Platinum Studios
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Platinum Studios, Inc. controls a large independent library of comic book characters, which it adapts, produces and licenses for all forms of media including print, film, online, mobile / wireless, gaming, and merchandising. Platinum Studios’ library contains more than 3,800 characters spanning a full range of genres and styles, and also includes properties such as DrunkDuck.com. Working with leading companies in the entertainment and new media sectors, Platinum is recognized in the creation of new content across all media platforms.
Platinum Studios is a content producer and distributor. Platinum Studios has full control of the film and television rights to all characters within the company’s Macroverse: the library of character’s and storylines owned by Platinum.
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[edit] History
Platinum Studios was founded in 1997 by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg following his role as founder and head of Malibu Comics. At Malibu Comics, Mr. Rosenberg produced comics lines including the Men In Black comic book, which he later brought to Columbia/Sony Pictures. Other notable titles under the Malibu label include Ultraforce, The Night Man, Exiles, and Black September.
Shortly after Platinum Studios began work on its Macroverse in 1997, the company acquired the film and television rights to Dylan Dog. Created by Tiziano Sclavi and published by Sergio Bonelli Editore, Dylan Dog has sold over 65 millions copies and is the source material for the upcoming Platinum Studios produced film, Dead of Night. Also in that same year, Platinum Studios acquired the rights to the long-running European graphic novel series Jeremiah.
Over the next ten years, Platinum Studios continued to increase the size and of their Macroverse through licensing, publishing, film, and television contracts with many notable comic book creators and distributors. Currently, Platinum Studios’ publishing allies include Awesome Comics, Hexagon Comics (Europe’s largest creator-owned comic book syndicate), Crisis Comics (created by Platinum Studios in conjunction with retired U.S. Army Colonel John B. Alexander), UFO Magazine, and Top Cow Productions, Inc.
[edit] Film and Television Production
Platinum has film and television projects established at every major Hollywood studio, including Disney, DreamWorks, MGM, Miramax, New Line Cinema, Sony Pictures, and Universal Studios. Platinum Studios currently has a slate of feature films based on its comic book library, including the feature film projects Cowboys & Aliens, Unique, Dead of Night, Ghosting, Darkness, Red Mantis (Mal Chance), and Witchblade. Past television successes include the 35-hour maxi-saga, Jeremiah, a science-fiction TV series running on Showtime from 2002 to 2004.
[edit] Digital Publishing
Platinum Studios’ Digital Publishing maintains a relatively strong presence in three areas: web comics publishing, mobile content, and comic news and resources.
[edit] Drunk Duck
On September 25, 2006, a New York Times article reported that Platinum Studios had purchased DrunkDuck.com for an undisclosed sum. DrunkDuck.com was, at the time, a web-comics community of mostly artists of non-professional status. The purchase caused a slight discord amongst the community. Some felt it would help Drunk Duck's popularity and the community could only get bigger and better. Others felt that Platinum comics was going to start 'taking over' and claiming the rights to peoples' comics. Despite the criticism, Platinum Studios has never claimed ownership of any comic that did not enter into legal documentation with it. The DrunkDuck community actually has become much bigger with over 35,000 subscribed users worldwide, one million uniques, and 35 million page views per month. Prior to the Platinum Studios’ acquisition of Drunk Duck, the site encountered many technical mishaps including a complete server crash in late 2005. However, since the purchase, DrunkDuck.com has experienced (mostly) continuous server stability with the help of the web developments one man, Dylan Squires. Unfortunately Dylan is no longer able to commit full time to DrunkDuck and the site lies in a ruin of bugs and incomplete features. Mr. Rosenberg's aggressive marketing for DrunkDuck marked the first time the site was able to reach readers, which it already had by the thousands, by a means other than word-of-mouth.
Platinum Studios has signed several option agreements with DrunkDuck.com community members since the purchase. Currently, an intermingling of Platinum Studios-owned pro comics and independently owned non-pro comics can be found on DrunkDuck.com. The advantages are twofold: while relatively unknown artists can post their work, be part of the community, and even talk to professional artists, Platinum Studios can use the site to scout new talent.
[edit] Platinum Studios Comics
Platinum Studios Comics releases include a wide variety of material, including KISS 4K, produced in conjunction with the mega-popular rockers KISS, and Hero By Night by D.J. Coffman. Most all Platinum Studios Comics will be distributed both online and in print, in association with DrunkDuck.com and the company’s online store. Online release will be slated to start before in-store print release, increasing reader and retail awareness to boost print sales. In addition, all Platinum Studios Comics titles are being developed for film, television, and other media, and images and content from all comics are also available for cell phones and mobile devices via Platinum's mobile storefront.
[edit] Comic Book Challenge
Platinum Studios hosts an annual contest for aspiring comic book writers and artists worldwide, to submit their ideas for a chance to have their property developed for publishing, online, film and television. The contest, simply titled Platinum Studios’ Comic Book Challenge, follows the "American Idol" model with artists and writers pitching their artwork and concepts in front of a panel of judges. The 2007 judge’s panel consisted of Scrubs regular, Donald Faison, Shrek producer John Williams, and Platinum Studios Chairman, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. After hearing all the pitches, the judges narrow the talent pool and turn over the final decision to the voting public. Besides having their comic published, the winner will enter an option agreement with Platinum Studios for possible media ventures. The winner of the first Comic Book Challenge in 2006 was DJ Coffman, who writes the "Hero By Night" comic book. The 2007 winner was Jorge Vega with his series "Gunplay," of which the first novel has just been released. Platinum Studios’ Comic Book Challenge is presented by AT&T.
[edit] Titles
Some of Platinum Studios’ titles include:
- Bird and Worm
- Big Badz by Chuck Dixon and Enrique Villagran [1]
- Blood Nation
- Consumed
- Cowboys & Aliens [2] [3] [4]
- Hero by Night
- Ghosting
- Gunplay by Jorge Vega, with art by Dominic Vivona[5]
- I Was Kidnapped by Lesbian Pirates from Outer Space by Megan Rose Gedris
- KISS 4K
- Nightfall
- Positive
- Red Mantis
- Unique
- The Weapon
[edit] Notes
- ^ Chuck Dixon: Profiles in Prolifics, Comic Bulletin, April 10, 2008
- ^ CowboysAndAliens.com
- ^ Cowboys and Aliens - News @ Comics2Film.com
- ^ Cowboys & Aliens at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Jorge Vega: Learning To Play With Guns, Comics Bulletin, March 10, 2008
