Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in
Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986.
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.
Dark Horse Comics has emerged as the fourth largest comic publishing company in the United States of America.
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.
Several titles include: ''
Sin City,
Hellboy
Hellboy is a fictional superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in ''San Diego Comic-Con Comics'' #2 (August 1993), and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers ...
,
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
,
300
__NOTOC__
Year 300 (Roman numerals, CCC) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius (or, less frequently, ...
, and
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
.''
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.
In June 2022, Dark Horse announced a business partnership with Penguin Random House Publishing as the company's new primary comic book distributor which was previously held by Diamond Comics Distributors for thirty years.
In September 21, 2022, Dark Horse Comics announced the expansion of their business relationship with Penguin Random House. This multi-year distribution deal will begin in June, 2023.
Dark Horse CEO Mark Richardson stated that the company decided to expand their business relationship with the legendary publishing company because they both wanted to improve comic book accessibilty worldwide, and address fans concerns over high distribution fees with Diamond Comics, Inc. Surpringly, they also stated that while they would be doing business with Penguin, Diamond would still remain as primary media distributor.
Overview
Dark Horse has published many licensed comics, including comics based on ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', ''
Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'', ''
Aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'', ''
Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
'', and ''
Terminator.''
Dark Horse Comics holds a notoriety for being the most reputable publisher in regard to allowing creators to retain ownership of their work.
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.
They have published several
creator owned
In the United States, creator ownership in comics is an arrangement in which the comic book creator retains full ownership of the material, regardless of whether the work is self-publishing, self-published or published by a corporate publisher.
...
comics such as
Frank Miller's ''
Sin City'' and ''
300
__NOTOC__
Year 300 (Roman numerals, CCC) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius (or, less frequently, ...
'',
Mike Mignola's ''
Hellboy
Hellboy is a fictional superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in ''San Diego Comic-Con Comics'' #2 (August 1993), and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers ...
'',
Stan Sakai's ''
Usagi Yojimbo'', and
Gerard Way's ''
Umbrella Academy
''The Umbrella Academy'' is an American comic book series created and written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá. The first six-issue limited series, '' The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite,'' was released by Dark Horse Comics betwee ...
.''
With an emphasis on mini and limited series, Dark Horse Comics has given itself immense flexibility in the comic book publishing industry.
This model allows the company to pull poorly performing series while also retaining the ability to reprint past works without intense scrutiny.
In 2006, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' reported that "Dark Horse pays by the story or the page, and shares profit generated by comic books and related merchandise. That is different from the standard work-for-hire arrangement at DC and Marvel: creators are paid for a specific story and perhaps receive royalties from collected editions, but the bulk of the revenue, and all of the merchandising opportunities, remain with the companies".
History
Origins
Mike Richardson was an active follower of the
Amateur Press Association (APA), an organization focused on critiquing comics through conventions, fan projects, and newsletters.
As a result of his involvement, Richardson became acquainted with Randy Stradley, an early Dark Horse Comics collaborator and editor.
The two used their contacts from the APA to recruit artists and writers, many of whom were working for several top comic publishing groups.
1986–2006
Dark Horse was founded in 1986 by
Mike Richardson with
''Dark Horse Presents No. 1'' and featured the first appearance of
Paul Chadwick
Paul Chadwick (born 1957) is an American comic book creator best known for his series ''Concrete'' about a normal man trapped in a stone body.
Biography
Born in Seattle, Chadwick grew up in its suburb Medina, where his father, Stephen F. Chadw ...
's ''
Concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...
'' and
Chris Warner's ''Black Cross,'' selling approximately 50,000 copies, which was far better than predictions''.''
The series has become a platform for new creators to highlight their works.
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.
After his success, Richardson began buying the rights to several titles including: ''
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
'' in 1987, ''
Aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'', ''
Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
'' in 1989, and ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' in 1991 (owned by
Marvel prior to the Dark Horse Comics acquisition).
Dark Horse evolved further and began producing toys in 1991.
Additionally, in 1992, Richardson formed Dark Horse Entertainment, the company's critically acclaimed film and television division.
With the release of the first ''
Aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'' comic in 1988 and ''
Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
'' in 1988, Dark Horse Comics' popular characters appeared in their own line of work as well as ''
Dark Horse Presents
''Dark Horse Presents'' was a comic book published by American company Dark Horse Comics from 1986. Their first published series, it was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, r ...
