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Mike Richardson (publisher)

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136-691: 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 . Richardson is also the founder and President of the Things From Another World retail chain and president of Dark Horse Entertainment , which has developed and produced numerous projects for film and television based on Dark Horse properties or licensed properties. In addition, he has written numerous graphic novels and comics series, including: The Secret , Living with

272-415: A Golden Globe Award for Best Actress . It was during the production of True Lies that he would first meet Jon Landau , who at the time oversaw the film's production for Fox. In July 2024, Cameron stated that he "lured" Landau away from Fox to Lightstorm. In 1995, Cameron co-produced Strange Days , a science fiction thriller. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and co-written by Jay Cocks , Strange Days

408-504: A "genius". Michael Biehn, a frequent collaborator, also praised Cameron, saying he "is a really passionate person. He cares more about his movies than other directors care about their movies", adding, "I've never seen him yell at anybody". Biehn acknowledged that Cameron is "not real sensitive when it comes to actors and their trailers, and waiting for actors to come to the set". Worthington commented: "He demands excellence. If you don't give it to him, you're going to get chewed out. And that's

544-557: A "tinpot dictator"; Cameron stated that when he visited one of Ron Howard 's sets, he was "dumbfounded" at how much time Howard took to compliment his crew, aspiring to become "his inner Ron Howard". Cameron's work has had an impact in the Hollywood film industry. The Avengers (2012), directed by Joss Whedon , was inspired by Cameron's approach to action sequences. Whedon also admires Cameron's ability for writing heroic female characters such as Ellen Ripley of Aliens , adding that he

680-524: A 1991 issue of Dark Horse Presents , Frank Miller introduced Sin City , one of Dark Horse Comics' most successful titles. In addition to this title, Miller introduced several other limited series set in dystopian societies including Give Me Liberty which ran from 1990-1991 and Hard Boiled . The Mask , a mini series from Mark Badger , debuted in Dark Horse Presents 10-20 in 1991 and had

816-486: A 2017 interview: "Let's face it, if Avatar 2 and 3 don't make enough money, there's not going to be a 4 and 5 ". Avatar: The Way of Water had its world premiere in London on December 6, 2022. It became the highest-grossing film released in 2022, and as of 2023 stood as the 3rd highest-grossing film of all time, behind only Avatar and Avengers: Endgame , and just ahead of Titanic . Lightstorm Entertainment bought

952-520: A Gaming and Digital Entertainment Division in partnership with AAA studios to bring many of its "older and lesser established IPs" into the gaming market. In March 2022, it was announced that Dark Horse and filmmaker Kevin Smith would be teaming up to publish the books of Secret Stash Press , a new publishing line by Smith. The first two books of the line include Maskerade , written by Smith and Andy Mcelfresh and Quick Stops , written by Smith and set within

1088-583: A business partnership with Penguin Random House Publishing as the company's new primary comic book distributor which was previously held by Diamond Comics Distributors for thirty years. On September 21, 2022, Dark Horse Comics announced the expansion of their business relationship with Penguin Random House. This multi-year distribution deal began in June 2023. Dark Horse CEO Mike Richardson stated that

1224-477: A colleague and founder of Pacific Western Productions , agreed to buy Cameron's script for one dollar, on the condition that Cameron direct the film. He convinced the president of Hemdale Pictures to make the film, with Cameron as director and Hurd as a producer. Lance Henriksen , who starred in Piranha II: The Spawning , was considered for the lead role, but Cameron decided that Arnold Schwarzenegger

1360-509: A double life as a married man, whose wife believes he is a computer salesman. The film co-stars Jamie Lee Curtis , Eliza Dushku and Tom Arnold . Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment signed a deal with 20th Century Fox for the production of True Lies . Budgeted at a minimum of $ 100 million, the film earned $ 146 million in the United States and Canada. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and Curtis won

1496-512: A good thing". When asked in 2012 about his reputation, Cameron dryly responded: "I don't have to shout any more, because the word is out there already". In 2021, while giving a MasterClass during a break from his work on the Avatar sequels, Cameron acknowledged his past demanding behaviour, opining that if he could go back in time, he would improve the working relationship with his cast and crew members by being less autocratic, thinking of himself as

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1632-479: A joint venture and independent imprint. The imprint name is in reference to Kitchen's former publishing company Kitchen Sink Press which ran from 1970 until 1999. Kitchen said of the venture, “John and I have packaged books for a number of first-rank publishers, but we have long discussed the ideal house to enjoy maximum freedom and creativity,” says Kitchen. “In longtime friend and publisher Mike Richardson and Dark Horse Comics, we found just that.” The imprint's output

1768-498: A list of clients as a freelance artist and had planned on starting an art agency under the name Dark Horse Graphics. In 1980, Richardson quit his job producing art and designing products for a furniture company located in Portland and moved to Bend, Oregon, with his wife, Karie, and their newborn daughter, Michelle. He used a credit card with a $ 2,500.00 limit to open a small, pop culture retail store. The store’s name, Pegasus Fantasy Books,

1904-569: A mobile phone rang during filming, Cameron would "nail it to the wall with a nail gun". Composer James Horner was also not immune to Cameron's demands; he recalls having to write music in a short time frame for Aliens. After the experience, Horner did not work with Cameron for a decade. In 1996, they reconciled their friendship and Horner produced the soundtracks for Titanic and Avatar . Despite this reputation, Sigourney Weaver has praised Cameron's perfectionism and attention to detail, saying: "He really does want us to risk our lives and limbs for

2040-564: A moment of silence to remember the 1,500 people who died when the ship sank. Film critic Roger Ebert praised Cameron's storytelling, writing: "It is flawlessly crafted, intelligently constructed, strongly acted, and spellbinding". Authors Kevin Sandler and Gaylyn Studlar wrote in 1999 that the romance, historical nostalgia and James Horner 's music contributed to the film's cultural phenomenon. In 2017, on its 20th anniversary, Titanic became Cameron's second film to be selected for preservation in

2176-521: A monthly issue and ran until 2019. Dark Horse Comics began translating the manga series from Hiroaki Samura , Blade of the Immortal , in 1996 and ending in 2015. For the first Free Comic Book Day on May 4, 2002, Dark Horse Comics published Star Wars: Tales – A Jedi's Weapon and has participated in the event every year since. In 2006, Dark Horse was the third largest comics publisher. Per Diamond Comic Distributors , " Marvel had 36.9 percent of

2312-455: A near halt, ceasing production of any books concerning the characters with the publication of the last crossover books involving Ghost , in the early 2000s. Legend was a comic book imprint at Dark Horse Comics created in 1994 by Frank Miller and John Byrne as an avenue for creator-owned projects. Its logo was a moai drawn by Mike Mignola . Later on, other creators were asked to join them. The imprint ended in 1998. Dark Horse Manga

