Dark Horse Founder Mike Richardson sells off a stake to investment firm, remains CEO

David_D

Some comics industry business news, as first reported by ICV2. Here is their lede:

Dark Horse Comics CEO and founder Mike Richardson will retain what he described as a "large chunk" of the company after a "large investment into a number of areas, including a stock purchase,... a development fund and a film fund, investment in the publishing and product divisions, and expansion of our retail efforts," Richardson told ICv2. The investment comes from Vanguard Visionary Assets, a Chinese company associated with former Walt Disney Company in Greater China Chairman Stanley Cheung. The "large chunk" characterization of Richardson’s remaining share came in response to a question asking if he retained a majority share.

nweathington

Pretty much from Day 1, Richardson has been very much about developing comics into TV/film properties. That was one of his biggest selling points in getting creators to work with Dark Horse even back in the ’80s and ’90s. This move is very much in line with that, and makes a lot of sense based on the limited information given in the article.

SamirDave

I worry about Dark Horse. I've followed their books off and on since they started the original Dark Horse Presents and their first Aliens series way back when. I think that they are in an interesting phase that really began when they lost the Star Wars license and continues now with them losing the Buffy license. I am sure that's a big chunk of change. It makes sense for Richardson to sell a stake and get outside funding to give him some flexibility for comics and movie projects. I hope Dark Horse survives.......Right now they have one of the best superhero comics with Lemire's Black Hammer....and I always hold out hope that one day we will see some new Concrete from Paul Chadwick.

mwhitt80

They still have Hellboy and that has a new movie coming soon. And boy that looks like dandy of a movie.
But I too am concerned about the future of the Darkhorse.

RedRight88

The Hellboy trailer has dropped...Oh dear.

Brack

RedRight88 said:

The Hellboy trailer has dropped...Oh dear.

I like it, it's very Neil Marshall in the same way the Guillermo del Toro ones were very Guillermo del Toro. And it's got Big Mo from off of Eastenders with a machine gun. So now the rest of the world can get in on the act of asking people "you know who she's the sister of, right?".