Platinum Editions was a joint venture between Ervin Rustemagic’s Strip Art Features (S.A.F.) and Malibu Comics. The idea was that since Ervin’s client roster of fantastically-talented big name artists was already creating graphic albums for distribution in multiple European countries, why not publish a US edition as well. Why not, indeed.

Malibu agreed to pay for a black plate change during the press run and produce a version of each book with English dialogue (and lettering), and distribute the books under a new imprint. Ervin originally wanted to call the imprint “Exit” because he had a theory that the sheer number of “Exit” signs on the freeways, interstates and highways across the U.S. amounted to a ton of free advertising. But Platinum Editions won the name game.

Once printed in Europe, the books would then ship to the US. It gave Malibu – in 1991 – access to some creators it normally would not have gotten to work with, including Joe Kubert (who would later illustrate Rustemagic’s Fax From Sarajevo) and Sergio Aragones. Kubert’s book was Abraham Stone, and Sergio did two books, Buzz & Bell: Space Cadets and Smokehouse Five.

In 1991, both creators and Rustemagic appeared at the Malibu booth during the San Diego Comic Con (now called Comic Con International). In the top photo, that’s Joe Kubert, front and center. In the background, in the tan vest, is Rustemagic. The guy with the pen and blue t-shirt is Malibu Publisher Dave Olbrich, whose job it was to track all the Platinum books from Europe and get them into the US and into the hands of the distributors (in 1991, there were a bunch of them).

The bottom photo, taken mere seconds after the first (see position of “Guy In White Cap” on the left in both photos), shows Kubert on the left, and Sergio on the right, with Rustemagic in the background. That’s the top of Dave Olbrich’s head lurking behind Sergio.

Since Abraham Stone didn’t ship until the fall of 1991, Kubert’s probably signing a special sneak-preview promotional booklet for the album. Sergio is no doubt signing copies of Buzz & Bell: Space Cadets, which had shipped earlier in the year.

In less than a year from the time of this photo, Rustemagic would return to his home in Sarajevo and start living the harrowing events Kubert detailed in Fax From Sarajevo.

Malibu President Scott Rosenberg liked the Platinum name so much that after Malibu Comics was sold to Marvel Comics, Scott’s new start-up was called Platinum Studios.

If you missed the previous installment of Old Comic Con photos, click here for Jim Balent and Lita Ford.

Still more photos to come!

[Photos © Tom K. Mason]