferret volume 1 1 September 1982 The Ferret volume 2 1 10 May 1993 March 1994 Genesis 0 October 1993 Gravestone 1 7 1993 February 1994 The Malibu Sun 24 April 1993 the issue contained a four page story featuring Widowmaker Man of War 1 8 April 1993 February 1994 Protectors 1 20 September 1992 May 1994 Protectors Handbook 1 November 1992 Ultraverse Edit The All New Exiles 1 11 October 1995 August 1996 Black September May 1995 October 1995 universe changing event Break Thru 1 2 December 1993 January 1994 crossover mini series Codename Firearm 0 5 June August 1995 Eliminator 0 3 April July 1995 Elven 0 4 October 1994 May 1995 Exiles 1 4 August November 1993 Firearm 1 18 0 September 1993 February 1995 Freex 1 18 July 1993 February 1995 Godwheel 0 3 January February 1995 crossover mini series Hardcase 1 26 June 1993 August 1995 Hostile Takeover September 1994 ashcan Lord Pumpkin 0 October 1994 one shot Lord Pumpkin Necro Mantra 1 4 April July 1995 mini series Mantra 1 24 July 1993 August 1995 The Night Man 1 23 October 1993 August 1995 Prime 1 26 June 1993 August 1995 Prototype 1 18 0 August 1993 February 1995 Rafferty 1 November 1994 ashcan Ripfire 0 January 1995 one shot Rune 0 9 January 1994 April 1995 Siren 1 3 October December 1995 Sludge 1 12 October 1993 December 1994 Solitaire 1 12 November 1993 December 1994 The Solution 1 17 0 September 1993 February 1995 The Strangers 1 24 June 1993 May 1995 Ultraforce 1 10 0 August 1994 July 1995 Ultraverse Premiere 0 November 1993 a rotating backup series Ultraverse Double Feature 1 January 1995 one shot Ultraverse Origins 1 January 1994 one shot Warstrike 1 7 May November 1994 Wrath 1 9 January December 1994 Year Zero The Death of the Squad 1 4 April July 1995 mini series Crossovers with Marvel Comics Edit The All New Exiles vs X Men 0 October 1995 Avengers Ultraforce 1 October 1995 Conan vs Rune 1 November 1995 The Night Man Gambit 1 3 March May 1996 The Night Man vs Wolverine 0 August 1995 The Phoenix Resurrection December March 1996 Prime vs The Incredible Hulk 0 July 1995 Prime Captain America 1 March 1996 Rune vs Venom 1 December 1995 Rune Silver Surfer 1 April 1995 published in a flip book with the other side reading Silver Surfer Rune Ultraforce Avengers 1 October 1995 Ultraforce Avengers Prelude 1 July 1995 Ultraforce Spider Man 1A 1B January 1996 Adventure Comics Edit Alien Nation Alien Nation The Spartans 1 4 1990 Alien Nation A Breed Apart 1 4 November 1990 March 1991 Alien Nation The Skin Trade 1 4 March June 1991 Alien Nation The Firstcomers 1 4 May August 1991 Alien Nation The Public Enemy 1 4 December 1991 March 1992 Ape Nation 1 4 February June 1991 a crossover featuring elements from Alien Nation and Planet of the Apes Demon s Tails 1 4 January April 1993 Dracula The Suicide Club 1 4 August November 1992 original sequel to the Bram Stoker novel Dracula and the Robert Louis Stevenson series The Suicide Club H P Lovecraft 1 4 Adaptations of The Lurking Fear Beyond the Wall of Sleep The Tomb and The Alchemist Logan s Run 1 6 June 1990 April 1991 based on the 1967 novel of the same title Logan s World 1 6 May 1991 March 1992 based on the 1977 novel of the same title Miss Fury In Full Color 1 4 November 1991 February 1992 Paranoia 1 6 November 1991 August 1992 based on the role playing game of the same title Planet of the Apes Planet of the Apes 1 24 April 1990 July 1992 Ape City 1 4 August November 1990 Planet of the Apes Annual 1 1991 Planet of the Apes Urchak s Folly 1 4 January April 1991 Terror on the Planet of the Apes 1 4 June December 1991 reprint of the Marvel Comics storyline Planet of the Apes Blood of the Apes 1 4 November 1991 February 1991 Planet of the Apes Sins of the Father 1 March 1992 Planet of the Apes The Forbidden Zone 1 4 December 1992 March 1993 Re Animator 1 3 Adaptation of 1985 film Re Animator Rocket Ranger 1 5 September 1991 July 1992 based on the Cinemaware computer game Aircel Comics Edit Bodyguard 1 3 September November 1990 reprint of Australian title with new material Carmilla 1 6 February July 1991 Casanova 1 10 March December 1991 The Cat 1 2 November December 1991 Cat amp Mouse 1 18 March 1990 September 1991 Flesh Gordon 1 4 March July 1992 based on the 1974 film of the same title Full Throttle 1 2 October November 1991 reprint of Australian titles Rip Snorter and Raw Tonnage with new material Galaxina 1 4 December 1991 March 1992 based on the 1980 film of the same title The Men in Black The Men in Black 1 3 January March 1990 The Men in Black Book II 1 3 May July 1991 Samurai 1 23 