Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market. It was one of the first to offer royalties and creator ownership of rights, and it was the first comics company to publish

trading cards A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other ...

History

The company was founded as Eclipse Enterprises by brothers Jan and Dean Mullaney in 1977. Eclipse published one of the first original

s, and the first to be sold through the new " direct market" of comic-book stores, '' Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species'' by

Don McGregor Donald Francis McGregor (born June 15, 1945) is an American comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics; he is the author of one of the first graphic novels. Early life Don McGregor was born in Providence, Rhode Island, where he ...

and

Paul Gulacy Paul Gulacy (; born August 15, 1953) is an American comics artist best known for his work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and for drawing one of the first graphic novels, Eclipse Enterprises' 1978 '' Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species'', ...

. Published in August 1978, it led to a 14-issue spin-off series for Eclipse. McGregor went on to write two additional early graphic novels for Eclipse, each set in contemporary New York City and starring interracial-buddy private eyes Ted Denning and Bob Rainier: '' Detectives, Inc.: A Remembrance of Threatening Green'' (1980), with artist

Marshall Rogers William Marshall Rogers III (January 22, 1950 – March 24, 2007),William Marshall Rogers III

, and ''Detectives, Inc.: A Terror of Dying Dreams'' (1985), with artist

Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the

, who would become a frequent collaborator. The company had early success with the anthology magazine '' Eclipse'' and color comic '' Eclipse Monthly'', as well as with the detective series '' Ms. Tree'' by

Max Allan Collins Max Allan Collins (born March 3, 1948) is an American mystery writer, noted for his graphic novels. His work has been published in several formats and his '' Road to Perdition'' series was the basis for a film of the same name. He wrote the ''Di ...

. Creators whose early work appears in Eclipse publications include

Chuck Austen Chuck Austen (born Chuck Beckum)
Kees Kousemaker's Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved November 14, 2011. is an Ameri ...

Donna Barr Donna Barr (born August 13, 1952) is an American comic book author and cartoonist. She is best known for ''The Desert Peach'' and ''Stinz''. She was born in Everett, Washington, the second child in a family of six siblings. Life and education ...

, Dan Brereton, Chuck Dixon, James Hudnall,

Scott McCloud Scott McCloud (born Scott McLeod; June 10, 1960) is an American cartoonist and comics theorist. He is best known for his non-fiction books about comics: ''Understanding Comics'' (1993), '' Reinventing Comics'' (2000), and '' Making Comics'' (20 ...

Peter Milligan Peter Milligan (born 24 June 1961) is a British comic book writer who has written extensively for both British and American comic book industries. In the UK, Milligan has contributed to numerous anthology titles including '' 2000 AD'', '' Revo ...

, Tim Truman, and

Chris Ware Franklin Christenson "Chris" Ware (born December 28, 1967) is an American cartoonist known for his '' Acme Novelty Library'' series (begun 1994) and the graphic novels ''Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth'' (2000), ''Building Stories'' (201 ...

. Veterans published by Eclipse include

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early lif ...

Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the

, and Mark Evanier. The company published

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...

's series '' Miracleman'' (stories originally published in the U.K.).

Locations

During the early 1980s, Eclipse moved several times: from 81 Delaware Street,

Staten Island, New York Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull and ...

; to 295 Austin Street, Columbia, Missouri; and then to the small towns of Guerneville and later Forestville in Sonoma County, California.

Expansion

Beginning in Missouri, Eclipse expanded operations under editor Cat Yronwode (who was married to Eclipse co-founder Dean Mullaney from 1987 to 1993). With Yronwode as editor-in-chief during a period of expanding attention to the art form, Eclipse published many innovative works and championed creators' rights in a field which at the time barely respected them. During Yronwode's tenure, Eclipse published superhero titles including '' Miracleman'' by

and Neil Gaiman, ''

The Rocketeer The Rocketeer is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books originally published by Pacific Comics. Created by writer/artist Dave Stevens, the character first appeared in 1982 and is an homage to the Saturday matinee serial heroes ...

'' by

Dave Stevens Dave Lee Stevens (July 29, 1955 – March 11, 2008) was an American illustrator and comics artist. He was most famous for creating ''Rocketeer, The Rocketeer'' comic book and film character, and for his pin-up style "glamour art" illustrations, ...

, and ''

Zot! ''Zot!'' is a comic book created by Scott McCloud in 1984 and published by Eclipse Comics until 1990 as a lighthearted alternative to the darker and more violent comics that dominated the industry during that period.Scott McCloud Scott McCloud (born Scott McLeod; June 10, 1960) is an American cartoonist and comics theorist. He is best known for his non-fiction books about comics: ''Understanding Comics'' (1993), '' Reinventing Comics'' (2000), and '' Making Comics'' (20 ...

. and also brought out graphic novels featuring opera adaptations, such as ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a '' Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that in ...

'' by P. Craig Russell and children's literature such as an adaptation of ''

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...

'' by

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...

. In 1985, Yronwode and cartoonist Trina Robbins co-wrote the Eclipse book ''Women and the Comics,'' on the history of female comic strip and comic book creators. As the first book on this subject, its publication was covered in the mainstream press in addition to the fan press.

Trading cards

During the 1980s, Eclipse brought out a new line of non-fiction, non-sports

, edited by Yronwode. Controversial political subjects such as the Iran-Contra scandal, the Savings and Loan crisis, the AIDS epidemic, and the

Kennedy Assassination John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was in the vehicle with ...

