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From its inception, Dark Horse Comics set itself apart as a unique and innovative publishing house.

Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, the company quickly established itself as a leader in the comic book industry. Mike's commitment to quality and his groundbreaking approach to both content and creator relationships made it a unique business.

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The Origins of Dark Horse Comics

The story of Dark Horse Comics began in 1980 when Mike Richardson opened Pegasus Books. It started out as a small comic bookstore in Bend, Oregon.

As the business expanded, more retail locations in Oregon and Washington State were added. And Pegasus was looking for quality in the content.

Driven by a desire to improve the industry, Richardson decided to start his own publishing company, using funds from his retail operations.

From the outset, Dark Horse Comics was different. Unlike other publishers of the time, Richardson treated writers and artists as partners, offering them unprecedented involvement in the publishing and marketing of their creations.

This approach quickly attracted top talent in the industry, eager to work in an environment that valued their contributions.

Launching Dark Horse Titles

Dark Horse Comics launched with two initial titles: Dark Horse Presents and Boris the Bear. 

Paul Chadwick’s Concrete, a series about a congressional speechwriter transformed into a two-thousand-pound cement creature, became an immediate success, earning twenty-six industry awards and nominations. 

Within a year, Dark Horse had added nine new titles to its roster, including The American, The Mark, Trekker, and Black Cross. This rapid expansion solidified Dark Horse’s reputation as a rising star in the comic book world.

Revolutionizing Movie-Based Comics

In 1988, Dark Horse Comics took a bold step by revolutionizing the world of movie-based comics. 

The release of the Aliens series, followed by Predator, marked a significant shift in how licensed projects were handled. While other publishers often treated these projects as secondary, Dark Horse devoted substantial resources to them, using top talent to create comics that served as sequels to popular films.

The success of this strategy was undeniable. In 1990, the launch of Star Wars further cemented Dark Horse’s dominance in the movie-based comics niche. The company's innovative approach not only met with commercial success, with sales reaching into the millions, but also established Dark Horse as the industry leader in this profitable sector. 

Today, the company continues to publish a wide range of popular titles, including Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mass Effect, Aliens, Predator, Conan, Serenity, Dollhouse, and many others.

Dark Horse Digital: A New Era in Comic Publishing

Building on its legacy of innovation, Dark Horse Comics launched its digital publishing program, Dark Horse Digital.

This groundbreaking initiative offers over 3,500 comics and books, providing readers with high-quality content at unprecedented value. Single-issue comics are available for as low as $0.99, and an extensive list of free introductory #1 issues is also offered.

Dark Horse Digital also introduces "comic bundles," grouping together story arcs that span multiple issues into affordable packages, starting at just $3.99. 

This allows readers to easily access complete narratives without breaking the bank.

One of the highlights of Dark Horse Digital is its ability to bring the excitement of the Star Wars universe to fans through titles like 2024's Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures.

Dark Horse Comics continues to push the boundaries of the comic book industry, setting new standards for quality, creativity, and accessibility.

Whether through its innovative approach to movie-based comics or its cutting-edge digital platform, Dark Horse remains a pioneer in the world of comics.

Get the App

With cloud-based technology, Dark Horse Digital ensures that purchases can be enjoyed on various devices and the Dark Horse Bookshelf App available on iTunes and Google Play.

 To get started, users simply need to create an account on the Dark Horse Comics website, giving them access to their digital collection anytime, anywhere.

Once your Dark Horse Digital account has been created, you can access your purchases from any modern web browser, including mobile-device browsers, as well as the Dark Horse iOS aps. 

If you have an iOS device, please download the app and sign in to your Dark Horse Digital account. Once you are signed in you can download your digital comics and read them anywhere while offline.

Click here and begin building your digital collection today.