Eclipse Comics: Difference between revisions

The company was founded as '''Eclipse Enterprises''' by brothers Jan and [[Dean Mullaney]] – the sons of early [[electronica]] musician Dave Mullaney of the band [[Hot Butter]] – in April 1977.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mullaney|first1=Jan|first2=Dean|last2=Mullaney|author-link2=Dean Mullaney|title= A Word from the Publisher | work= [[Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species]]| publisher=Eclipse Enterprises|date=August 1978}}</ref><ref name=afterword-original-edition>{{cite news|first=Don|last=McGregor|title=Afterword|work= [[Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species]]| publisher=Eclipse Enterprises|date=August 1978}}</ref> Dean Mullaney would later claim that he was inspired to create the company after learning of [[Jerry Siegel]] and [[Joe Shuster]]'s struggles to gain recognition for creating [[Superman]] in 1968, and that this led him to create a company with an ethos that respected [[Creator ownership in comics|creator ownership]] and [[royalty payment]]s over the then-standard industry practice of [[work-for-hire]].<ref name=TE1DM/> Jan Mullaney, a [[Session musician|session]] [[keyboardist]] who had toured with the [[Bee Gees]] and [[Bad Company]], put up the $2000 starting money.<ref name=AH142ETP>{{cite magazine|date=June 1, 1988|title=Enlarging the Penumbra|author=Bob Hughes|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=142}}</ref>

Eclipse published one of the first original [[graphic novel]]s, and the first to be sold through the new "[[direct market]]" of comic-book stores,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milehighcomics.com/interviews/donmcgregor.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716194521/http://www.milehighcomics.com/interviews/donmcgregor.html |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |year=2001 |title=Interview with Don McGregor |first=Bob |last=Gough |publisher=MileHighComics.com |access-date=September 13, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[Sabre (graphic novel)|Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species]]'' by [[Don McGregor]] and [[Paul Gulacy]]. Published on 30 September 1978 and previewed in ''[[Heavy Metal (magazine)|Heavy Metal]]'', the book was a success. This led to the Mullaneys being contacted by [[P. Craig Russell]], McGregor's collaborator on [[Marvel Comics]]' ''[[Amazing Adventures#1970 series|Amazing Adventures]]''. Eclipse published Russell's experimental ''[[Night Music (comic)|Night Music]] 1'' in November 1979, by which time the company had also released a compilation of [[Fred Hembeck]]'s parody ''Dateline: @!!?#'' strips from ''[[The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom]]''.<ref name=TE1DM/> Russell would later go on to create comic adaptations of numerous operas for Eclipse.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/05/arts/conan-in-comics-yes-hulk-sure-but-fafner-wotan.html |title=Conan in Comics? Yes. Hulk? Sure. But Fafner? Wotan?|first=John |last=Rockwell|work= [[The New York Times]] |date= April 5, 1990 | archive-date= April 28, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150428221757/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/05/arts/conan-in-comics-yes-hulk-sure-but-fafner-wotan.html | url-status=live}}</ref> A more sophisticated logo was also commissioned from [[Tom Orzechowski]]; it would remain the company's insignia for the rest of its life, minor alterations aside. The profits earned to date were used to fund publication of McGregor's ''[[Detectives Inc.|Detectives, Inc.: A Remembrance of Threatening Green]]'' (with artist [[Marshall Rogers]]) and [[Steve Gerber]]'s ''[[Stewart the Rat]]''.<ref name=TE1DM/> In 1980 Mullaney moonlighted as co-editor of the brand-new hobbyist publication ''[[Comics Feature]]'', produced by [[Hal Schuster]]'s [[New Media Publishing]], but left after a year to focus on Eclipse.<ref name=bails>{{cite web |editor-last1=Bails |editor-first1=Jerry |editor-first2=Hames |editor-last2=Ware |url=http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=MULLANEY%2c+DEAN|title=Dean Mullaney|work=Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070511125517/http://www.bailsprojects.com/(S(4fltw0ymnr4dmf45dkrq1eao))/bio.aspx?Name=MULLANEY%2c+DEAN |archive-date=May 11, 2007 |url-status=live |access-date=November 25, 2020 }}</ref>