'' and ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' and numerous crossovers that included ''
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' and ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' of
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, and
WildC.A.T.s
Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.
Publication history
The team first appeared in August 1992 in the first issue of their eponymo ...
.
In a 1991 issue of ''
Dark Horse Presents
''Dark Horse Presents'' was a comic book published by American company Dark Horse Comics from 1986. Their first published series, it was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, r ...
'',
Frank Miller introduced ''
Sin City'', one of Dark Horse Comics' most successful titles.
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.''
''
The Mask,'' a mini series from
Mark Badger
Mark Billings Badger (October 16, 1958), known as Mark Badger, is an American illustrator who has worked as a penciler, inker, cover artist, painter, and occasional colorist in the American comic book industry. In addition to his career as a comic ...
, debuted in ''
Dark Horse Presents 10-20'' in 1991 and had a successful film adaptation, starring
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy te ...
, in 1994.
However comic sales were not strengthened by the success of the film.
In 1993, Dark Horse established their own limited series superhero realm with the creation of ''
Comics' Greatest World
Comics' Greatest World was an imprint of Dark Horse Comics. It was created by Team CGW. Originally conceived in 1990, it took three years for the line to be released, which led to an industry-wide perception that it was created to capitalize on th ...
''.
However comic publishing changed in the 1990s and all Comics' Greatest World titles were canceled except for ''
Ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
''.
As a result, Dark Horse Comics returned to their smaller scale business model.
Dark Horse Comics created the imprint Legends and as part of their focus on creators, the publisher began working with
Mike Mignola.
In 1994, Mignola's character ''
Hellboy
Hellboy is a fictional superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in ''San Diego Comic-Con Comics'' #2 (August 1993), and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers ...
'' first appeared in ''Hellboy: Seed of Destruction'' the beginning of several limited and mini series with crossovers that included ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' of
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
.
1994 saw the release of the monthly manga mini series, ''Oh My Goddess!''
The licensing to the unpopular limited series, ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'', was purchased by Dark Horse Comics in 1995 and ended in 1998.
''
Ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
'', from ''
Comics' Greatest World
Comics' Greatest World was an imprint of Dark Horse Comics. It was created by Team CGW. Originally conceived in 1990, it took three years for the line to be released, which led to an industry-wide perception that it was created to capitalize on th ...
'', began running as a solo title in 1995, but ended in 1998 and was subsequently launched once more the same year.
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
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.
Dark Horse Comics began translating the manga series from
Hiroaki Samura
is a Japanese manga artist, known for ''Blade of the Immortal'', as well as several other short works. He has also done various illustrations for magazines and ero guro work.
Education
Samura says that he always wanted to be a manga artist. How ...
, ''
Blade of the Immortal'', in 1996 and ending in 2015.
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.
2006–2021
In 2006, Dark Horse was the third largest comics publisher. Per
Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. They transport comic books and graphic novels, as well as other po ...
, "
Marvel had 36.9 percent of the market",
DC "had 32.9 percent" and Dark Horse had "5.6 percent".
In 2007, Dark Horse donated copies of all of its published works to the
Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...
Library, which maintains both a browsing collection of book titles, in addition to a research collection which also includes every "print, poster, statue, figure, and all other products." As of July 15, 2016, the library has cataloged over 10,000 titles as "the official archive of Dark Horse publications."
In 2011, ''Dark Horse Presents'' relaunched including the return of Paul Chadwick's ''Concrete'' and
Steve Niles' ''
Criminal Macabre
''Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery'' is a comic book series starring Cal McDonald, an antihero American comic book character created in 1990 in comics, 1990 by writer Steve Niles. The character's adventures have been published by Dark Hors ...
'', as well as new talent including Sanford Greene,
Carla Speed McNeil
Carla Speed McNeil is an American science fiction writer, cartoonist, and illustrator of comics, best known for the science fiction comic book series '' Finder''.
Career
McNeil's chief work is the ongoing science fiction comic series '' Finder'', ...
, Nate Crosby and others. Starting in 2013, Dark Horse began to reprint
E. C. Archives, picking up the project of reprinting classic E. C. Comics from the 1950s where Gladstone left off, using the same size and format as Gladstone, with all stories reprinted in order and in full color.
