When I announced the results of the signed comics contest and the favorite comic publisher informal poll I said I liked ECLIPSE comics. To my relative horror I received many emails from people saying who dat? And someone who PUBLISHES comics wrote to say did I mean to say Enigma from Vertigo. No I did not mean Enigma. I mean a publisher who created comics and cards and all sorts of wonderful stuff. So whilst I do not teach any longer, here is a most important comic book lesson.
The Company and their books
Eclipse Enterprises, was a company that published comics, graphic albums, and trading cards from 1977 to 1994. Eclipse went out of business in 1994 but their legacy lives on in most successful marketing ideas in comics. The publishers Dean Mullaney and cat yronwode were self described hippies but the product they put out appealed to everyone. They did horror, such as M and TAPPING THE VEIN under Steve Niles’s Arcane imprint. They did action, such as SCOUT or AIRBOY or WINTER WORLD usually featuring writing by Chuck Dixon or Tim Truman or drawn by Tim. They did super heroes, MIRACLEMAN by Alan Moore and other great talents. They did humor as in Larry Marder’s BEANWORLD. They did Manga, KAMUI and APPLESEED. They were among the first to release a Graphic Novel, SABRE. Later they helped popularize collected editions of serialized comics, along with ultra special hardcover editions with sketches. They paid royalties and allowed creative talents to keep their properties.
So why did they go bankrupt? I cannot speak for their fiscal policies but first the craze and hype for multiple covers and other gimmicks at IMAGE, MARVEL and DC who all were competing for a shrinking market made ECLIPSE less viable. At the same time the double bust of comics and cards in the 90s probably had something to do with the demise.
I asked former Eclipse talents this question:
What was it about the comic book Publisher Eclipse that made its output so excellent for its time, somewhat dated for the 90s and now strangely resurgent in relevance? What publisher today is most like Eclipse in its outlook and output?
Chuck Dixon answered:
Dean Mullaney is what made Eclipse Comics what it was. The ultimate guerilla marketer. Absolutely ruthless and one of those guys you were glad to have on your side. The guy has forgotten more about selling, printing and publishing comic books than most people in the business today.
His hit and run philosophy of publishing was to put out the greatest variety of material and help it find its audience. Mainstream super heroes, funny animals, political commentary, avant garde, crime, horror and the uncatagorizable. Every trend was exploited and new trends created along the way. Eclipse's output was the most eclectic, and at times outrageous, of its era. It matched Dean's restless nature and his willingness to take crazy chances. Eclipse didn't have the muscle of the big boys but stayed in the ring with a series of lightning fast jabs and dizzying footwork. Eclipse was the first in with manga. The first to exploit the comics/trading card connection. The first graphic novel. Never played safe. Never went the easy route. Never rested.
There is no comic book company like Eclipse today. But there's also no company that doesn't owe a debt to the wacky, bohemian, abrasive little company created by Jan and Dean with two grand borrowed from their mom.
The Talent
And you will notice three well armed men who worked at ECLIPSE populate this column. Tim Truman, armed with gold short sword and pistol wrote the magnificent work SCOUT and is rumored to be working on a variety of secret projects. Chuck Dixon who wrote many books at ECLIPSE such as AIRBOY and WINTER WORLD is armed with two pistols and firing into the camera, is a mainstay at CrossGen, returns to DC with Richard Dragon and has a couple projects about to be announced being held in his hip pocket until the time is right. Beau Smith about to shoot the photographer with a sadistic glee, was both a creative talent at ECLIPSE writing BLACK TERROR with Chuck D, but he also was, in the words of cat yronwode, ECLIPSE’s very own sales puppy.
Alan Moore (not pictured) is still the king of comics, and his replacement on MIRACLEMAN, Neil Gaiman, (also not pictured), is still comics crown prince. Current horror king Steve Niles (not pictured either) really cut his teeth there. ECLIPSE had top flight talent and those talents are still producing. I miss ECLIPSE. I miss them a lot.