2448-504: A new villain ( T-1000 ), with shape-shifting abilities who hunts for Sarah Connor 's son, John ( Edward Furlong ). Cameron cast Robert Patrick as T-1000 because of his lean and thin appearance — a sharp contrast to Schwarzenegger. Cameron explained: "I wanted someone who was extremely fast and agile. If the T-800 is a human Panzer tank , then the T-1000 is a Porsche ". Terminator 2 was one of

2584-678: A nightmare to work with. Studios fear his habit of straying way over schedule and over budget. He is notorious on set for his uncompromising and dictatorial manner, as well as his flaming temper". Author Alexandra Keller writes that Cameron is an egomaniac, obsessed with vision, but praises his "technological ingenuity" at creating a "visceral viewing experience". According to Ed Harris, who starred in Cameron's film The Abyss , Cameron behaved in an autocratic manner. Orson Scott Card , who novelized The Abyss , stated that Cameron "made everyone around him miserable, and his unkindness did nothing to improve

2720-530: A number of titles by the all-female Japanese manga artist group CLAMP , including Clover , Chobits , Okimono Kimono , Cardcaptor Sakura , Magic Knight Rayearth , and Gate 7 . A manga magazine titled Super Manga Blast! was published by Dark Horse starting in the spring of 2000. It was discontinued in December 2005 after 59 issues. Dark Horse also publishes a number of Korean manhwa titles, including Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man . Maverick

2856-417: A platform for new creators to highlight their works. The success of Dark Horse Comics can be attributed to a change in comic book marketing that occurred in the 1980s when comics began to be sold in comic specific stores. After his success, Richardson began buying the rights to several titles including: Godzilla in 1987, Aliens , Predator in 1989, and Star Wars in 1991 (owned by Marvel prior to

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2992-521: A production assistant for Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979). While educating himself about filmmaking techniques, Cameron started a job as a miniature model maker at Roger Corman Studios. He was soon employed as an art director for the science-fiction film Battle Beyond the Stars (1980). He carried out the special effects for John Carpenter 's Escape from New York (1981), served as production designer for Galaxy of Terror (1981), and consulted on

3128-639: A science fiction drama directed by Steven Soderbergh . The film gained mixed reviews and failed at the box office. Keen to make documentaries, Cameron directed Expedition: Bismarck , about the German Battleship Bismarck . In 2003, he directed Ghosts of the Abyss , a documentary about RMS Titanic which was released by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media , and designed for 3D theaters . Cameron told The Guardian his intention for filming everything in 3D. In 2005, Cameron co-directed Aliens of

3264-417: A sequel to Alien (1979), a science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott . Like the original, the sequel Aliens (1986) featured Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley . Aliens follows Ripley as she helps a group of marines fight off extraterrestrials . Despite conflicts with cast and crew during production, and having to replace one of the lead actors — James Remar with Michael Biehn — Aliens

3400-590: A series reprinting Playboy interviews. The M Press imprint was created to publish a diverse list of both literary fiction and non-fiction prose for authors with a unique voice. One such series is Orchid by Tom Morello , published from 2011 to 2013. The newest addition to M Press is an original graphic novel The Fifth Beatle by Vivek Tiwary , Andrew Robinson , and Kyle Baker , published in November 2013. In 2011, Dark Horse launched their iOS app and online digital comics store Dark Horse Digital , followed by

3536-522: A set of comic books for Mysticons were released. In 2018, Vanguard Visionary Associates, a Chinese media production company, became a partner of Dark Horse's subsidiary Dark Horse Entertainment along with a "major investment stake" in the subsidiary. Both Forbes and Publishers Weekly reported that "the investment stake is rumored to be about $ 20 million and will give Vanguard a majority interest in Dark House". In 2020, Dark Horse announced it

3672-589: A specific story and perhaps receive royalties from collected editions, but the bulk of the revenue, and all of the merchandising opportunities, remain with the companies". Mike Richardson was an active follower of the Amateur Press Association (APA) , an organization focused on critiquing comics through conventions, fan projects, and newsletters. As a result of his involvement, Richardson became acquainted with Randy Stradley, an early Dark Horse Comics collaborator and editor. The two used their contacts from

3808-545: A stance he said he had come to see as "cowardly atheism." Since 2011, he is vegan . Cameron met close friend Guillermo del Toro on the production of his 1993 film, Cronos . In 1998, del Toro's father Federico was kidnapped in Guadalajara and Cameron gave del Toro more than $ 1 million (equivalent to $ 1,744,000 in 2023) in cash to pay a ransom and have his father released. Cameron had been friends with Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet for over 25 years before

3944-653: A story about oil-rig workers who discover strange intelligent life in the ocean. Based on an idea which Cameron had conceived of during high school, the film was initially budgeted at $ 41 million, although it ran considerably over this amount. It starred Ed Harris , Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Michael Biehn . The production process began in the Cayman Islands and in South Carolina , in two huge water tanks "reclaimed from" an unfinished nuclear power plant. The cast and crew recall Cameron's dictatorial behavior, and

4080-664: A strong proponent of publishing licensed material that often does not fit into mainstream media. Several titles include: Sin City , Hellboy , Buffy the Vampire Slayer , 300 , Ninja Gaiden , and Star Wars . In December 2021, Swedish gaming company Embracer Group launched its acquisition of Dark Horse Media , Dark Horse Comics' parent company, and completed the buyout in March 2022. Dark Horse has published many licensed comics, including comics based on Star Wars , Avatar: The Last Airbender , Ninja Gaiden , Buffy

4216-489: A successful film adaptation, starring Jim Carrey , in 1994. However comic sales were not strengthened by the success of the film. In 1993, Dark Horse established their own limited series superhero realm with the creation of Comics' Greatest World . However comic publishing changed in the 1990s and all Comics' Greatest World titles were canceled except for Ghost . As a result, Dark Horse Comics returned to their smaller scale business model. Dark Horse Comics created

Mike Richardson (publisher) - Misplaced Pages Continue

4352-422: A television series influenced by cyberpunk , biopunk , contemporary superheroes and third-wave feminism . Dark Angel starred Jessica Alba as Max Guevara , a genetically enhanced super-soldier created by a secretive organization. While the first season was moderately successful, the second season did less well, which led to its cancellation. In 2002, Cameron served as producer on the 2002 film Solaris ,

4488-540: A third Terminator film, but plans never materialized. The rights to the Terminator franchise were eventually purchased by Kassar from a bankruptcy sale of Carolco's assets. Cameron moved on to other projects and, in 1993, co-founded Digital Domain , a visual effects production company. In 1994, Cameron and Schwarzenegger reunited for their third collaboration, True Lies , a remake of the 1991 French comedy La Totale! The story depicts an American secret agent who leads

