A total heart of the Eclipse - comics that is

Still working on the posts in - between the SWAMP THING MONTH posts I have hit a bit of a snag which at the same time led me down a rabbit hole that led to more possible posts. And since I always try ( but not always succeed ) to keep posts balanced between the two big comicbook publishing companies Marvel Comics - or rather Disney now - DC Comics - or rather Warner Bros now - and the rest of the independent comicbook publishers Today we are going to take a look at one of these companies from the late 80s that produced a rather eclectic mix : Eclipse Comics.

Founded by brothers Jan and Dean Mullaney in April of1977 it not only published the first graphic solely novel intended for the newly created comicbook speciality market SABRE : SLOW FADE OF AN ENDANGERED SPECIES by Don McGregor and Paul Gulacy it was also the first comicbook publishing company to offer royalties and creator ownership of rights.

Now I have never claimed to be the most knowledgeable comicbook historian so you can find a more complete history of Eclipse Comics on wikipedia but being a comicbook reader during the 80s and 90s instead of just somebody who has read about that time period in comicbook magazines I can tell you that I definitely was aware of Eclipse Comics.

While I didn't religiously read their entire output - not because of the quality but because I didn't do that with any comicbook company out there since I didn't have an exactly generous allowance - there are some comic series I was aware of but didn't read like the already mentioned SABRE, SCOUT, MR. MONSTER, MS. Tree, COYOTE, STEWART THE RAT, ADOLESCENT RADIOACTIVE BLACK BELT HAMSTERS, SOMERSET HOLMES, ZOT, Jack Kirby's DESTROYER DUCK, Alan Moore and John Totleben's MIRACLEMAN ( so we have a connection to SWAMP THING ) and others I read like Jim Starlin's DREADSTAR : THE PRIZE, Don McGregor and Gene Colan's RAGAMUFFINS and DETECTIVES INC ( although it took me decades to track them down which makes it all the more tragic that I had to sell them - together with most of my extensive Gene Colan library ), Mike Grell's JAMES BOND : PERMISSION TO DIE ( which also was not that easy to get ), Dave Steven's ROCKETEER, Kurt Busiek and James Fry III LIBERTY PROJECT, Masamune Shirow's APPLESEED, Adam Warren's DIRTY PAIR ( of which I had a signed and numbered copy of the graphic novel hardcover ), TWISTED TALES or DNAGENTS which were even published in Germany.

nothing to do with eclipso