Dynamite Comics is really beginning to make a name by getting and publishing loads of classic characters. How they do it is giving them a reputation too. Most recently they've announced that they will be publishing three King Features characters, specifically The Phantom created by Lee Falk, Mandrake the Magician also by Falk, and Flash Gordon created by Alex Raymond. This will apparently be the first time all three of these iconic comic strip heroes will be published by the company in independent titles since King Features produced their own comics briefly way back in the 60's.
The license then went to Charlton who did not publish Mandrake, then the characters languished with one company and another trying out Flash Gordon (Gold Key, Marvel) or The Phantom (Marvel, Wolf, DC) or Mandrake (Marvel, Pioneer) over the decades. The three were together under the Defenders of the Earth title from Marvel which of course presented the cartoon version of these heroes functioning as a super team.
Most recently Moonstone Publishing has had the rights to The Phantom, in fact he was the centerpiece of their publishing brand. A few years ago Dynamite announced they had the rights, but had to back up on that statement when Moonstone indicated they still held them. Moonstone also did some stuff with Mandrake, but never had access to Flash.
This year in answer to Dynamite's announcement about Flash Gordon, Ardden Publishing has suggested the license might also be up for grabs since they've been publishing a Flash Gordon comic for at least a year now and plan to keep doing so.
Dynamite and Nick Barrucci seem to like to have these dust ups with other publishers, perhaps to build some mild heat and raise the profile for the characters before they ultimately take on the publishing rights.
I think it's neat that all three King classics will be in one house but I'm not heartened by the early artwork from Alex Ross. It's handsome enough as is most Ross material, but deconstructing The Phantom is not something I think the classic character really needs. I assume the same will happen to Flash and Mandrake when and if we see them.
Rip Off
Marvel bringing these characters together, Defenders of the Earth, must have been about the worst think to have possibly done. Well, we can always just ignore those issues for the characters...
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Steven G. Willis
XOWComics.com
ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT’S
ReplyDeleteFLASH GORDON RETURNS THIS FALL!
Ardden Entertainment LLC is excited to announce the launch of FLASH GORDON: INVASION OF THE RED SWORD for an Autumn 2011 release.
Coming off the heels of Ardden’s critically-acclaimed FLASH GORDON: THE MERCY WARS mini-series (called “good, old-fashioned fun, freshly polished” by Publishers Weekly), Ardden plans on continuing an expansion of the characters and situations created in the first story arc, which was directly inspired by Alex Raymond’s groundbreaking comic strips.
FLASH GORDON: INVASION OF THE RED SWORD chronicles the invasion of Mongo by a splinter group of the CIA, as first introduced in FLASH GORDON: THE MERCY WARS #1. The group’s name, “The Red Sword,” was first created by Alex Raymond.
“When preparing to write the first four six-issue arcs we have planned for FLASH GORDON,” says FLASH GORDON writer and Ardden Co-Publisher Brendan Deneen, “I re-read every single one of Alex Raymond’s original comic strips. There was a treasure trove of material in there, including an arc where Flash, Dale and Zarkov end up back on Earth. While there, they battle a mysterious group called ‘the Red Sword.’ I thought that was the perfect name for the invading force in our second arc.”
“Like everyone else,” Deneen added, “I’ve heard about Dynamite’s plans to launch their own FLASH GORDON series. I look forward to some healthy competition. I hope they’re ready, too.”
In addition to their ongoing FLASH GORDON comic book series, Ardden Entertainment LLC is the publisher of CASPER AND THE SPECTRALS, a re-imagining of “Casper the Friendly Ghost,” which Aint It Cool News recently described as their favorite comic of the week (“Buy CASPER AND THE SPECTRALS and I guarantee you will enjoy it,” they also wrote).
CASPER AND THE SPECTRALS #2 hits comic stores in June after an unfortunate delay, with issue #3 coming out in July. Ardden will also be launching a new license at this October’s New York Comic-Con, based on a storied comic franchise with over three decades of history to its name.
Ardden Entertainment was formed in mid-2007 by ex-Miramax Films executive, Brendan Deneen, and ex-Markosia Editor-in-Chief, Richard Emms, and their business model is to produce contemporized versions of classic licenses and exciting new creator-owned titles. Joining Deneen and Emms is veteran comic book creator and writer, JM DeMatteis, who works as Ardden's Editor-in-Chief.