January 1986 October 1987 Samurai volume 2 1 3 December 1987 February 1988 Samurai volume 3 1 7 July 1988 January 1989 Scum of the Earth 1 3 August October 1991 based on the 1963 film of the same title Silver Storm 1 4 May August 1990 The Southern Squadron 1 4 August November 1990 reprint of Australian superhero title with new material Team Nippon 1 7 June December 1989 Vampyre s Kiss 1 4 1990 Eternity Comics Edit Captain Harlock 1 13 October 1989 December 1990 Cat Claw 1 9 September 1990 October 1991 Charlie Chan 1 6 March August 1989 Cosmic Heroes 1 11 October 1988 1989 Demonic Toys 1 4 January August 1992 based on the film series of the same title Dinosaurs for Hire volume 1 1 9 March 1988 January 1990 Dollman 1 2 1991 1992 based on the 1991 film of the same title Dracula 1 4 December 1989 March 1990 adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel Dracula Dracula The Lady in the Tomb 1 January 1991 adaptation of the Bram Stoker short story Dracula s Guest Galactic Patrol Lensman 1 5 July 1990 November 1990 Ghosts of Dracula 1 5 September 1991 January 1992 Invaders from Mars 1 3 March May 1990 adaptation of the 1953 film Invaders from Mars Invaders from Mars 1 3 June August 1991 original sequel to the 1953 film Invaders from Mars The Mantus Files 1 4 August November 1991 Ninja High School by Ben Dunn 1988 1993 title inherited from and then taken back by Antarctic Press 40 Plan 9 from Outer Space Thirty Years Later 1 3 January March 1991 Puppet Master Puppet Master In Full Color 1 4 November 1990 May 1991 Puppet Master Children of the Puppet Master 1 2 August September 1991 Robotech Scimidar 1 4 June September 1988 The Southern Squadron The Freedom of Information Act 1 4 January April 1991 reprint of Australian superhero title with new material Street Heroes 2005 1 3 January March 1989 Subspecies 1 4 May August 1991 based on the 1991 film of the same title Trancers The Adventures of Jack Deth 1 2 August September 1991 based on the Trancers film series White Devil 1 6 June November 1990 Shattered Earth Edit Ex Mutants volume 1 1 8 1986 1987 Ex Mutants The Shattered Earth Chronicles 1 15 April 1988 February 1990 The New Humans 1 15 December 1987 August 1989 Shattered Earth 1 9 November 1988 August 1989 Solo Ex Mutants 1 6 January 1988 January 1989 Wild Knights 1 10 March 1988 June 1989 Shuriken spin offs Edit Blade of Shuriken 1 5 May 1987 January 1988 Hellbender 1 January 1990 Shuriken volume 2 1 6 June November 1991 Shuriken Team Up 1 January 1988 Shuriken Cold Steel 1 6 July December 1989 Bravura Edit Bravura 0 Breed 2 series by Jim Starlin Dreadstar by Jim Starlin Edge by Steven Grant and Gil Kane unfinished iBooks released a hardback collection of the complete first series The Man Called A X by Marv Wolfman Metaphysique by Norm Breyfogle Nocturnals by Dan Brereton Power amp Glory by Howard Chaykin Star Slammers by Walter Simonson unfinished until the series moved to Dark Horse Comics Strikeback by Jonathan Peterson Kevin Maguire and Steve Oliff unfinished Image Comics released this series later on and completed it Rock It Comix Edit Black Sabbath 1 February 1994 Lita Ford 1 December 1993 Metallica 1 December 1993 Ozzy Osbourne 1 December 1993 Pantera 1 August 1994 Santana 1 May 1994 World Domination 1 December 1993 Other titles Edit Bruce Lee 1 6 July December 1994 Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat Blood and Thunder July November 1994 Mortal Kombat Goro Prince of Pain 1 3 September November 1994 Mortal Kombat 0 December 1994 Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition 1 December 1994 Mortal Kombat U S Special Forces 1 2 January February 1995 Mortal Kombat Battlewave 1 6 February July 1995 Mortal Kombat Rayden and Kano 1 3 March May 1995 Mortal Kombat Baraka 1 June 1995 Mortal Kombat Kung Lao 1 July 1995 Mortal Kombat Kitana and Mileena 1 August 1995 Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition II 1 August 1995 Project A ko 1 4 March June 1994 Raver 1 3 April June 1993 created by Star Trek actor Walter Koenig Star Blazers 0 11 March 1995 May 1997 Star Trek Star Trek Deep Space Nine 1 32 August 1993 January 1996 Star Trek Deep Space Nine The Next Generation 1 2 October November 1994 co published with DC Comics Street Fighter 1 3 September November 1993 Tarzan Tarzan the Warrior 1 5 March August 1992 Tarzan Love Lies and the Lost City 1 3 August October 1992 Tarzan the Beckoning 1 7 November 1992 June 1993 Terminator 2 Judgment Day Terminator 2 Judgment Day Cybernetic Dawn 1 4 November 1995 February 1996 Terminator 2 