Reader Submitted Micro-Cap Idea - Platinum Studios (PDOS)
Continuing to work through a series of reader-submitted micro cap trading ideas, today we’ll submit Platinum Studios (PDOS) for consideration.
Platinum Studios is an entertainment company that specializes in developing and adapting comics and graphic novel content to feature films, television, animation, games, mobile wireless, gaming, merchandising, and other media. Their comic characters make up the largest library in the world, which contains more than 5,622 characters.
Some of their feature films will include: “Cowboys and Aliens” & “Atlantis Rising” (by Dreamworks), “Dylan Dog”, “Witchblade”, and “Unique” by Disney. Scott Rosenberg (who sold Men in Black to Sony) is the CEO.
Working with leading companies in the entertainment and new media sectors, Platinum Studios is emerging as one of the front-runners in the creation of new content across ALL media platforms. The comparison being made most often is to Marvel Entertainment (MVL), which started out as comic book company. In only a couple of decades though, Marvel has become an entertainment company…to say the least. By the way, Marvel’s stock is only worth about nine times what is was a decade ago.
Platinum’s learning curve may not even be that long, since many of the special effects and movie technology advancements have only been made on the last six years or so. Toss in the fact that Platinum has an even larger library than Marvel, and it makes you wonder where it could all go.
The only pitfall the editorial staff of the Micro Cap Press sees is this…even though the library of comic characters is bigger than Marvel’s, there’s no real ’star power’. Marvel’s Hulk, Spider-Man, and X-Men were all established heroes known pretty much to everyone. Platinum will have to make their heroes a household name to get as much traction…..maybe.
The counter-argument is a good one - the people working on Platinum’s films right now have successfully launched ‘new’ character franchises before.
The name ’Gale Anne Hurd’ may or may not ring a bell with you, but the three ”Terminator” movies are recognized by pretty much everyone. Guess who turned those nothing ideas into the Terminator franchise? It was Gale Ann Hurd.
And Gale’s done more than that. It only started in 1984 with “Terminator”, which she also co-wrote with James Cameron. She did “Aliens” two years later. “The Abyss” followed in 1989, and then “Terminator 2″ and “Terminator 3″ (3 alone did $420 million) after that. She also did the first “The Hulk”.
So what? Well, Gale’s now teamed up with Platinum on some of the films-in-the-works we mentioned at the onset.
We don’t really know where that’ll go. Perhaps nowhere. Or, perhaps Platinum’s sitting on the next Terminator-like franchise. We just don’t know. With all the good company Platinum is keeping though, we have no problem directing your attention their way.
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I see Platinum has fallen like the rest of the market. Just saw some interesting news on Advisors. Some really big names in the industry. “Inaugural members of the Advisory Board include Mark Canton, former Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and currently Chairman Atmosphere Entertainment; Richard Fowkes, Head of Business Affairs for Legendary Pictures and former EVP in charge of business affairs for the motion picture group at Paramount Pictures, Andrea Hein, former President of Viacom Consumer Products and current EVP of First Wives World; Michael Helfant, former President and COO of Marvel Studios; Gale Anne Hurd, Chairman of Valhalla Motion Pictures; John W. Hyde, former President and CEO of Film Roman, former Vice Chairman of Starz Media and currently Chairman of Rehab Incorporated; Jerry Katzman, former Vice Chairman of William Morris Agency; Steve Milo, former President of New Media for Marvel Comics; Gareb Shamus, Founder of Wizard Entertainment; Charlie Weber, former CEO of Lucasfilm; Glenn Rigberg, President of Rigberg Entertainment Group; and Ed Dille, Chairman of Fog Studios.”
Hopefully, these guys can help them get the job done right, and when the market returns, turn this stock around. IMO
Comment by Pam — October 9, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
Update from Money TV interview today. National Lampoon has sign on as a sponsor for WOWIO and on the movie side, Robert Downey JR has agreed to sign on for Cowboys and Aliens, not just thinking about doing it as was previously reported. Also new gaming contracts for development on WII, Microsoft X-Box games.
Read the comic Cowboy and Aliens to see what Im talking about. http://www.drunkduck.com/CowboysAndAliens/
Comment by Guy — August 8, 2008 @ 8:49 am
I see nobody mentions Platinum Studios other ventures. Those include WOWIO, DrunkDuck (a web community for artists) Spastk, like realplayer, Platinum Studios mobile, and the Comic Book Challenge, which is going on now. I think these things make Platinum different than Marvel in the sense that they are doing more things to bring Comics and its applications to market. Marvel seems like films and comics, maybe webcomics now too. Like Platinums logo says “Comics fueling MEDIA EVERYWHERE. Looks like there sticking to that business plan.
Thanks
Editor’s response: Thanks
Comment by Guy — August 7, 2008 @ 7:01 pm
I want to comment on the other aspects of the company. Platinum Studios owns DruckDuck, a web community where artists can go to showcase their work. Recently, I had read somewhere where a guy got his work picked up and sold to Image Comics. Not bad for just posting your work and showing your comics to others. They also have a cell phone deal to showcase comics and material online for wallpaper and screensavers for cell phones and mobile devices. The recent buy of WOWIO is new and part of their plan to get comics and media into the mainstream. It is now international. Also going on now is the Comic Book Challenge. It is kind of like an American Idol of comics in which a talent contest will choose who is the best artist. Right now they have 50 contestants which will go to 1. They get a contract with Platinum Studios and their work get submitted for Comics, Film and TV. Pretty Cool huh. They also have contracts with Gaming studios, Animation Studios, Comics, Video Player (like Quicktime player) for videos and more to come. Looks like a mini Marvel to me. All this data was seen on the IHUB board and their website. Had to say it came from somewhere, I couldnt remember all these things by heart “). Stock is still cheap for now, as I think not that many people still know about this yet.
Thanks
Editor’s response: Thanks.
Comment by Barbara — August 6, 2008 @ 7:59 pm
The only pitfall the editorial staff of the Micro Cap Press sees is this…even though the library of comic characters is bigger than Marvel’s, there’s no real ’star power’. Marvel’s Hulk, Spider-Man, and X-Men were all established heroes known pretty much to everyone. Platinum will have to make their heroes a household name to get as much traction…..maybe.
I would like to comment on this. WitchBlade is a well know comic, not as well as X-Men, but could be a household name if done to the comic and done right. Battlestar Galactica”’s Michael Rymer is set to direct. With there large number of characters, which we have only seen the tip of, Im sure more well known characters will show up in the future. As to star power, Jenna Dewan (Grundge 2) & Luke Goss (Hellboy 2) are set to appear in Gale Anne Hurd’s Magdalena and Brando Routh (Superman 2) to appear in Dylan Dog with Hyde Park Entertainment (who is working on Streetfighter-out shortly) and Ron Howard and Steven Speilberg working on Cowboys and Aliens with Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man) looking at playing the lead. There is alot of big names here and I think we will see more as deals continue to develop.
BTW, nice article. Have you seen the Jeremiah series on Sci-Fi. Look for the big silver “P” at the end of the credits. Yes that is one of their TV series that was sold.
Thanks
Jacob
Editor’s response: Thanks for the background info…maybe they’ll have an easier time getting endeared than first thought. I personally don’t know all of the names/characters you mentioned, though the actors/directors are clearly top tier. (Anything anybody from BSG does gets a vote from me - it really is the best show on TV, even if slow to start the next season. 2009? Geez. Then again, it’ll take me until 2009 to really figure out whether or not their ‘Earth’ is actually our ‘Earth’. Somethin’s fishy, with Starbuck at the heart of the confusion.)
Comment by Jacob — August 6, 2008 @ 3:25 pm