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Eternity Comics was a California-based comic book publisher active from 1986 to 1994, first as an independent publisher, then as an imprint of
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. Notable titles published by Malibu included ' ...
. Eternity published creator-owned comics of an offbeat, independent flavor, as well as some licensed properties. One of its most notable titles was ''
Ex-Mutants ''Ex-Mutants'' was a comic book series created by writer David Lawrence and artist Ron Lim along with editor David Campiti in 1986. It was first published by Eternity Comics and then Pied Piper Comics' black-and-white imprint, Amazing Comics (cont ...
''. Eternity was also notable for reprinting foreign titles, and introducing '' Cat Claw'', '' The Jackaroo'', and the '' Southern Squadron'' to the U.S. market. Such well-known creators as
Brian Pulido Brian Pulido (born November 30, 1961) is a creator, writer and producer of comic books and films. Early life Growing up in Long Branch, New Jersey, Pulido first developed an interest in the horror genre after the release of ''Night of the Livin ...
,
Evan Dorkin Evan Dorkin (born April 20, 1965) is an American comics artist and cartoonist. His best known works are the comic books ''Milk and Cheese'' and ''Dork''. His comics often poke fun at fandom, even while making it clear that Dorkin is a fan himsel ...
, Dale Berry,
Ben Dunn Ben Dunn (born April 17, 1964) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', June 10, 2005. Accessed February 1, 2011.WebCitation archive/ref> is an American comic book artist and publisher. Biography Dunn was born i ...
,
Dean Haspiel Dean Edmund Haspiel (born May 31, 1967 in New York City) is an American comic book artist, writer, and playwright. He is known for creating Billy Dogma, The Red Hook, and for his collaborations with writer Harvey Pekar on his '' American Splendor ...
, and
Ron Lim Ronald Lim (born 1965) is an American comic book artist living in Sacramento, California. He is best known for his work for Marvel Comics on their various "cosmic" titles, most particularly the ''Silver Surfer'' (vol. 3) series. Biography Lim's ...
got their starts with Eternity.


History


Origins

Eternity began publishing in 1986, debuting with such titles as ''Earthlore'', ''Gonad the Barbarian'', ''The Mighty Mites'', ''Ninja'', and ''Reign of the Dragonlord'' (with only ''Ninja'' lasting more than a couple of issues).


Scott Mitchell Rosenberg

In April 1987, ''The Comics Journal'' revealed that Eternity had been financed, along with Amazing Comics,
Wonder Color Comics Wonder most commonly refers to: * Wonder (emotion), an emotion comparable to surprise that people feel when perceiving something rare or unexpected Wonder may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * The Wonders, a fictional band ...
, and Imperial Comics, by
Scott Mitchell Rosenberg Scott Mitchell Rosenberg is an American film, television, and comic book producer. He is the chairman of Platinum Studios, an entertainment company that controls a library of comic-book characters and adapts them for film, television and other ...
. After this was made public, Rosenberg discontinued most of these publishers, but retained the Eternity label as an imprint of Malibu Comics, also eventually bringing in
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
publisher Aircel Comics under the Eternity/Malibu umbrella.


Robotech

One of Eternity's most successful titles was its 1988–1994 licensing of the ''
Robotech ''Robotech'' is a science fiction franchise that began with an 85-episode anime television series produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production and first released in the United States in 1985. The show was adapted from ...
'' franchise. The creators, the Waltrip brothers, began with direct adaptations of the '' Robotech II: The Sentinels'' scripts and novels, before eventually writing additional stories that expanded the
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
beyond the initial 85 animated ''Robotech'' episodes and ''The Sentinels''. As the series progressed, the Waltrips began deviating from the ''Sentinels'' novels, adding new story elements and new characters.


