 | |
| Industry | Comics |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1985; 40 years ago (1985) |
| Founder | Barry Blair |
| Defunct | 1994; 31 years ago (1994) |
| Headquarters | Ottawa,Ontario, Canada (1985–1988) Los Angeles,California, U.S. (1988–1994) |
Key people | Dave Cooper Patrick McEown Guang Yap |
| Products | The Men in Black |
| Owner | Marvel Comics |
| Parent | Malibu Comics |
Aircel Comics (Aircel Publishing) was acomic book publisher founded byBarry Blair, inOttawa,Ontario in 1985. In 1988, it merged with American publisherEternity Comics, itself an imprint ofMalibu Comics, and in the late 1980s was taken over by Malibu before ceasing publication in 1994. It was best known as the original publisher ofThe Men in Black, a comic book which was later adapted into amedia franchise.
Aircel blended historical and futuristic fantasy from different cultures as the underlying theme for most of its comic series. It featured high-quality colour covers with black-and white interiors. Canadian artists such asDave Cooper,Denis Beauvais, andDale Keown got their start at Aircel.[1]Charles de Lint also scripted several comic books for Aircel in the mid-1980s.
Aircel was originally a manufacturer of foam insulation. When the government discontinued its contract with the company, employee Barry Blair convinced the owner to shift the company's focus to comic book publishing, which was experiencing a boom.[1] Blair ran the publishing operations, and Aircel's initial talent line-up included him, Dave Cooper, Patrick McEown, and Guang Yap.
Aircel released its first books in 1985:Samurai,Dragonring andElflord, all of which featured line art in a style borrowed frommanga, which was fairly new to the North American market.[1] In 1986, illustratorDenis Beauvais and writer Gordon Derry collaborated with Blair to createWarlock 5, which featured realistic mixed-media and airbrushing techniques. TheMaelstrom series was released shortly thereafter.
In the late 1980s, the independent comics market contracted, hurting niche publishers such as Aircel.[1] Blair struck a deal withScott Mitchell Rosenberg ofMalibu Comics in which the larger publisher would be "lent" Aircel to publish a number of titles, in return for financial assistance. This resulted in a de facto merger with the Malibu imprintEternity Comics.[2] New illustrators assumed responsibility for continuing some of the existing series (e.g.Elford vol. 2,Warlock 5 vol. 2), which led to ownership disputes over some of these titles.[3] Ultimately, Aircel terminated most of its previous titles and pursued erotic-themed comics with Malibu.
In 1990, Aircel published the seriesThe Men in Black, byLowell Cunningham andSandy Carruthers. In 1992 the series was optioned by producersWalter F. Parkes andLaurie MacDonald, who developed the idea into the filmMen In Black, which became the basis for a film and TV franchise.
In 1991, Aircel's debts were paid off, and Blair quit Aircel, formally handing the company over to Malibu.[4] Aircel ceased publishing in 1994, when Malibu was purchased byMarvel Comics.[5]
Erotic titles[edit]
|
| Publications | |
|---|---|
| Universe | |
| Lines and imprints | |
| Editors-in-chief / executive editors | |
| Adaptations | |
| Related | |
| English |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French |
| ||||
| Publishers |
| ||||
| Awards | |||||
| Conventions | |||||
| People | |||||
| Shops | |||||
| Books about/D.W. Series | 1987 - D.W. Flips! 1988 - D.W. All Wet1993 - D.W. Thinks Big1993 - D.W. Rides Again!1995 - D.W. the Picky Eater1998 - D.W.'s Lost Blankie1999 - D.W. Go to Your Room!2001 - D.W.'s Library Card2003 - D.W.'s Guide to Preschool2006 - D.W.'s Guide to Perfect Manners | ||||
| TV/Arthur Adventure Series | 1980 - Arthur's Valentine1981 - The True Francine (later republished and retitled in 1996 as "Arthur and the True Francine")1982 - Arthur Goes to Camp1982 - Arthur's Halloween1983 - Arthur's April Fool1983 - Arthur's Thanksgiving1984 - Arthur's Christmas1985 - Arthur's Tooth1987 - Arthur's Baby1989 - Arthur's Birthday1990 - Arthur's Pet Business1991 - Arthur Meets the President1992 - Arthur Babysits1993 - Arthur's Family Vacation1993 - Arthur's New Puppy1994 - Arthur's Chicken Pox1994 - Arthur's First Sleepover1995 - Arthur's TV Trouble1996 - Arthur Writes a Story1997 - Arthur's Computer Disaster1998 - Arthur Lost and Found1999 - Arthur's Underwear2000 - Arthur's Teacher Moves In2011 - Arthur Turns Green | ||||
| Other | |||||
