Mike Richardson (publisher)
Mike Richardson (born June 29, 1950) is an American publisher, writer, and producer. In 1986, he founded Dark Horse Comics, an international publishing house located in Milwaukie, Oregon.[2] Richardson is also the founder and President of the Things From Another World retail chain and president of Dark Horse Entertainment,[3] which has developed and produced numerous projects for film and television based on Dark Horse properties or licensed properties.[4]
In addition, he has written graphic novels and comics series, including: The Secret, Living with the Dead, and Cut as well as co-authoring two non-fiction books, Comics Between the Panels and Blast Off!.[5]
Early life
Richardson was born on June 29, 1950, in Portland, Oregon. His family moved to Milwaukie, a suburb of Portland, in 1955. He is a graduate of Portland State University, where he majored in art and played for the university basketball team.[6]
Career
While in college, Richardson built a freelance art client base and planned to start Dark Horse Graphics. In 1980, he left his job in Portland and moved to Bend, Oregon, with his wife and newborn daughter. Using a $2,500 credit card, he opened Pegasus Fantasy Books on January 1, 1980. Renamed Things From Another World in 1993, the store expanded into an 11-location chain across three states, including spots at Universal CityWalk and Sony's Metreon.[7]
Dark Horse Comics
Richardson hosted signings at his stores, where creators voiced concerns over lacking control of their work. This inspired him to launch Dark Horse Comics, offering creators intellectual property rights. With Randy Stradley, Dark Horse debuted Dark Horse Presents #1 in July 1986, paying creators 100% of profits. Expecting 10,000 sales, it exceeded 50,000. Early successes included Concrete, Sin City, Hellboy, and The Goon.[8]
Richardson also published manga including Lone Wolf and Cub, Akira, and Ghost in the Shell, later adding Blade of the Immortal and Oh My Goddess!.[9]
In 1988, Dark Horse pioneered direct-sequel comics with Aliens, later applying this approach to Terminator, Predator, and Star Wars.[10][11]
Dark Horse Entertainment
Hollywood took interest in Dark Horse Comics, prompting Richardson to ensure creator involvement in adaptations. To achieve this, he founded Dark Horse Productions (later Dark Horse Entertainment) in 1989. His first co-producer credit came with Dr. Giggles.[12] His creations The Mask and Timecop (1994) became box office hits.[13][14] In 2008, he won an Emmy for producing Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project. Since 1992, Richardson and Dark Horse Entertainment have produced over 30 film and TV projects.[15]
Personal life
Richardson is married with children. He names Charles Dickens and James Ellroy as his favorite writers, and The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as his favorite album. He is also fond of basketball, guitars, and fine wine.[16] He resides in Lake Oswego, Oregon.[17][18]
Nominations and awards
- 1997 Razzie Nomination for Barb Wire
- 1999 Eisner Awards Nominated Best Comics-Related Book – Comics Between the Panels – (author with Steve Duin)
- 2007 Emmy Nomination for Hellboy: Sword of Storms
- 2008 Emmy Award Won for Best Variety, Music, or Comedy Special – Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (producer)
- 2010 Overstreet Hall of Fame For contributions to comic book art.
- 2010 Governors' Gold Award – State of Oregon for Contribution to the Arts
- 2012 Eisner Awards: Won for Best Anthology – Dark Horse Presents (editor)
- 2012 Harvey Awards: Won for Best Anthology – Dark Horse Presents (editor)
- 2013 Eisner Awards: Won for Best Anthology – Dark Horse Presents (editor)
- 2013 Harvey Awards: Won for Best Anthology – Dark Horse Presents (editor)
- 2014 Eisner Awards: Won for Best Anthology – Dark Horse Presents (editor)
- 2012 Harvey Awards: Won for Best Anthology – Dark Horse Presents (editor)
- 2014 Eisner Awards: Nominated for Best Limited Series – 47 Ronin (writer)
- 2015 American Library Association named Richardson's 47 Ronin to its Great Graphic Novels for Teens list
Bibliography
Comics
Editor
- Cheval Noir (#1–23 1989)
- Aqua Blue: The Blue Planet (1990)
- The Adventures of Luther (#1–9, 1990, ISBN 978-1-59307-725-9)
- Indiana Jones & The Fate (#1–4, 1991)