In early 2017, Dark Horse Comic entered partnership with
Crypton Future Media
, or simply Crypton, is a Japanese media company based in Sapporo, Japan. It develops, imports, and sells products for music, such as sound generator software, sampling CDs and DVDs, and sound effect and background music libraries. The company al ...
to publish official English-language
Hatsune Miku
, also called Miku Hatsune, and officially code-named CV01, is a Vocaloid software voicebank developed by Crypton Future Media and its official moe anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mascot character, a 16-year-old girl with long, turquoise bu ...
-related manga. In late summer of 2018, a set of comic books for ''
Mysticons
''Mysticons'' is an animated television series that aired from August 28, 2017 to September 15, 2018. The show is a collaboration between companies Nelvana, Playmates Toys, and The Topps Company. The show was created by Sean Jara, who is also the ...
'' were released. In 2018, Vanguard Visionary Associates, a Chinese media production company, became a partner of Dark Horse's subsidiary Dark Horse Entertainment
along with a "major investment stake" in the subsidiary.
Both ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' and ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' reported that "the investment stake is rumored to be about $20 million and will give Vanguard a majority interest in Dark House".
In 2020, Dark Horse announced it was severing ties with writer and editor
Scott Allie
Scott Allie is an American comics writer and editor, best known as an editor and executive at Dark Horse Comics from 1994 to 2017.
Early life
Allie grew up in Massachusetts.
Career
Allie joined Dark Horse Comics as an editor in September 1994. ...
"after a former Dark Horse employee accused him of sexual harassment and sexual assault across a period lasting more than a decade." It was reported that in 2015, "after reports of multiple instances of sexual misconduct" by Allie:
Dark Horse Comics founder Mike Richardson released a statement to ''The Beat'', which in part read, "In this particular case, action was taken immediately, though we did not, and cannot, perform a public flogging, as some might wish." Although Richardson said action had been taken, Allie continued as an editor for Dark Horse, transitioning from editor-in-chief to the role of executive senior editor in 2015, before departing Dark Horse as a full-time employee in 2017, continuing to work with them ntil 2020in a freelance capacity.
In June 2021, Dark Horse opened a video game and digital division, called Dark Horse Games. The division will be focused on development of AAA video games based on the company's IP.
In mid-November 2021, Dark Horse founder and CEO Mark Richardson announced that the company would be publishing a new line of all-ages Star Wars comics and graphic novels in collaboration with
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the ''Star Wars'' and ' ...
and
Disney Publishing Worldwide. Dark Horse had previously held the licensing rights for producing ''Star Wars'' comics between 1991 and 2015.
Acquisition by Embracer Group
In December 2021,
Bloomberg reported Dark Horse Comics for sale to a Hollywood studio. Companies rumored as potential buyers include
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
,
The Walt Disney Company
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 ...
, and
ViacomCBS, but a representative couldn't comment. However, later in the month,
Embracer Group (a video game
holding company
A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...
) announced that it launched its acquisition of Dark Horse Media, including Dark Horse Comics and Dark Horse Entertainment, and that the company would be the 10th operative division in the company.
Multiple news outlets highlighted that this deal gives Embracer Group access to Dark Horse's
"300-plus pieces of intellectual property".
This deal also grants Dark Horse access to additional intellectual property maintained by Embracer; "sources close to the publisher say that founder and CEO Mike Richardson maintains creative control over Dark Horse under the terms of the deal, while the company receives a level of financial stability it hasn't previously enjoyed as an independent entity, even as it separates from its deal with Chinese pop culture company Vanguard Visionary Associates".
''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' commented that for the Embracer Group this deal was "not just an opportunity to expand properties into comics, but other media. Dark Horse's ongoing relationship with media companies through current and future adaptations and the Dark Horse Entertainment subsidiary open up the potential for Embracer to push projects outside of the video game arena. Dark Horse isn't simply the fourth-largest comic book publisher in the U.S. industry, after all; it's also a company with a first-look deal with Netflix, as well as an ongoing relationship with Universal Content Productions".
Embracer finalized the acquisition of Dark Horse on March 14, 2022.
Imprints and studios
Comics' Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes (1993–1996)
From 1993 to 1996, Dark Horse published a
line
Line most often refers to:
* Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity
* Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system
Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to:
Arts ...
of superhero comics under the Comics' Greatest World imprint, which was later renamed Dark Horse Heroes. After 1996, publication of this line came to a near halt, ceasing production of any books concerning the characters with the publication of the last crossover books involving
Ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
, in the early 2000s.