4624-425: A video game and digital division, called Dark Horse Games. The division will be focused on development of AAA video games based on the company's IP. In mid-November 2021, Dark Horse founder and CEO Mike Richardson announced that the company would be publishing a new line of all-ages Star Wars comics and graphic novels in collaboration with Lucasfilm and Disney Publishing Worldwide . Dark Horse had previously held

4760-520: Is "the leader and the teacher and the Yoda ". Director Michael Bay idolizes Cameron and was convinced by him to use 3D cameras for filming Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). Cameron's approach to 3D inspired Baz Luhrmann during the production of The Great Gatsby (2013). Other directors that have been inspired by Cameron include Peter Jackson , Neill Blomkamp , and Xavier Dolan . Cameron received

4896-571: Is a Canadian filmmaker. He is a major figure in the post- New Hollywood era and often uses novel technologies with a classical filmmaking style. He first gained recognition for writing and directing The Terminator (1984), and found further success with Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and True Lies (1994), as well as Avatar (2009) and its sequels . He directed, wrote, co-produced, and co-edited Titanic (1997), winning Academy Awards for Best Picture , Best Director , and Best Film Editing . He

5032-570: Is a recipient of various other industry accolades , and three of his films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress . Cameron co-founded the production companies Lightstorm Entertainment , Digital Domain , and Earthship Productions. In addition to filmmaking, he is a National Geographic explorer-in-residence and has produced many documentaries on deep-ocean exploration, including Ghosts of

5168-733: Is an imprint for Japanese manga translated into English. The company's first ongoing title was Oh My Goddess! by Kōsuke Fujishima , starting in August 1994. ( Oh My Goddess! since became America's longest running manga series.) Other publications include Akira , Astro Boy , Berserk , Blade of the Immortal , Ghost in the Shell , Lone Wolf and Cub , Trigun and Blood Blockade Battlefront by Yasuhiro Nightow , Gantz , Hellsing and Drifters by Kouta Hirano , Blood+ , Multiple Personality Detective Psycho , FLCL , Mob Psycho 100 , and Oreimo . Dark Horse also publishes

5304-443: Is in a league all of his own. With his genre-spanning work, lofty ambitions, and unrestrained energy, Cameron has carved out a name for himself in Hollywood as an artist willing to do anything to see his vision come true." Rebecca Keegan, author of The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron, describes Cameron as "comically hands-on", and would try to do every job on the set. Andrew Gumbel of The Independent says Cameron "is

5440-642: Is infrequent, publishing 2-3 high-profile projects annually with editorial focus on art books and deluxe format collections. Creators published under the Kitchen Sink line include Will Eisner, Frank Miller, Harvey Kurtzman , Tony DiTerlizzi and collections/anthology titles include work from Jack Davis , Will Elder , Art Spiegelman , S. Clay Wilson , Monte Beauchamp , Bob Powell , Justin Green , Trina Robbins , Harvey Pekar , Arnold Roth , and Al Jaffee . Former executive editor of Vertigo Karen Berger established

5576-516: Is married with children. He names Charles Dickens and James Ellroy as his favorite writers, and The Beatles ' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as his favorite album. He is also fond of basketball, guitars, and fine wine. He resides in Lake Oswego, Oregon . Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book , graphic novel , and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon , by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company

Mike Richardson (publisher) - Misplaced Pages Continue

5712-522: Is the first of five children, with two brothers and two sisters. His paternal great-great-great-grandfather emigrated from Balquhidder , Scotland, in 1825. Cameron spent summers on his grandfather's farm in southern Ontario. He attended Stamford Collegiate in Niagara Falls . At age 17, Cameron and his family moved from Chippawa to Brea, California . He attended Sonora High School and then moved to Brea Olinda High School . Classmates recalled that he

5848-473: Is the only director to have had three films gross over $ 2 billion. In 2010, Time named Cameron one of the 100 most influential people in the world . Cameron is also an environmentalist and runs several sustainability businesses. James Francis Cameron was born on August 16, 1954, in Kapuskasing , Ontario, to Philip Cameron, an electrical engineer , and Shirley ( née  Lowe ), an artist and nurse. He

5984-606: The Titan submersible implosion , Cameron made appearances in multiple news outlets where he criticized OceanGate and its co-founder Stockton Rush for failing to certify the company's submersibles for safety. He was also critical of the use of carbon-fiber composite in the company's Titan submersible, stating that the material has "no strength in external compression" when withstanding the pressure in deep-sea environments. On July 15, Cameron stated that he had no plans for an OceanGate documentary. Cameron has been married five times. He

6120-534: The Cuban Missile Crisis unfold when he was eight years old. Cameron is regarded as an innovative filmmaker in the industry, with a classical filmmaking style, as well as not easy to work for. Radio Times critic John Ferguson described Cameron as "the king of hi-tech thrillers". Dalin Rowell of /Film stated: "Known for his larger-than-life creations and unique filmmaking style, director James Cameron

6256-621: The Deepwater Horizon oil spill . It was reported that he offered his assistance to help stop the oil well from leaking. He is a member of the NASA Advisory Council and he worked with the space agency to build cameras for the Curiosity rover sent for Mars . NASA launched the rover without Cameron's technology due to a lack of time during testing. He has expressed interest in a project about Mars, stating: "I've been very interested in

6392-631: The Museum of Pop Culture for his contribution to the science fiction and fantasy field. Cameron collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineering and served as a creative consultant on Pandora – The World of Avatar , an Avatar -themed land at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida which opened to the public on May 27, 2017. A species of frog, Pristimantis jamescameroni , was named after Cameron for his work in promoting environmental awareness and advocacy of veganism . In 2010, Time magazine named Cameron one of

6528-500: The USC library . After the excitement of seeing Star Wars in 1977, Cameron quit his job as a truck driver to enter the film industry . Cameron's directing career began in 1978. After borrowing money from a consortium of dentists, he learned to direct, write and produce his first short film, Xenogenesis (1978) with a friend. Learning as they went, Cameron said he felt like a doctor doing his first surgical procedure. He then served as

6664-893: The View Askewniverse . In April 2022, it was announced that Matt Kindt was launching his Flux House imprint through Dark Horse, starting with MIND MGMT : Bootleg and continuing with Hairball in April 2023. Stan Sakai moved his Usagi Yojimbo series to Dark Horse under his Dogu Publishing imprint in July 2022. It was announced in September 2022 that Eric Powell had brought his Albatross Funnybooks imprint to Dark Horse. This would include series such as The Goon , Hillbilly and Big Man Plans , as well as Brendon Small ’s Galaktikon and Rebecca Sugar ’s Pug Davis . James Cameron James Francis Cameron CC (born August 16, 1954)

