Marvel Toy Biz

Marvel Entertainment

www.marvel.com

Marvel Entertainment, LLC is an American entertainment company formed from the merger of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and Toy Biz, Inc.

A corporate predecessor traces its origins to the May 1933 publication of Western Supernovel magazine. That magazine was only published for one issue before the title was changed to Complete Western Book magazine in July 1933.[citation needed] The company's oldest character is Ka-Zar, introduced in 1936. In 1939, the company began publishing comic books as Timely Publications with Marvel Comics #1.

On December 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment, Inc. for $4.24 billion. It has been a Limited Liability Company (LLC) since then. Disney has stated that their acqusition of the company, will not affect Marvel's products neither will the nature of any Marvel characters be transformed.

Contents

1 History

2 Units

2.1 Divisions

2.2 Subsidiaries

2.3 Former units

3 Past names

4 References

5 External links

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History

In 1989 Ronald Perelman's MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings group of companies bought the Marvel Entertainment Group, the parent company of Marvel Comics, from New World Entertainment for $82.5 million.

"It is a mini-Disney in terms of intellectual property," said Perelman. "Disney's got much more highly recognized characters and softer characters, whereas our characters are termed action heroes. But at Marvel we are now in the business of the creation and marketing of characters."

Boosted by a massive merchandising effort, an increase in Marvel comic prices, and an overall boom in the comic book industry, Marvel's profits spiked. Perelman later added the baseball card and basketball card companies Fleer Corporation and SkyBox International, Italian sticker manufacturer Panini Group, and comic book publishers Welsh Publishing and Malibu Comics to Marvel's holdings for a combined total of $700 million. Investors around the world recognized his efforts and generated $80 million for Perelman when he issued Marvel's initial public offering. He later added a significant stake in Toy Biz to Marvel's holdings. His luck was not to last. Marvel's attempt to distribute its products directly led to a decrease in sales and aggravated the losses which Marvel suffered when the comic book bubble popped, the 1994 Major League Baseball strike massacred the profits of the Fleer division, and Panini was hobbled by poor showings at the box office by Disney (Licensing Disney characters provided a major source of revenue for Panini, so when the movies performed poorly Panini performed poorly). A major bondholder, Carl Icahn, fought to take control of the company from Perelman. Both men failed as Toy Biz owners Ike Perlmutter and Avi Arad snatched Marvel from Perelman and Icahn in order to protect their own financial interests. Estimates of his profit on the deal vary widely. Chuck Rozanski estimates that Perelman made $200400 million off Marvel; Forbes thinks he made nothing; and the judge in the Marvel bankruptcy trial estimated he made $280 million plus various tax advantages. In December 2003, Marvel Entertainment acquired Cover Concepts from Hearst Communications, Inc. On March 15, 2007, Stan Lee Media filed a lawsuit against Marvel Entertainment for $5 billion, claiming that the company is co-owner of the characters that Lee created for Marvel. Additional, a lawsuit over the Ghost Rider Character ownership was filed On March 30, 2007 by Gary Friedrich and Gary Friedrich Enterprises, Inc.

On August 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced a deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, with Marvel shareholders to receive $30 and about 0.745 Disney shares for each share of Marvel they own. The voting occurred on December 31, 2009 and the merger was approved. The acquisition of Marvel was finalized hours after the shareholder voted, therefore, giving Disney full ownership of Marvel Entertainment. The company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange under its ticker symbol (MVL), due to the closing of the deal.

Units

The company's operating units include:

Divisions

Marvel Toys (formerly Toy Biz): a toy company owned by Isaac Perlmutter since the 1990s.

Spider-Man Merchandising, L.P.: A joint venture of Marvel and Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. that owns the rights to Spider-Man movie related licensed products.

Marvel Characters B.V. (The Netherlands)

MVL International C.V. (The Netherlands)

Marvel International Character Holdings LLC (Delaware)

Marvel Entertainment International Limited (United Kingdom)

Marvel Property, Inc. (Delaware)

Marvel Internet Productions LLC (Delaware)

Marvel Toys Limited (Hong Kong)

MRV, Inc. (Delaware)

MVL Development LLC (Delaware)

Marvel Film Productions LLC (Delaware)

Subsidiaries

Marvel Characters, Inc.: intellectual property holding company;

Marvel Publishing, Inc.: publisher of Marvel Comics;

Marvel Studios: a film and television production company;

MVL Film Finance LLC: holder of Marvel's Movie debt and theatrical film rights to the ten characters as collateral.

Marvel Animation: Subsidiary charge with oversight of Marvel's animation productions.

Film Slate Subsidiaries

MVL Rights, LLC: subsidiary holding movie rights of all Marvel Characters with some on contract with MVL Film Finance

Iron Works Productions LLC: subsidiary holding debt to finance the Iron Man movie.