Legend (1994–1998)
Legend was a
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
imprint
Imprint or imprinting may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series
* "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror''
* ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film
...
at Dark Horse Comics created in 1994 by
Frank Miller and
John Byrne as an avenue for creator-owned projects.
Its logo was a
moai
Moai or moʻai ( ; es, moái; rap, moʻai, , statue) are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, Rapa Nui in eastern Polynesia between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main mo ...
drawn by
Mike Mignola. Later on, other creators were asked to join them. The imprint ended in 1998.
Members
*
Art Adams
*
Frank Miller
*
John Byrne
*
Mike Mignola
*
Paul Chadwick
Paul Chadwick (born 1957) is an American comic book creator best known for his series ''Concrete'' about a normal man trapped in a stone body.
Biography
Born in Seattle, Chadwick grew up in its suburb Medina, where his father, Stephen F. Chadw ...
,
Dave Gibbons
David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story "For the Man ...
, and
Geof Darrow
Geofrey "Geof" Darrow (born October 21, 1955) is an American comic book artist, best known for his work on comic series ''Shaolin Cowboy'', '' Hard Boiled'' and ''The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot'', which was adapted into an animated televisi ...
were also on the initial Dark Horse Legend launch tour.
*
Mike Allred
*
Walter Simonson
Dark Horse Manga
Dark Horse Manga is an imprint for 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 ...
translated into English. The company's first ongoing title was ''
Oh My Goddess!'' by
Kōsuke Fujishima, starting in August 1994. (''Oh My Goddess!'' since became America's longest running manga series.) Other publications include ''
Akira'', ''
Astro Boy'', ''
Berserk
Berserk (meaning "very angry" or "out of control") may refer to:
* ''Berserk'' (manga), a 1989 Japanese manga by Kentaro Miura
** ''Berserk'' (1997 TV series), the first anime adaption of the manga
** ''Berserk'' (2016 TV series), a second adap ...
'', ''
Blade of the Immortal'', ''
Ghost in the Shell (manga)
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, which spawned the media franchise of the same name. It was first serialized in Kodansha's ''seinen'' manga magazine '' Young Magazine Zōkan Kaizokuban'' from 1989 t ...
'', ''
Lone Wolf and Cub'', ''
Trigun'' and ''
Blood Blockade Battlefront'' by
Yasuhiro Nightow
is a Japanese manga artist. His major work ''Trigun'' was adapted into an anime series and film. He also designed the characters for the video game and anime series ''Gungrave'', and has been working on the manga ''Blood Blockade Battlefront''. ...
, ''
Gantz'', ''
Hellsing'' and ''
Drifters'' by
Kouta Hirano, ''
Blood+'', ''
Multiple Personality Detective Psycho
''MPD Psycho'', short for , is a manga series written by Eiji Ōtsuka and illustrated by Shou Tajima, published by Kadokawa Shoten from 1997 to 2016. The series follows a police detective suffering from multiple personality disorder.
''MPD Ps ...
'', ''
FLCL
is an original video animation (OVA) anime series created and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, written by Yōji Enokido, and produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which consisted of Gainax, Production I.G, and King Records. ''F ...
'', ''
Mob Psycho 100'', and ''
Oreimo''.
Dark Horse also publishes a number of titles by the all-female Japanese manga artist group
CLAMP, including ''
Clover
Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...
'', ''
Chobits'', ''Okimono Kimono'', ''
Cardcaptor Sakura
, abbreviated as ''CCS'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. Serialized monthly in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from May 1996 to June 2000, it was also published in 12 ''tankōbon'' ...
'', ''
Magic Knight Rayearth
is a Japanese manga series created by Clamp. Appearing as a serial in the manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from the November 1993 issue to the February 1995 issue, the chapters of ''Magic Knight Rayearth'' were collected into three bound volum ...
'', and ''
Gate 7
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist group Clamp. It was originally published as a one-shot in December 2010, and later began serialization in the March 2011 issue of Shueisha's monthly '' shōnen'' manga mag ...
''.
A manga magazine titled ''Super Manga Blast!'' was published by Dark Horse starting in the spring of 2000. It was discontinued in December 2005 after 59 issues.
Dark Horse also publishes a number of Korean
manhwa titles, including ''
Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man''.
Maverick (1999–2002)
Maverick was an imprint for creator-owned material.