6800-450: The highest-grossing film of all time, holding this position for twelve years, until Cameron's Avatar beat the record in 2010. The costumes and sets were praised, and The Washington Post considered the CGI graphics to be spectacular. Titanic received a record-tying fourteen nominations (tied with All About Eve (1950) at the 1998 Academy Awards . It won eleven of the awards, tying

6936-433: The second-highest-grossing film director of all time. Three of Cameron's films are amongst the top four highest-grossing films of all time ; Avatar (2009), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and Titanic (1997) are the highest, third-highest and fourth-highest-grossing films of all time, respectively. Cameron directed the first film to gross over $ 1 billion, the first two films to gross over $ 2 billion, and

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7072-685: The 100 most influential people in the world. That same year, he was ranked at the top of the list in The Guardian Film Power 100 and in 30th place in New Statesman 's list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010". In 2013, Cameron received the Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public , which is annually awarded by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography . In 2019, Cameron

7208-638: The 3D Fusion Camera System . In 2011, Cameron became a National Geographic explorer-in-residence. In this role, on March 7, 2012, he dived five miles deep to the bottom of the New Britain Trench with the Deepsea Challenger . 19 days later, Cameron reached the Challenger Deep , the deepest part of the Mariana Trench . He spent more than three hours exploring the ocean floor, becoming

7344-662: The 50,000 sales mark. The company quickly grew from there. Paul Chadwick’s Concrete graduated from the pages of DHP into its own title and became a critical, as well as financial, success. Many of the titles and characters created in the early days of Dark Horse were created, written, or plotted by Richardson and Stradley. Over the years, Dark Horse published creator-owned projects such as Frank Miller and Geof Darrow’s Hard Boiled, Miller’s Sin City and 300 , Mike Mignola's Hellboy , and Eric Powell’s The Goon . Richardson’s interest in Japanese pop culture led to Dark Horse’s early entry into

7480-448: The APA to recruit artists and writers, many of whom were working for several top comic publishing groups. Dark Horse was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson with Dark Horse Presents No. 1 and featured the first appearance of Paul Chadwick 's Concrete and Chris Warner 's Black Cross, selling approximately 50,000 copies, which was far better than predictions . The series has become

7616-551: The Abyss (2003) and Aliens of the Deep (2005). Cameron has also contributed to underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies and helped create the digital 3D Fusion Camera System . In 2012, Cameron became the first person to do a solo descent to the bottom of the Mariana Trench , the deepest part of the Earth's ocean, in the Deepsea Challenger submersible. Cameron's films have grossed over $ 8 billion worldwide, making him

7752-478: The American manga scene. The company achieved success with major Japanese titles, including Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima 's Lone Wolf and Cub , Katsuhiro Otomo 's Akira , and Masamune Shirow 's Ghost in the Shell . Following these successes, Dark Horse imported Hiroaki Samura 's Blade of the Immortal and Kosuke Fujishima 's Oh My Goddess! to the United States, where the series have become two of

7888-518: The Berger Books imprint at Dark Horse in 2017. Titles published under the imprint include Hungry Ghosts written by Joel Rose and Anthony Bourdain , Incognegro (previously published through Vertigo ) and a prequel Incognegro: Renaissance both written by Mat Johnson , The Seeds written by Ann Nocenti , She Could Fly written by Christopher Cantwell , and LaGuardia written by Nnedi Okorafor . On June 2, 2021, Dark Horse Comics launched

8024-607: The Dark Horse Comics acquisition). Dark Horse evolved further and began producing toys in 1991. Additionally, in 1992, Richardson formed Dark Horse Entertainment , the company's critically acclaimed film and television division. With the release of the first Aliens comic in 1988 and Predator in 1988, Dark Horse Comics' popular characters appeared in their own line of work as well as Dark Horse Presents and Tarzan and numerous crossovers that included Superman and Batman of DC Comics , and WildC.A.T.s . In

8160-526: The Dark Horse Entertainment subsidiary open up the potential for Embracer to push projects outside of the video game arena. Dark Horse isn't simply the fourth-largest comic book publisher in the U.S. industry, after all; it's also a company with a first-look deal with Netflix, as well as an ongoing relationship with Universal Content Productions." Embracer finalized the acquisition of Dark Horse on March 14, 2022. In June 2022, Dark Horse announced

8296-553: The Dead , and Cut as well as co-authoring two non-fiction books: Comics Between the Panels and Blast Off! . Mike 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. While in college, Richardson built

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8432-619: The Deep , a documentary about the various forms of life in the ocean. He also starred in Titanic Adventure with Tony Robinson , another documentary about the Titanic shipwreck. In 2006, Cameron co-created and narrated The Exodus Decoded , a documentary exploring the Biblical account of the Exodus . In 2007, Cameron and fellow director Simcha Jacobovici , produced The Lost Tomb of Jesus . It

8568-754: The Humans to Mars movement ... and I've done a tremendous amount of personal research for a novel, a miniseries, and a 3D film." Cameron is a member of the Mars Society , a non-profit organization lobbying for the colonization of Mars . Cameron endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for the 2016 United States presidential election . Cameron has experience with deep-sea exploration , in part because of his work on The Abyss, Titanic , and Avatar: The Way of Water and his childhood fascination with shipwrecks. He has contributed to advancements in underwater filming and remotely operated vehicles , and helped develop

8704-495: The United States National Film Registry. After the huge success of Titanic , Cameron kept a low profile. In 1998, he and his brother, John, formed Earthship Productions, to stream documentaries about the deep sea , one of Cameron's interests. Again during 1998, Cameron considered doing a large-scale technological/religious film by an unknown writer, but after three tries was forced to personally pass on

8840-688: The Vampire Slayer , Aliens , Predator , and Terminator . Dark Horse Comics holds a notoriety for being the most reputable publisher in regard to allowing creators to retain ownership of their work. Founder Mike Richardson created the company with creator rights in mind because of his frustration with the treatment of artists by comic publishers of the time. They have published several creator owned comics such as Frank Miller 's Sin City and 300 , Mike Mignola's Hellboy , Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo , and Gerard Way's Umbrella Academy . With an emphasis on mini and limited series, Dark Horse Comics has given itself immense flexibility in

8976-472: The backdrop of the tragedy; a radical departure from his previous work. The supporting cast includes Billy Zane , Kathy Bates , Frances Fisher , Gloria Stuart , Bernard Hill , Jonathan Hyde , Victor Garber , Danny Nucci , David Warner and Bill Paxton . The film was also Cameron's first large scale production with Landau as a co-producer. After months of delay, Titanic premiered on December 19, 1997. The film received strong critical acclaim and became

