Richardson founded publishing company in 1986 as offshoot of Things From Another World store
© Dark Horse Comics LLC
ReedPop’s Popverse and The Beat reported on Wednesday that after 40 years, Dark Horse Comics founder and CEO Mike Richardson is no longer with the company. The Beat posted Dark Horse Comics and its parent company Embracer Group’s statement, which explains that the company is “implementing changes to modernize the business and strengthen collaboration across publishing, games, film, merchandise, and other key areas.” Jay Komas — General Manager of Dark Horse’s owners within Embracer Group, Middle-earth Enterprises — is serving as Interim CEO.
Richardson founded Dark Horse Comics in 1986 as an offshoot of his comic book store chain Things From Another World. The company published its first manga, Godzilla, King of the Monsters, in 1987.
Dark Horse had begun laying off staff positions in February 2025. Dark Horse stated that it is responding to “increasing overhead, changing market conditions, and external economic factors.”
Dark Horse is part of the April 2024 split by conglomerate Embracer Group into three companies: Asmodee Group, Coffee Stain & Friends, and Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends. Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends currently owns Dark Horse Comics.
Embracer Group began acquiring Dark Horse Comics in December 2021, and completed the acquisition in March 2022. The acquisiton was part of the company’s spree of acquisitions of media and game companies beginning in 2019. After a planned US$2 billion investment from Savvy Games Group (a company owned by Saudi Arabi’s Public Investment Fund) did not go through as planned in May 2023, the company found itself in debt, with the company soon planning restructuring, leading to mass layoffs, the sale of properties and subsidiary companies, and the three-company split from April 2024.
Sources: Popverse (Chris Arrant), The Beat (Heidi MacDonald)