DH Press
The DH Press
imprint
Imprint or imprinting may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series
* "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror''
* ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film
...
publishes
novelization
A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...
s of Dark Horse's more popular comic book titles, including ''
Aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'' and ''
Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
''. DH Press has now been absorbed by DH Books.
M Press
Publications ranging from novels to film books by
Leonard Maltin about
John Landis
John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American comedy and fantasy filmmaker and actor. He is best known for the comedy films that he has directed – such as ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), ''Animal House, National Lampoon's Animal ...
, to comic related material such as a biography of
Will Eisner
William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...
, to health books. They have also published a series reprinting ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
'' interviews. The M Press imprint was created to publish a diverse list of both literary fiction and non-fiction prose for authors with a unique voice. One such series is ''
Orchid
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
'' by
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, Morello ...
, published from 2011 to 2013. The newest addition to M Press is an original
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 ...
''
The Fifth Beatle'' by
Vivek Tiwary,
Andrew Robinson, and
Kyle Baker
Kyle John Baker (born 1965) is an American cartoonist, comic book writer-artist, and animator known for his graphic novels and for a 2000s revival of the series ''Plastic Man''.
Baker has won numerous Eisner Awards and Harvey Awards for his wor ...
, published in November 2013.
Dark Horse Digital
In 2011, Dark Horse launched their iOS app and online digital comics store Dark Horse Digital, followed by the release of the beta version of a native
Android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
app in 2012. Any device with a modern web browser can be used to read Dark Horse comics at their web store.
DH Deluxe
Initiated in 1998, Dark Horse Deluxe rolled out a line of merchandise that included model kits, toys, apparel, and collectibles. Its original purpose was to draw on Dark Horse properties but expanded to include such collectibles as
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
's ''Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys'',
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...
's ''
Serenity
Serenity may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Serenity'' (2019 film), a thriller starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Diane Lane
* Sailor Moon (character), also known as Princess Serenity and Neo-Queen Serenity, in the ' ...
'', and merchandise for the popular video-game franchise ''
Mass Effect''. Dark Horse, working with Big Tent Entertainment and the
NHK broadcasting corporation, brought
Domo-kun to the United States with a series of products ranging from
Qee
Qee (pronounced "key") are a collection of designer toys created by Hong Kong-based company Toy2R, which was founded by Raymond Choy in 1995.
Qee figures vary in their design. The original Qee has a body that resembles an extremely simplified hu ...
figurines to journals and stationery sets.
was Vice President of Product Development at Dark Horse for many years, starting in that department in 1993 and retiring in 2017.
Kitchen Sink Books
In 2013,
Denis Kitchen and John Lind co-founded Kitchen Sink Books with Dark Horse as a joint venture and independent imprint. The imprint name is in reference to Kitchen's former publishing company Kitchen Sink Press which ran from 1970 until 1999. Kitchen said of the venture, “John and I have packaged books for a number of first-rank publishers, but we have long discussed the ideal house to enjoy maximum freedom and creativity,” says Kitchen. “In longtime friend and publisher Mike Richardson and Dark Horse Comics, we found just that.” The imprint's output is infrequent, publishing 2-3 high-profile projects annually with editorial focus on art books and deluxe format collections. Creators published under the Kitchen Sink line include Will Eisner, Frank Miller,
Harvey Kurtzman,
Tony DiTerlizzi and collections/anthology titles include work from
Jack Davis,
Will Elder
William Elder (born Wolf William Eisenberg; September 22, 1921 – May 15, 2008) was an American illustrator and comic book artist who worked in numerous areas of commercial art but is best known for a frantically funny cartoon style that helped ...
,
Art Spiegelman,
S. Clay Wilson
Steve Clay Wilson (July 25, 1941 – February 7, 2021) was an American underground cartoonist and central figure in the underground comix movement. Wilson attracted attention from readers with aggressively violent and sexually explicit panoramas ...
,
Monte Beauchamp,
Bob Powell,
Justin Green,
Trina Robbins
Trina Robbins (born Trina Perlson; August 17, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American cartoonist. She was an early participant in the underground comix movement, and one of the first female artists in that movement. In the 1980s, Robbins beca ...
,
Harvey Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekar (; October 8, 1939 – July 12, 2010) was an American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality, best known for his autobiographical ''American Splendor'' comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a ...
,
Arnold Roth
:''This is an article about Arnold Roth, the cartoonist. See also Arnie Roth, the musician.''