9112-476: The baton of his personal story to them so they could pass his unique and harrowing experience to future generations, Cameron was assisted by the Avatar sequels co-writer Shane Salerno and Pellegrino, who previously served as Cameron's science consultant on Titanic and Avatar . In June 2010, Cameron met with officials of the Environmental Protection Agency to discuss possible solutions to

9248-513: The budget for these would be over $ 1 billion. Avatar 2 (later given the subtitle The Way of Water ) and Avatar 3 (later given the subtitle Fire and Ash ) began simultaneous production in Manhattan Beach, California on August 15, 2017. Principal photography began in New Zealand on September 25, 2017. Parts of Avatar 4 were also filmed during this time. Cameron stated in

9384-580: The bulky script. Cameron then returned to the Terminator franchise as producer and writer for Tim Miller 's Terminator: Dark Fate (2019). In August 2013, Cameron announced plans to direct three sequels to Avatar simultaneously, for release in December 2016, 2017, and 2018. However, the release dates were adjusted due to Cameron's other priorities, with Avatar 3 , 4 and 5 to be released, respectively, on December 20, 2024, December 18, 2026, and December 22, 2028. Deadline Hollywood estimated that

9520-562: The case was dismissed by US district judge Jesse Furman in 2014. In 2016, Premier Exhibitions , owner of many RMS Titanic artifacts, filed for bankruptcy. Cameron supported the UK's National Maritime Museum and National Museums Northern Ireland decision to bid for the artifacts, but they were acquired by an investment group before a formal bid took place. Cameron joined the board of directors of AI company Stability AI in September 2024. Cameron's films are often based on themes which explore

9656-412: The centennial anniversary of the tragedy. On March 27, 2012, Titanic 3D premiered at London's Royal Albert Hall . He also served as executive producer of Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away and Deepsea Challenge 3D in 2012 and 2014, respectively. Cameron starred in the 2017 documentary Atlantis Rising, with collaborator Simcha Jacobovici . The pair go on an adventure to explore the existence of

9792-645: The chance to get involved with a small horror film he was developing, As a result, Richardson set up Dark Horse Productions, later to become Dark Horse Entertainment, and received a co-producer credit on Many Cota’s Dr. Giggles. Two of Richardson's creations, The Mask and Timecop , followed in 1994 and both topped the box office charts. In 2008, Richardson received an Emmy as Producer of the John Landis directed documentary, Mr. Warmth, The Don Rickles Project. Richardson and DHE have been involved in producing more than 30 film and television projects since 1992. Richardson

9928-643: The city of Atlantis . The programme aired on January 29 on National Geographic. Next, Cameron produced and appeared in a documentary about the history of science fiction . James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction, the six-episodic series was broadcast on AMC in 2018. The series featured interviews with guests including Ridley Scott , Steven Spielberg , George Lucas and Christopher Nolan . He stated "Without Jules Verne and H. G. Wells , there wouldn't have been Ray Bradbury or Robert A. Heinlein , and without them, there wouldn't be [George] Lucas, [Steven] Spielberg , Ridley Scott or me". Alita: Battle Angel

10064-442: The comic book publishing industry. This model allows the company to pull poorly performing series while also retaining the ability to reprint past works without intense scrutiny. In 2006, The New York Times reported that "Dark Horse pays by the story or the page, and shares profit generated by comic books and related merchandise. That is different from the standard work-for-hire arrangement at DC and Marvel: creators are paid for

10200-548: The comics industry. Dark Horse is currently the largest privately owned comics company in North America. Along with his other activities, Richardson continues to write comics. In 2014, his collaboration with Stan Sakai , 47 Ronin , was placed on the American Libraries Teen Reading List. Early on, Dark Horse Comics received attention from the film industry, with producers and studios attempting to option

10336-497: The company decided to expand their business relationship with the legendary publishing company because they both wanted to improve comic book accessibility worldwide, and address fans concerns over high distribution fees with Diamond Comics, Inc. From 1993 to 1996, Dark Horse published a line of superhero comics under the Comics' Greatest World imprint, which was later renamed Dark Horse Heroes. After 1996, publication of this line came to

10472-431: The company would be the 10th operative division in the company. Multiple news outlets highlighted that this deal gives Embracer Group access to Dark Horse's "300-plus pieces of intellectual property". This deal also grants Dark Horse access to additional intellectual property maintained by Embracer; "sources close to the publisher say that founder and CEO Mike Richardson maintains creative control over Dark Horse under

10608-400: The conflicts between intelligent machines and humanity or nature , dangers of corporate greed, strong female characters, and a romance subplot. Cameron has further stated in an interview with The Talks, "All my movies are love stories". Both Titanic and Avatar are noted for featuring star-crossed lovers . Characters suffering from emotionally intense and dramatic environments in

10744-408: The country having an opportunity to demonstrate to the international film industry how to safely return to work. Doing so with Avatar [sequels] will be a beacon that, when this is over [ COVID-19 pandemic ], will attract more production to New Zealand and continue to stimulate the screen industry and the economy for years." Cameron is an atheist ; he formerly associated himself with agnosticism ,

10880-461: The design for Android (1982). Cameron was hired as the special effects director for the sequel to Piranha (1978), titled Piranha II: The Spawning in 1982. The original director, Miller Drake, left the project due to creative differences with producer Ovidio Assonitis . Shot in Rome, Italy, and on Grand Cayman Island, the film gave Cameron the opportunity to become director for a major film for

11016-542: The film earned a fair $ 108 million at the worldwide box office. Cameron re-investigated the sinking of RMS Titanic with eight experts in a 2012 TV documentary special, Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron , which premiered on April 8 on the National Geographic channel. In the feature, the experts revised the CGI animation of the sinking conceived in 1995. In March 2010, Cameron announced that Titanic will be converted and re-released in 3D to commemorate

11152-479: The film in any way. Nor did it motivate people to work faster or better". Harris later said: "I like Jim. He's an incredibly talented, intelligent guy", adding that "it was always good to see him" in later years. Speaking of her experience on Titanic , Kate Winslet said that she admired Cameron, but "there were times I was genuinely frightened of him". Describing him as having "a temper like you wouldn't believe", she had said she would not work with him again unless it

11288-610: The film rights to the Taylor Stevens novel The Informationist , a thriller set in Africa with Cameron planning to direct. In 2010, he indicated he would adapt the Charles R. Pellegrino book The Last Train from Hiroshima , which is about the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki . Cameron met with survivor Tsutomu Yamaguchi before his death in 2010. In 2024, Deadline Hollywood confirmed that Cameron had purchased