Judgment Day Nuclear Twilight 1 4 November 1995 February 1996 Terminator 2 Judgment Day Nuclear Twilight Cybernetic Dawn 0 April 1996 Malibu Interactive games Edit See also Category Malibu Interactive gamesReferences Edit a b Crisafulli Chuck 1994 02 06 Crank Up the Colors The Los Angeles Times Retrieved 2016 12 29 Apodaca Patrice 1992 10 13 Publishing After inking strategic deals Malibu Comics has become a leader in the world of mutants and super heroes The Los Angeles Times Retrieved 2016 12 29 Malibu Comics Launching New Super Hero Line The Los Angeles Times 1993 06 15 Retrieved 2010 08 30 A Comics Journal History of the Direct Market Part Two The Comics Journal Archived from the original on 2017 06 11 a b Distributor Finances Five Publishers The Comics Journal No 115 April 1987 pp 12 13 About Rosenberg and Eternity Comics Imperial Comics Amazing Malibu and Wonder Color Comics Chris Ulm entry Who s Who of American Comic Books 1928 1999 Retrieved March 15 2023 Eternity Merges with Aircel The Comics Journal No 125 October 1988 p 19 Malibu Acquires Adventure The Comics Journal No 127 February 1989 p 21 The Masked Man December 14 2016 SHURIKEN aintitcool com Shuriken 1 September 2013 Curse of Rune 1 1995 Malibu Comics Mitchell Brian John November 2004 David Lawrence interview QRD No 28 Silber Media Bye Bye Marvel Here Comes Image Portacio Claremont Liefeld Jim Lee Join McFarlane s New Imprint at Malibu The Comics Journal No 148 February 1992 pp 11 12 NewsWatch Malibu Commands 9 73 Market Share The Comics Journal No 151 July 1992 p 21 Malibu Moves Ahead of DC in Comics Market The Comics Journal No 152 August 1992 pp 7 8 Image Leaves Malibu Becomes Own Publisher The Comics Journal 155 January 1993 p 22 Newswatch Malibu to Produce Video Games Comic publisher merges with video game developer Acme Interactive The Comics Journal 153 October 1992 p 19 Malibu Comics Sells Stake to Animation Firm The Los Angeles Times 1994 01 11 Retrieved 2010 08 30 McLelland Ryan August 25 2005 Ultraverse Ten Years Later Sequart Sequart Organization Retrieved February 5 2016 a b Overstreet Robert M 1996 The Overstreet comic book price guide books from 1897 present included catalogue amp evaluation guide illustrated 26 ed New York Avon Books pp A 40 ISBN 0 380 78778 4 OCLC 34703954 Straub L D 1994 11 04 Comic Book Giant Marvel Buys Upstart Rival Malibu The Los Angeles Times Retrieved 2016 12 29 American Comic Book Chronicles The 1990s Tom Mason quoted in MacDonald Heidi Quote of the day get in the time machine The Beat Nov 16 2013 Marvel bought Malibu for only one reason to keep it away from DC which had been negotiating to buy the company since April May 1994 Malibu Signs with William Morris Agency The Comics Journal 170 August 1994 p 40 Reynolds Eric The Rumors are True Marvel Buys Malibu The Comics Journal 173 December 1994 pp 29 33 Comics Publishers Suffer Tough Summer Body Count Rises in Market Shakedown The Comics Journal 172 Nov 1994 pp 13 18 News Indy magazine 8 1994 p 7 Marvel buys Malibu Comics United Press International November 3 1994 Retrieved October 2 2020 MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT BUYS UP MALIBU COMICS Deseret News November 16 1994 Retrieved October 2 2020 Cronin Brian Dec 16 2016 Comic Legends Why Did Marvel REALLY Buy the Ultraverse Comic Book Resources Mason Ulm Leave Malibu The Comics Journal No 179 August 1995 p 24 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Alternate Universes Vol 4 17 2005 Joe Fridays Week 9 Newsarama Johnston Rich Steve Englehart How 5 Doomed The Ultraverse Bleeding Cool May 22 2012 Johnston Rich Marvel And Malibu What s Five Percent Between Friends Bleeding Cool May 25 2012 Quote of the day get in the time machine 15 November 2013 Miracleman Malibu s Coloring Department amp More 17 December 2013 Por que Marvel Comics lleva veinte anos sin relanzar Ultraverse 12 March 2021 GK s Where Are They Now Dinosaurs For Hire Ain t No park Gonna Hold These Dinosaurs 16 September 2013 Ninja High School Malibu Grand Comics Database Accessed Jan 2 2020 Malibu Comics at the Comic Book DB archived from the original Malibu Comics at the Big Comic Book DataBaseExternal links EditMalibu Comics at the Grand Comics Database Newsarama com Joe Fridays by Joe Quesada Comic Book Resources Lying in the Gutters by Rich Johnston Genesis Universe Protectors site Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Malibu Comics amp oldid 1151790540, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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