Legal battles

During its existence, Eternity was no stranger to legal squabbles. The popular title ''
Ex-Mutants ''Ex-Mutants'' was a comic book series created by writer David Lawrence and artist Ron Lim along with editor David Campiti in 1986. It was first published by Eternity Comics and then Pied Piper Comics' black-and-white imprint, Amazing Comics (cont ...
'' was first published by Eternity from 1987–1988, and was then moved to the publisher Amazing Comics (with contractual problems later forcing the title to be published under the independent Pied Piper Comics publisher). A legal dispute followed, and after running out of money for the struggle, creators David Lawrence and
Ron Lim Ronald Lim (born 1965) is an American comic book artist living in Sacramento, California. He is best known for his work for Marvel Comics on their various "cosmic" titles, most particularly the ''Silver Surfer'' (vol. 3) series. Biography Lim's ...
surrendered: the title returned to Eternity and was later published in a revamped version by Malibu. Eternity's 1989 publication of '' The Uncensored Mouse'', which reprinted
Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
comics from the 1930s — without Disney's permission — led to a run-in with
Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...
. Eternity printed ''The Uncensored Mouse'' with totally black covers, bagged (to prevent casual buyers from flipping through the comic), and the inside of the comic had a printed notice: "Mickey Mouse is a registered trademark of
Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...
" so as not to confuse the market that it was an authorized Disney production. Eternity believed it had not violated any copyrights because strips had fallen into public domain. Regardless, Disney brought a lawsuit against the company and the series was cancelled after just two issues (six issues were solicited). Similarly, Eternity's 1989-1992 adaptation of the popular Japanese
manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
''
Captain Harlock is a fictional character and protagonist of the '' Space Pirate Captain Harlock'' manga series created by Leiji Matsumoto. Harlock is the archetypical Romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as ...
'' was discontinued after it was discovered that Eternity/Malibu did not have the ''Captain Harlock'' rights. The alleged representative for the rights to ''Harlock'' to whom Malibu paid money, claiming to represent ''Coral Pictures'' turned out to be fraudulent and was in no way connected to the actual rights holders.


Decline and acquisition by Marvel

Malibu stopped using the Eternity imprint before Marvel acquired Malibu, when Eternity's last two franchises moved to other publishers in the middle of 1994: ''
Ninja High School ''Ninja High School'' (also known as ''NHS'') is a comic book series created, written, and illustrated by Ben Dunn, and published by Antarctic Press (at one point being published by Eternity Comics). On occasion other artists and writers have co ...
'' returning to
Antarctic Press Antarctic Press is a San Antonio-based comic book publishing company which publishes " Amerimanga" style comic books. The company also produces "how-to" and "you can" comics, instructing on areas of comic book creation and craft. Beginning in ...
and ''
Robotech ''Robotech'' is a science fiction franchise that began with an 85-episode anime television series produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production and first released in the United States in 1985. The show was adapted from ...
'' moving to Academy Comics.


Titles (selected)