11424-443: The film starred Rosa Salazar , Christoph Waltz , Jennifer Connelly , Mahershala Ali , Ed Skrein , Jackie Earle Haley and Keean Johnson . The film premiered on January 31, 2019, to generally positive reviews and $ 404 million (equivalent to $ 474,900,000 in 2023) at the worldwide box office. In her review, Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com called it "an awe-inspiring jump for [Rodriguez]" and "a visual bonanza", despite

11560-501: The filming of water scenes which were mentally and physically exhausting. Upon the film's release, The Abyss was praised for its special effects, and earned $ 90 million at the worldwide box office. The Abyss received four Academy Award nominations, and won Best Visual Effects. In 1990, Cameron co-founded the firm Lightstorm Entertainment with partner Lawrence Kasanoff . In 1991, Cameron served as executive producer for Point Break (1991), directed by Kathryn Bigelow . After

11696-440: The first time. Cameron later said that it did not feel like his first film due to power-struggles with Assonitis. Upon release of Piranha II: The Spawning , critics were not impressed; author Tim Healey called it "a marvellously bad movie which splices clichés from every conceivable source". In 1982, inspired by John Carpenter 's horror film Halloween (1978), as well as a nightmare about an invincible robot hit-man sent from

11832-519: The first to accomplish the trip alone. During his dive to the Challenger Deep, he discovered new species of sea cucumber , squid worm and a giant single-celled amoeba . He was preceded by unmanned dives in 1995 and 2009 , as well as by Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh , the first men to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench aboard the bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960. In the aftermath of

11968-406: The future to assassinate him, Cameron wrote the script for The Terminator (1984), a sci-fi action film about a cyborg sent from the future to carry out a lethal mission. Cameron wanted to sell the script so that he could direct the film. Whilst some film studios expressed interest in the project, many executives were unwilling to let a new and unfamiliar director make the film. Gale Anne Hurd ,

12104-469: The highest earner in Hollywood. As of 2022, Avatar and Titanic hold the achievement for being the first two of the six films in history to gross over $ 2 billion worldwide. As with Titanic , Landau would greatly assist Cameron as the co-producer of the Avatar films as well. In 2011, Cameron served as an executive producer for Sanctum , a disaster-survival film about a cave diving expedition which turns deadly. Although receiving mixed reviews,

12240-576: The honorary degree of doctor of the university in July 2004. Cameron accepted the award at the National Oceanography Centre . In 2008, Cameron received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame and a year later, received the 2,396th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . On February 28, 2010, Cameron was honored with a Visual Effects Society (VES) Lifetime Achievement Award. In June 2012, Cameron was inducted to The Science Fiction Hall of Fame at

12376-455: The imprint Legends and as part of their focus on creators, the publisher began working with Mike Mignola . In 1994, Mignola's character Hellboy first appeared in Hellboy: Seed of Destruction the beginning of several limited and mini series with crossovers that included Batman of DC Comics . 1994 saw the release of the monthly manga mini series, Oh My Goddess! The licensing to

12512-792: The inaugural Ray Bradbury Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1992 for Terminator 2: Judgment Day . In recognition of "a distinguished career as a Canadian filmmaker", Carleton University awarded Cameron the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts on June 13, 1998. Cameron received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1998, presented by Awards Council member George Lucas . He also received an honorary doctorate in 1998 from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, for his accomplishments in

12648-460: The industry’s earliest days. He began envisioning a comics publishing company that offered intellectual property rights to comics creators. Dark Horse Comics was born, and with the help of Richardson's friend and writer Randy Stradley , released its first publication, Dark Horse Presents #1, in July 1986. Richardson paid 100% of the book’s profits to the creators featured in the book. Hoping to sell 10,000 copies in order to break even, DHP #1 topped

12784-455: The international film industry. In 1998, Cameron attended a convocation to receive an honorary degree from Ryerson University , Toronto. The university awards its highest honor to those who have made extraordinary contributions in Canada or internationally. A year later, Cameron received the honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton . He accepted the degree at

12920-470: The latter's death. Cameron had a strong interest in visiting the space stations Mir and International Space Station (ISS). He spent the summer of 2000 in Moscow getting ready for a potential trip to space, and was offered an opportunity to go by NASA. However, the trip did not include a visit to the space station, so he declined the offer as it did not align with his terms. The shuttle flight he turned down

13056-508: The licensing rights for producing Star Wars comics between 1991 and 2015. In December 2021, Bloomberg reported Dark Horse Comics for sale to a Hollywood studio. Companies rumored as potential buyers include Netflix , and The Walt Disney Company but a representative couldn't comment. However, later in the month, Embracer Group (a video game holding company ) announced that it launched its acquisition of Dark Horse Media, including Dark Horse Comics and Dark Horse Entertainment, and that

13192-580: The longest-running Japanese manga titles in the country. In 1988, Dark Horse introduced a series based on the James Cameron film Aliens . Breaking from comic tradition, the series was presented as a direct sequel, continuing the adventures of the film's main characters and related directly to the film’s plot. This approach was repeated by Dark Horse in subsequent series based on films such as Terminator , Predator , Star Wars , and Aliens vs. Predator . This approach to film properties has become standard in

13328-611: The market", DC "had 32.9 percent" and Dark Horse had "5.6 percent". In 2007, Dark Horse donated copies of all of its published works to the Portland State University Library, which maintains both a browsing collection of book titles, in addition to a research collection which also includes every "print, poster, statue, figure, and all other products." As of July 15, 2016, the library has cataloged over 10,000 titles as "the official archive of Dark Horse publications". In 2011, Dark Horse Presents relaunched including

13464-801: The most expensive films to be produced, costing at least $ 94 million ($ 210 million in 2023 ). Despite the challenging use of computer-generated imagery (CGI), the film was completed on time and released on July 3, 1991. Terminator 2 broke box office records (including the opening weekend record for an R-rated film), earning over $ 200 million in North America and being the first to earn over $ 300 million worldwide (respectively over $ 447 million and $ 671 million in 2023 ). It won four Academy Awards: Best Makeup , Best Sound Mixing , Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects. It also received nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing , but lost both to political thriller JFK (1991). In subsequent years, Cameron planned to do

13600-405: The on-line TFAW retail site led to a decision to limit expansion plans and, reduce the number of brick-and-mortar locations, in favour of increased emphasis toward online sales. Richardson frequently hosted writers and artists at signings in his retail stores. He repeatedly heard these creators complain that they did not own or control the characters they created, a general practice continued from

13736-474: The opportunity for theaters to install 3D projectors. Avatar broke several box office records during its initial theatrical run. It grossed $ 749.7 million in the United States and Canada and more than $ 2.74 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time in the United States and Canada , surpassing Titanic . It was the first film to earn more than $ 2 billion worldwide. Avatar

