MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2009
DISNEY TO ACQUIRE MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT
The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced on Monday.
For a video from Robert Iger, president and chief executive officer of Disney, discussing the deal, CLICK HERE.
Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney on Friday, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. At closing, the amount of cash and stock will be adjusted if necessary so that the total value of the Disney stock issued as merger consideration based on its trading value at that time is not less than 40 percent of the total merger consideration.
Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion.
Marvel's stock rose some 25 percent by noon (ET).
"Disney's creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories," said Robert Iger, president and chief executive officer of Disney. "Ike Perlmutter (Marvel's CEO) and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney."
"We believe that adding Marvel to Disney's unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation," Iger said.
Perlmutter will continue to oversee Marvel, which will not be changing its name.
"Disney is the perfect home for Marvel's fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses," said Perlmutter. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world."
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel, including its more than 5,000 characters. Perlmutter will work directly with Disney's global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel's properties.
DISNEY TO ACQUIRE MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT: CONFERENCE CALL
Characterizing Disney's upcoming acquistion of Marvel as a "win-win," Disney's Robert Iger and Tom Staggs fielded questions from the media during a Monday morning conference call.
For highlights from the call, CLICK HERE.
DISNEY TO ACQUIRE MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT: REACTION
The Continuum has reached out to the comics community -- and beyond -- for reaction of Disney's upcoming acquistion of Marvel.
For responses, which will be updated throughout the day, CLICK HERE.
DC COMICS FIRST LOOKS
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For five- to seven-page previews of upcoming DC Comics titles, CLICK HERE.
Titles include Planetary #27, Supergirl Annual #1 and Justice League: Cry for Justice #3.
For previews of Marvel Comics titles arriving in stores on Sept. 2, CLICK HERE.
For previews of Archie Comics titles arriving in stores on Sept. 2, CLICK HERE.
For previews of Image Comics titles arriving in stores on Sept. 2, CLICK HERE.
For previews of BOOM! Studios titles arriving in stores on Sept. 2, CLICK HERE.
For previews of Dark Horse Comics titles arriving in stores on Sept. 2, CLICK HERE.
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT FIRST LOOKS
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For covers and five- to 12-page previews of Dynamite Entertainment titles arriving in stores on Sept. 2, CLICK HERE.
Titles include The Boys #34, Army of Darkness #24, Dead Irons HC, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly #3 and Thulsa Doom #1.
TORONTO FAN EXPO: MARVEL COMICS
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Marvel Comics unveiled new projects at its panels at Fan Expo in Toronto over the weekend.
For highlights, and more than a dozen additional images (including new imagery released on Monday), CLICK HERE.
NOVEMBER SOLICITATIONS ROUNDUP
For previously posted November solicitations, click on the publishers' names below:
* Antarctic Press.
* Arcana Studio.
* Archaia Comics.
* Archie Comics.
* Aspen Comics.
* Avatar Press.
* Bongo Comics.
* Bluewater Productions.
* BOOM! Studios.
* Dark Horse Comics.
* DC Comics.
* Devil's Due Publishing.
* Dynamite Entertainment.
* IDW Publishing.
* Image Comics.
* Moonstone Books.
* Marvel Comics.
* Oni Press.
BRIEFLY
* Colbie Caiilat, who appears in Veronica #196, arriving in stores on Wednesday from Archie Comics, appeared on NBC's The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on Friday. In addition to the comic, she is promoting her new CD.
Click on the thumbnail for a larger and fuller image.
* Whiteout star Kate Beckinsale will be a guest on NBC's The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
* The Black Panther animated series was not part of BET's fall line-up announced on Monday.
* G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra placed fifth at the box office over the weekend with $8.0 million, pushing its total to $132.4 million.
COMICS CONTINUUM BACK ISSUES
If you missed The Continuum's coverage over the past month, following are links. Click on the date to get the day's full report.
