A New Classic Media?

[VHMMV]

http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/11966.html

$200 Million for New Content Company
Boomerang Media

January 23, 2008

Private equity firm GCTR has announced that it will provide up to $200 million to finance Boomerang Media, a new company formed to acquire, manage, and exploit entertainment intellectual property. Boomerang Media will be run by Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman, who previously ran Classic Media and Broadway Video Entertainment. Ellenbogen was also CEO of Marvel for a time in the 90s.

According to the announcement, management's strategy is to build the company "into a leading franchise for iconic, branded entertainment assets."

GTCR will provide the financing from its GTCR Fund IX, LP, which has $2.75 billion of committed capital.

[cinlach@aol.com]

holy crap...this could be exceptionally good news.

[400yrs]

holy crap...this could be exceptionally good news.

huh?

[cinlach@aol.com]

if this new version of classic media is looking to market "iconic, branded entertainment assets" and they hold the keys to characters like solar, magnus, and turok then it mean that at least they seem to be willing to do something with these properties.

with the turok game and dvd already out, can alternate forms of use be far behind?

it sounds like the new classic media is looking to do what we've all wanted them to do, loosen the reins on the characters that are the virtual backbone of the valiant universe.

vei settles with vip, the turok game and dvd come out, now classic media rebrands itself and starts talking about their plans for their properties...circumstantially there seems to be a lot of activity in the old valiant stomping grounds.

[Cyberstrike]

if this new version of classic media is looking to market "iconic, branded entertainment assets" and they hold the keys to characters like solar, magnus, and turok then it mean that at least they seem to be willing to do something with these properties.

with the turok game and dvd already out, can alternate forms of use be far behind?

it sounds like the new classic media is looking to do what we've all wanted them to do, loosen the reins on the characters that are the virtual backbone of the valiant universe.

vei settles with vip, the turok game and dvd come out, now classic media rebrands itself and starts talking about their plans for their properties...circumstantially there seems to be a lot of activity in the old valiant stomping grounds.

Also there is a chance for both the Defiant Universe and Broadway Universe to come back from the dead as well.

[ManofTheAtom]

if this new version of classic media is looking to market "iconic, branded entertainment assets" and they hold the keys to characters like solar, magnus, and turok then it mean that at least they seem to be willing to do something with these properties.

with the turok game and dvd already out, can alternate forms of use be far behind?

it sounds like the new classic media is looking to do what we've all wanted them to do, loosen the reins on the characters that are the virtual backbone of the valiant universe.

vei settles with vip, the turok game and dvd come out, now classic media rebrands itself and starts talking about their plans for their properties...circumstantially there seems to be a lot of activity in the old valiant stomping grounds.

Also there is a chance for both the Defiant Universe and Broadway Universe to come back from the dead as well.

Shooter said that Fatale (and some other Broadway concepts) were originally planned for the VALIANT Universe.

I'd really like to see Fatale and Cor as part of the VALIANT Universe.

[StarBrand]

if this new version of classic media is looking to market "iconic, branded entertainment assets" and they hold the keys to characters like solar, magnus, and turok then it mean that at least they seem to be willing to do something with these properties.

with the turok game and dvd already out, can alternate forms of use be far behind?

it sounds like the new classic media is looking to do what we've all wanted them to do, loosen the reins on the characters that are the virtual backbone of the valiant universe.

vei settles with vip, the turok game and dvd come out, now classic media rebrands itself and starts talking about their plans for their properties...circumstantially there seems to be a lot of activity in the old valiant stomping grounds.

Also there is a chance for both the Defiant Universe and Broadway Universe to come back from the dead as well.

Shooter said that Fatale (and some other Broadway concepts) were originally planned for the VALIANT Universe.

I'd really like to see Fatale and Cor as part of the VALIANT Universe.

It would, indeed, boggle one's mind to see Fatale and Cor as part of the Valiant Universe.

[ManofTheAtom]

if this new version of classic media is looking to market "iconic, branded entertainment assets" and they hold the keys to characters like solar, magnus, and turok then it mean that at least they seem to be willing to do something with these properties.

with the turok game and dvd already out, can alternate forms of use be far behind?

it sounds like the new classic media is looking to do what we've all wanted them to do, loosen the reins on the characters that are the virtual backbone of the valiant universe.

vei settles with vip, the turok game and dvd come out, now classic media rebrands itself and starts talking about their plans for their properties...circumstantially there seems to be a lot of activity in the old valiant stomping grounds.

Also there is a chance for both the Defiant Universe and Broadway Universe to come back from the dead as well.

Shooter said that Fatale (and some other Broadway concepts) were originally planned for the VALIANT Universe.

I'd really like to see Fatale and Cor as part of the VALIANT Universe.

It would, indeed, boggle one's mind to see Fatale and Cor as part of the Valiant Universe.

Fatale could be a major player in the VU.