13872-479: The order in February 2006. Although Cameron had written an 80-page treatment for Avatar in 1995, Cameron stated that he wanted the necessary technology to improve before starting production. Avatar , with the story line set in the mid-22nd century, had an estimated budget in excess of $ 300 million. The cast includes Sam Worthington , Zoe Saldana , Stephen Lang , Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver . It

14008-548: The popular video-game franchise Mass Effect . Dark Horse, working with Big Tent Entertainment and the NHK broadcasting corporation , brought Domo-kun to the United States with a series of products ranging from Qee figurines to journals and stationery sets. David Scroggy was Vice President of Product Development at Dark Horse for many years, starting in that department in 1993 and retiring in 2017. In 2013, Denis Kitchen and John Lind co-founded Kitchen Sink Books with Dark Horse as

14144-462: The presidential election. Cameron resided in the United States, but after filming Avatar in New Zealand, Cameron bought a home and a farm there in 2012. He divided his time between Malibu, California and New Zealand until 2020, after which he sold his Malibu home and decided to live in New Zealand permanently. He said in August 2020: "I plan to make all my future films in New Zealand, and I see

14280-485: The project "due to his secular nature." Cameron had also planned to make a film about Spider-Man , a project developed by Menahem Golan of Cannon Films . Columbia hired David Koepp to adapt Cameron's ideas into a screenplay, but due to various disagreements, Cameron abandoned the project. In 2002, Spider-Man was released with the screenplay credited solely to Koepp. In 2000, Cameron made his debut in television and co-created Dark Angel with Charles H. Eglee ,

14416-433: The publisher's titles. From the beginning, Richardson's goal was to keep Dark Horse and its creators as involved in the development of its titles for entertainment as possible. It quickly became apparent that the only way to assure involvement was to act as a producer on those projects. In 1989, Richardson met producer Larry Gordon, who had heard about the company through his creative executive, Lloyd Levin . Gordon offered him

14552-525: The record for most wins with 1959's Ben-Hur , and 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King , including: Best Picture , Best Director , Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design , Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Score and Best Original Song . Upon receiving Best Picture, Cameron and producer Jon Landau asked for

14688-494: The release of the beta version of a native Android app in 2012. Any device with a modern web browser can be used to read Dark Horse comics at their web store. Initiated in 1998, Dark Horse Deluxe rolled out a line of merchandise that included model kits, toys, apparel, and collectibles. Its original purpose was to draw on Dark Horse properties but expanded to include such collectibles as Tim Burton 's Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys , Joss Whedon 's Serenity , and merchandise for

14824-612: The return of Paul Chadwick's Concrete and Steve Niles ' Criminal Macabre , as well as new talent including Sanford Greene, Carla Speed McNeil , Nate Crosby and others. Starting in 2013, Dark Horse began to reprint E. C. Archives , picking up the project of reprinting classic E. C. Comics from the 1950s where Gladstone left off, using the same size and format as Gladstone, with all stories reprinted in order and in full color. In early 2017, Dark Horse Comic entered partnership with Crypton Future Media to publish official English-language Hatsune Miku -related manga. In late summer of 2018,

14960-530: The rights of not only The Last Train from Hiroshima , but also of Pellegrino's forthcoming Ghosts of Hiroshima , to make a "uncompromising theatrical epic motion picture" titled Last Train From Hiroshima about a Japanese man who survives Hiroshima's bombing at the height of World War II only to then take a train to Nagasaki's bombing, which he will shoot as soon as the Avatar sequels' production permits. Feeling that he and Pellegrino owe Yamaguchi for handing

15096-609: The sea wilderness are explored in The Abyss and Titanic . The Terminator series amplifies technology as an enemy which could lead to devastation of mankind. Similarly, Avatar views tribal people as an honest group, whereas a "technologically advanced imperial culture is fundamentally evil". A danger for nuclear war, as featured in The Terminator , Terminator 2: Judgement Day and in his forthcoming Last Train From Hiroshima film, has been one of Cameron's fears since he watched

15232-428: The shot, but he doesn't mind risking his own". In 2015, Weaver and Jamie Lee Curtis both applauded Cameron in an interview. Curtis remarked: "He can do every other job [than acting]. I'm talking about every single department, from art direction to props to wardrobe to cameras, he knows more than everyone doing the job". Curtis also said Cameron "loves actors", while Weaver referred to Cameron as "so generous to actors" and

15368-402: The success of The Terminator , there were discussions for a sequel, and by the late 1980s, Mario Kassar of Carolco Pictures secured the rights to the sequel, allowing Cameron to begin production of the film, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr. , Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton reprise their roles. The story follows on from Terminator , depicting

15504-546: The terms of the deal, while the company receives a level of financial stability it hasn't previously enjoyed as an independent entity, even as it separates from its deal with Chinese pop culture company Vanguard Visionary Associates". The Hollywood Reporter commented that for the Embracer Group this deal was "not just an opportunity to expand properties into comics, but other media. Dark Horse's ongoing relationship with media companies through current and future adaptations and

15640-485: The terror may strike at any moment". In 2008, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry , being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 1984, Cameron was hired to write a sequel to First Blood ; it was rewritten by Sylvester Stallone and released as Rambo: First Blood Part II . Cameron was then hired to write and direct

15776-695: The time it was the most expensive film ever made . Starting in 1995, Cameron took several dives to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean to capture footage of the wreck , which would later be used in the film. A replica of the ship was built in Rosarito Beach and principal photography began in September 1996. Titanic made headlines before its release, for being over-budget and exceeding its schedule. Cameron's completed screenplay depicts two star-crossed lovers, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet , from different social classes who fall in love amid

15912-854: The university's summer annual commencement exercise. Cameron's work has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ; as one of the few directors to have won three Academy Awards in a single year. For Titanic , he won Best Director, Best Picture (shared with Jon Landau) and Best Film Editing (shared with Conrad Buff and Richard A. Harris ). In 2009, he was nominated for awards in Best Film Editing (shared with John Refoua and Stephen E. Rivkin , Best Director and Best Picture for Avatar. Cameron has won two Golden Globes: Best Director for Titanic and Avatar . In recognition of his contributions to underwater filming and remote vehicle technology, University of Southampton awarded Cameron

16048-424: The unpopular limited series, Tarzan , was purchased by Dark Horse Comics in 1995 and ended in 1998. Ghost , from Comics' Greatest World , began running as a solo title in 1995, but ended in 1998 and was subsequently launched once more the same year. Eisner Award winning Usagi Yojimbo , written and drawn by third generation Japanese-American artist, Stan Sakai debuted in Dark Horse Comics in 1996 as

