Pop Biz

Max announced a multiyear agreement with GKIDS to extend the exclusive U.S. film streaming rights for Studio Ghibli, Japan’s legendary, Oscar-winning animation house. The streamer has been the U.S. home to the Studio Ghibli catalogue since 2020, marking the first time the films were available to stream. As part of …

Ghost Machine, a first-of-its-kind creator-owned and operated media company officially launched today at New York Comic Con. Creators co-own all the characters and universes developed for Ghost Machine, sharing in all publishing, media, merchandise, and beyond. The pioneering creator collective is a global best-of-class roster of artists and writers whose …

Entrepreneur Josh Jones has acquired the animated film and television rights to Groo the Wanderer, legendary cartoonist Sergio Aragonés’ beloved comics character, with the intent of producing the character’s first-ever animated entertainment via Jones’ Did I Err Productions company. Groo the Wanderer, now in its landmark 40th year of publication, …

Emmy-winning SPAWN creator and director/producer Todd McFarlane announced the launch of a dedicated television development and production arm of McFarlane Films. Through McFarlane Films, which has a first-look television deal with wiip (MARE OF EASTTOWN), McFarlane and his President of Television, Sean Canino, identify and develop new emerging talent, creator-owned properties, …

 AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) announced a definitive agreement to combine WarnerMedia’s  premium entertainment, sports and news assets with Discovery’s leading nonfiction and international entertainment and sports businesses to create a premier, standalone global entertainment company. Under the terms of the agreement, which is structured …

Comics and graphic novel sales topped $1.2 billion in 2019, according to a new joint estimate by Comichron’s John Jackson Miller and ICv2’s Milton Griepp.  Total comics and graphic novel sales to consumers in the U.S. and Canada were approximately $1.21 billion in 2019, an 11% increase over sales in …

Hollywood Reporter disclosed that DC Comics has dropped Diamond Comics Distributors as its long-standing partner after Diamond cut payments to publishes claiming cash-flow issues. An email sent to retailers explained, “We recognize that, to many of you, this may seem like a momentous decision. However, we can assure you that …

University Games announced the acquisition of Maranda Games, the award-winning manufacturer of outdoor recreation games, including the tailgating classic, Ladderball, and strategy board games, including Sneaky Statues. Maranda Games was founded in 1995 by Dawn and Mark Fuchs as a way to share two enjoyable areas of life – outdoor recreation and …

Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), today announced that it has acquired Tuque Games, a digital game development studio based in Montreal. Tuque is led by veterans of the game industry with experience working for leading publishers. Tuque will continue the development of games for Wizards …

Three years almost to the day after the acquisition of Magnetic Press was announced at New York Comic Con, the former Lion Forge imprint is announced to return to its status as full-service publisher under the David Steward II founded Polarity holding company, which also operates Lion Forge Comics and …