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]
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]
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