ComicBook.com#History

ComicBook.com began as a holding page containing sales links and press releases related to comic books and had various names used by various companies: in 1996, American Entertainment used it for their websites, Smash, Another Universe, and Mania Magazine. The site was acquired by Fandom in 2000 before it was changed to Cinescape in 2001. By 2004, the site was renamed ComicBook.com.

{{Multiple image

| align = right

| direction = vertical

| total_width = 250

| image1 = ComicBook.com logo.png

| alt1 =

| image2 = ComicBook.com logo.svg

| alt2 =

| footer = Prior logos used for ComicBook.com

}}

In 2007, Joe Blackmon and a business partner founded ComicBook.com as a comic book news site,{{Cite web |last=McGee |first=Jamie |date=February 10, 2014 |title=ComicBook.com helps millions of fans keep up with superheros |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2014/02/11/comicbookcom-helps-millions-of-fans-keep-up-with-superheros/5385141/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220405035056/https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2014/02/11/comicbookcom-helps-millions-of-fans-keep-up-with-superheros/5385141/ |archive-date=April 5, 2022 |access-date=September 3, 2024 |website=The Tennessean}} and by 2010, it was co-owned by William King of Magellen Press. At this time, it had formed into its own website, posting news about comic books and other fields related to comics.{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Rich |author-link=Rich Johnston |date=August 8, 2024 |title=Paramount Sells ComicBook.com & PopCulture.com to Savage Ventures |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/paramount-sells-comicbook-com-popculture-com-to-savage-ventures/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240813191802/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/paramount-sells-comicbook-com-popculture-com-to-savage-ventures/ |archive-date=August 13, 2024 |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=Bleeding Cool}} In January 2014, 247Sports CEO Shannon Terry became the CEO of ComicBook.com, with Blackmon becoming the site's president. At that time, the site had eight full time staff, with several part-time writers. Terry relaunched the site in May 2014 with new features, such as message boards, polls, and a larger focus on social media.{{Cite web |last=McGee |first=Jamie |date=February 7, 2014 |title=247Sports chief joinsComicBook.com as CEO |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2014/02/08/247sports-chief-joinscomicbookcom-as-ceo/5297927/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240903154130/https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2014/02/08/247sports-chief-joinscomicbookcom-as-ceo/5297927/ |archive-date=September 3, 2024 |access-date=September 3, 2024 |website=The Tennessean}} Jim Viscardi served as editor from 2015,{{Cite web |last=Couch |first=Aaron |date=April 3, 2024 |title=Image Comics Taps Jim Viscardi as VP of Business Development |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/image-comics-taps-jim-viscardi-1235864745/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240415120015/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/image-comics-taps-jim-viscardi-1235864745/ |archive-date=April 15, 2024 |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}} with Sam Savage serving as CEO from 2016.

In April 2018, CBS Interactive (which later became part of Paramount Global) acquired ComicBook.com as well as PopCulture.com.{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Rich |author-link=Rich Johnston |date=April 10, 2018 |title=CBS Buys ComicBook.com |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/cbs-buys-comicbook-com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308150114/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/cbs-buys-comicbook-com/ |archive-date=March 8, 2022 |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=Bleeding Cool}}{{Cite web |last=Hayden |first=Erik |date=August 8, 2024 |title=Paramount Sells Two Entertainment Websites Amid Cost-Cutting Effort |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-comicbook-popculture-1235968725/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809010332/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-comicbook-popculture-1235968725/ |archive-date=August 9, 2024 |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}{{Cite web |last=Korach |first=Natalie |date=August 7, 2024 |title=Paramount Sells ComicBook, PopCulture Sites to Nashville-Based Savage Ventures {{!}} Exclusive |url=https://www.thewrap.com/paramount-sells-comicbook-popculture-savage-ventures/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807220850/https://www.thewrap.com/paramount-sells-comicbook-popculture-savage-ventures/ |archive-date=August 7, 2024 |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=TheWrap}} Following the acquisition, Savage left as CEO. In April 2024, Viscardi left ComicBook.com to become VP of Business Development at Image Comics, with the site then being led by assistant managing editor Joe Schmidt. In August 2024, Paramount Global sold ComicBook.com and PopCulture.com to Savage's digital media operator, Savage Ventures, as part of its plan to divest assets and achieve $500 million in cost savings. At that time, both ComicBook.com and PopCulture.com employed over 40 people. While no layoffs or leadership changes were initially expected, following the acquisition, several employees were let go from the company including Schmidt. The next month, Ben Kendrick was revealed to have joined Savage Ventures and was hired as the editorial director of ComicBook.com, after previously working at Static Media for Screen Rant, Comic Book Resources, and Collider.{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Rich |author-link=Rich Johnston |date=September 5, 2024 |title=Is ScreenRant's Ben Kendrick Now Running ComicBook.com? |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/is-screenrants-ben-kendrick-now-running-comicbook-com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908163734/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/is-screenrants-ben-kendrick-now-running-comicbook-com/ |archive-date=September 8, 2024 |access-date=September 16, 2024 |website=Bleeding Cool}}{{Cite web |title=Ben Kendrick: Content Director, SEO, Film Critic, Journalist |url=https://benkendrick.com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908214751/https://benkendrick.com/ |archive-date=September 8, 2024 |access-date=September 16, 2024 |website=benkendrick.com}}

The site offers news, interviews, and reviews centered on comic books, television, films, video games, and anime among others. ComicBook.com has also produced video content and podcasts, including the ComicBook Nation podcast, the Marvel Comics and Marvel Cinematic Universe–centered Phase Zero podcast, A Wild Podcast Has Appeared, and the daily news and entertainment video series Daily Distraction.{{Cite web |date=January 14, 2021 |title=Phase Zero: A ComicBook.com Marvel Podcast Launches Friday |url=https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/phase-zero-marvel-podcast-mcu-series/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121123505/https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/phase-zero-marvel-podcast-mcu-series/ |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=ComicBook.com}} In 2023, ComicBook.com collaborated with Entertainment Tonight on The Last of Pods podcast for the first season of HBO's series The Last of Us.{{Cite web |date=January 13, 2023 |title=The Last of Pods: A ComicBook.com and ET Podcast for The Last of Us Coming Soon |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/the-last-of-us-pods-comicbook-et-podcast/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717142215/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/the-last-of-us-pods-comicbook-et-podcast/ |archive-date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=ComicBook.com}} By October 2024, Phase Zero had ended as its hosts had all been laid off from ComicBook.com; they went on to create the unaffiliated pop culture-focused podcast Phase Hero.{{Cite web |last=Ulatowski |first=Rachel |date=October 30, 2024 |title=Our favorite superhero podcasters are back with a new show titled 'Phase Hero' |url=https://www.themarysue.com/our-favorite-superhero-podcasters-are-back-with-a-new-show-titled-phase-hero/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241101013509/https://www.themarysue.com/our-favorite-superhero-podcasters-are-back-with-a-new-show-titled-phase-hero/ |archive-date=November 1, 2024 |access-date=October 31, 2024 |website=The Mary Sue}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons}}

• {{Official website}}

{{Paramount Global}}

{{Portal bar|Companies|Comics|Journalism|Internet|Tennessee}}

Category:2024 mergers and acquisitions

Category:American entertainment news websites

Category:Companies based in Nashville, Tennessee

Category:Former Paramount Global subsidiaries

Category:Infotainment

Category:Internet properties established in 1996

Category:Podcasting companies