, as well as

true crime True crime is a nonfiction literary, podcast, and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people associated with and affected by criminal events. The crimes most commonly include murder; about 40 pe ...

accounts of

serial killers A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

, mass murderers, the

Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...

, and

organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

were covered in these card sets.

1986 flood

In February 1986, Eclipse lost most of its back-issue stock in a catastrophic Guerneville flood, which also submerged the company's offices.

Acme Press

In 1988 Eclipse created a new division, Eclipse International, as it partnered with the British independent publisher Acme Press to distribute Acme's comics in the American market. (Eclipse had previously partnered with British publisher Dez Skinn's

Quality Communications Quality Communications was a British publishing company founded by Dez Skinn that operated from 1982 to 2008. The company's most notable publications were the monthly comics anthology ''Warrior'', which featured early work by writer Alan Moore ...

when it had published ''Miracleman'' nown_as_ nown_as_Marvelman_in_the_UK">Marvelman.html"_;"title="nown_as_Marvelman">nown_as_Marvelman_in_the_UK)__Highlights_from_the_Acme/Eclipse_era_included_''Powerman_(comics).html" ;"title="Marvelman_in_the_UK.html" ;"title="Marvelman.html" ;"title="nown as Marvelman">nown as Marvelman in the UK">Marvelman.html" ;"title="nown as Marvelman">nown as Marvelman in the UK) Highlights from the Acme/Eclipse era included ''Powerman (comics)">Power Comics'', a four-issue superhero title by writers Don Avenall and Norman Worker, with art by Dave Gibbons and Brian Bolland. The title was originally published in Nigeria in 1975, and the title's character's names was changed from "Powerman" to "Powerbolt" to avoid confusion with the character Luke Cage (also called "Power Man"), published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

. Another notable title from the Acme/Eclipse era was ''Aces'', a five-issue black-and-white anthology of serialized Jazz Age genre stories which were originally published in Europe. Eclipse also distributed Acme's two-issue anthology ''Point Blank'', which promoted itself as "The Best of European Strip Art". In 1989 Acme acquired the comics license for

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

. Acme and Eclipse co-published the official

adaptation of ''

Licence to Kill ''Licence to Kill'' is a 1989 spy film, the sixteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the second and final film to star Timothy Dalton as the MI6 agent James Bond. It sees Bond suspended from MI6 as he pursues t ...

'', with art by

Mike Grell Mike Grell (born September 13, 1947) is an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as '' Green Lantern/Green Arrow'', '' The Warlord'', and '' Jon Sable Freelance''. Early life Grell studied at the University of ...

, and then published Grell's three-issue series ''James Bond: Permission to Die'' — the first James Bond comic book storyline not adapted from a previous work — from 1989 to 1991. Eclipse also distributed Acme's three-issue licensed limited series '' Steed and Mrs. Peel'' in 1990–1992, by such notable creators as

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...

and Ian Gibson. In 1990 Acme teamed with Eclipse to release

Eddie Campbell Eddie Campbell (born 10 August 1955) is a British comics artist and cartoonist who now lives in Chicago. Probably best known as the illustrator and publisher of ''From Hell'' (written by Alan Moore), Campbell is also the creator of the semi-au ...

's ''The Complete Alec'', which collected three previous "Alec" publications — ''Alec'' (1984), ''Love and Beerglasses'' (1985), and ''Doggie in the Window'' (1986) — together with some unpublished material. The collection won the 1991

UK Comic Art Award The UK Comic Art Award was a British awards for achievement in comic books. Winners were selected by an open vote among British comic book professionals (creators, editors, and retailers); the awards were given out on an annual basis from 1990 to 1 ...

for Best Graphic Novel Collection."British Awards Announced," ''The Comics Journal'' #142 (June 1991), p. 17. Eclipse's arrangement with Acme lasted until 1991.

Viz Communications

In 1988, in partnership with

Viz Communications VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...

and Studio Proteus, Eclipse published some of the earliest English-translated Japanese manga, such as '' Area 88'', '' Mai, the Psychic Girl'', and ''

The Legend of Kamui is a manga series written and drawn by Sanpei Shirato. Set in feudal Japan, it tells the story of a low-born ninja who has fled his clan. The series combines historical adventure with social commentary and themes of oppression and rebel ...

''. With the success of these titles, the manga line was expanded.

Decline

After-effects of the 1986 flood, Mullaney and Yronwode's 1993 divorce, and the mid-1990s evolution of the direct market distribution system caused the company to cease operations in 1994. and file for bankruptcy in 1995. The company's intellectual property rights were later acquired by

Todd McFarlane Todd McFarlane (; born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian comic book creator, artist, writer, filmmaker and entrepreneur, best known for his work as the artist on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horro ...

for a total of $25,000. Mullaney also attributed the company's demise to a problematic contract with the book publisher

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...

. Eclipse's last publication was its Spring 1993 catalog, which was a complete bibliography of its publications.

Titles

References

External links

Eclipse (publisher)
at the

Grand Comics Database The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information useful ...

* * * {{Authority control 1977 comics debuts 1977 establishments in New York City 1993 disestablishments in California American companies established in 1977 Comic book publishing companies of the United States Defunct comics and manga publishing companies Publishing companies established in 1977 Publishing companies disestablished in 1993