Platinum Studios (PDOS)

[Gromet]

Platinum the next Marvel?

Marvel Entertainment's success rests on the strength (and marketability) of its characters. The firm lends its more than 5,000 characters (which include Iron Man, Spider-Man, and X-Men) to publishing, licensing, and film production operations. Through Marvel Publishing, the company is the #1 comic book publisher with a 40% market share. Marvel earns toy licensing revenues through a deal with Hasbro. Other licensing fees come from character use in consumer products such as clothing and video games. Marvel-produced movies include Thor and the Iron Man films. The company is a subsidiary The Walt Disney Company. The media giant purchased Marvel at the tail end of 2009 in a deal worth more than $4 billion.