Disney buys CrossGen

Would you buy a comic book company just for one title?

By Patrick Sauriol     November 15, 2004
Source: Disney Publishing

It was just a rumor before but today it became a hard fact: Disney Publishing Worldwide announced that it has indeed purchased the assets of comic book publisher CrossGen Entertainment. That now means that Disney owns the rights to all of CrossGen's superhero, fantasy and science fiction comics, graphic novels and characters including SOJOURN, WAY OF THE RAT, RUSE, MERIDIAN, MYSTIC, KISS KISS BANG BANG and ABADAZAD.

It's a big move in the world of comic book publishing. While Disney has always been a major player in terms of publishing comics (according to the company they hold approximately 50% of sales for children's comic magazines worldwide), the Disney stable of titles has been directed at a younger audience, leaving publishers like DC Comics, Marvel Comics and Image to chase after the teen and adult audiences. Is Disney contemplating making a move to enter the superhero comic book marketplace?

"To maintain our leadership position, we are committed to developing and acquiring top-quality, powerful content that expands our rich comic portfolio and CrossGen has some great properties," said DPW President Deborah Dugan in a company issued press release. "In light of recently reported declines in reading, we are developing creative new approaches using comics to engage children in the written word, and we hope to benefit from CrossGen's experience in this area."

The blessing for the acquisition was given by Marc Alessi, CrossGen's CEO and the company's founder. "Given Disney's legacy in comics, global distribution relationships and talent for multi-media storytelling, I believe we have found a great home for these properties," said Alessi in the release.

While Disney now holds all of CrossGen superhero titles, the only book it plans on developing at the present time is ABADAZAD, the fantasy title created by writer J.M. DeMatteis and artist Mike Ploog. The comic, which chronicles a sister's search for her missing younger brother in a strange land of magic and mystic creatures, is already being turned into a series of childrens novels by Hyperion Books (an offshoot company of Disney Publishing Worldwide.) "The most successful publishing properties also generate excitement throughout Disney, including its motion picture, television and games units," Dugan remarked, "and ABADAZAD, lends itself perfectly to Disney's synergistic philosophy."


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