Not wanting to limit the company to graphic novels alone, the brothers devised ''[[Eclipse Magazine|Eclipse, the Magazine]]'', a 68-page bi-monthly black-and-white anthology title with a rotating group of creator-owned characters. The first issue, dated May 1981, introduced the hard-boiled female detective [[Ms. Tree (comic book)|Ms. Tree]] by [[Max Allan Collins]] and [[Steve Ditko]]'s ''[[Static (Eclipse Comics)|Static]]''. The title would later introduce [[Steve Englehart]]'s ''[[Coyote (comics)|Coyote]]'', [[Trina Robbins]]' adaptation of [[Sax Rohmer]]'s ''[[Dope (novel)|Dope]]'', McGregor and Colan's ''Ragamuffins'' (which Mullaney would later describe as "perhaps the finest thing we ever published") and B.C. Boyer's ''[[Masked Man]]''.<ref name=TE1DM/> October 1981 saw the publication of [[Jim Starlin]]'s [[Dreadstar]] graphic novel ''[[The Price (comics)|The Price]]'' when the writer-artist was having contractual issues with Marvel. The success of the volume enabled Starlin to leverage a better deal with Marvel, and led to the creation of Marvel's [[Epic Comics]] imprint in 1982. Dean Mullaney would later claim Epic's name was purposefully picked to cause confusion with Eclipse.<ref name=AH142ETP/> Another disgruntled Marvel creator to work for Eclipse was Gerber; Eclipse commissioned his ''[[Destroyer Duck]]'' series. Another anthology, it was partly motivated to allow Gerber to raise funds to sue Marvel over the ownership of [[Howard the Duck]]. The first issue of ''Destroyer Duck'' sold 80,000 copies and proved to the Mullaneys that colour ongoing comics were viable; a ''Saber'' series started in 1982 and would run for 14 issues.<ref name=AH142ETP/><ref name=TE1DM/>

Increased output included [[Scott McCloud]]'s ''[[Zot!]]'' (which the writer-artist originally submitted through the mail) and [[Doug Moench]]'s ''[[Aztec Ace]]''.<ref name=TE3DM/> Yronwode would effectively become the face of the company, continuing to write her influential ''Fit to Print'' comic in ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' and from late 1984 penning the ''Penumbra'' column printed in most Eclipse titles; it had previously been named ''Notes from Surf City'' in reference to the 1963 [[Jan and Dean]] [[Surf City (song)|song]], an in-joke between the similarly named Mullaney brothers.<ref name=AH142ETP/> During this time her name was professionally rendered as『cat ⊕ yronwode』in ''CBG'' and Eclipse material, though other publishers were less exhaustive. The comic market experienced a downturn in 1984 due to a crowded market but Eclipse were successful enough to weather it; when rival [[Pacific Comics]] folded, Mullaney was able to arrange purchasing their titles. This included [[Dave Stevens]]' ''[[The Rocketeer (character)|The Rocketeer]]'', ''[[Doc Stearn...Mr. Monster|Mr. Monster]]'' and ''[[Somerset Holmes]]'', as well as a recently signed deal for the American rights to [[Quality Communications]]' acclaimed British anthology ''[[Warrior (comics)|Warrior]]''. They also set up the Independent Comics Group to publish two issues of the anthology ''[[Twisted Tales]]'', while Fred Burke would also join the company in 1984. Burke would go on to edit and write numerous titles for Eclipse.<ref name=TE4DM>{{cite comic|title=Total Eclipse|issue=#4|date=January 1989|story=California, Here I Come!|writer=[[Dean Mullaney|Mullaney, Dean]]|publisher=Eclipse Comics}}</ref>

The inherited deal with Quality was fortuitously timed; [[Alan Moore]] had recently taken over writing ''[[Saga of the Swamp Thing]]'' for [[DC Comics]], triggering the so-called [[British Invasion (comics)|British invasion]]. The ''Warrior'' deal brought in ''[[Axel Pressbutton]]'' and ''[[Warrior (comics)#The Spiral Path|The Spiral Path]]'', which would be coloured by Eclipse and printed in limited series, as well as taking over [[Peter Milligan]]'s ''Strange Days'' anthology, starring [[Johnny Nemo]].<ref name=AH142ETP/> The deal also included the acclaimed revival of ''[[Marvelman]]'' written by Moore, though legal issues – resulting in the book being retitled ''[[Miracleman]]'' – had to be resolved before Eclipse could run the title.<ref name=sergi>{{cite book|last=Sergi |first=Joe |title=The Law for Comic Book Creators |publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers| date=2015 |isbn=9780786473601}}</ref> ''Miracleman'' was originally one of three 75¢ books launched by Eclipse (along with ''[[The New Wave (comics)|The New Wave]]'' and the new-material ''Laser Eraser and Pressbutton'') as part of a short-lived deal with a [[Finland|Finnish]] printer at the time they were the cheapest [[direct market]] full colour comics ever made. However, the results of the printing were severely lacking and the price soon became unviable, with Eclipse reverting the books to their standard 95¢ bracket after the initial printing contract expired. After the ''Warrior'' material ran out Moore continued the series at Eclipse. Other new additions around this time were [[Timothy Truman]]'s ''[[Scout (comics)|Scout]]'', [[Larry Marder]]'s ''[[Tales of the Beanworld]]'' and ''[[Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters]]'', [[Don Chin]]'s spoof of the already-parodic ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'', while Russell continued his adaptations with comic versions of the operas ''[[Salome (opera)|Salome]]'' and ''[[Pelléas and Mélisande|Pelleas and Melisandre]]'' under the ''[[Night Music (comic)|Night Music]]'' banner. Eclipse also produced a series of Murray Ward's indexes to various DC titles, continuing from his deal with Pacific; to avoid the complication of Eclipse's logo appearing on books featuring another publisher's intellectual property, these were published via a sub-label named the Independent Comic Group.<ref name=AH142ETP/>