* ''Apache Dick'' (1990) * ''Borderguard'' (1987) * '' Cat Claw'' (1990–1991) – translation of Serbian comic * ''
Captain Harlock is a fictional character and protagonist of the '' Space Pirate Captain Harlock'' manga series created by Leiji Matsumoto. Harlock is the archetypical Romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as ...
'', by
Robert W. Gibson Robert W. Gibson, AIA, (1854 in England – 1927 in New York City) was an English-born American ecclesiastical architect active in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century New York state. He designed several large Manhattan churches and a ...
, and illustrated by
Ben Dunn Ben Dunn (born April 17, 1964) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', June 10, 2005. Accessed February 1, 2011.WebCitation archive/ref> is an American comic book artist and publisher. Biography Dunn was born i ...
& Tim Eldred (1989–1992) * ''Cosmic Heroes'' (1988–1990) * '' Dark Wolf'' (1988–1989) * '' Dinosaurs For Hire'' by Tom Mason (1988–1990) * ''Earthlore'' (1986) * ''
Evil Ernie Evil Ernie, an undead psychotic killer, is a fictional supervillain created by writer Brian Pulido and artist Steven Hughes in 1991 and originally published by Eternity Comics. The imprint shifted hands in 1993 to Chaos! Comics and then Devi ...
'' by
Brian Pulido Brian Pulido (born November 30, 1961) is a creator, writer and producer of comic books and films. Early life Growing up in Long Branch, New Jersey, Pulido first developed an interest in the horror genre after the release of ''Night of the Livin ...
(1991–1992) * ''
Ex-Mutants ''Ex-Mutants'' was a comic book series created by writer David Lawrence and artist Ron Lim along with editor David Campiti in 1986. It was first published by Eternity Comics and then Pied Piper Comics' black-and-white imprint, Amazing Comics (cont ...
'', by David Lawrence and
Ron Lim Ronald Lim (born 1965) is an American comic book artist living in Sacramento, California. He is best known for his work for Marvel Comics on their various "cosmic" titles, most particularly the ''Silver Surfer'' (vol. 3) series. Biography Lim's ...
(1987–1988) * ''Fright'' (1988–1989) * '' The Futurians'' by
Dave Cockrum David Emmett Cockrum (; November 11, 1943 – November 26, 2006) was an American comics artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Mystique, as well as the antiheroine Black Cat. Cockrum was ...
(reprint, 1987) * ''Gonad the Barbarian'' (1986) * ''
Gundam 0083 is a 13-episode anime OVA series set in the Gundam universe. The first volume containing two 30-minute episodes was released in Japan on May 23, 1991. Subsequent volumes, containing one 30-minute episode each, followed every one or two mo ...
'' * ''
I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...
'' * ''Invisoworld'' by Gary Dunaier * '' The Jackaroo'' (1990) * ''
Lensman The ''Lensman'' series is a series of science fiction novels by American author E. E. "Doc" Smith. It was a runner-up for the 1966 Hugo award for Best All-Time Series, losing to the ''Foundation'' series by Isaac Asimov. Plot The series begins ...
'' by
E. E. Smith Edward Elmer Smith (May 2, 1890 – August 31, 1965), publishing as E. E. Smith, Ph.D. and later as E. E. "Doc" Smith, was an American food engineer (specializing in doughnut and pastry mixes) and science-fiction author, best known for the '' ...
(1990) * ''Metal Bikini'' * ''The Mighty Mites'' by John Nubbin and Nicholas Conti (1986–1987) * ''Ninja'' (1986–1988) * '' Ninja Funnies'' by Dale Berry * '' Original Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' (1990) * ''
The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...
'' (1988) * ''Pirate Corp$ / Hectic Planet'' by
Evan Dorkin Evan Dorkin (born April 20, 1965) is an American comics artist and cartoonist. His best known works are the comic books ''Milk and Cheese'' and ''Dork''. His comics often poke fun at fandom, even while making it clear that Dorkin is a fan himsel ...
(1987–1988) (published by
Slave Labor Graphics Slave Labor Graphics (SLG) is an independent American comic book publisher, well known for publishing darkly humorous, offbeat comics. Creators associated with SLG over the years include Evan Dorkin, Roman Dirge, Sarah Dyer, Woodrow Phoenix, Jhon ...
from 1989-1993) * '' Plan 9 from Outer Space: Thirty Years Later!'' – billed as an unofficial sequel to the original film. * '' The Puppet Master'' * ''Reign of the Dragonlord'' * ''
Robotech ''Robotech'' is a science fiction franchise that began with an 85-episode anime television series produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production and first released in the United States in 1985. The show was adapted from ...
'', by Jason and John Waltrip (1988–1994, picked up by Academy Comics) * ''Scarlet in Gaslight'' written by Martin Powell (1987–1988) * ''Scimidar'' by Rob Davis (1988) * ''Blade of Shuriken'' by Reggie Byers * '' Southern Squadron: Freedom of Information Act'' (from Aircel) * ''Spicy Tales'' (1988–1990) * '' The Three Stooges: The Knuckleheads Return'' (1989) * ''Tiger-X'' by
Ben Dunn Ben Dunn (born April 17, 1964) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', June 10, 2005. Accessed February 1, 2011.WebCitation archive/ref> is an American comic book artist and publisher. Biography Dunn was born i ...
* '' Triple Action'' anthology comic * '' The Trouble with Girls'' (1987–1988, later picked up by Malibu and then Comico) * ''Twilight Avenger'' by John Wooly and Terry Tidwell * ''The Verdict'' by Martin Powell and
Dean Haspiel Dean Edmund Haspiel (born May 31, 1967 in New York City) is an American comic book artist, writer, and playwright. He is known for creating Billy Dogma, The Red Hook, and for his collaborations with writer Harvey Pekar on his '' American Splendor ...
(1987–1988; continued by Malibu 1988–1989) * '' The Uncensored Mouse'' (1989) * ''War of the Worlds'' * ''White Devil'' (1990–1991) * ''Yakuza'' (1987–1988) * ''
Zillion Many languages have words expressing indefinite and fictitious numbers—inexact terms of indefinite size, used for comic effect, for exaggeration, as placeholder names, or when precision is unnecessary or undesirable. One technical term for such ...
'' (1993)


Notes


References

* *


External links


Eternity Comics
at the International Catalogue of Superheroes {{Authority control American companies established in 1986 American companies disestablished in 1994 Comic book imprints Companies based in Thousand Oaks, California Marvel Comics imprints Defunct comics and manga publishing companies Malibu Comics Newbury Park, California Publishing companies established in 1986 Publishing companies disestablished in 1994 Comic book publishing companies of the United States 1986 establishments in California 1994 disestablishments in California