MVL Productions LLC: an indirect wholly owned a film development subsidiary

Incredible Productions LLC (Delaware): subsidiary holding debt to finance the Incredible Hulk film

MVL Iron Works Productions Canada, Inc. (Province of Ontario)

MVL Incredible Productions Canada, Inc. (Province of Ontario)

Asgard Productions LLC (Delaware)

Green Guy Toons LLC (Delaware)

Squad Productions LLC (Delaware)

Former units

Fleer Corporation

Malibu Comics

Marvel Productions (1981 to 1997)

Panini Group: Italian sticker manufacturer

SkyBox International

Welsh Publishing: comic book publishers

Past names

Marvel Enterprises, Inc.

Toy Biz, Inc.

Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc.

References

^ http://www.enewsi.com/news.php?catid=190&itemid=15744

^ Raviv, Dan (2002). "Comic Wars". Random House. http://www.webcitation.org/5OlTv7USa. Retrieved 2007-01-27. 

^ a b Chuck Rozanski is a very well-known purveyor of comic books and had a walk-on role in the Marvel fiasco. Chuck Rozanski. "Perelman's Team Nearly Destroyed the Entire World of Comics". Mile High Comics. http://www.webcitation.org/5OlTv7USk. Retrieved 2007-01-27. 

^ A minority of dissidents maintain there was never a bubble in the first place. Rozanski, Chuck. "The Vicious Downward Spiral of the 1990s". Tales From the Database. Mile High comics. http://www.webcitation.org/5OlTv7USu. Retrieved 2007-01-27. 

^ Lott, Jeremy (2002). "Smash! Pow! Bam!". Reason Magazine. http://www.webcitation.org/5OlTv7UT4. Retrieved 2007-01-27. 

^ a b c Raviv, Dan (2002). Comic Wars: Marvel's Battle For Survival. Sea Cliff: Heroes Books. pp. 3839. ISBN 0-7679-0830-9. http://www.webcitation.org/5OlTv7UTD. 

^ Miller, Matthew (2005). "Don't Mess With Me". The Forbes 400. Forbes Publishing. http://www.webcitation.org/5OlTv7UTM. Retrieved 2007-01-29. 

^ "Marvel Acquires Cover Concepts to Extend Demographic Reach; Acquisition Extends Reach of Marvel's Publishing Operations to 30 Million Public School Children". BNet. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2003_Dec_18/ai_111376112. Retrieved 2008-05-14. 

^ "Stan Lee Media Sues Marvel". Archived from the original on 2007-09-22. http://strange.commongate.com/post/Stan_Lee_Media_Sues_Marvel_5B. 

^ ""Ghost Rider" creator sues over copyright". http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1037146020070410. 

^ "Disney to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4B". Marketwatch. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-to-acquire-marvel-entertainment-for-4b-2009-08-31. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 

^ Marvel Shareholders OK Disney Acquisition, Marketwatch, December 31, 2009

^ Disney Completes Marvel Acquisition, Fox Business, December 31, 2009

^ "Marvel Launches Independent Film Slate". superherohype.com. http://www.superherohype.com/news.php?id=3456. Retrieved 2007-11-26. 

^ "Marvel Promotes Eric Rollman To President, Marvel Animation". AWN Headline News. http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=search&range=all&search=Eric+Rollman&newsitem_no=23001. Retrieved 2008-05-06. 

^ "MARVEL ANIMATION, INC.". Division of Corporations Entity database. https://sos-res.state.de.us/tin/GINameSearch.jsp. Retrieved 2008-05-06. 

^ "Marvel". EDGAR Online. http://excite.brand.edgar-online.com/EFX_dll/EDGARpro.dll?FetchFilingHTML1?SessionID=QMkBWYDXZIxw6YB&ID=5162934-62603-112596. Retrieved 2008-05-07. 

^ "FORM 8-K SEC File 1-13638". SEC Info. http://www.secinfo.com/d122g8.v29k.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-07. 

^ "Form 10-K 2/28/08 EX-21 Subsidiaries of the Registrant". SEC Info. http://www.secinfo.com/d122g8.ted.c.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-07. 

