marvel comics turnaround - Turnaround Management Association

Marvel Comics Turnaround Team 2
• Signing better deals – more gross participation and equity participation deals versus profit
participation deals or notorious “Hollywood Accounting” deals involving a simple, front-
loaded, one-time royalty fee.
• Signing many ancillary deals with companies such as Burger King, Activision, Universal.
Fourth, it improved the comic book publishing arm by:
• Reducing even further the cost structure and architecture for comic book publishing.
• Expanded distribution of comics in mass market bookstores such as Borders and Barnes
and Noble.
Finally, in 2001, it reduced its operating costs even more by reducing its in-house employment
to approximately 500 persons (including operations in Hong Kong and Mexico) and in 2002,
reduced it down to 200 persons. The Company also contracted for creative work on an as-needed
basis with approximately 500 active freelance writers and artists.
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