- Andrew Vachss’ Hard Looks (#1–10, 1992, 1-56971-209-2)
- Andrew Vachss' Hard Looks (1996)
- Dark Horse Presents (volume 2, #1–30, 2011)
- Dark Horse Presents (volume 3, #1–15, 2014)
Writer
- Boris the Bear (#1–12, 1986)
- Wacky Squirrel (#1–4, 1987)
- Wacky Squirrel Halloween Special (1987)
- Wacky Squirrel Summer Fun Special (#1, 1987)
- The Mark (1987)
- Godzilla (#1–6, 1988)
- Insane (#1–2, 1988)
- Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (#4, 1991, ISBN 978-1-87857-436-7)
- Aliens: Countdown (1991)
- Predator: The Bloody Sands (story, 1992)
- Aliens: Newt's Tale (1992)
- Comics Greatest World (#1–4, 1993)
- Will to Power (#1–12, 1994, ISBN 978-1-59307-364-0)
- The Mask: The Official Movie Adaptation (1994)
- Star Wars: Crimson Empire (1998, ISBN 978-1-56971-355-6)
- Terror of Godzilla (1999)
- Star Wars: Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood
- Star Wars: Crimson Empire: Council (1999, ISBN 978-1-56971-410-2)
- Aliens: Genocide (story, 2000)
- The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings: Gone (2003)
- Adventures of the Yellow Jacket (Monarch of the Moon DVD insert comic)
- Cravan: Mystery Man of the 20th Century (2005, ISBN 978-1-59307-291-9)
- Living With The Dead (2007, ISBN 978-1-59307-906-2)
- The Secret (#1–4, 2007, ISBN 978-1-59307-821-8)
- Cut (2008, ISBN 978-1-59307-845-4)
- Return of the Gremlins (2008, ISBN 978-1-61655-669-3)
- The Occultist (2012, ISBN 978-1-59582-745-6)
- Star Wars: Crimson Empire (2012, ISBN 978-1-56971-355-6)
- 47 Ronin (2013, ISBN 978-1-59582-954-2)
- The Atomic Legion (2014, ISBN 978-1-61655-312-8)
- Father's Day (2014, ISBN 978-1-61655-579-5)
- Underground (2014, ISBN 978-1-61655-416-3)
- Deep Gravity (2015, ISBN 978-1-61655-619-8)
- Echoes (2016)
- 51 Deep (2016)
Books
- Comics: Between the Panels (ISBN 1-56971-344-8)
- Blast Off: Rockets, Rayguns, Robots and Rarities (ISBN 978-1-61655-009-7)
Filmography
Film
Television
| Year | Series | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–1997 | The Mask: Animated Series |  |
|
| 1997–1998 | Timecop | |
|
| 1999–2001 | Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot | |
|
| 2012 | Dark Horse Motion Comics | |
Internet series |
| 2015–2017 | Dark Matter | |
|
| 2019–present | The Umbrella Academy | |
|
| 2021 | Coyote | |
|
| 2021–present | Resident Alien | |
|
| 2022 | Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles | |
References
- ^ Inkpot Award
- ^ Mike Richardson at the Big Comic Book DataBase
- ^ Mike Richardson at Dark Horse
- ^ Interview by Bob Andelman
- ^ "ICv2 Interview". Icv2.com. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ^ "Dark Horse Comics". Portland State University Library. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- ^ "About Us". Things From Another World. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ McMillan, Graeme (February 13, 2014). "Dark Horse Publisher Promotes Independent Pedigree". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Mike Richardson and the Dark Horse Manga Team, Part 1". ICv2.
- ^ Powers, Jefferson (March 14, 2025). "Dark Horse Comics' Aliens: a sequel to one of the greatest sequels of all time". 1986comics.
- ^ Lord-Moncrief, Devon (March 31, 2021). "Alien: How Dark Horse Comics Created an Abandoned Aliens' Sequel Timeline". Comic Book Resources.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (June 10, 2015). "Dark Horse Entertainment Chief Mike Richardson: 'We've Never Really Tried to Fit Inside That Marvel Box'". TheWrap.
- ^ George, Joe (July 16, 2024). "Jim Carrey's Version of The Mask Could Only Happen in the '90s". Den of Geek.
- ^ "The Comic Book Origins You Maybe Didn't Know Behind Van Damme's Timecop". Syfy. November 23, 2023.
- ^ Ortiz, Julian. "The Dark Horse of comics: Mike Richardson". The Linfield Review.
- ^ Comics Buyer's Guide #1669, September 2010, Page 82.
- ^ Keates, Nancy (June 10, 2011). "Mike Richardson of Dark Horse Comics, the Man Behind 'The Mask' | Creating". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Hildebrand, David (February 19, 2018). "Dark Horse Comics founder Mike Richardson discusses his new graphic novel 'Best Wishes'". AIPT.
External links
- Mike Richardson at IMDb
- Mike Richardson at the Grand Comics Database
- Mike Richardson at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
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