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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 16, 2024 20:29:55 GMT -5
Someone who knows Comico's history might have to explain what happened next, because the next book I can find is Oblivion #1 (August, 1995). And doesn't this just scream mid-90s?
Andrew Rev wasn't pumping any money into Comico, so they basically put out a book when they could pay to print it, trying to jump on fads, especially the Bad Girl/T&A fads. Like Now Comics, before them, they were using rookies, who were cheap and desperate to break into comics. Unlike Now, they never came across someone as talented as Alex Ross. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 16, 2024 20:48:28 GMT -5
Aaaaaannnnddddd, we're into the bankruptcy and sale. The decision, in 1986, to try newsstand distribution hurt their cash flow, badly. They had to print higher units and take more returns, increasing their operating costs. They sought to mitigate this by expanding the number of titles, to spread it out across their line. They looked to expand their distribution to bookstore, in 1988, and entered a distribution arrangement with DC, in 1989. The conclusion of Grendel and the Robotech series also took away their best sellers and Mage wasn't ready for Mage II, yet. Grendel Tales was supposed to follow the end of Grendel, with War Child set to start things. With their financial situation, there were delays and things worsened. Their editorial side defected to greener pastures, at DC and Dark Horse and Matt Wagner took on work there, too. Watching the thread with some interest, and I suppose I was never a Comico fan. I did purchase everything that Matt Wagner did, but very little of their other output ever interested me. Elementals was pretty good at the start, but not quite good enough for me to continue reading. Mage and Grendel were, by far, their top titles. Robotech was pretty decent, if you liked the cartoons. Fish Police had a certain charm to it. Art Adams' Gumby specials were tons of fun and I recall people griping that he was doing that stuff, instead of X-Men or more Longshot. Mark Evanier and Steve Rude's Space Ghost one-shot was pure awesome sauce. Looked like Toth had designed it and read like one of the cartoons. Jonny Quest was really, really good, capturing the spirit of the cartoons, but adding layers to the characters and tackling more serious subjects, along with the high adventure. Maze Agency was also both great character-driven material and fun play-fair mysteries, with Adam Hughes growing with each issue. Justice Machine was an intriguing premise and it was different enough from standard superhero comics to stand out. Mike Gustovich was a little shaky on some of the art (struggled with certain angles...he was always a better inker than penciller), but the Tony Isabella stories were excellent. E-Man had just started up, with Nicola Cuti rejoining Joe Staton, for the first time since Charlton (to the best of my recollection, Cuti was not involved with the First Comics issues...just Staton), when the bankruptcy came and they ended up switching to Alpha Comics, which didn't have a ton of output, but had some nice books. Stephen T Siegle's Amazon was good; the Silverback mini, about Argent, from Grendel, was good, if a bit trippy. I liked Ginger Fox. I discovered a lot of their material after the fact, either series in progress or just found back issues for cheap and decided to give the book a chance. I got pointed to Maze Agency, when it was around its 4th or 5th issue, came to Grendel late, after seeing some of the Christine Spar issues on stand and the Devil By The Deed graphic novel, which confused me as to who was Grendel, until I started reading. Mage was harder to track down and I had the book collections for that. I didn't buy my first issue until nearly the end of the Orion Asante storyline, which was the end of the original series. I bought Silverback off the stands. |
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Post by tarkintino on Sept 16, 2024 20:52:02 GMT -5
The next book I found is: Elementals: Ghost of a Chance #1 (December, 1995).  |
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Post by foxley on Sept 16, 2024 21:29:39 GMT -5
Oblivion #2 (January, 1996)  |
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Post by tarkintino on Sept 16, 2024 22:56:35 GMT -5
I'm not certain, but this might be the next issue from 1996. Elementals Lingerie Special (No number; May, 1996).  |
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Post by foxley on Sept 17, 2024 0:55:10 GMT -5
Elementals Swimsuit Spectacular 1996 #1 (June, 1996)  |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Sept 17, 2024 3:50:52 GMT -5
E-Man had just started up, with Nicola Cuti rejoining Joe Staton, for the first time since Charlton (to the best of my recollection, Cuti was not involved with the First Comics issues...just Staton), when the bankruptcy came and they ended up switching to Alpha Comics, which didn't have a ton of output, but had some nice books. According to GCD, Cuti wrote the last two issues of the First run. |
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Post by mikelmidnight on Sept 17, 2024 11:21:49 GMT -5
Mage and Grendel were, by far, their top titles. Robotech was pretty decent, if you liked the cartoons. Fish Police had a certain charm to it. Art Adams' Gumby specials were tons of fun and I recall people griping that he was doing that stuff, instead of X-Men or more Longshot. Oh well, I did enjoy the Gumby specials, particularly the one written by Bob Burden. |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Sept 17, 2024 16:06:26 GMT -5
Esc #1 (August 1996)  |
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Post by tarkintino on Sept 17, 2024 16:11:17 GMT -5
Elementals: How the War Was Won #1 (June, 1996).
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 18, 2024 0:02:00 GMT -5
Feel free to locate anything between September '96 and May '96. I only found:
Elementals: How the War Was Won #1 (June, 1997).
You're indicating a June 1997 date, instead of 1996. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 18, 2024 0:05:58 GMT -5
ESC #2, September 1996  Mike's Amazing World isn't showing anything until May 1997, for the next comic. |
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Post by tarkintino on Sept 18, 2024 0:38:32 GMT -5
Elementals: Sex Special #1 (May, 1997). 
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Post by foxley on Sept 18, 2024 2:47:58 GMT -5
Elementals Sex Special #2 (June, 1997)  |
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 18, 2024 13:59:01 GMT -5
That appears to be it. Based on my research and what Mike's Amazing World shows, Andrew Rev oozed away to con some other mugs, until he reappeared to buy Youngblood off of Rob Liefeld. And what fine output the company had, under his watch!  |
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