 This is the SF Productions Podcast Network. On this special episode, I wanted to talk about something that we would normally cover on our comic podcast, How I Got My Wife to Read Comics. However, I considered this to be momentous enough to justify a video. After 26 years, the most famous of DC Comics' imprints, Vertigo, is being shuttered. DC is reorganizing over the next year, bringing all their various imprints into the mothership. Vertigo has been responsible for some of the most memorable comics of the last generation, as well as multiple TV and movie properties, and about 1,900 comics in my collection. But let's begin at the beginning. Vertigo was formed for two reasons, the need to bring in fresh new talent who wanted to own their own properties, and the Comics Code Authority. The latter was formed in the 50s by the comic book industry in order to avoid what were almost certain restrictions coming from the government, a.k.a. the Wortham Crusade. But that's another show. By the late 80s and early 90s, the CCA was more of an afterthought than anything. But there were still boundaries that the industry wouldn't cross without that stamp of approval. So it was decided that certain titles would be marked for mature readers without that stamp. Karen Berger, a DC editor at the time, was interested in bringing in new talent from the UK. She found their sensibility and point of view to be refreshingly different, edgier and smarter than those of most American comic writers. Writers such as Neil Gaiman, Jamie Delano, Peter Milligan, and Grant Morrison were all brought into the fold, enticed by contracts that allowed them to own their own work, which was unheard of in the major publishers, and is still today. After some time, their books would be known informally as the Bergerverse, and DC Top Management decided they needed to be set up more formally as a separate imprint. A few mature books such as Green Arrow, Black Hawk, and the question were left behind either to be cancelled or toned down. There are also a few books that came to vertigo when a Disney imprint of all things called Touchmark Comics shut down. The imprint was run by Art Young, a former DC editor, and he and those comics moved to vertigo. Vertigo kicked off with six titles, Shade the Changing Man, The Sandman, Hellblazer, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, and Doom Patrol, all of which moved from DC with their existing numbering intact. All were re-imaginings of earlier DC titles and characters. The first new vertigo title was a mini-series called Death the High Cost of Living based on one of the Sandman characters. It would go on to win Eisner Awards, the Oscars of the comic industry, for Best Writer, Neil Gaiman, and Best Editor, Karen Berger. The first original ongoing series was Sandman Mystery Theater, starring the Golden Age Sandman character in a noir tale. But let's talk about some major vertigo titles, many of which I have. The Sandman is one of the titles that came over from DC and is by far the best known and respected. Neil Gaiman took a DC property that had been resurrected multiple times and filled it with a sense of both whimsy and menace. The main character is Dream, aka Morpheus, one of the endless personifications of metaphysical states, destiny, death, desire, despair, delirium, and destruction. Morpheus is captured at the beginning of the series, which throws the universe into turmoil. It became one of the few graphic novels to hit the New York Times bestseller list. The original series ran for 75 issues from 1989 to 1996 with a huge number of miniseries, spinoffs, and original graphic novels and have won 26 Eisner Awards. A prequel was published from 2013 to 2015, only six issues it took forever to ship. After several attempts fell through, Sandman will be produced as a Netflix series. The Dreaming was originally an anthology and a spinoff of Sandman starring all of the characters in that continuity. The Corinthian, Matthew the Raven, Cain and Abel, Lucian the Dream Librarian, The Ferry Nuala, Eve, and Mervyn Pumpkinhead, minus its star, and written by a rotating list of creators. It later changed into an ongoing storyline. It ran for 60 issues from 1996 to 2001 and was just recently rebooted. Lucifer was another Sandman spinoff involving the original Fallen Angel. He also showed up in other Vertigo and DC titles. He's had various miniseries and series with a current one at Vertigo. Of course, the character just completed a Fox TV series. House of Mystery and House of Secrets were two old DC horror titles that were reimagined by Vertigo. Cain and Abel, yes, the Cain and Abel, were the masters of the two houses and used to act as narrators for horror stories in the style of the Crypt