* Tuesday, August 25: Whiteout movie gallery, Bongo Comics for November, Avatar Press for November, Zenescope Entertainment for November, Red 5 Comics for November, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Deadpool #900 and BOOM! Studios First Looks.
* Monday, August 24: Family Guy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Marvel's The Super Hero Squad Show, Archie Comics for November, Dark Horse Comics First Looks, DC Comics First Looks, Dynamite Entertainment First Looks and Archaia Comics First Looks.
* Sunday, August 23: Family Guy and The Simpsons season premieres, BOOM! Studios First Looks and Radical Publishing First Looks.
* Saturday, August 22: Dynamite Entertainment for November, Top Cow Productions for November and Dollhouse.
* Friday, August 21: IDW Publishing for November, Marvel Comics First Looks, BOOM! Studios First Looks, Wolverine and the X-Men and Iron Man: Armored Adventures.
* Thursday, August 20: Aspen Comics for November, Moonstone Books First Looks, Top Cow Productions First Looks and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
* Wednesday, August 19: Image Comics for November, Hero Intiative's Wolverine Project, James Marsters' Caprica, Bluewater Productions First Looks and Archie Comics First Looks.
* Tuesday, August 18: Marvel Comics for November, Marvel's The Super Hero Squad Show, Image Comics First Looks, DC Comics First Looks and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies' John C. McGinley.
* Monday, August 17: DC Comics for November, Kick-Ass movie at Lionsgate, Spider-Man, Marvel Comics First Looks, DC Comics First Looks, Archaia Comics First Looks and UDON Entertainment First Looks.
* Sunday, August 16: Radical Publishing for November and The Surrogates.
* Saturday, August 15: IDW Publishing First Looks and BOOM! Studios First Looks.
* Friday, August 14: Marvel Comics First Looks, DC Comics First Looks, Iron Man: Armored Adventures and Wolverine and the X-Men.
* Thursday, August 13: Marvel's The Super Hero Squad Show, Moonstone Books for December, Archie writer Michael Uslan, Red 5 Comics First Looks and Top Cow Productions First Looks.
* Wednesday, August 12: Heroes, The Darkness, Marvel Comics First Looks, Archie Comics First Looks, Bluewater Productions First Looks and Dark Horse Comics First Looks.
* Tuesday, August 11: Dark Horse Comics for November, Heroes, The Simpsons, Marvel Comics First Looks, Archaia Comics First Looks and DC Comics First Looks.
* Monday, August 10: IDW Publishing First Looks, Marvel Comics First Looks, DC Comics First Looks, Teen Choice winners and X-Men panel at Chicaco Comic-Con.
* Sunday, August 9: IDW Publishing for October.
* Saturday, August 8: From Chicago Comic-Con -- Mondo Marvel, Aspen Comics and Mark Millar.
* Friday, August 7: Marvel Comics Ultimate panel at Chicago Comic-Con, Marvel Comics First Looks, DC Comics First Looks, BOOM! Studios First Looks and Losers movie.
* Thursday, August 6: Bluewater Productions for November and Dark Horse Comics First Looks.
* Wednesday, August 5: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Wolverine and the X-Men, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Archie Comics First Looks, Top Cow Productions First Looks, Marvel Comics roundup and Radical Publishing's Oblivion.
* Tuesday, August 4: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, DC Comics roundup, Top Cow Productions for October, Archie Comics' Pureheart and Archaia Comics.
* Monday, August 3: Female Force: Stephenie Meyer, Smallivlle, Dynamite Entertainment First Looks, DC Comics First Looks, Marvel Comics First Looks and Bluewatr Productions First Looks.
* Sunday, August 2: Human Target's Mark Valley, The Spectacular Spider-Man and Locke & Key's Joe Hill.
* Saturday, August 1: Smallville's Callum Blue, Iron Man 2's Jon Favreau, Dark Horse Comics First Looks and G.I. Joe's Larry Hama.
Copyright © 2009, The Comics Continuum