For those of you who already know this stuff, I apologize. Also, I offer you the opportunity to add to my comments with opinions of your own. I am not including any small press / self published whozits. If you don't like it, tough. The top 100 sellers talk, the self-published, self-distributed books walk. (But this is a subject for another time)
Yeah, if you have the 1996 Overstreet Price Guide, you probably already know most of this stuff. For you, I hope to make this entertaining. For those who are not familiar with the guide, I hope to pass on some interesting and useful information. How successful will I be? You decide. Oh yeah - the footnote for this article contains the code for the abbreviations.
Acclaim Comics - (Started - 1989) Publisher of "Valiant" and "Armada" comics. I think they took the name "acclaim" so they could get their name first on this list. This company got it's start by buying the creative rights to 'Solar, Man of the Atom', 'Mangos, Robot Fighter', and 'Turk, Son of Stone' from Western Publishing. Then they top professionals away from other companies, - notably Bob Clayton and Dan Jargon's. Acclaim Comics is a division of Acclaim entertainment - read 'video games, movies, TV, etc.' This is a big money outfit that had the dollars up front to get quality characters and quality people. In my opinion they produce a nice, but not spectacular comic. The story lines are very good and the "Valiant" universe is well though out. [PG-13 B]
Bongo Comics - (Started - 1993) The publisher is Matt Groening. The artist is Matt Groening. The writer is Matt Groening. (Is there a pattern here?) Bongo Publishes five titles a month, all related to 'The Simpsons'. [PG-13 I O]
Broadway Comics - (Started - 1995) Started by Broadway Video, another entertainment megalith. Tapped industry veteran Jim Shooter to start this venture. This venture is too new to tell how well the company will do. I think they have a potential hit on their hands with 'Fatale'. ' Knights on Broadway' also sounds promising. [PG-13 N W]
Chaos! Comics Company. (Started - 1992) Brian Pulido contract negotiations failed with Malibu, so he decided to start his own company (Sounds like the introduction from the old Second City TV show, doesn't it?) Brian could do this because his previously published character, Evil Ernie , is a cult classic! Ernie is a sociopathic, serial killing, punk rock vampire. Oh! Now there's a combination for success that I don't see every day! This is generally billed as "horror genre" comics. Chaos has been extremely popular lately with it's recently created Lady Death character Personally, I recommend these comics for mature audiences and new wave horror fans only. [R I O]