Keeper. During the Vertigo era, they were pulled into the Sandman title and various series and miniseries came out of that. There is currently a Sandman universe set of Vertigo titles, part of a final attempt to save the imprint of 2018, which includes The Dreaming, House of Whispers, Books of Magic, more on that title in a moment, and Lucifer. Animal Man originally began as a four issue miniseries at DC but was converted to ongoing based on strong sales, partly due to the writing work of Grant Morrison. It ran from 1988 to 1995 at DC and Vertigo and starred Buddy Baker, a superhero originally created in the 60s with the power to assume the abilities of any animal. The newer series championed animal rights. The character would return to DC proper during the New 52 era. Doom Patrol was another book that moved from DC to Vertigo. Both gritty and trippy, it took a wacky group of silver age freak characters and explored psychoses, sex, and the underbelly of culture. Both original and new characters came and went over the years as well as various writers with Grant Morrison and Rachel Pollock being the major influences during the Vertigo days. The team was moved back to DC proper for several years and then was used as the flagship for Gerard Way's young animal imprint, which continues to run. It's considered a pop-up imprint and will probably not be absorbed like Vertigo. It ran for 87 issues from 1987 to 1995, including its start at DC. The first season of a Doom Patrol series, heavily influenced by the Vertigo run, just completed at the DC Universe streaming site. The Swamp Thing was introduced in 1971's House of Secrets title as a bayou monster made of plant matter before getting his own book. All Swampy would get a second series in the early 80s coinciding with a West Craven film version. The concept of the green and the parliament of trees expanded the character into a whole mythology and the move to more adult content from writer Alan Moore necessitated the move to Vertigo as part of its initial launch. A third and fourth Vertigo volume from Brian K Vaughn and Andy Diggle respectively was followed by a move back to DC proper as part of the new 52. During all this there was a TV series in the 90s, multiple appearances in DC animation and recently a DC Universe streaming series which was quickly cancelled although season 1 episodes as of this recording are still coming out. Hal Blazer was another of the titles to come from DC over to Vertigo and a spinoff from the Swamp Thing title. It followed the adventures of John Constantine, a UK con man and a cult detective with questionable morals but one who would become an anti-hero when the chips were down. It was a dangerous thing to become his friend as things would not go well for you in the end. Constantine would make guest appearances in both the Vertigo and DC lines over the years and even switch back over to DC in 2011 during the new 52 era. Under various versions the title ran from 1988 to 2013 for a total of 300 issues with major runs from writers Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis, Paul Jenkins, Warren Ellis, Brian Azarello, Mike Carey, Andy Diggle and Peter Milligan. A return of the title has just been announced. Constantine has been a film with Keanu Reeves and TV with Matt Ryan who moved over to CW's Legends of Tomorrow. Black Orchid was a superhero title going back to the 70s and came over from DC to Vertigo. She was a human and plant hybrid in the spirit of Swamp Thing. Her abilities include super strength, flight and a master of disguise. She went back and forth between DC and Vertigo over the years. Shave the Changing Man was the final title to move from DC to Vertigo for its launch. A concept that was trippy to begin with, an alien with an M vest that could change his appearance based on his or others mental state, written by Steve Ditko in the 70s, was now stuck in the body of a convicted killer. The modern title involves sexual politics and identity as well as commentary about America itself. The title ran for 70 issues from 90 to 96 with a prequel under the young animal imprint. Shave the Changing Girl Slash Woman from 2016 until just recently. The books of magic is a sprawling tale created by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton, starring a boy named Tim Hunter who becomes a great wizard while figuring out adolescence and young adulthood. It was one of the titles that came over from DC Proper where it was originally designed to showcase DC's magical community. The title has had various miniseries, ongoing series, crossovers and specials with a current run recently underway. Fables was created by Bill Willingham and designed to answer the question, what do fairytale figures do in the real world? The