Sirius Entertainment

Sirius Entertainment was an American independent comic-book publishing company that operated from 1994 until approximately 2014. Founded by Robb Horan and Larry Salamone, the company was established around a creator-owned publishing model rather than a conventional superhero franchise system. Its catalogue combined fantasy, horror, dark humor, autobiography, independent manga-influenced work, and creator-led serial fiction. Sirius initially operated from Stanhope, New Jersey, and later relocated to Unadilla, New York. The publisher became most strongly associated with Poison Elves, Drew Hayes's dark fantasy comic. Hayes brought the property to Sirius in 1995, and the title became the company's defining long-running series. Sirius published the main series, color specials, companion material, sketchbooks, spin-offs, and short series connected with the Poison Elves universe. The company's relationship with Hayes was intended to support an expanding fictional setting and continued publication under a long-term arrangement. Across the Sirius period, the publisher released dozens of additional Poison Elves issues and related publications, with the final original main-series material appearing in the mid-2000s. Sirius also developed a broad independent-comics catalogue. Important titles included Joseph Michael Linsner's Dawn, Mark Crilley's Akiko, Jill Thompson's Scary Godmother, Mark Smylie's Artesia, Daniel Schaffer's Dogwitch, Voltaire's Oh My Goth! and Deady, Jason Asala's Poe, and several works by creators associated with the alternative-comics scene. Some titles had previously appeared through other small publishers and were acquired or continued by Sirius; others later moved to different publishers such as Image Comics, Archaia Studios Press, Arcana Studio, and Ape Entertainment. The death of Drew Hayes in late 2007 was a major disruption. Hayes's death brought the original Poison Elves production to an abrupt end and weakened Sirius's ability to generate new material. The company's last original publication was identified as Hayes's posthumous autobiography, Deaththreats: The Life and Times of a Comic Book Rock Star, released in 2009. By 2010, Sirius's backlist was being sold by co-founder Robb Horan through CosmicTherapy.com. Horan later described Sirius as having effectively become a holding company centered on the Poison Elves property after the loss of new production and the company's disappearance from Diamond Comic Distributors' Previews. In 2013, Sirius entered into a licensing arrangement with Ape Entertainment for a continuation titled Drew Hayes Poison Elves. The series used material based on Hayes's plans for future stories and was written by Horan with art by Osvaldo Pestana Montpeller. It continued from the original series's cliffhanger but lasted only three issues, ending amid Ape Entertainment's own business difficulties. By 2021, the Sirius Entertainment website had reportedly changed ownership, and by 2023 it was no longer functioning. Sirius is therefore treated as defunct or inactive, although individual properties from its catalogue continued to circulate through reprints, licensing, archival sales, or successor publishers.

Sirius Entertainment was founded in 1994 by Robb Horan and Larry Salamone as an American independent comic-book publisher. The company was initially based in Stanhope, New Jersey, before later moving to Unadilla, New York. From the outset, Sirius emphasized creator-owned properties. This approach placed the publisher within the independent-comics market, where small presses often gave writers and artists greater control over their characters, settings, and publishing relationships than was typical at larger mainstream comic companies. The company's early catalogue included works in a range of genres. Among its early titles were Safety Belt Man, Animal Mystic, Model by Day, and other independent projects. Sirius also acquired or continued titles that had originated with smaller publishers, including Dawn, which it acquired from Cry For Dawn Productions, and Poe, which it acquired from Cheese Comics. The catalogue expanded into fantasy, horror, dark comedy, alternative comics, and creator-led serial narratives. Sirius's most important property was Poison Elves by Drew Hayes. Hayes brought the series to Sirius in 1995. The comic centered on a dark fantasy world and became the publisher's signature title. Sirius published the main series as well as related specials, mini-series, reference material, and sketchbooks. The publisher's output included material by Hayes and by other creative teams working within the setting. In 2000, publisher Robb Horan described the parties' long-term agreement as one intended to support an expanding universe and an ongoing relationship. The main Poison Elves run ultimately produced dozens of issues, with the final original issue appearing in the mid-2000s. During the same period, Sirius published several titles that became recognized within independent comics. Mark Crilley's Akiko ran for 52 issues between 1995 and 2004. Joseph Michael Linsner's Dawn appeared in multiple series and one-shots between 1995 and 2000. Jill Thompson's Scary Godmother received a succession of short series and one-shots from 1997 through 2005. Mark Smylie's Artesia appeared through two limited series from 1999 to 2001 before moving to Archaia Studios Press. Other catalogue highlights included Daniel Schaffer's Dogwitch, Voltaire's Chi-Chian and Oh My Goth!, Jason Shawn Alexander's Empty Zone, Sean McKeever's Tower, and Rosearik Rikki Simons's Super Information Hijinks: Reality Check!. Drew Hayes died in late 2007. His death ended the original production of Poison Elves and coincided with a broader decline in Sirius's new publishing activity. The company's final original work was Hayes's posthumous autobiography Deaththreats: The Life and Times of a Comic Book Rock Star, published in 2009. By 2010, Horan was selling back issues through CosmicTherapy.com. In a later account, Horan said that Hayes's death had severely disrupted the business, particularly because the company no longer had a reliable flow of new material and had lost its position in Diamond Comic Distributors' Previews. He characterized Sirius's continuing role as essentially a holding company for Poison Elves. In 2013, Sirius licensed a continuation of the property to Ape Entertainment. The resulting title, Drew Hayes Poison Elves, was written by Horan and illustrated by Osvaldo Pestana Montpeller. It resumed the story close to the cliffhanger at the end of the original series and was based on Hayes's outline for future issues. Only three issues were released before the project ended, in the context of difficulties affecting Ape Entertainment. The series did not restore Sirius to its former publishing role. The company's later corporate status became increasingly unclear. By 2021, the Sirius Entertainment website had reportedly changed hands, and by 2023 it was no longer operational. The available record supports treating Sirius Entertainment as defunct or inactive by approximately 2014, with its significance resting on its independent-comics catalogue and its role in developing and publishing Poison Elves and other creator-owned properties.

