92-93 Comic Books.qxp_NEW LSB 2008 GRID 05/01/2018 11:23 Page 92
TREND FOCUS: COMIC BOOKS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
Comic timing
Inset and below: The DC Comics and Marvel universes have spawned some of the biggest entertainment franchises of recent years.
Comics and graphic novels have spawned some of the biggest entertainment franchises of recent years – think Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and the Marvel Universe to name just a few. But it doesn’t stop there – for the licensing business there is still much to discover from this rich world of compelling storylines, engaging characters and powerful art. LSB finds out more.
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here has always been a rich vein of content within the comic book and graphic novel universe. The likes of Marvel and DC Comics attracted a large, loyal fanbase who would keenly follow the adventures of their heroes and antiheroes through the pages week after week. When Hollywood came on board, with Disney and Warner Bros. respectively bringing these characters to the big screen, the sheer potential in these carefully crafted worlds really became evident. Netflix is the latest content producer to get on board with comic book IP ownership, acquiring Millarworld Comics last summer. Three of Millarworld’s franchises – Wanted, Kick-Ass and Kingsman – have been adapted into films that have taken in nearly $913m combined at global box offices. For the licensing business, comic books and graphic novels offer a whole new world of powerful art, compelling characters and strong storylines. Titan publishes comics based on film, TV, gaming and novels, as well as original content. These include the official Doctor Who comics – both an ongoing modern era, as well as a mini series based on the classic era; video games stories for the likes of Assassin’s Creed, Dark Souls and Tekken; the
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LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2018
Left: Millarworld’s Kick-Ass was just one of its franchises to be adapted into movies.
Robotech licence (based on the classic 1980s anime series); Penny Dreadful; and Sherlock. Titan’s Will O’Mullane explains to LSB: “On a creative level, if you create a comic book, you’re untethered by budget constraints. The limit is, as corny as it sounds, a writer or artist’s imagination. “You’re also afforded a fantastic opportunity to go beyond the licence in unique and surprising ways. For our Evil Within, Dishonored and Wolfenstein series’ for example, we offer prequels, sequels and ‘inbetweenquels’ to the main storylines in the video