Despite an unfortunate and generic headline — “Pow! Zam! Comics rule” — the Portland Oregonian delivers a decent profile of Dark Horse Comics and founder Mike Richardson, focusing on the publisher’s 20th anniversary:
It all began with a guy who went camping, stumbled upon some aliens, then had his brain transplanted into a creature made of concrete.
Twenty years ago today, Mike Richardson unveiled Paul Chadwick’s “Concrete” in Richardson’s first collection of comics, launching Dark Horse into a universe known for passionate, deeply opinionated customers. In the process, he bucked conventional wisdom by giving ownership rights to the comic creators featured in the book as well as 100 percent of the profits for that edition.
Richardson got the industry’s attention. That first edition of Dark Horse Presents sold 50,000 copies in two printings, impressive for a new title. Significantly, it also piqued the interest of artists and writers who had long groused about being forced to give publishing houses ownership of their characters.
The article also touches upon the company’s headway into film, and its efforts to reinvigorate itself.