[Cyberstrike]

I could seen how both the Defiant and Broadway Universes could be merged. I don't know see how they would blend with Valiant very well.

[myron]

I could seen how both the Defiant and Broadway Universes could be merged. I don't know see how they would blend with Valiant very well.

certain aspects/characters of each would go well, but then other parts not at all...maybe even a little counter productive.

[etos45]

I wouldn't mind seeing the return of Plasm. Is there any ground to statement that Defiant might come back or is this just one of those "it'd be cool if..." kind of things?

Am I to guess that Classic Media is affiliated with Gold Key somehow? Or maybe they're the current owners of Solar, Magnus, and Turok?

[Daniel Jackson]

I wouldn't mind seeing the return of Plasm. Is there any ground to statement that Defiant might come back or is this just one of those "it'd be cool if..." kind of things?

Am I to guess that Classic Media is affiliated with Gold Key somehow? Or maybe they're the current owners of Solar, Magnus, and Turok?

Yeah, from what I understand, Classic owns the rights to the Gold Key characters.

[Dr. Solar]

I just had flashes of a Solar movie... it was glorious.

[ManofTheAtom]

I just had flashes of a Solar movie... it was glorious.

It would have to be a Doctor Solar movie, with Fred Solar or whatever his name was fighting Nero, the guy on a plane that was on the other side of the phone.

[depluto]

Boomerang Media, a new company formed to acquire, manage, and exploit entertainment intellectual property.

That sounds so cold-blooded. I guess making a buck is the goal ... hope we see some interesting stuff out of this.

[Dr. Solar]

I just had flashes of a Solar movie... it was glorious.

It would have to be a Doctor Solar movie, with Fred Solar or whatever his name was fighting Nero, the guy on a plane that was on the other side of the phone.

No, no, it was different.

[VHMMV]

Guys,

Classic Media still exists. Classic Media still owns the licensing rights to Magnus, Solar, and Turok, among other properties. This is an announcement about a new company which is not Classic Media. Classic Media was bought in 2007 by a British company called Entertainment Rights. Obviously, Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman were either shown the door or left voluntarily and have since found investors to back a new company which will do exactly the same things which Classic Media does, only without the strong stable of properties which Classic Media has already locked up.

Looks like they've got their work cut out for them.

[VHMMV]

Am I to guess that Classic Media is affiliated with Gold Key somehow? Or maybe they're the current owners of Solar, Magnus, and Turok?

Here's how all of that works:

Western Publishing used to package comics for Dell. Long story short, they split and decided to publish their comics themselves. They put the Gold Key logo and name on their comics to link them to their Golden Books, which they also published, but there was no comic book company called Gold Key, just like there was no comic book company called Valiant (it was a comic book line published by Voyager Communications). Not only did Gold Key not exist, but Western Publishing hasn't existed for years, and before it went belly up, it had changed its name to Golden Books Family Entertainment.

In 2001, the assets of GBFE (formerly Western Publishing) were purchased in bankruptcy court by the team of Random House and Classic Media. Basically, Random House owns everything, and Classic Media licenses the former Western properties (along with other properties never owned by Western and not owned by Random House, either, such as Lassie, The Lone Ranger, Rocky and Bullwinkle, all the Harvey characters, etc.) to people who want to use them. It's hard to tell where Random House leaves off and Classic Media begins, but as a basic rule of thumb, Classic Media doesn't own anything that originally appeared on paper. That includes Solar, Turok, and Magnus. They are, however, the people that you have to go through if you want to use them, as Random House is mainly concerned with printing the non-comics Western properties, such as the Golden Books. In fact, the Golden Books were really the only reason why Random House was interested in the assests of GBFE; Solar, Turok, and Magnus were just part of the lot. Classic Media makes its money by licensing properties which it doesn't own; it is a licensing company.

For more on the sale of Golden Book Family Entertainment's assets, people should go here.

[Daniel Jackson]

Thanks for the info.

[Dr. Solar]

That looks complicated.

So... no Solar movie?

[400yrs]

Guys,

Classic Media still exists. Classic Media still owns the licensing rights to Magnus, Solar, and Turok, among other properties. This is an announcement about a new company which is not Classic Media. Classic Media was bought in 2007 by a British company called Entertainment Rights. Obviously, Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman were either shown the door or left voluntarily and have since found investors to back a new company which will do exactly the same things which Classic Media does, only without the strong stable of properties which Classic Media has already locked up.

Looks like they've got their work cut out for them.

That's what I thought.

So what is the "great news" then?

This thread wins the most confusing of the week award.

[jedimarley]

This thread wins the most confusing of the week award.

MotA lost again.

[Dr. Solar]

This thread wins the most confusing of the week award.

MotA lost again.

Won't stop him from trying

[ManofTheAtom]

So today everyone's picking on me like I was Charlie Brown.

That's ok. I don't mind being Charlie Brown, it's better than being Lucy like you guys

[jedimarley]

Peanuts-Lite?