Inside the Guide: Overstreet HOF – Mike Richardson

When Mike Richardson launched Dark Horse Comics in 1986 with Dark Horse Presents #1, very few could have predicted the events of the next 26 years. Even when Concrete #1 started garnering critical acclaim (the series would eventually win 26 Eisner Awards during its run), no one really knew what an independent powerhouse Richardson was building in Milwaukie, Oregon. They soon would.

Whether acting as the creator of projects like The Mask, The Secret, Living with the Dead, and Cut, co-authoring non-fiction books such as Comics Between the Panels and Blast Off!, developing comic book-inspired films, or championing the work of other creators, he said he founded the company with the goal of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals.

Over time, creators such as Frank Miller, Geoff Darrow, Dave Gibbons, Stan Sakai, Sergio Aragonés, Arthur Adams, Harlan Ellison, Matt Wagner, Mike Allred, Mike Mignola, Mike Baron, Steve Rude, Jim Shooter, and Dave Stevens, and licensed properties such as Aliens, Predator, Conan, and most notably Star Wars have made their home at Richardson’s company with dazzling results.