Arnold Roth (born February 25, 1929) is an American cartoonist and illustrator for advertisements, album covers, books, magazines, and newspapers. Noveli ...
, and
Al Jaffee
Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921) is an American cartoonist. He is notable for his work in the satirical magazine '' Mad'', including his trademark feature, the ''Mad'' Fold-in. Jaffee was a regular contributor to the magazine ...
.
Berger Books
Former executive editor of Vertigo
Karen Berger
Karen Berger (; born February 26, 1958) is an American comic book editor. She is best known for her role in helping create DC Comics' Vertigo imprint in 1993 and serving as the line's Executive Editor until 2013. She currently oversees Berger B ...
established the Berger Books imprint at Dark Horse in 2017. Titles published under the imprint include ''Hungry Ghosts'' written by
Joel Rose
Joel Rose is an American novelist.
Career
His novels include ''The Blackest Bird'' (2007), ''Kill the Poor'' (1988), and '' Kill Kill Faster Faster'' (1988). He also authored the urban historical, ''New York Sawed in Half: An Urban Historical'' ( ...
and
Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Michael Bourdain (; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. Bourdai ...
,
''Incognegro'' (10th anniversary edition) and a prequel ''Incognegro: Renaissance'' both written by
Mat Johnson, ''The Seeds'' written by
Ann Nocenti
Ann "Annie" Nocenti (; born January 17, 1957) is an American journalist, filmmaker, teacher, comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work at Marvel in the late 1980s, particularly the four-year stint as the editor of ''Uncanny X-Me ...
, ''She Could Fly'' written by
Christopher Cantwell (2018 July), and ''
LaGuardia
LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...
'' written by
Nnedi Okorafor.
Dark Horse Games
On June 2, 2021, Dark Horse Comics launched a Gaming and Digital Entertainment Division in partnership with AAA studios to bring many of its "older and lesser established IPs" into the gaming market.
Secret Stash Press
In March 2022, it was announced that Dark Horse and filmmaker
Kevin Smith would be teaming up to publish the books of
Secret Stash Press, a new publishing line by Smith. The first 2 books of the line include ''Maskerade'', written by Smith and Andy Mcelfresh and ''Quick Stops'', written by Smith and set within the
View Askewniverse.
Tiny Onion Studios
In November 2022, it was announced that Dark Horse had partnered with
James Tynion IV
James Tynion IV (born December 14, 1987) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his work on the Batman franchise at DC Comics, his DC Black Label series ''The Nice House on the Lake'' and his independent series '' Department of ...
to release books of his Tiny Onion Studios. This will include original books and print verisons of books previously available on
Substack. The first of these books include ''Blue Book'', written by Tynion and illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming, which will release in February 2023, while ''The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos'' will release June 2023, with Tynion creating the story, Tate Brombal writing, and art by Isaac Goodhart.
Titles
Dark Horse Comics has acquired the rights to make comic book adaptations of many popular films and series. Some of these include ''
Aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'', ''
Army of Darkness
''Army of Darkness'' is a 1992 American comedy horror film directed, co-written and co-edited by Sam Raimi, co-produced by Robert Tapert and Bruce Campbell and co-written by Ivan Raimi. Starring Campbell and Embeth Davidtz, it is the third i ...
'' (before Dynamite Entertainment acquired the license), ''
Indiana Jones
''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology, that began in 1981 with the film '' Raiders of the Lost Ark''. In 1984, a prequel, '' Th ...
'', ''
Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
'', ''
RoboCop
''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferre ...
'', ''
The Thing'', ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', ''
The Terminator
''The Terminator'' is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whos ...
'', ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'' (and its spin-off, ''
Angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
''), ''
Planet of the Apes
''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...
'', ''
Let Me In'' and ''
Avatar: The Last Airbender''.
In 2013
CCP Games
CCP hf., doing business as CCP Games, is an Icelandic video game developer based in Reykjavík. Novator Partners and General Catalyst had previously collectively owned a majority stake in the company, and in September 2018, CCP was acquired by ...
announced that Dark Horse would be publishing a series of comic books based on stories collected from players of the
MMORPG
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
''
EVE Online''.
In 2014,
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the ''Star Wars'' and ' ...
announced that, as of 2015, future ''Star Wars'' comics would be published by Lucasfilm's corporate sibling,
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 ...
