Dreamwave Productions
Encyclopedia
Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian
art design studio and comic book
publisher founded in 1996 and is best known for their multiple Transformers
comic book series. The company shut down on January 4, 2005.
and published their first mini-series, Darkminds. Pat maintained artistic control while his older brother managed the business operations. They quickly made their manga
-influenced style a trademark, merging the look of an animated film with sequential art
.
In 2002, Dreamwave spun off from Image and became an independent publishing company after acquiring the license for the popular Hasbro
toyline Transformers. The first mini-series, based on the Transformers "Generation 1
" characters and featuring art by Pat Lee and writing by Chris Sarracini was the top-selling book on the sales charts for its entire run, a feat which surprised even the writer, Chris Sarracini: "I suspected the (comic) would break into the top 10, but I had no idea that it would skyrocket to No. 1." Various ongoing and limited series followed, covering various continuities, such as the G1 universe and the then current Transformers: Armada
toyline. Transformers scribe Simon Furman
came on board to produce Transformers: The War Within, a series of limited series detailing previously-undocumented aspects of the Transformers' past. Many artistic members of the fan community, such as Don Figueroa
and Guido Guidi
, were hired by the company, entering the professional world of comics via their hobby.
Three years later, signs of trouble began to appear when writers James McDonough and Adam Patyk left the company over pay disputes. Despite plans for their replacement, it was subsequently announced that Dreamwave had gone out of business. They cited "the shrinking comic book market combined with a weak U.S. dollar" as the cause of the closure on January 4, 2005. The final Dreamwave comic was published in December 2004, leaving incomplete both limited series and multiple ongoing storylines. In late April of 2005, freelancers who were still owed money by Dreamwave and amongst the company's creditors, discovered they were also liable for debts incurred by Dreamwave. According to the terms of the contract the company had with Federal Express, the freelancers were left liable for the cost of shipping their unpublished, unpaid for work to Canada. Guido Guidi and Don Figueroa were two such freelancers affected.
After the company's bankruptcy in 2005, Dreamwave's assets were purchased by Canadian entrepreneur
Christian Dery, who planned to relaunch its core properties (excluding former licenses such as Transformers). The new Dreamwave went out of business in early 2006 after failing to pay creators who were owed money, and the Dreamwave properties and trademarks were sold to an unknown group of investors. IDW Publishing
began publishing a new series of Transformers comics in 2006.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
art design studio and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
publisher founded in 1996 and is best known for their multiple Transformers
Transformers (toy line)
The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...
comic book series. The company shut down on January 4, 2005.
History
In 1996, brothers Pat Lee and Roger Lee founded Dreamwave Productions in Toronto, Canada, as an imprint under Image ComicsImage Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
and published their first mini-series, Darkminds. Pat maintained artistic control while his older brother managed the business operations. They quickly made their manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
-influenced style a trademark, merging the look of an animated film with sequential art
Sequential art
Sequential art refers to the art form of using a train of images deployed in sequence to graphic storytelling or convey information. The best-known example of sequential art is comics, which are a printed arrangement of art and balloons, especially comic books and comic strips.The term is rarely...
.
In 2002, Dreamwave spun off from Image and became an independent publishing company after acquiring the license for the popular Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
toyline Transformers. The first mini-series, based on the Transformers "Generation 1
The Transformers (TV series)
The Transformers is an animated television series depicting a war among giant robots who could transform into vehicles, other objects and animal-like forms. Written and recorded in America, the series was animated in Japan and South Korea...
" characters and featuring art by Pat Lee and writing by Chris Sarracini was the top-selling book on the sales charts for its entire run, a feat which surprised even the writer, Chris Sarracini: "I suspected the (comic) would break into the top 10, but I had no idea that it would skyrocket to No. 1." Various ongoing and limited series followed, covering various continuities, such as the G1 universe and the then current Transformers: Armada
Transformers: Armada
Transformers: Armada, known in Japan as , is a Transformers animated series, comic series and toy line which ran from 2002–2003. It was originally scheduled for 2001, however was delayed until early-2002...
toyline. Transformers scribe Simon Furman
Simon Furman
Simon Christopher Francis Furman is a comic book writer, particularly associated with of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel UK, Marvel US, Dreamwave, and most recently, IDW...
came on board to produce Transformers: The War Within, a series of limited series detailing previously-undocumented aspects of the Transformers' past. Many artistic members of the fan community, such as Don Figueroa
Don Figueroa
Don Allan Figueroa is a Filipino American comic book artist and toy designer. He is best known for his work on many different Transformers designs, for both the defunct Dreamwave Productions and with IDW Publishing.-Dreamwave Productions:...
and Guido Guidi
Guido Guidi
Guido Guidi is an Italian comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work on Transformers comics.-Dreamwave Productions:A longtime Transformers fan, Guidi was brought in by Dreamwave Productions to be artist for their Transformers: Armada comic, doing issues #8-13 and returning for...
, were hired by the company, entering the professional world of comics via their hobby.
