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Summer 2000 - Follow The Money

© Robert Smithers

Another week - another rumor. So why do I spend so much time on business and movies instead of reporting on indivdual comic. Remember - money talks. Comics are big business, and don't you forget it! As I am sure Squire, from last week's article will agree with me, the way to make money is through movies and television. There has been an explosion in TV and movies based on comic book characters (in Hollywood, called "properties"). With the success of the X-Men, expect many more movies to come. Spider-man is due to be produced and edited and on the screen for summer 2001. Many more mavel comics are on in movie deals. Witchblade will be on cable this month. Bill Tucci is producing his own "Shi" movie. I sincerely enjoy comics and books, but the smart money is on movies and TV. Check out Marvel's 2nd quarter results below - and enjoy the rumors.

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Word on the street is that Marvel lost $14 million in the 2nd quarter of 2000 on $54 million in sales. (about $.34 a share.) The toy business is slipping and has seen lower revenue while rates for ads for comic books has gone up. Another positive sign is that total cash flow is up 17% due to cost cutting. According to Craig Schneider at individualinvestor.com, management is making the right moves to take the company back to profitability. Toy sales are a concern, and we will have to wait and see on X-Men toy sales based on the movie.

Obviously, the $54 million in the quarter does not include revenue from the X-Men movie which will bring much needed cash into Marvel.

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It is reporeted by Variety that J. Michael Straczynski's Rising Stars will be made into a set of three movies. The deal with MGM and Atlas Entertainment/Gold Miller/Third Rail to develop the comic book onto the big screen. Straczynski is set to do the script writing on the movie.

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Stephen Norrington, director of the money winner "Blade", is negociating to direct Marvle Comic's Ghost Rider.

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"Gatecrasher", a relatively new comic book from Black Bull Entertainment, may be on it's way to being an animated television series. Computer animated, that is. "Gatecrasher" is written by Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Connor and Mark Waid.

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Rumor has it that thee working title of Geroge Lucas' next Star Wars movie is rumored to be "The Rise of the Empire." As with the tenative title "Revenge of the Jeti (released as "Return of the Jedi") please take this name with a bottle of salt.

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