Scott Mitchell Rosenberg

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For the screenwriter with a similar name, see Scott Rosenberg. For journalist with a similar name, see Scott Rosenberg (journalist).
Scott Mitchell Rosenberg
Born 1963 (age 60–61)
United States
Nationality United States
Education University of Denver, 1985
Occupation Producer, publisher
Known for Sunrise Distribution
Malibu Comics
Cowboys & Aliens
Platinum Studios
Children Karlee and Kendall

Scott Mitchell Rosenberg (born 1963)[1] is a film, television producer, comic book publisher, and the chairman of Platinum Studios, an entertainment company that controls a large independent library of comic book characters and adapts them for film, television and other media. He is also the former founder and president of Malibu Comics, and is a former senior executive vice president for Marvel Comics.[2]

Biography

Early career

Rosenberg began his career in the comic book industry at age 13 when he started a mail order company.[3] Rosenberg graduated from the University of Denver[1] in 1985 with a business degree and is listed as one of the institution’s Influential Alumni.[4] Rosenberg, who created Cowboys & Aliens in 1975, has appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List fourteen times for both hardcover [5] and softcover.[6]

Sunrise Distribution and Malibu Comics

In the mid-1980s, Rosenberg founded the small Commerce, California-based comics distributor Sunrise Distribution. Rosenberg's experience running Sunrise showed him that the new way comics were being distributed created openings for new, smaller publishers. He also recognized that the advent of the Macintosh computer and desktop publishing software allowed small companies to look bigger.[7]

In 1986, Rosenberg financed Malibu Comics; and in 1987, he also financed a number of other independent publishers, including Eternity Comics, Aircel Comics, and Adventure Comics.[8]

Malibu's first launch, Ex-Mutants, as Rosenberg once said in an interview, "turned out to be a hit" and "all on a $400 marketing budget."[2] During his time at Malibu, Rosenberg led comic spin-offs into toys, television, and feature films, including the billion-dollar film and television franchise Men in Black,[3] based on the Marvel/Malibu comic The Men in Black by Lowell Cunningham.

Rosenberg's experience with Sunrise, however, was not as fortuitous, as the distributor began to suffer cash flow issues in 1987,[9] and was acquired by Oregon-based Second Genesis Distribution[10] during the infamous "black-and-white implosion." Sunrise's disappearance from the scene left a number of small publishers without the cash flow to continue, and they went out of business.

Malibu survived, however, and Rosenberg brokered a deal in 1992, in which seven top-selling artists defected from Marvel Comics to form Image Comics. Rosenberg signed the artists to a label deal which made Malibu the publisher of record for the first comics from Image, giving the upstart creator-run publisher access to the distribution channels.[11][12] This subsequently led to Malibu breaking all sales records for independent comics,[citation needed] as in 1992 Malibu grabbed almost 10% of the American comics market share,[13] temporarily moving ahead of industry giant DC Comics.[14] By the middle of 1993, however, Image's financial situation was secure enough to publish its titles independently, and per the agreed upon distribution agreement with Malibu, launched out on its own.[15]

During this period, Rosenberg also worked with Adobe Photoshop software to develop the then-leading standard for the computer coloring of comic books.[16]

Rosenberg sold Malibu to Marvel Comics in 1994.[3][17][18] As part of the deal, Rosenberg was given the title senior executive vice president of Marvel, the second highest position at the company.[19]

Platinum Studios

Rosenberg left Marvel in January 1997, and co-founded Platinum Studios with European rights agent Ervin Rustemagić.[19] Platinum produces based on two distinctive categories: Those from the "Macroverse Bible," a multi-thousand page bible of interrelated comic characters created by Rosenberg,[16] including titles such as Cowboys & Aliens,[3] and properties acquired from other companies or creators such as Dylan Dog and Jeremiah (the latter two having been represented by Rustemagić for publishing rights only, with Platinum acquiring all other rights including film and television).[19] Rustemagić left Platinum Studios in 2000.[citation needed] The company’s comic publishing philosophy is for the original publishers or rights holders to continue publishing their comics with Platinum Studios handling all other rights and development.[20] Comics have been published based on Platinum’s properties, continuously since inception, whether by Platinum itself or the original rights holders. Film productions in 2009-2011 were Cowboys & Aliens and Dylan Dog.

Platinum Studios posted net losses of $4.3 million in 2006 and $5.1 million in 2007, growing to a revenue of over $11 million in the first three quarters of 2011.[21] The company became a public company, trading continuously since February 2008.[22]

In early 2012, Platinum Studios moved to new offices in West Los Angeles.[23] In 2014, 27 million shares of Platinum were acquired by KCG Holdings.[24]

Personal life

Rosenberg lives in California with his two daughters, Karlee and Kendall, both of which are in college. Married since 1992, he and his wife divorced in 2015.

Filmography

Producer

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Profile at Forbes.com.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Yanes, Nicholas. “Interview: Scott Rosenberg on Platinum Studios, Cowboys & Aliens, and the Future of the Comic Book Industry,” SciPulse.net (May 4, 2011).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ehrenreich, Ben. "PHENOMENON; Comic Genius?" New York Times magazine (November 11, 2007).
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Olbrich, Dave. "Malibu Comics Secret Origins (part 3)," Funny Book Fanatic (Feb. 11, 2009).
  8. ↑ "Distributor Finances Five Publishers," The Comics Journal No. 115 (April 1987), pp. 12–13.
  9. ↑ "Sunrise announces it may not pay some publishers until July," The Comics Journal No. 115 (April 1987), p. 24.
  10. ↑ "Sunrise Creditors Meet," The Comics Journal No. 122 (June 1988), p. 22.
  11. ↑ "Bye Bye Marvel; Here Comes Image: Portacio, Claremont, Liefeld, Jim Lee Join McFarlane's New Imprint at Malibu," The Comics Journal #148 (February 1992), pp. 11–12.
  12. ↑ Platinum Studios: Awesome Comics. Accessed February 3, 2008
  13. ↑ "NewsWatch: Malibu Commands 9.73% Market Share," The Comics Journal #151 (July 1992), p. 21.
  14. ↑ "Malibu Moves Ahead of DC in Comics Market," The Comics Journal No. 152 (August 1992), pp. 7–8.
  15. ↑ "Image Leaves Malibu, Becomes Own Publisher," The Comics Journal No. 155 (January 1993), p. 22.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Reynolds, Eric. "The Rumors are True: Marvel Buys Malibu," The Comics Journal #173 (December 1994), pp. 29–33.
  18. ↑ "News!" Indy magazine #8 (1994), p. 7.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Press release. Scott Rosenberg Leaves Marvel; Acquires 50 Percent of Platinum Studios, The Free Library (Jan. 16, 1997).
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ "Business Update, and Outlook: Platinum Studios Reports Fiscal 2007 Financial Results," Reuters (Apr. 1, 2008).
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ MacDonald, Heidi. "Is a holding company acquiring what is left of Platinum Studios?," The Beat (Mar. 4, 2014).

External links

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