. In 2017, Dark Horse Comics began publishing ''
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins'' based on the web series ''
Critical Role''. In 2019, ''Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins'' was Dark Horse's 6th best selling title with 19,000 copies sold.
Dark Horse Entertainment
Dark Horse's production studio arm, Dark Horse Entertainment, produces films and television shows based on Dark Horse Comics. Established by Richardson in 1992, Dark Horse Entertainment set up shop on the lot at
Twentieth Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...
through a first-look deal with
Larry Gordon and
Largo Entertainment. Dark Horse Entertainment has produced over two dozen films and television projects.
Dark Horse Entertainment's 2018 deal with Vanguard Visionary Associates was "intended to allow the company to fully finance development of properties already owned by the company, as well as acquire outside material for media adaptation. Additionally, the partnership is intended to be a gateway for Dark Horse to bring its comic book library to new foreign markets, with a particular focus on China".
In 2019, Dark Horse Entertainment set up a first-look deal with the streaming company
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
.
In August 2022, Netflix and Dark Horse renewed their first look deal for film and TV.
Television
The following are TV projects based on Dark Horse comic books:
*''
Duckman'' (1994–1997, animated series)
*''
The Mask'' (1995–1997, animated series)
*''
Timecop
''Timecop'' is a 1994 American science fiction action film directed by Peter Hyams and co-written by Mike Richardson and Mark Verheiden. Richardson also served as executive producer. The film is based on '' Timecop'', a story created by Richar ...
'' (1997–1998)
*''
Fat Dog Mendoza'' (2000–2001, animated series)
*''
Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
''The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot'' is a 1995 comic book written by Frank Miller, drawn by Geof Darrow and published by Dark Horse Comics. The comic book was adapted into an animated TV series of the same name.
Overview
After appearing in va ...
'' (1999–2001, animated series)
*''
The B.P.R.D. Declassified'' (2004, special)
*''
The Amazing Screw-On Head
''The Amazing Screw-On Head'' is a one-shot comic book written and drawn by Mike Mignola and published by Dark Horse Comics in 2002, starring the character of the same name. ''The Amazing Screw-On Head'' stars a robot living during the Lincoln ad ...
'' (2006, animated pilot)
*''
Axe Cop'' (2013–2015, animated series)
*''
Dark Matter
Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not ab ...
'' (2015–2017)
*''
The Umbrella Academy
''The Umbrella Academy'' is an American comic book series created and written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá. The first six-issue limited series, '' The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite,'' was released by Dark Horse Comics betwee ...
'' (2019–present)
*''
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 f ...
'' (2019–2020, animated series)
*''
Resident Alien
In law, an alien is any person (including an organization) who is not a citizenship, citizen or a nationality, national of a specific country, although definitions and terminology differ to some degree depending upon the continent or region. ...
'' (2021–present)
*''
Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles'' (2022–present, animated series)
*''
Fear Agent
''Fear Agent'' is an American science fiction comic book series written by Rick Remender with art by Tony Moore and Jerome Opena, who alternated on story arcs. The series was published by Dark Horse Comics from 2007 to 2018 and by Image Comics f ...
'' (TBA)
*''
Grendel
Grendel is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem '' Beowulf'' (700–1000). He is one of the poem's three antagonists (along with his mother and the dragon), all aligned in opposition against the protagonist Beowulf. Grendel is feared by a ...
'' (TBA)
*''Hungry Ghosts'' (TBA, animated series)
*''Iyanu: Child of Wonder'' (TBA, animated series)
*''
Mind MGMT'' (TBA)
*''She Could Fly'' (TBA)
*''
Sin City'' (TBA)
* ''Wyrd'' (TBA)
Television shows with graphic novels
*''
Avatar: The Last Airbender'' (2012–present)
*''
The Legend of Korra
''The Legend of Korra'' (abbreviated as TLOK), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Korra'' or simply ''Korra'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelode ...
'' (2017–present)
*''
Mysticons
''Mysticons'' is an animated television series that aired from August 28, 2017 to September 15, 2018. The show is a collaboration between companies Nelvana, Playmates Toys, and The Topps Company. The show was created by Sean Jara, who is also the ...
