Millennium Publications

Millennium Publications

Company type	Independent publisher
Industry	Comic book publishing
Founded	1990
Founder	Mark Ellis, Melissa Martin, Paul Davis
Defunct	2000
Headquarters	Tampa, Florida (original); later Narragansett and Kingston, Rhode Island , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Mark Ellis (chief writer), Melissa Martin (vice-president and art director), Paul Davis (editor and later owner)
Products	Licensed comics, original comics, adaptations

Millennium Publications was an independent comic book publisher based in the United States, operating primarily throughout the 1990s. Established in 1990 by Mark Ellis, Melissa Martin, and Paul Davis, the company initially set up its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, before relocating to Narragansett, Rhode Island. Millennium concentrated on producing licensed content and adaptations of works by renowned authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Lester Dent, H.P. Lovecraft, and Anne Rice. Additionally, the publisher transformed television series like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Wild Wild West into comic book formats.

The company’s strategy centered on releasing mainly one-shot issues and limited-run series, with only a select few extending beyond four installments. Starting with licensed horror comics, Millennium gradually shifted toward original creations in the mid-1990s and ventured into alternative comics through their brief creator-owned label, Modern Comics. This method enabled Millennium to establish a distinctive position within the competitive independent comics market during the early 1990s boom.

Millennium played a pivotal role in launching the careers of emerging talents such as Brian Michael Bendis, Adam Hughes, and Mike Wieringo while also partnering with seasoned professionals including John Bolton, Mark Buckingham, and Kelley Jones. Prominent cover artists like Brian Stelfreeze and Timothy Truman contributed to the company’s visual identity. The publisher’s impact on the market was defined by its unique publishing approach and collaborations with executives who blended creative vision with strategic management.

Origins

Millennium was founded by entrepreneur Mark Ellis (chief writer), Melissa Martin (vice-president and art director), and Paul Davis (editor). Their initial offerings included titles like Anne Rice's The Mummy, which became their longest-running series with 12 issues, alongside The Wild Wild West: The Night of the Iron Tyrants, a four-issue continuation of the television show. These early projects helped Millennium secure a strong presence in the licensed adaptation niche.

In 1991, Millennium broadened its reach with Lester Dent's Doc Savage series, showcasing artwork from contributors such as Darryl Banks and Adam Hughes. The limited four-issue run titled Doc Savage: The Monarch of Armageddon, written by Ellis, earned praise for its faithful representation of the original stories. That same year marked the release of Nosferatu: Plague of Terror, an original horror miniseries spanning four issues authored by Ellis.

Further diversification came with the three-issue limited series Cthulhu: The Whisperer in Darkness, adapting H.P. Lovecraft’s tale while introducing the Miskatonic Project concept. Between 1992 and 1993, Millennium published Anne Rice's The Witching Hour, co-produced with Comico for its initial four issues; however, despite intentions for an extended run, it concluded after five issues.

Under its Borderland imprint, Millennium released Asylum, a three-issue horror anthology featuring contributions from notable creators such as John Bolton and Neil Gaiman. Ellis also scripted a comic version of the cult horror film It! The Terror from Beyond Space and worked on two installments of the superhero series Justice Machine.

Expanding beyond fictional narratives, Millennium produced its first nonfiction comic biography titled By Any Means Necessary: The Life and Times of Malcolm X. Prior to his departure in 1993, Ellis authored The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Birds of Prey Affair, highlighting Millennium’s emphasis on utilizing established intellectual properties to fuel business expansion.

Change in ownership and company relocation

At the close of 1993, Millennium's co-owners Ellis and Martin, who also contributed as editorial and production personnel, sold their stakes to Davis but kept several comic titles, such as Nosferatu, The Miskatonic Project, and the revived Justice Machine. After this transfer of ownership, Davis moved Millennium’s base of operations from Tampa to Rhode Island, initially settling in Narragansett before relocating to Kingston.

Shift from licensed works to proprietary creations

During the mid-1990s, Millennium redirected its efforts toward producing original horror-themed content alongside adaptations of literary works by Robert E. Howard (The Black Reaper) and Arthur Conan Doyle (The Lost World). A notable example is The Black Reaper, which fused Howard’s poetry with comic visual storytelling, creating a hybrid between book and comic formats. Additionally, Millennium acquired the rights to Wendy Snow-Lang's Night's Children series from the now-defunct Fantaco/Tundra.

In 1994, Millennium took over publication of Vigil, created by Arvin Loudermilk and Mike Iverson, from Innovation Publishing. The company initially reprinted existing issues before launching a limited series that ran through 1996.

In 1996, the publisher debuted Keyhole, a two-person anthology by Dean Haspiel and Josh Neufeld. This title lasted three issues before moving under Millennium’s Modern Comics imprint and eventually transitioning to Top Shelf Productions.

Modern Comics imprint for creator-owned projects

Millennium introduced Modern Comics in 1997 as an imprint focused on creator-owned works aimed at minicomic producers, self-publishers, and zine creators. Despite this strategic redirection intended to capture niche markets for business expansion, the output diminished significantly—only a handful of titles appeared in 1998, none in 1999, and just one release in 2000: Yvonne Mojica's The Bathroom Girls Guide to Christmas Chaos.