16184-464: Was "for a lot of money". Despite this, Winslet and Cameron still looked for future projects, and Winslet was eventually cast in Avatar 2 . Her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio told Esquire : "When somebody felt a different way on the set, there was a confrontation. He lets you know exactly how he feels", but complimented Cameron, "he's of the lineage of John Ford . He knows what he wants his film to be." Sam Worthington, who starred in Avatar , said that if

16320-447: Was a box office success, generating over $ 130 million worldwide. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1987; Best Actress , Best Art Direction , Best Film Editing , Best Original Score and Best Sound . It won awards for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects . In addition, Weaver and the film made the cover of Time in July 1986. After Aliens , Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd decided to make The Abyss ,

16456-420: Was an imprint for creator-owned material. The DH Press imprint publishes novelizations of Dark Horse's more popular comic book titles, including Aliens and Predator . DH Press has now been absorbed by DH Books. Publications ranging from novels to film books by Leonard Maltin about John Landis , to comic related material such as a biography of Will Eisner , to health books. They have also published

16592-582: Was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Canada by Governor General Julie Payette , giving him the Post Nominal Letters "CC" for life. In 2020, Cameron was the subject of the second season of the Epicleff Media dramatic podcast Blockbuster . The audio drama, created and narrated by Emmy Award -winning journalist and filmmaker Matt Schrader , chronicles Cameron's life and career (leading up to

16728-440: Was born in 1993. Cameron married Hamilton in 1997. Amid speculation of an affair between Cameron and actress Suzy Amis , Cameron and Hamilton separated after two years of marriage, with Hamilton receiving a settlement of $ 50 million. He married Amis, his fifth wife, in 2000. They have one son and two daughters together. Cameron applied for American citizenship in 2004, but withdrew his application after George W. Bush won

16864-576: Was broadcast on Discovery Channel on March 4, 2007; the documentary was controversial for arguing that the Talpiot Tomb was the burial place of Jesus of Nazareth. By the mid-2000s, Cameron returned to directing and producing another mainstream film since Titanic . Cameron had displayed interest in making Avatar (2009) and Alita: Battle Angel (2019) as early as June 2005, with both films to be shot using 3D technology. He wanted to make Alita: Battle Angel first, followed by Avatar , but switched

17000-577: Was chosen off a list of twenty suggestions he submitted to the State of Oregon when applying for a DBA registration. The store opened for business on January 1, 1980. After a name change to Things From Another World in 1993, the original store grew into a chain with as many as eleven locations in three states, including Universal Studio’s CityWalk in Los Angeles and Sony’s Metreon in San Francisco . The success of

17136-554: Was composed with a mix of live-action footage and computer-generated animation, using an advanced version of the performance capture technique, previously used by director Robert Zemeckis in The Polar Express . Cameron intended Avatar to be 3D-only but decided to adapt it for conventional viewing as well. Intended for release in May 2009, Avatar premiered on December 18, 2009. This delay allowed more time for post-production and

17272-408: Was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon , comic book shops known as Pegasus Books and founded in 1980. Dark Horse Comics has emerged as the fourth largest comic publishing company in the United States of America. Dividing profits with artists and writers , as well as supporting artistic and creative rights in the comic book industry, Dark Horse Comics has become

17408-410: Was critically and financially unsuccessful. In 1996, Cameron reunited with the cast of Terminator 2 to film T2 3-D: Battle Across Time , an attraction at Universal Studios Florida , and in other parks around the world. His next major project was Titanic (1997), an epic about RMS  Titanic , which sank in 1912 after striking an iceberg. With a production budget of $ 200 million, at

17544-429: Was finally released in 2019, after being in parallel development with Avatar . Written by Cameron and friend Jon Landau, the film was directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by Cameron. The film is based on a 1990s Japanese manga series Battle Angel Alita , depicting a cyborg who cannot remember anything of her past life and tries to uncover the truth. Produced with similar techniques and technology as in Avatar,

17680-495: Was married to Sharon Williams from 1978 to 1984. A year after he and Williams divorced, Cameron married film producer Gale Anne Hurd , a close collaborator for his 1980s films. They divorced in 1989. Soon after separating from Hurd, Cameron met the director Kathryn Bigelow , whom he wed in 1989; they divorced in 1991. Cameron then began a relationship with Linda Hamilton , the lead actress in The Terminator series. Their daughter

17816-505: Was more suitable as the cyborg villain due to his bodybuilder appearance. Henriksen was given a smaller role instead. Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton also joined the cast. The Terminator was a box office success, exceeding expectations set by Orion Pictures , and earning over $ 78 million worldwide. George Perry of the BBC praised Cameron's direction, writing "Cameron laces the action with ironic jokes, but never lets up on hinting that

17952-568: Was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won three: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. In July 2010, an extended theatrical re-release generated an additional $ 33.2 million worldwide (equivalent to $ 45,300,000 in 2023) at the box office. In his mixed review, Sukhdev Sandhu of The Telegraph complimented the 3D, but opined that Cameron "should have been more brutal in his editing". That year, Vanity Fair reported that Cameron's earnings were US$ 257 million, making him

18088-665: Was not a sportsman but instead enjoyed building things that "either went up into the air or into the deep". After high school, Cameron enrolled at Fullerton College , a community college in 1973 to study physics. He switched subjects to English, but left the college at the end of 1974. Cameron worked odd jobs, including as a truck driver and a high school janitor. He drank beer, frequently consumed cannabis and LSD , and wrote in his free time. During this period, he learned about special effects by reading other students' work on " optical printing , or front screen projection , or dye transfers , anything that related to film technology " at

18224-428: Was severing ties with writer and editor Scott Allie "after a former Dark Horse employee accused him of sexual harassment and sexual assault across a period lasting more than a decade." It was reported that in 2015, "after reports of multiple instances of sexual misconduct" by Allie: Dark Horse Comics founder Mike Richardson released a statement to The Beat , which in part read, "In this particular case, action

18360-439: Was taken immediately, though we did not, and cannot, perform a public flogging, as some might wish." Although Richardson said action had been taken, Allie continued as an editor for Dark Horse, transitioning from editor-in-chief to the role of executive senior editor in 2015, before departing Dark Horse as a full-time employee in 2017, continuing to work with them [until 2020] in a freelance capacity. In June 2021, Dark Horse opened

18496-429: Was the tragic 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster . Cameron attended the memorial service for the victims of the disaster. In June 2013, British artist Roger Dean filed a copyright complaint against Cameron, seeking damages of $ 50 million (equivalent to $ 64,500,000 in 2023). Relating to Avatar , Cameron was accused of "wilful and deliberate copying, dissemination and exploitation" of Dean's original images;

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