CBR: Dynamite Entertainment Expands King Features License

[CBR News]

Dynamite Entertainment and King Features have expanded their licensing agreement, adding Flash Gordon and Mandrake the Magician to the publisher's lineup of classic heroes.


Full article here.

[booziehand]

Don't know much about Mandrake the Magician but I fully intend to check out the Flash Gordon stuff

[eh_ver]

Whoop. What about Defenders of the Earth? Some kind of licensing deal had to be going on with Marvel at that time. Also, within a pretty narrow time period, Marvel had produced a 2 issue Mandrake series (incompleted, I think), a Mark Shultz and Al Williamson Flash Gordon (also two issues, but I think that was all they indended) and I believe Peter David did some Phantom (maybe that was for DC, but I know Marvel did some Phantom in the 90s). Now was this all produced at the same time??? I have no idea, but its at the least the closest anyone has come to having the rights at the same time since the 60s.

Regardless, bravo Dynamite! I may be a bit put off by their annexing of The Phantom from Moonstone, but the character has obviously changed hands a lot over the years. I would be interested to see some kind of x-over between Buck and Flash (has that ever been done??? It ought to be!) and I've wanted to see Mandrake get some more attention for awhile. Unfortunately, I think Moonstone has just started doing comics with him, too, so there goes that character for them. I guess this is why they are doing the Return of the Originals.

[connor_kent]

Why not do a Defenders of the Earth book too? Personally after seeing Ross's box art for the old Flash Gordon movie I hope he does covers and designs for that title as well.

[eh_ver]

Yep, just checked it out. All those Marvel series were produced in 1995. Sorry, I'm not trying to be insane about this, I just thought it was interesting. Though I guess Marvel maybe didn't have full control over the characters, as I think the Phantom book was based on a tv series of the time??? Anyway, the Flash Gordon one was pretty high quality and should be checked out. I own the Mandrake issues that I got from quarter bins, but I haven't read them over the few years I've owned them. With this news, I should go pull those off the shelf and check them out. Maybe I'll even look for those 90s Marvel Phantom issues at my lcs....hmmmm.

[Ivan Isaacs]

Mandrake series (incompleted, I think), a Mark Shultz and Al Williamson Flash Gordon (also two issues, but I think that was all they indended) and I believe Peter David did some Phantom (maybe that was for DC, but I know Marvel did some Phantom in the 90s).

Peter David did a great 4-issue limited series for DC (which as followed by a 13-issue ongoing not by David, still good though).

And there was also a 4-issue "Prince Valiant" miniseries. All series were limited series and yes, the third (and final) issue of "Mandrake" was never published. The Phantom series was a 3-issue series. Around the same time (but not under the "Marvel Select" imprint like the other ones) Marvel also published a "Phantom 2040" series (based on the cartoon with pencils by Steve Ditko) that lasted only 4 issues.

Unfortunately, I think Moonstone has just started doing comics with him,

He appreared in an Phantom Annual over a year ago. That's all. Sadly.

I'd try the "Mandrake" series but after how Dynamited dealt with Moonstone they are not getting my money for this (and I hate myself that I just can't pass on a "Phantom" comic or I wouldnÄt buy that as well :( ).

[arrow41]

I will give the phantom and flash gorden ones a chance. I'm not sure yet about the other I will wait to see how they update it. I read almost all of Dynamite's books and I think at this time they are producing some one of the best collection of books around.

[The Gorn Identity]

So, does this mean that Arrden Entertainment lost the rights to Flash Gordon?

[C. Earl]

Wait...hold up. Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon now under the same roof at Dynamite? That's like Coca-Cola and Pepsi--or McDonald's and Burger King--becoming partners...

[Ivan Isaacs]

So, does this mean that Arrden Entertainment lost the rights to Flash Gordon?

Not necessarily as Ardden is (was?) a British publisher. Could be that Diamond can't offer/ship their "Flash Gordon" comics anymore though as there shall be no king besides Big Nick I.

[md62]

Dynamite is really being aggressive getting rights to alot of iconic characters. I do want to know what happened to Ardden Comics since they had a Casper book that only had one issue.

I can't help but wonder who will buy all this new product? This comes at a time when all the publishers are pushing the prices of their books to $4/issue. So I'm dropping titles instead of adding titles I would like to read. I guess I will wait & buy them as back issues in a year at half cover price. I find this cheaper than buying trades since trades will jump in price too.

[popculturehound]

So, does this mean that Arrden Entertainment lost the rights to Flash Gordon?

This was my first thought as well ... What happened to Ardden? So I contacted co-publishers Rich Emms and Brendan Deneen who responded promptly. They soon followed with their own press release which you can read about here.

- Chris

[The Gorn Identity]

Dynamite is really being aggressive getting rights to alot of iconic characters.

I'm surprised they haven't snatched up THE SHADOW yet. Now that's a book I'd buy in a heartbeat!

I can't help but wonder who will buy all this new product? This comes at a time when all the publishers are pushing the prices of their books to $4/issue. So I'm dropping titles instead of adding titles I would like to read.

Same here, my friend. Although, I'm interested in seeing how this Flash Gordon series shapes up.

This was my first thought as well ... What happened to Ardden? So I contacted co-publishers Rich Emms and Brendan Deneen who responded promptly. They soon followed with their own press release which you can read about here.

- Chris

Wow...so BOTH publishers have the rights to Flash? This is getting stranger and stranger....

[Ivan Isaacs]

Wow...so BOTH publishers have the rights to Flash? This is getting stranger and stranger....

How so. Both Moonstone and Dynamite had the rights to Phantom at the same time but Big Nick decided to hold their series until Moonstone's would expire (and I guess he had a word with King Features so that Moonstone may not re-new it).
I'm just curious if Dynamite will - again - back down and put their projects on hold or if they manage for Ardden to loose the rights to "Flash Gordon".

[AdamYJ]

This was my first thought as well ... What happened to Ardden? So I contacted co-publishers Rich Emms and Brendan Deneen who responded promptly. They soon followed with their own press release which you can read about here.

- Chris

So Ardden's still out there and they will be continuing publication on both Flash Gordon and Casper and the Spectrals. Great! I was liking their direction with Casper and was hoping they'd finish.

Oh, um, congrats to Dynamite on the whole King Features thing too.