Company closure

Millennium/Modern discontinued its operations in the year 2000.

Millennial Concepts

In late 2007, original founders Ellis and Martin launched Millennial Concepts, bringing back Millennium’s distinctive stylized "M" emblem. By July 2008, Millennial Concepts formed a partnership with Gary Reed’s Transfuzion Publications—founder of Caliber Comics—to co-publish graphic novels, marking a strategic initiative to re-enter the comics industry with an emphasis on expanded international reach.

Licensed franchises

• Anne Rice's The Mummy (12 issues, 1990–1992) — anthology featuring contributions from Mark Ellis, Mary Anne-Cassata, Greg Fulton, Terry Collins, and Faye Perozich; artwork by Tony Harris, John Hebert, Mark Herbert, Mario Hernandez, Robert Lewis, Mark Menendez, Richard Pace, Jim Mooney, and Marcus Rollie
• Anne Rice's the Witching Hour (5 issues, 1992–1993; first four co-published with Comico) — created by Terry Collins, Faye Perozich, and Duncan Eagleson
• Anne Rice's the Witching Hour: the Beginning (1994)
• Collector's Dracula (2 issues, 1994) — reprints of Dracula tales originally published by Millennium alongside Eclipse Comics and Caliber Comics
• Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (9 issues, 1991–1992) — anthology featuring stories by Mark Ellis, Terry Collins, Charles Moore; illustrated by Darryl Banks, Scott Benefiel, Nick Choles, Dave Dorman, Mark Evans, Tony Harris, Adam Hughes, Paul Orban, Brian Stelfreeze, Steve Stiles, Doug Wildey, Jim Amash, Rick Davis, and Robert Lewis
• Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze — Devil's Thoughts (3 issues, 1992)
• Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze — Doom Dynasty (2 issues, 1991–1992) — artwork by Mike Wieringo
• Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze — Repel (1991)
• Doc Savage: The Manual of Bronze (2 issues, 1992) — authored by Mark Ellis and Darryl Banks
• Doc Savage: The Monarch of Armageddon (4 issues, 1992) — written by Mark Ellis with art by Darryl Banks
• H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu (3 issues, 1991–1992) — penned by Terry Collins and Paul Davis; illustrated by Don Heck and Robert Lewis
• H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu: The Festival (3 issues, 1993-1994) — created by Roy Thomas, Brian Michael Bendis, and David W. Mack
• H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu: Whisperer in Darkness (3 issues, 1991–1992) — scripts by Mark Ellis and Terry Collins; artwork by Darryl Banks and Don Heck
• It! The Terror from Beyond Space (4 issues, 1992) — written by Mark Ellis with inks by Jim Amash
• The Lost World (2 issues, 1996)
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Birds of Prey Affair (2 issues, 1993) — authored by Mark Ellis with Nick Choles and Don Hillsman II
• Mummy Archives (1992) — text stories contributed by Terry Collins, Paul Davis, Mark Ellis, and Mary Anne-Cassata accompanied by illustrations
• Nosferatu: Plague of Terror (4 issues, 1991) — written by Mark Ellis; art by Rik Levins, Richard Pace, and Frank Turner
• Pat Savage: Woman of Bronze (one-shot, 1991) — stories authored by Mark Ellis; illustrated by Darryl Banks, Scott Benefiel, Mark Evans, Adam Hughes, Pat Savage herself as character representation artistically depicted alongside Jim Amash and Robert Lewis
• Robert E. Howard's The Black Reaper (1995)
• Weird Tales Illustrated (2 issues, January 1992) — anthology featuring narratives from Les Daniels, Paul Davis, and Faye Perozich; artwork provided by John Bolton, Kelley Jones, and Eddy Newell
• The Wild Wild West: The Night of the Iron Tyrants (4 issues, 1990) — co-written by Paul Davis and Mark Ellis; illustrated by Robert Lewis

