StarBrand Poll: What 90's companies did you like most?

[Cyberstrike]

1) Defiant and Broadway IMHO had the most original ideas (and as far as I'm concerned they could easily be merged into one universe with next to little problems). I still think you could revive them today and carry on from where the original series left off.

2) Ultraverse was the most fun and had some great spins on classic superhero tropes, and they were (and IMHO still are) the best promoted comics. Malibu was and still are light-years ahead of any company today in how they marketed their COMIC BOOKS first and foremost and not movies, TV shows, toys, cartoons, video games, and other media tie-ins and spin-offs.

I had no idea Malibu was so extensive in its creative coverage before researching them as part of this survey. But I do remember Ultaverse being a lot of fun. Especially the title Primer, which I really appreciated.

But this brought back some super memories.

Malibu actually made at least 3 TV ads about their comic books, not the cartoon show, not the toys, not video game, but the COMIC BOOKS and they were aired on MTV I believe. When was the last time you saw DC or Marvel do a TV ad for their comics books and not the movies, video games, TV shows, cartoon shows and air them on a major TV channel?

They also made a short live action movie that was a lead-in to Firearm #0, not an adaption, not a spin-off, but actual short movie that was the prequel to a comic book. Sure the movie was cheesy in most areas but it did set the tone of the book and ended in a great cliffhanger that you had to read the comic to see how it was resolved, and it was also written by James Robinson who wrote the comic book.

Every seen the movie Drop Zone with Wesley Snipes (who would late play Blade, the Vampire Hunter) and Yancy Butler (who played Witchblade in the short lived TV series), and Gary Busey? In a car chase scene who can see a bus with a Prime banner on the side and later one the crooks leaves a bunch of various Ultraverse comics in a room to fool the police.
I think there was an episode of the TV sitcom Mad About You where Helen Hunt confronts an ex-boyfriend of hers who is comic book artist (played Eric Stoltz) in a comic book store with a lot of Ultraverse comics shown in the background.

If Malibu knew anything it was about product placement. The only time I've seen Marvel did anything remotely like that was in Captain America: The First Avenger where kids are shown reading the first issue of the original Captain America #1 back in the 40s and DC has never done anything like that in their films.

[Cyberstrike]

...double post...bloody PC.

[cray_ws]

I bought almost everything Crossgen, Ultraverse, and Wildstorm put out. The other companies listed here I just sampled a handful of issues and never really got me to commit to them. Out of all of them, I rank Wildstorm my favorite. I rank Crossgen second only because of I like the idea that the publisher was trying to blend the genre together and weave it all into one continuity. This imprint had so much potential and it was really climbing fast, probably too fast for it's own good. It's sad that Marvel snatched up Crossgen properties because they along with Ultraverse are never going see the light of the day.

[Chiclo]

Every seen the movie Drop Zone with Wesley Snipes (who would late play Blade, the Vampire Hunter) and Yancy Butler (who played Witchblade in the short lived TV series), and Gary Busey? In a car chase scene who can see a bus with a Prime banner on the side and later one the crooks leaves a bunch of various Ultraverse comics in a room to fool the police.
I think there was an episode of the TV sitcom Mad About You where Helen Hunt confronts an ex-boyfriend of hers who is comic book artist (played Eric Stoltz) in a comic book store with a lot of Ultraverse comics shown in the background.

If Malibu knew anything it was about product placement. The only time I've seen Marvel did anything remotely like that was in Captain America: The First Avenger where kids are shown reading the first issue of the original Captain America #1 back in the 40s and DC has never done anything like that in their films.

The kids are often shown to be reading comics in Malcolm in the Middle and most of the time when they are reading comics, they are Continuity Comics. I just assumed the prop department bought them cheaply.

[StarBrand]

I wonder if Marvel bought Crossgen and Ultraverse primarily to keep them out of enemy hands.

[jeremycoe]

I wonder if Marvel bought Crossgen and Ultraverse primarily to keep them out of enemy hands.

They purchased Malibu for their coloring technology. At least that's what I've heard.

[StarBrand]

I wonder if Marvel bought Crossgen and Ultraverse primarily to keep them out of enemy hands.

They purchased Malibu for their coloring technology. At least that's what I've heard.

Now that you mention it, I've heard the same.

[doodlebird]

Continuity Comics, Neal Adams !

[cray_ws]

I wonder if Marvel bought Crossgen and Ultraverse primarily to keep them out of enemy hands.

Which begs the question...why didn't either DC or Marvel snatch up Valiant when Acclaim went kaput?

[StarBrand]

I wonder if Marvel bought Crossgen and Ultraverse primarily to keep them out of enemy hands.

Which begs the question...why didn't either DC or Marvel snatch up Valiant when Acclaim went kaput?

Absolutely a tactical mistake!

[Chiclo]

I wonder if Marvel bought Crossgen and Ultraverse primarily to keep them out of enemy hands.

They purchased Malibu for their coloring technology. At least that's what I've heard.

There were more than one reason for Marvel buying Malibu. One benefit of buying Malibu was the colouring tech. At the time, Marvel consistently had more market share than DC but DC and Malibu together had more market share than Marvel. Another reason that Marvel bought Malibu was to keep DC from buying Malibu and getting a larger combined market share than Marvel.

Marvel did not buy CrossGen. Disney bought CrossGen and then several years later, Disney bought Marvel.

[Cyberstrike]

I wonder if Marvel bought Crossgen and Ultraverse primarily to keep them out of enemy hands.

Which begs the question...why didn't either DC or Marvel snatch up Valiant when Acclaim went kaput?

Because both companies weren't in a position to buy anything.

I think Marvel had just came out or was still in Chapter 13 bankruptcy and they couldn't buy anything. Around the same time Time Warner, the parent company of DC, had (or was planning to) merge with AOL and that was all the suits cared about. The AOL/Time Warner merger ended up being the one of the "marriage from hell" in the business world.

[bosco685]

I wonder if Marvel bought Crossgen and Ultraverse primarily to keep them out of enemy hands.

Which begs the question...why didn't either DC or Marvel snatch up Valiant when Acclaim went kaput?

Because both companies weren't in a position to buy anything.

I think Marvel had just came out or was still in Chapter 13 bankruptcy and they couldn't buy anything. Around the same time Time Warner, the parent company of DC, had (or was planning to) merge with AOL and that was all the suits cared about. The AOL/Time Warner merger ended up being the one of the "marriage from hell" in the business world.

Man, that brings back memories when it comes to AOL/Time Warner. Even then there was a question of 'WHY' this even made sense.

[newt138]

Every seen the movie Drop Zone with Wesley Snipes (who would late play Blade, the Vampire Hunter) and Yancy Butler (who played Witchblade in the short lived TV series), and Gary Busey? In a car chase scene who can see a bus with a Prime banner on the side and later one the crooks leaves a bunch of various Ultraverse comics in a room to fool the police.
I think there was an episode of the TV sitcom Mad About You where Helen Hunt confronts an ex-boyfriend of hers who is comic book artist (played Eric Stoltz) in a comic book store with a lot of Ultraverse comics shown in the background.

If Malibu knew anything it was about product placement. The only time I've seen Marvel did anything remotely like that was in Captain America: The First Avenger where kids are shown reading the first issue of the original Captain America #1 back in the 40s and DC has never done anything like that in their films.

The kids are often shown to be reading comics in Malcolm in the Middle and most of the time when they are reading comics, they are Continuity Comics. I just assumed the prop department bought them cheaply.

In Malcolm the first time Stevie appears a bunch of Savage Dragon comics are on screen. And Malcolm and Stevie talk about Dragon.