Eclipse suffered a major setback on February 14, 1986, when the [[Russian River (California)|Russian River]] flooded after heavy rainfall. Eclipse's offices were swamped; the water reached the second floor of their building, as well as Mullaney and Yronwode's homes.<ref name=AH090NF/> Mullaney would recall that Yronwode had to be rescued from her office by a [[Red Cross]] canoe;<ref name=TE5DM/> while he was able to save much of the original artwork in the offices by moving it up to the third floor<ref name=AH090NF>{{cite magazine|date=March 1, 1986|title=Newsflashes|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=90}}</ref> It destroyed the company's inventory of back issues,<ref name=TE5DM/> as well as colour separations for planned reprints of ''Zot!'' and Yronwode's notes for a non-fiction book about Steve Ditko.<ref name=AH147TOTN>{{cite magazine|date=August 15, 1988|title=Top of the News ''(advertisement)''|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=147}}</ref> The subject was covered in ''Fit to Print'' and ''Penumbra'' columns.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.luckymojo.com/vishantiprolepsis.html |title=The Lesser Book of the Vishanti: A Companion to the Dr. Strange Comic Books |last1=Yronwode |first1=Catherine |last2=Nagasiva |first2=Nagasiva |year=2002 |publisher=LuckyMojo.com |access-date=September 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913190726/http://www.luckymojo.com/vishantiprolepsis.html |archive-date=September 13, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The events would be alluded to in a tongue-in-cheek framing sequence Yronwode wrote for ''Miracleman'' #8.<ref>{{Cite comic|writer=[[Cat Yronwode|Yronwode]]|artist=[[Chuck Austen|Beckum, Chuck]]|story=''(untitled framing sequence)''|title=[[Miracleman]]|issue=#8|date=June 1986| publisher=Eclipse Comics}}</ref> The damage caused was estimated at $200,000.<ref name=AH099NEU>{{cite magazine|date=July 15, 1986|title=New Eclipse Universe|author=[[John Lustig]]|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=99}}</ref>

Despite the material and financial losses, in July 1986 the company launched its first regular bi-weekly title, ''[[Airboy]]''. A revival of a defunct [[Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] [[aviator]] hero originally published by [[Hillman Periodicals]] between 1942 and 1953, the series was written by the prolific [[Chuck Dixon]]. The title initially had another unusual format, being a 16-page 50¢ full-colour title initially.<ref name=AH090NF/> While this was eventually dropped, ''Airboy'' would be a critical and commercial success for Eclipse, and several spin-off titles followed. Superhero series ''The New Wave'' also launched using the bi-weekly model before becoming a standard monthly.<ref name=AH103NL>{{cite magazine|date=September 1, 1986|title=Newsline|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=103}}</ref> To deal with the increasing output both Burke and [[Letita Glozer]] (Yronwode's half-sister) were added to the full-time editorial staff, while [[Beau Smith]] would join as Sales Manager.<ref name=TE5DM>{{cite comic|title=Total Eclipse|issue=#5|date=April 1989|story=Ten Years Later|writer=[[Dean Mullaney|Mullaney, Dean]]|publisher=Eclipse Comics}}</ref>