Original Publications

• After Dark (1995) — created by Kim Elizabeth, Wendy Snow-Lang, Arvin Loudermilk, Mike Iverson, Faye Perozich, Julio Brazo
• Armageddon Rising: The Grand Equation (2 issues, 1997)
• Asylum (3 issues, 1993) — anthology presenting both original narratives and reprints by T. Casey Brennan, Marv Channing, Paul Davis, Eric Dinehart, David Ingersoll, Neil Gaiman; artwork by Vicente Alcazar, John Bolton, Mark Buckingham, Howard Chaykin, Duncan Eagleson, Pia Guerra, Don Hillsman II, Matt Howarth, Justin Norman, Omaha Perez, Carlos Pino, Mari Schaal, Al McWilliams
• Blood Childe: Blood Radio (3 issues, approximately 1994–1995)
• Blood Childe: Portrait of a Surreal Killer (4 issues, Oct. 1994–1995) — narrative by Neil Gaiman and Faye Perozich; illustrated by Yanick Paquette, Michel Lacombe, Octavio Cariello
• By Any Means Necessary: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (Unauthorized Biography in Comic Book Form) (1993) — authored by Don Hillsman II and Ryan Monihan
• Canton Kid (1997)
• Captain Satan (2 issues, 1994)
• Chassis (3 issues, 1996–1997; later acquired by Hurricane Comics) — written by Darryl Taylor and William O'Neill
• Cleopatra (1991–1992) — illustrated by Mark Mendendez
• Da'Kota (2 issues, 1997) — created by T. C. Howards, Scott Petersen, Terry Pavlet
• Dark World: Vampires (1995) — penned by Kim Elizabeth, David Quinn, Sandra Chang
• Death Hawk (1991) — penciled by Darryl Banks
• Deiree: The Ultimate Experience (1997) — crafted by Naser Subashi and Rudy Nebres
• Descending Angels (1995) — pencils by Adam De Kraker
• Heartstopper: Sorrow About to Fall (2 issues, 1995) — developed by Steven Roman, Uriel Caton, Alan Larsen
• Jigaboo Devil (1996) — produced by LaMorris Richmond (L. A. Morris), Barton McGee, Jiba Molei Anderson, Seitu Hayden
• The Justice Machine: Chimera Conspiracy (2 issues, 1992) — authored by Mark Ellis and Darryl Banks
• Keyhole (3 issues, June 1996–1997 before transitioning to Modern) — primarily created by Dean Haspiel and Josh Neufeld
• Little Miss Strange (1997)
• Manik (3 issues, 1995) — developed by Mitchell Reichgut and Ben Fogletto
• Nanosoup (1996)
• Night's Children: Liaisons (Oct. 1994) — written by Wendy Snow-Lang
• Night's Children: Origins (Sept. 1994; rights obtained from FantaCo Enterprises)
• Night's Children: Red Trails West (Dec. 1994)
• Night's Children: Ripper (2 issues, 1995) — authored by Wendy Snow-Lang
• Oz Squad Special (1995) — created by Steve Ahlquist, Gus Norman, David Ingersoll, Ronn Sutton
• Power Plays (1 issue, 1995; initially planned as a four-issue series) — written by Michael Kelly and Wendi Strang-Frost
• The Quest of the Tiger Woman: A Genetic Park Adventure (2 issues, Apr. 1994)
• Red Moon (2 issues, 1995) — penned by Paul Davis
• Sex & Death (June 1995) — artwork by Terry Pavlet
• Shock the Monkey (2 issues, 1996)
• Song of the Sirens: featuring Da'Kota (2 issues, 1997)
• Sparrow (4 issues, 1994)
• Tempered Steele (1992) — illustrated by Don Hillsman II
• The Tiger Woman (Sept. 1994) and its continuation The Tiger Woman: A New Beginning (1998) — authored by Donald Marquez
• Trouble (1998)
• Vampyr (4 issues, around 1994)
• Vigil: Desert Foxes (2 issues, 1995); along with related titles such as Vigil: Rebirth (2 issues, 1994), and others including Vigil: Road Trips (1996), and Vigil: Vamporum Animaturi (1994), all created by Arvin Loudermilk and Mike Iverson
• Wicked also known as Sean Shaw's Wicked (4 issues, 1994–1995) — crafted by Sean Shaw
• White Eyes (1992) — written by Mark Ellis

Modern Comics Imprint

• August Quinn Adventures (1998) — created by Chris Reilly
• Bathroom Girls (4 issues, 1998–2000) — authored by Yvonne Mojica
• The Bathroom Girls Guide to Holiday Chaos (2000) — written by Yvonne Mojica
• Billy Dogma (3 issues, 1997) — by Dean Haspiel
• Keyhole #4 (1997) — collaboration between Dean Haspiel and Josh Neufeld; subsequently published by Top Shelf Productions
• Lovely Prudence (3 issues, 1997–1998) — by Maze
• Lovely Prudence Swimsuit Special (1998) — created by Maze
• Rogue Satellite Comics Special (1998) — produced by Chris Reilly, Kevin Atkinson, and R. David Price

Trade Paperbacks

• The Best of Asylum (1994) — compilation of the three-issue limited series
• H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu: Whisperer in Darkness (1993) — collects the three-issue limited run
• Vigil Collection I: Fall from Grace (1994) — gathers Vigil: Fall From Grace #1–2 (Innovation Publishing, 1992)
• Vigil Collection II: The Mexico Trilogy (October 1994) — anthology of three Vigil titles released by Innovation and Millennium between 1992 and 1994

Prominent Creators Associated with Millennium

• Tony Akins
• Darryl Banks
• Brian Michael Bendis
• John Bolton
• Mark Buckingham
• Duncan Eagleson
• Mark Ellis
• Tony Harris
• Dean Haspiel
• Don Heck
• Don Hillsman II
• Adam Hughes
• Michel Lacombe
• Jim Mooney
• Rudy Nebres
• Josh Neufeld
• Yanick Paquette
• David Quinn
• Mike Wieringo

See Also

• Innovation Publishing

Sources

• Entry on Millennium Publishing, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999
• Mark Ellis profile, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999

External Links

• Comprehensive review of Asylum at Beach Bum Comics