• 2023

  Sirius website is no longer operating

  [1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  The former Sirius Entertainment website is reported to have become nonfunctional, reinforcing the company's inactive status.

• 2013

  Poison Elves continuation is licensed

  [1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Ape Entertainment publishes a short-lived continuation under license from Sirius Entertainment.

• 2009

  Deaththreats is published

  [1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Sirius publishes Hayes's posthumous autobiography, identified as the company's last original publication.

• 2007

  Drew Hayes dies

  [1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Hayes's death ends the original production of Poison Elves and severely disrupts Sirius's publishing operation.

• 2000

  Long-term Poison Elves agreement described

  [1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Publisher Robb Horan describes an agreement intended to support continued development of the Poison Elves universe.

• 1995

  Poison Elves moves to Sirius

  [1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Drew Hayes brings Poison Elves to Sirius, beginning the title's principal publishing relationship with the company.

• 1994

  Sirius Entertainment is founded

  [1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Robb Horan and Larry Salamone establish Sirius Entertainment as an independent comic-book publisher focused on creator-owned properties.

An independent, creator-focused comic-book publisher emphasizing owned-by-creators properties, distinctive fantasy and alternative-comics voices, and specialized genre titles outside the mainstream superhero publishers.

• Dark fantasy comic series · 1995

  Poison Elves

  Drew Hayes's dark fantasy property was Sirius Entertainment's defining publication. The company published the main series, a color special, several mini-series, one-shots, companion material, and sketchbooks. The Sirius-era catalogue also included stories produced by other creative teams within the Poison Elves setting. Original production ended after Hayes's death, while a later licensed continuation appeared through Ape Entertainment.

• Fantasy comic series · 1995

  Dawn

  Joseph Michael Linsner's Dawn was a prominent fantasy title in the Sirius catalogue. Sirius acquired the property from Cry For Dawn Productions and published multiple series and one-shots between 1995 and 2000. The property later moved to Image Comics, illustrating the movement of independent creator-owned titles between specialist publishers.

• Independent adventure comic · 1995

  Akiko

  Created by Mark Crilley, Akiko was one of Sirius's longer-running non-Poison Elves titles. The series combined adventure and imaginative fantasy elements and ran for 52 issues from December 1995 through February 2004, making it an important part of the company's sustained independent-comics output.

• Fantasy and children's comic · 1997

  Scary Godmother

  Jill Thompson's Scary Godmother appeared through multiple short series and one-shots published by Sirius from 1997 to 2005. The title broadened the company's catalogue beyond darker adult-oriented fantasy and demonstrated its interest in distinctive creator-led characters with potential appeal across age groups.

• Epic fantasy comic · 1999

  Artesia

  Mark Smylie's Artesia was published by Sirius through two limited series between 1999 and 2001. It formed part of the publisher's ambitious fantasy line and later moved to Archaia Studios Press, where the property continued under a different publishing arrangement.

• Autobiographical book · 2009

  Deaththreats: The Life and Times of a Comic Book Rock Star

  This posthumous autobiography by Drew Hayes was published by Sirius in 2009. It is identified as the company's last original publication and served as a final release connected with the creator most closely associated with Sirius's publishing identity.

• 2013

  License Poison Elves to Ape EntertainmentStrategy

  Background

  After Drew Hayes's death and the decline of Sirius's new publishing activity, the company retained a continuing interest in Poison Elves while functioning largely as a holding company for the property.

  Action taken

  Sirius licensed Ape Entertainment to publish Drew Hayes Poison Elves, using Horan's writing and Osvaldo Pestana Montpeller's artwork and drawing on Hayes's planned story direction.

  Aftermath

  The continuation reached only three issues before ending amid difficulties at Ape Entertainment, and it did not re-establish Sirius as an active publisher.

  Source

• 2013

  Sirius licenses Poison Elves continuation to Ape Entertainment[1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Product launch

  Sirius made a licensing arrangement with Ape Entertainment for Drew Hayes Poison Elves, a continuation based on Hayes's planned story direction.

• 2010

  Sirius back issues offered through CosmicTherapy.com[1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Co-founder Robb Horan sold Sirius's back issues through his CosmicTherapy.com website as the company's active publishing operations contracted.

• 2009

  Sirius publishes Deaththreats[1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Sirius released Drew Hayes's posthumous autobiography, Deaththreats: The Life and Times of a Comic Book Rock Star, described as the company's last original publication.

• 2007

  Death of Drew Hayes ends original Poison Elves production[1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Hayes's death brought the original Poison Elves production to an abrupt end and significantly disrupted Sirius Entertainment's publishing activity.

• 1995

  Sirius Entertainment begins publishing Poison Elves[1]Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Drew Hayes brought Poison Elves to Sirius Entertainment, beginning the relationship that became the publisher's most important editorial association.

1. 1Sirius Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org