'' (2018–2020)
*''
Trollhunters Trollhunters may refer to:
*Trollhunters, an installment of the Tales of Arcadia trilogy
** Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, 2016-2018 animated series
** Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, 2021 film finale
**Trollhunters: The Adventure Begins, (2017 ...
'' (2018)
Films
The following are feature films based on series from Dark Horse Comics:
''Released projects''
* ''
Dr. Giggles'' (1992)
* ''
The Mask'' (1994)
* ''
Timecop
''Timecop'' is a 1994 American science fiction action film directed by Peter Hyams and co-written by Mike Richardson and Mark Verheiden. Richardson also served as executive producer. The film is based on '' Timecop'', a story created by Richar ...
'' (1994)
* ''
Tank Girl
''Tank Girl'' is a British comic book character created by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, and first appeared in print in 1988 in the British comics magazine ''Deadline''. After a period of intense popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, ...
'' (1995)
* ''Enemy'' (1996)
* ''
Barb Wire
Barb Wire may refer to:
* Barb wire, a fencing material
* Barb Wire (character), a comic book superhero published by Dark Horse Comics
* ''Barb Wire'' (1996 film), starring Pamela Anderson, based on the comic book
* ''Barb Wire'' (pinball), pinb ...
'' (1996)
* ''
Mystery Men'' (1999)
* ''
Virus
A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea.
Since Dmitri Ivanovsky's 1 ...
'' (1999)
* ''
G-Men from Hell'' (2000)
* ''
American Splendor'' (2003)
* ''
Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision'' (2003, direct-to-video)
* ''
Alien vs. Predator
''Alien vs. Predator'' (also known as ''Aliens versus Predator'' and ''AVP'') is a science-fiction action horror
media franchise created by comic book writers Randy Stradley and Chris Warner. The series is a crossover between, and part of, th ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Hellboy
Hellboy is a fictional superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in ''San Diego Comic-Con Comics'' #2 (August 1993), and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Sin City'' (2005)
* ''
Son of the Mask'' (2005)
* ''
Hellboy: Sword of Storms'' (2006, animated, television)
* ''
300
__NOTOC__
Year 300 (Roman numerals, CCC) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius (or, less frequently, ...
'' (2007)
* ''
Hellboy: Blood and Iron'' (2007, animated, television)
* ''
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem'' (2007)
* ''
Hellboy II: The Golden Army'' (2008)
* ''
R.I.P.D.
''R.I.P.D.'', also marketed as ''R.I.P.D.: Rest in Peace Department'', is a 2013 American supernatural action comedy film starring Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds. The film was directed by Robert Schwentke and written by Phil Hay and Matt Manf ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'' (2014)
* ''
300: Rise of an Empire'' (2014)
* ''
Polar
Polar may refer to:
Geography
Polar may refer to:
* Geographical pole, either of two fixed points on the surface of a rotating body or planet, at 90 degrees from the equator, based on the axis around which a body rotates
* Polar climate, the c ...
'' (2019)
* ''
Hellboy
Hellboy is a fictional superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in ''San Diego Comic-Con Comics'' #2 (August 1993), and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers ...
'' (2019)
* ''
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness
''Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness'' is a 2022 computer-animated adventure comedy film produced by nWave Pictures, written by David Collard and directed by Benjamin Mousquet (in his directorial debut) and Ben Stassen; it is based on the gr ...
'' (2022, animated)
* ''
R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned'' (2022, direct-to-video)
* ''Bang!'' (TBA)
* ''
Dept. H
''Dept. H'' is an American comic book series created by Matt Kindt and published through Dark Horse Comics. The first issue, released on April 20, 2016, sold an estimated 9300 copies. According to the review aggregation website Comic Book Roundup ...
'' (TBA)
*
''Lady Killer'' (TBA)
* ''Mystery Girl'' (TBA)
* ''
Tank Girl
''Tank Girl'' is a British comic book character created by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, and first appeared in print in 1988 in the British comics magazine ''Deadline''. After a period of intense popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, ...
'' reboot (TBA)
* ''
The Goon
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
'' (TBA, animated)
Cancelled projects
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
**
*
*
*
*
*
Interviews
*
*
*
**
*
*
{{Authority control
American subsidiaries of foreign companies
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...
Embracer Group
2022 mergers and acquisitions
Comic book publishing companies of the United States
Manga distributors
Manhwa distributors
Companies based in Milwaukie, Oregon
American companies established in 1986
Publishing companies established in 1986
Webcomic publishing companies
Book publishing companies based in Oregon
1986 establishments in Oregon
Publishers of adult comics