Josh Howard's critically acclaimed tale of teenage drama and supernatural conflict continues in this all new chapter. As 17 year old Nara Kilday struggles to understand her destiny, a mysterious new evil begins to emerge that has her dead in its sights. To make matters worse, Nara's friendship with Hazy is put to the ultimate test and things may never be the same between them. Don't miss out on the second chapter to the surprise hit of the year!
4 Issue mini-series / 32 pages / $2.95 / monthly / arrives in stores April 14, 2004.
Diamond order code: FEB04-2714
NOW COMICS RELEASES VESPERS IN JUNE
So, you think you need a little support?
Then picture this: In a support group for the way, way out there fringe, a rock star, a supermodel, a centerfold, a zombie, a Navy SEAL, a vampire, a super kid and a guardian angel all eventually
realize that their meeting wasn't a coincidence at all, but they were brought together to fight the ultimate evil (the devil herself) in the battle for all life on Earth! Vespers is the story of that battle, in the midst of establishing a foundation as a support group for the supernatural, the inhuman and the super hero. The experience exposes each individual's own personal battles with their own personal demons.
"VESPERS is about the unreal as real people in the real world, with real problems," said creator Tony C. Caputo, the author of the best seller How to Self-Publish Your Own Comic Book and Visual
Storytelling: The Art & Technique, both from Watson-Guptill Publications. "It takes the idealistic world of heroism and the horrific world of vampires, and demons and throws them all next door. This reality check makes the unreal, very real, building individual character that transcends the typical comic book story."
Vesper is the group's rock star, and she just happens to have mystical powers, too. The paparazzi is overwhelming, but cult worshippers, animal sacrifices and the inability to find even a regular date takes her to the brink of insanity until she meets Connie Severin, a.k.a. Kinesis, a fellow "super witch," who's most recent relationship was with a self-destructive, drug addicted vampire. Together Vesper and Connie create the supernatural support group called Vespers, because,
"Sometimes, it's just good to talk to some other person who also has a problem with cult worshippers."
VESPERS is a brand-new 136-page graphic novel from NOW Comics 3.0 and creator Tony C. Caputo. Scheduled to ship June 2004, the VESPERS Graphic Novel will retail for $14.95US, and includes a new wrap-around cover by Caputo.
Tony Caputo, who created, wrote, and penciled the entire story said,"The previous Now Comics had a great history of ground-breaking original material as well as its well-known licensed properties. We're going to build on that legacy for NOW Comics 3.0 and we're definitely going to entertain our readers along the way."
Preview pages for the graphic novel are available online at the company's web site,
http://www.nowcomics.com/images/previews/vespers/vespers.asp
SYPHONS™ returns at NOW COMICS 3.0 as Graphic Novel
New wraparound cover by Mark Beachum
April 6, 2004 – The Syphons Graphic Novel is the story of four young adults who accidentally acquire intergalactic siphoning powers and burdened with the task to protect Earth from an alien race hell-bent on destruction. If you like super heroes, you'll love this mature science-fiction thriller, created by writer Allen Curtis and illustrated by the sleek brush of Mark (Amazing Spider-man, Green Lantern, Valeria The She-Bat) Beachum, who also produced a new wraparound cover.
“Syphons was one of the two original color NOW Comics in 1986
Final Thoughts
Especial thanks to Chuck Dixon and the Eclipse boys for providing info and fun jpgs. SCOUT figure custom is compliments of Bryan Pullen.
I might do a similar column for two other forgotten but important publishers. Let me know on the Pop Thought message board or through my email listed below if there is anything you would be interested in being covered in this column that you are not seeing. Reviews are returning soon as I recover from surgery one. Surgery two is approaching and should be dealt with massive amounts of drugs and comics so look for some wild columns.
Alexander Ness
The Land Of Frost
Box 142
Rockford MN 55373-0142
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