Dark Horse Comics is shutting down its retail chain and adding a videogame division in the first big changes since founder and CEO Mike Richardson was replaced with interim CEO Jay Komas in March (see “Richardson Ousted”). The moves are being made “…to modernize, strengthen collaboration within the company, and build a more-connected organization across Fellowship Entertainment,” according to the announcement.
Dark Horse parent Embracer announced this week that Dark Horse will be spun off, along with other elements including the Lord of the Rings and Tomb Raider intellectual properties, into a separate publicly traded company, Fellowship Entertainment, next year (see “Embracer Group to Spin Off Dark Horse Unit”).
The Things from Another World chain, which operates three stores, will shut down this year; the e-commerce site was shut down last year (see “Dark Horse Shuts Down TFAW Site”), The two Oregon locations will close on June 30, and the California location, at Universal CityWalk, one of the highest-profile locations for a comic store in the country, will close on September 30, 2026. The announcement expressed thanks to TFAW employees and said it will be “…supporting the affected employees through the transition.”
The shutdown of retail operations was one of three initiatives announced today.
Dark Horse is launching Dark Horse Games to bring Dark Horse properties to interactive entertainment, presumably on a licensed basis. The announcement positioned the move as an expansion of the ways Dark Horse helps creators find opportunities in other media, which it has long done through its development of movie and TV project. “Just as Dark Horse Entertainment exists to champion our storytellers in film and television, Dark Horse Games will provide creators with the development opportunities and creative partnerships needed to realize their worlds within interactive entertainment,” the announcement said.
Dark Horse also included Dark Horse Entertainment in the announcement, with a statement that it is “…deepening our commitment to our writers, artists, and storytellers who define the Dark Horse voice, ensuring they have the development support, creative partnerships, and resources to bring their visions to life across film and television.”
The end of Dark Horse as a retailer bookends Richardson’s tenure at the company he founded; his first enterprise in the comics business was the first retail store, which opened in 1979 (see “Interview with Mike Richardson, Part 1”). Dark Horse was formed as a publisher a few years later.
