When Mike Richardson first conceived of the notion of starting a comic book publishing company, one of his primary goals was to provide a place where some of the comics industry's most brilliant creators could publish comics they both created and owned. In 1986 this was a revolutionary concept in the world of comic publishing, and Dark Horse Comics emerged as an independent leader in the fight for creators' rights. Dark Horse has since been rewarded for this endeavor by publishing some of the best comic books ever to emerge from the industry. Titles like Hellboy, Sin City, Concrete, and Usagi Yojimbo stand as testimonials to the artistic accomplishments talented creators will produce when they're allowed creative control over work based on their own ideals and innovations, and now Dark Horse is paying tribute to the unique triumph of creator-owned comics by launching an all-new imprint created and designed just for them.

Maverick--it's a word that evokes the independent, revolutionary spirit of someone who's not willing to play games of mediocrity with the rest of the world. And it's the best word to describe the creator-owned comics Dark Horse publishes. That's why editor Diana Schutz chose it as the name of the new imprint.

"Actually, it was Frank Miller who suggested the name--and it really fits the underlying idea of the imprint," said Schutz. "Mike Richardson and I wanted to provide a distinctive place, within the larger framework that is Dark Horse Comics, for the more personal vision of creators working on their own characters and stories. The imprint provides exactly that and serves to reinforce Dark Horse's ongoing commitment to creator's rights."

Maverick is launched this July with the release of a hallmark title--Sin City: Hell and Back. Each month, Schutz promises a new creator-owned, number-one comic from Dark Horse's stable of creators, and upcoming new releases include works from Gary Gianni, Sergio Aragonés, Mike Mignola, Stan Sakai, Tony Millionaire, and Matt Wagner.

Look for the custom-designed Dark Horse Maverick listings in the Dark Horse section of the current Diamond Previews catalog, and support the Maverick spirit of creator-owned comics.