"Certainly, the deal has obvious synergistic appeal for Dark Horse as a publisher; the company has made significant inroads with video game material in the past...the new deal gives Dark Horse access to a wider range of material for future exploration in a market that few other comic publishers are managing to serve.
"Additionally, sharing a corporate parent with potential licensees means that any comic project has greater long-term stability than previous licenses that the company has found success with; unlike such properties as Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Aliens, there’ll be little chance of intellectual property owned by Dark Horse’s parent company being taken to an outside publisher after decades of work.
"Beyond access to new licenses and intellectual property to adapt and expand, Dark Horse benefits considerably from the deal. 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 — something that remains a priority in turbulent times for the comic book industry.
"Further, Dark Horse announced plans for a gaming and digital division this summer, with the intention of creating games based on Dark Horse properties as well as all-new multimedia animated and digital/webcomic formats. The new Embracer deal means that Dark Horse now has access to talent and technology that allows it to explore these plans in a way it never was able to before — something that is likely to become increasingly important as comic-reading audiences continue to fragment across platforms and formats."
Considering the state of the comic book industry, I have no sympathy for a company or its employees who have willfully contributed to the woke madness.
These are not "little guys standing up to entrenched power," they just see themselves that way. They are soy-addled social justice warriors who have no life experience outside of their college and publishing bubble.
There are some key tells to these commies wanting to commie: "workplace democracy," whining about being forced to return to the office rather than staying home, watching Netflix, and jiggling the mouse every now and then, the "equitable" pay bugbear/catchphrase, and finally, the sheer insanity of trying to unionize a failing company in a failing industry --that is only going to bring the end that much faster.
A TALENTED group of individuals would tell the company to pound sand, pool their resources, creativity, and experience and go off and create a NEW company like the Marvel renegades who formed Image in the 90s. Instead, they want government and legal interdiction to suck dry whatever blood is left in Dead Horse Comics.
Gods, I've been listening to libertarian fairy land BS like this from the right, and the equally full of crap neo-liberal echo from the center-left, for 45 years.
I met a guy from Operation Rescue on-line 15 or so years ago, and we discovered we'd probably been on the opposing sides of some of their abortion clinic blockades back in the 80's and 90's, but it turned out we were both good union men and agreed on a lot of economic issues. I have no doubt that "Come the Revolution," I'll be on the opposite side of the barricades from many of the readers here, but in the meantime, it's nice to know that I could work with a few of them in supporting labor organizing and relieving student debt. Wouldn't mind coming up with some sensible tariffs, too, though that topic's probably been poisoned for a generation, at least.
Penny pinching penny squeezing. AI will be trained on that stuff. Expect those IPS and Brands all to be exploited for all theyre worth. Spinoff, sequels etc. Endless adaptations for quick buck whilst saving money (dei etc). Greed.
After reading the article, I have one question.
If Dark Horse Comics was solidly in the black and self sustaining, why did they sell to the Swedish Gaming company?
From The Hollywood Reporter back, Dec. 28, 2021:
"Certainly, the deal has obvious synergistic appeal for Dark Horse as a publisher; the company has made significant inroads with video game material in the past...the new deal gives Dark Horse access to a wider range of material for future exploration in a market that few other comic publishers are managing to serve.
"Additionally, sharing a corporate parent with potential licensees means that any comic project has greater long-term stability than previous licenses that the company has found success with; unlike such properties as Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Aliens, there’ll be little chance of intellectual property owned by Dark Horse’s parent company being taken to an outside publisher after decades of work.
"Beyond access to new licenses and intellectual property to adapt and expand, Dark Horse benefits considerably from the deal. 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 — something that remains a priority in turbulent times for the comic book industry.
"Further, Dark Horse announced plans for a gaming and digital division this summer, with the intention of creating games based on Dark Horse properties as well as all-new multimedia animated and digital/webcomic formats. The new Embracer deal means that Dark Horse now has access to talent and technology that allows it to explore these plans in a way it never was able to before — something that is likely to become increasingly important as comic-reading audiences continue to fragment across platforms and formats."
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/dark-horse-comics-sale-embracer-1235067627/
Good for them. I am rooting for the employees at Dark Horse 100% and I hope something could be done before those stores close in September.
Considering the state of the comic book industry, I have no sympathy for a company or its employees who have willfully contributed to the woke madness.
These are not "little guys standing up to entrenched power," they just see themselves that way. They are soy-addled social justice warriors who have no life experience outside of their college and publishing bubble.
There are some key tells to these commies wanting to commie: "workplace democracy," whining about being forced to return to the office rather than staying home, watching Netflix, and jiggling the mouse every now and then, the "equitable" pay bugbear/catchphrase, and finally, the sheer insanity of trying to unionize a failing company in a failing industry --that is only going to bring the end that much faster.
A TALENTED group of individuals would tell the company to pound sand, pool their resources, creativity, and experience and go off and create a NEW company like the Marvel renegades who formed Image in the 90s. Instead, they want government and legal interdiction to suck dry whatever blood is left in Dead Horse Comics.
Good riddance.
Gods, I've been listening to libertarian fairy land BS like this from the right, and the equally full of crap neo-liberal echo from the center-left, for 45 years.
I met a guy from Operation Rescue on-line 15 or so years ago, and we discovered we'd probably been on the opposing sides of some of their abortion clinic blockades back in the 80's and 90's, but it turned out we were both good union men and agreed on a lot of economic issues. I have no doubt that "Come the Revolution," I'll be on the opposite side of the barricades from many of the readers here, but in the meantime, it's nice to know that I could work with a few of them in supporting labor organizing and relieving student debt. Wouldn't mind coming up with some sensible tariffs, too, though that topic's probably been poisoned for a generation, at least.
Penny pinching penny squeezing. AI will be trained on that stuff. Expect those IPS and Brands all to be exploited for all theyre worth. Spinoff, sequels etc. Endless adaptations for quick buck whilst saving money (dei etc). Greed.