Re: DARK HORSE

Posted by Brisco from fwk098144.res-hall.nwu.edu on November 10, 1998 at 21:42:01:

In Reply to: DARK HORSE posted by walker on November 10, 1998 at 11:02:42:

: My understanding of the situation based on various trade articles I've read is that sales were very poor. At the comic store I shop at, I was the only guy they ordered the titles for. Because the Indy comics are licensed from Lucasfilms, a percentage has to be paid by Dark Horse to them. This additional fee dictates that sales on licensed titles must be higher than normal titles in order to stay in the black.

Yes, that's what I hear, too. But I've also heard that because of their deal with Lucasfilm for Star Wars, Dark Horse is the only company who can produce Indy comics. In other words, they still could, if they wanted to, but they choose not to for the reasons stated above. But Indy is part in parcel with Star Wars, and nobody else can touch the property in the meantime. Shame.

: Given that the quality of the Dark Horse comics was sketchy at best, it's easy to see why the line failed. Another factor is that oftentimes companies will put weaker talent on a licensed titles as they expect the license "name" to sell itself.

Well, I won't agree with you there. While it's true that comics companies often sketch less than stellar creators on licensed characters (like Dark Horse just did with Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Dan Barry (Thunder In the Orient, Fate of Atlantis) is not a lesser talent. Nor is Gary Gianni (Shrine of the Sea Devil) or Eduardo Baretto and Karl Kesel (both Sargasso Pirates). Leo Duranona (Arms of Gold, Iron Pheonix), on the other hand, you may have a point... But overall, I was happy with the quality of the Dark Horse comics, and found them all superior to all of Marvel's Indy comics and many of the Indy novels. My favorites were Thunder In the Orient, Arms of Gold (despite the art), and Shrine of the Sea Devil.

Unfortunately, Dark Horse dissolved their Indy involvement right when some really great creators (Adam Hughes and some others) were gearing up to do some good Indy stories. These are the same creators Dark Horse probably should have kicked the line off with but didn't.

Yeah. And Hugh Fleming, one of the excellent cover artists they employed for Indy, had an idea for a story about Marion, Abner and Indy's early days recovering the headpiece to the Staff of Ra, which I would have loved to have seen. He would have provided the art, too. And Gary Gianni pitched an Indiana Jones and The Shadow crossover which they rejected. (He drew both characters wonderfully.) Ah, the things that might have been.... Well, I still cling to a hope that when Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine comes out, it will be overwhelmingly popular and DH will come round, pay Lucasfilm their licensing fee, and adapt the sucker, the way they did with previous LucasArts games Fate of Atlantis and Iron Phoenix (even though the latter game never got made).
Brisco

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: : My understanding of the situation based on various trade articles I've read is that sales were very poor.  At the comic store I shop at, I was the only guy they ordered the titles for.  Because the Indy comics are licensed from Lucasfilms, a percentage has to be paid by Dark Horse to them.  This additional fee dictates that sales on licensed titles must be higher than normal titles in order to stay in the black.

: Yes, that's what I hear, too.  But I've also heard that because of their deal with Lucasfilm for Star Wars, Dark Horse is the only company who can produce Indy comics.  In other words, they still could, if they wanted to, but they choose not to for the reasons stated above.  But Indy is part in parcel with Star Wars, and nobody else can touch the property in the meantime.  Shame.

: : Given that the quality of the Dark Horse comics was sketchy at best, it's easy to see why the line failed.  Another factor is that oftentimes companies will put weaker talent on a licensed titles as they expect the license "name" to sell itself.

: Well, I won't agree with you there.  While it's true that comics companies often sketch less than stellar creators on licensed characters (like Dark Horse just did with Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Dan Barry (Thunder In the Orient, Fate of Atlantis) is not a lesser talent.  Nor is Gary Gianni (Shrine of the Sea Devil) or Eduardo Baretto and Karl Kesel (both Sargasso Pirates).  Leo Duranona (Arms of Gold, Iron Pheonix), on the other hand, you may have a point...  But overall, I was happy with the quality of the Dark Horse comics, and found them all superior to all of Marvel's Indy comics and many of the Indy novels.  My favorites were Thunder In the Orient, Arms of Gold (despite the art), and Shrine of the Sea Devil.

: Unfortunately, Dark Horse dissolved their Indy involvement right when some really great creators (Adam Hughes and some others) were gearing up to do some good Indy stories.  These are the same creators Dark Horse probably should have kicked the line off with but didn't.

: Yeah.  And Hugh Fleming, one of the excellent cover artists they employed for Indy, had an idea for a story about Marion, Abner and Indy's early days recovering the headpiece to the Staff of Ra, which I would have loved to have seen.  He would have provided the art, too.  And Gary Gianni pitched an Indiana Jones and The Shadow crossover which they rejected.  (He drew both characters wonderfully.)  Ah, the things that might have been....  Well, I still cling to a hope that when Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine comes out, it will be overwhelmingly popular and DH will come round, pay Lucasfilm their licensing fee, and adapt the sucker, the way they did with previous LucasArts games Fate of Atlantis and Iron Phoenix (even though the latter game never got made).  
: Brisco

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