External links

Official website

v  d  e

Marvel Entertainment

Board of Directors

Morton E. Handel, Chair Peter Cuneo, Vice Chair Isaac Perlmutter, Vice Chair Sid Ganis

Executives

Isaac Perlmutter, CEO Alan Fine, CEO, Publishing & Toy Divisions; CMO, Characters

Publishing

Marvel Publishing, Inc. Cover Concepts

Films

Marvel Studios Marvel Animation MVL Film Finance LLC MVL Productions LLC

Licensing

Marvel Characters, Inc. Spider-Man Merchandising, L.P. (J.V. w/Sony) MVL Rights, LLC

Other

Marvel Toys

Annual Revenue: 139.8 Million USD  Employees: 255  Parent: The Walt Disney Company Web site: Marvel.com

v  d  e

The Walt Disney Company

Company officials

Company founders

Walter Elias Disney  Roy Oliver Disney

Board of Directors

Susan Arnold  John Bryson  John S. Chen  Judith Estrin  Robert Iger (President, CEO)  Steve Jobs  Fred Langhammer  Aylwin Lewis  Robert Matschullat  John E. Pepper, Jr. (Chairman)  Sheryl Sandberg  Orin C. Smith

Walt Disney

Studio Entertainment

Walt Disney

Motion Pictures Group

Disneynature  Hollywood Pictures  ImageMovers Digital  Miramax Films  Pixar Animation Studios  Touchstone Pictures  Walt Disney Animation Studios  Walt Disney Pictures

Disney Music Group

Hollywood Records  Lyric Street Records  Mammoth Records  Walt Disney Music Company  Walt Disney Records  Wonderland Music Company

Other studio holdings

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment  Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)  Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures  Walt Disney Theatrical Productions

Disney-ABC

Television Group

ABC Network

ABC  ABC News  ABC News Now  Live Well HD Network

ABC-owned TV stations

KABC-TV  KFSN-TV  KGO-TV  KTRK-TV  WABC-TV  WJRT-TV  WLS-TV  WPVI-TV  WTVD  WTVG

Cable TV channels

ABC Family  A&E Television Networks (37.5%)  Disney Channel  Disney Family Movies  Disney Cinemagic  Disney XD  ESPN (80%) (see navpage)  Jetix  Jetix Play  Lifetime Entertainment Services (50%)  Playhouse Disney  SOAPnet

Radio & TV distribution

ABC News Radio  Disney-ABC Domestic Television  Disney-ABC International TV  Radio Disney  Radio Disney Latin America

TV production

ABC Studios  Greengrass Productions  Walt Disney Television   Walt Disney Television Animation

Walt Disney

Parks and Resorts

Adventures by Disney  Disney Cruise Line  Disneyland Resort  Disneyland Paris  Disney Regional Entertainment  Disney Vacation Club  Hong Kong Disneyland Resort  Tokyo Disney Resort  Walt Disney Creative Entertainment  Walt Disney Imagineering  Walt Disney World Resort

Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Animation  Marvel Characters, Inc.  Marvel Comics  Marvel Studios  Marvel Toys

Disney Interactive

Media Group

Walt Disney Internet Group

ABC.com  ABCNews.com  Disney.com  ESPN.com  Go.com

Disney Interactive Studios

Avalanche Software  Black Rock Studio  Disney Interactive Studios  Fall Line Studios  Junction Point Studios  Propaganda Games  Wideload Games

Radio stations

Radio Disney

KALY-AM  KDDZ-AM  KDIS-AM  KDIS-FM  KDZR-AM  KDIZ-AM  KIID-AM  KKDZ-AM  KMIC-AM  KMIK-AM  KMKI-AM  KMKY-AM  KMUS-AM  KPHN-AM  KRDY-AM  KWDZ-AM  WBWL-AM  WBYU-AM  WCOG-AM  WDDY-AM  WDRD-AM  WDWD-AM  WDZY-AM  WDYZ-AM  WFDF-AM  WGFY-AM  WHKT-AM  WKSH-AM  WMKI-AM  WMYM-AM  WQEW-AM  WRDZ-AM  WRDZ-FM  WSDZ-AM  WWCS-AM  WWMI-AM  WWMK-AM

ESPN Radio/Deportes

KESN-FM  KNIT-AM  KSPN-AM  KZMP-AM  WEAE-AM  WEPN-AM  WMVP-AM

Other station(s)

WRJR-AM

Miscellaneous

assets

Buena Vista  CrossGen   Golden Oak Ranch  Hulu (27%)  Hyperion Books  FamilyFun   The Muppets Holding Company  The Prospect Studios  Reedy Creek Energy  Times Square Studios  Buena Vista International India  Walt Disney Consumer Products

Notes: 1. Operated by Birach Broadcasting, controlled by Disney under an LMA.

2. Disney manages and operates this station owned by James Crystal Radio under an LMA.

3. Disney manages and operates this station owned by Liberman Broadcasting under LMA

Annual Revenue: $35.5 billion USD (2007)  Employees: 137,000 (Mar 2008)  Stock Symbol: NYSE: DIS  Website: corporate.disney.go.com

Categories: Marvel Comics | Entertainment companies of the United States | Companies established in 1933 | Companies based in New York City | Disney franchises | Walt Disney Company subsidiariesHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from October 2008
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