As their tenth anniversary approached, Eclipse planned ''[[Total Eclipse (comics)|Total Eclipse]]'', a company-wide crossover in the style of DC's blockbuster ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]''. Due to most of its characters being creator-owned permission had to be sought from each individually; many acceded.<ref name=AH133TE>{{cite magazine|date=January 15, 1988|title=Total Eclipse|author=[[Andy Mangels]]|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=133/Preview Special 6}}</ref> Eclipse put considerable resources into the prestige-format "super series", including hiring ''Crisis'' writer [[Marv Wolfman]] to script the series and commissioning covers from [[Bill Sienkiewicz]].<ref name=AH136TOTN>{{cite magazine|date=February 29, 1988|title=Top of the News ''(advertisement)''|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=136}}</ref> Despite promotional stunts such as bespoke plastic bags for comics stores,<ref name=AH138TOTN>{{cite magazine|date=April 1, 1988|title=Top of the News ''(advertisement)''|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=138}}</ref> ''Total Eclipse'' was beset by delays and a commercial and critical failure, nixing any hopes of relaunching the likes of ''Strike!'' and ''The New Wave'' on the back of its success.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Williams-Pennick|first=Virginia|date=October 15, 1988|title=Comics in Review|url= |magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|location= |publisher=[[Fantagraphics]]|number=151|access-date=}}</ref> Soon afterwards production problems saw the stalwart ''Airboy'' put on hiatus after 50 issues,<ref name=AH170AB>{{cite magazine|date=August 1, 1989|title=Airboy|author=Ed Sample|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=170/Preview Special 9}}</ref> while ''Scout'' would likewise stall before mooted third series ''Scout: Marauder'' could begin. At the end of 1989 Eclipse would announce they were turning away from mainstream comics to 'special projects'.<ref name=AH174NL>{{cite magazine|date=December 1989|title=Newsline|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=174}}</ref>

*''Coup D'Etat – The [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy]] Trading Cards'' in 1991, by Brancato and Sienkiewicz.<ref name=AH179NL>{{cite magazine|date=May 1990|title=Newsline|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=179}}</ref> These benefitted from an increased interest in [[John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories|conspiracy theories]] about the killing due to [[Oliver Stone]]'s film ''[[JFK (film)|JFK]]'' bringing it to a wider audience.<ref>Jones, Kathryn. "Price tag on JFK intrigue Assassination aficionados spawn cottage industry",''[[The Dallas Morning News]]'', November 22, 1991</ref><ref>"Kennedy Assassination is an Industry with Growing Market", [[Associated Press]] via ''[[Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co.|The Chronicle-Telegram]]'' ([[Elyria, Ohio|Elyria]], Ohio), November 28, 1991</ref><ref name=AH188JFK>{{cite magazine|date=February 1991|title=Reviews - Misc|author=[[Rogers Cadenhead]]|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=188}}</ref>

*''[[True crime|True Crime]]'' in 1992 by [[Max Allan Collins]], George Hagenauer, Paul Lee, Valarie Jones, Peggy Collier and Jon Bright. Covering both mafia and gang figures such as [[Al Capone]] and [[Hymie Weiss]] to more recent mass killers such as [[John Wayne Gacy]] and [[Jeffrey Dahmer]], this another to draw considerable controversy after an Eclipse press release was picked up by ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'', leading to accusations of [[sensationalism]].<ref>"Ban Urged on Sale of Crime Cards", ''[[The Record (Bergen County)|The Record]]'' ([[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]], New Jersey), April 30, 1992</ref><ref>"'True Crime' Cards Thriving Despite Outrage", ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 16, 1992</ref><ref>"Killer Cards Hit Capital Stores Amid Criticism", ''[[Sacramento Bee]]'', June 19, 1992</ref><ref>"Killer Cards: Two groups trying to deal fatal blow to criminal cards", ''[[The Oregonian]]'', August 18, 1992</ref> The series was also lambasted on ''[[The Today Show]]'' and ''[[The Maury Povich Show]]'', while [[Michigan]] senators put forward a resolution to ban the cards before they had even been released, while legislators in [[Maryland]] and [[Arkansas]] made similar moves. Reporting on the issue, comics industry magazine ''[[Amazing Heroes]]'' noted [[Shel-Tone Publications]]' similar ''Bloody Visions'' set had attracted no such censure when released previously.<ref name=AH201NL>{{cite magazine|date=July 1992|title=Newsline|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=201}}</ref> Yronwode would later claim Eclipse received around 10,000 items of hate mail, and wrote about the controversy when the cards were collected as a pair of albums, ''True Crime Vol 1 – G-Men & Gangsters'' and ''True Crime Vol 2 – Serial Killers & Mass Murderers'' in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://totaleclipse.blog/2018/10/06/1993-true-crime-trading-card-booklets/|website=Total Eclipse|title=1993: True Crime Trading Card Booklets}}</ref>