Three years later, signs of trouble began to appear when writers James McDonough and Adam Patyk left the company over pay disputes. Despite plans for their replacement, it was subsequently announced that Dreamwave had gone out of business. They cited "the shrinking comic book market combined with a weak U.S. dollar" as the cause of the closure on January 4, 2005. The final Dreamwave comic was published in December 2004, leaving incomplete both limited series and multiple ongoing storylines. In late April of 2005, freelancers who were still owed money by Dreamwave and amongst the company's creditors, discovered they were also liable for debts incurred by Dreamwave. According to the terms of the contract the company had with Federal Express, the freelancers were left liable for the cost of shipping their unpublished, unpaid for work to Canada. Guido Guidi and Don Figueroa were two such freelancers affected.
After the company's bankruptcy in 2005, Dreamwave's assets were purchased by Canadian entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
Christian Dery, who planned to relaunch its core properties (excluding former licenses such as Transformers). The new Dreamwave went out of business in early 2006 after failing to pay creators who were owed money, and the Dreamwave properties and trademarks were sold to an unknown group of investors. IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
began publishing a new series of Transformers comics in 2006.
Original Series
- Arkanium
- Darkminds Volume 1: Paradox
- Darkminds Volume 2
- Darkminds Volume 3: Macropolis
- Darkminds Volume 4: Macropolis Vol. 2
- Echo
- Fate of the Blade
- NecroWar
- Neon Cyber (Set in the same world as Darkminds)
- Sandscape
- Shidima (Set in the same world as Warlands)
- WarlandsWarlandsWarlands is a comic book series from the now-defunct production house, Dreamwave Productions, which was founded by Pat Lee and his brother Roger Lee in 1996. It consists of four main parts and several side stories...
Volume 1: Darklyte - WarlandsWarlandsWarlands is a comic book series from the now-defunct production house, Dreamwave Productions, which was founded by Pat Lee and his brother Roger Lee in 1996. It consists of four main parts and several side stories...
Volume 2: Atrelegis - WarlandsWarlandsWarlands is a comic book series from the now-defunct production house, Dreamwave Productions, which was founded by Pat Lee and his brother Roger Lee in 1996. It consists of four main parts and several side stories...
Volume 3: Age of Ice - Warlands Special Three Stories
- Warlands: Warlords Chronicles, Volume 1
- WarlandsWarlandsWarlands is a comic book series from the now-defunct production house, Dreamwave Productions, which was founded by Pat Lee and his brother Roger Lee in 1996. It consists of four main parts and several side stories...
Volume 4: Dark Tide Rising - Warlands: Banished Knights
Licensed Series
- Duel MastersDuel Mastersis a franchise based on a manga, anime and a trading card game. There is also a video game.-Trading Card Game:The card game originated in Japan, marketed by Takara Tomy. It was produced in English by Wizards of the Coast, who purchased the rights to the name Duel Masters from , which ran a...
(cancelled after issue #8) - Devil May CryDevil May Cryis an action game developed and published by Capcom, released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2. Although it is the first game in the series of the same name, the events in Devil May Cry are second in the series storyline's chronological order, taking place after Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and...
(bankrupt before final issue and TPBTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
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(bankrupt before issue #1) - Mega ManMega ManMega Man is a video game franchise from Capcom, starring the eponymous character Mega Man, or one of his many counterparts. The series is well-known and comprises well over fifty releases, easily making it Capcom's most prolific franchise. As of December 31, 2010, the series has sold approximately...
(cancelled after issue #4) - Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
(canceled after issue #7) - Transformers: Generation 1: Prime Directive
- Transformers: Generation 1: War and Peace (vol. 2)
- Transformers: The War WithinTransformers: The War WithinThis article is about the comic book series. For other uses, see The War Within .Transformers: The War Within is a series of comic book mini-series written by Simon Furman and published by Dreamwave Productions featuring Generation One characters with brand new pre-Earth designs.The series focuses...
- Transformers: The War Within: The Dark Ages (vol. 2)
- Transformers: The War Within: The Age of Wrath (vol. 3; cancelled after issue #3)
- Transformers: MicromastersTransformers: MicromastersTransformers: Micromasters was a four-issue comic book limited series released in 2004 which takes place in between the War Within and the Generation 1 series. The main focus of the series is the Micromasters subline of Transformers, though it did have some cameos of notable G1 regulars...
- Transformers/G.I.JoeG.I. Joe: A Real American HeroG.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a military-themed line of action figures and toys in Hasbro's G.I. Joe franchise. The toyline lasted from 1982 to 1994, producing well over 500 figures and 250 vehicles and playsets. The line reappeared in 1997 and has continued in one form or another to the...
- Transformers/G.I. Joe II: Divided Front (cancelled after issue #1)
- Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye (character profile series)
- Transformers: Summer Special (was to be an irregular mini-series, only one issue was published)
- Transformers: Generation 1 (vol.3, full series; cancelled after issue #10)
- Transformers: Armada, later Transformers: Energon (cancelled after issue #30)
- Xevoz
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