After the failure of ''Total Eclipse'', Eclipse would largely discontinue superhero comics bar the ongoing ''Zot!'' (which would end in 1991<ref name=AH187NL>{{cite magazine|date=January 1991|title=Newsline|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=187}}</ref>) and ''Miracleman''. Instead comics output would largely focus on literary adaptations, including [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Hobbit]]'',<ref name=AH170HB>{{cite magazine|date=August 1, 1989|title=The Hobbit|author=Ed Sample|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=170/Preview Special 9}}</ref> [[Anne McCaffrey]]'s ''[[Dragonflight (novel)|Dragonflight]]''<ref name=AH174NL/> and several [[Clive Barker]] works,<ref name=AH193NL>{{cite magazine|date=August 1991|title=Newsline|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=193}}</ref> either as mini-series, one shots or graphic novels. Otherwise the company focused on collected editions, and only occasional titles – such as Truman's revisiting of pulp hero ''[[Spider (pulp fiction)|The Spider]]''<ref name=AH192NL>{{cite magazine|date=July 1991|title=Newsline|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=192}}</ref> or zeitgeist-tapping spoofs such as ''X-Farce''<ref name=AH199NL>{{cite magazine|date=January 1992|title=Newsline|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=199}}</ref> (a satire on [[Rob Liefeld]]'s ''[[X-Force]]'') and ''Loco vs. Pulverine''<ref name=AH203NL>{{cite magazine|date=July 1992|title=Newsline|magazine=[[Amazing Heroes]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics Books]]|number=203}}</ref> (based on [[Lobo (DC Comics)|Lobo]] and [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]]) made any impression on sales charts. Several titles, such as a new ''Aztec Ace'' mini-series and several titles under the Eclipse F/X horror label, were announced but failed to reach publication.<ref name="AH196NL"/>

Problems were exacerbated when Mullaney and Yronwode underwent a messy divorce during 1993;<ref>{{cite journal|title=Newswatch: Business News: Eclipse Copes with Divorce and Back Debt|journal= [[The Comics Journal]]| number= 165 |date=January 1994|page= 12}}</ref> Yronwode would later claim that Mullaney began behaving erratically and emptying Eclipse accounts.<ref name=KCY>{{cite book |last=Khoury |first=George |author-link=George Khoury (author)|date=2001 |title=Kimota! The Miracleman Companion |url= |location= |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |page= |isbn=9781605490274|chapter=Miracleman and the Days of Eclipse}}</ref> The company was left so low on resources that despite receiving completed versions of ''Miracleman'' #25 and spin-off ''Miracleman Triumphant'' #1 no printer would extent them credit to print the comics.<ref name=KNG/> Eclipse's last publication was its Spring 1993 catalog, which was a complete bibliography of its publications, and it ceased business in 1994<ref>{{cite journal|title=Comics Publishers Suffer Tough Summer: Body Count Rises in Market Shakedown|journal= The Comics Journal| number= 172|date= November 1994|pages= 13–18}}</ref> before finally filing for bankruptcy in 1995.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Newswatch: Eclipse Files for Bankruptcy|journal= The Comics Journal| number= 174 |date=February 1995|page=25}}</ref>

The company's intellectual property rights were later acquired by [[Todd McFarlane]] for a total of $25,000.<ref>{{cite journal|title=McFarlane Buys Eclipse Assets at Auction|journal= The Comics Journal| number= 185 | date= March 1996|pages= 14–15}}</ref> Due to most of the company's titles being creator-owned this largely consisted of the ''Airboy'' characters and trademarks for some of the anthology titles; at the time McFarlane and others involved believed it also included a two-third share in ''Miracleman''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2004/02/last-legal-post-for-long-time.asp |title=Neil Gaiman's Journal: Last Legal Post for a long time |publisher=Journal.neilgaiman.com |date=2004-02-25 |access-date=2013-10-15}}</ref> Eventually it would be discovered that Quality Communications, and thus Eclipse, had never correctly licensed the characters from creator [[Mick Anglo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22203 |title=CCI: Cup O Joe – Marvelman at Marvel |website=Comic Book Resources |date=2009-07-24 |access-date=2013-10-15}}</ref>

After their contract with Eclipse ended in 1988, manga translator [[Toren Smith]]'s Studio Proteus signed with Dark Horse. Finding his income suddenly increasing despite similar sales, Smith instigated an audit of Eclipse's finances, revealing [[double-entry bookkeeping]] to avoid paying the agreed royalties. A large judgement was eventually made against Eclipse, the losses from which were a factor in the company's strained finances.<ref name=KNG>{{cite book |last=Khoury |first=George |author-link=George Khoury (author)|date=2001 |title=Kimota! The Miracleman Companion |url= |location= |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |page= |isbn=9781605490274|chapter=Ages of Gold, Silver and the Darkness}}</ref>