characters were forced to flee their homelands after a mysterious adversary conquered them. They ended up in a modern day New York City living in a clandestine community known as Fable Town. All your favorites are here, Snow White, The Wolf, now Lovers, Prince Charming, Boy Blue, Jack, one guy was all the Jacks, Beauty and the Beast, Old King Cole who acts as mayor, Rapunzel, Pinocchio, you name it. Willingham wrote all 150 issues published between 2002 and 2015. There were also spin-offs including Cinderella, a set of miniseries turning the character into a Bond-esque secret agent. Ferris, an ongoing series, 32 issues from 2012 to 2015 with arcs starring your favorite non-Disney princesses. Jack of Fables where Jack goes to Hollywood and turns his stories into blockbusters, bringing attention to yourself as a big no-no so the rest of the series is him on the lam. It ran 50 issues from 2006 to 2011. Ever after from the pages of Fables was just that, a continuation of the main series with a number of new characters. As a whole, Fables won 22 Eisner awards during its run. We consider it to be the template of the gateway title to bring your significant other into comics. You may wonder why Fables was never translated into TV or film. Well, it was tried but fell through so ABC just reworked it into Once Upon a Time. Brian Azarello's 100 Bullets ran for 100 issues which tied into the main concept. A mysterious agent would had someone who had been terribly wronged a gun with 100 untraceable bullets, one of which they could use to take revenge. The noir series ran from 1999 to 2009. American Century written by Howard Chakin involves espionage during the Cold War. Chakin called it a left wing version of Steve Canyon. It ran from 2001 to 2003 for 26 issues. Rick Vike's Army at Love was a dark satire about a near future war in the Middle East with co-ed troops and involved a lot of sex. It ran for 18 issues from 2007 to 2009 over two miniseries. Astor City was a continuation of Kurt Busiek's silver age comic book pastiche that had moved from company to company over the years and ran at Vertigo from 2013 to 2018 for 52 issues. This has been one of our favorite comics over the years and a great way to bring new people into comics. It concentrates on how civilians live and work in a world of superheroes. Busiek promised more Astor City down the road, but no word yet. Brian Woods' DMZ involved a near future during a Second American Civil War, sounds familiar, where Manhattan is now a demilitarized zone. It ran for 72 issues from 2005 to 2012. Human Target was attempted twice at Vertigo for a total of 25 issues from 1999 to 2005 and written by Peter Milligan. The protagonist is Christopher Chance, a man that, for a fee, will take over your life if you're in mortal danger. He would often have psychological issues following the time he would live another person's life. There were two different TV series based on the character in 1992, pre-Vertigo, and 2010. Grant Morrison's The Invisibles was a secret organization battling against physical and psychic oppression using time travel, magic, meditation and physical violence with a focus on the latter, not a title for the kids. It ran from 1994 to 2000 in three volumes and 59 issues. I highly doubt you will ever see a TV series or film come out of this. Andy Dickles The Losers was loosely based on an older DC war title set in World War II. The new series was set in contemporary times and involved the war on terror following a special forces team working with the CIA. It ran for 32 issues from 2003 to 2006 with a film produced from 2009 to 2010. Brian Azarello's Loveless was a gritty western about a civil war confederate who went to a prison camp later released and ends up as the sheriff of his old hometown now under control by the North. It ran for 24 issues from 2005 to 2008. Madame Zanadu debuted in Doorway to Nightmare back in 1978, the final Bronze Age DC horror title. She's a mystic and was the ancient goddess Nimue from Arthurian myth. Her vertigo run from Matt Wagner ran from 2008 to 2011. Brian Woods' Northlanders was an anthology series all involving protagonists in the Age of Vikings and ran from 2008 to 2012 for 50 issues. Garth Ennis' preacher stars Jesse Custer, a small Texas minister who's possessed by the offspring of an angel and a demon making him potentially the most powerful being in the universe. He travels the country looking for God and causing havoc. The title ran for 75 issues from 1995 to 2000. There's a preacher series currently running on AMC. Scalped was a tale of modern Native Americans in South Dakota and involved crime, poverty, drug addiction and cultural identity. Jason Aaron's work ran 60 issues from 2007 to 2012. A 2017 TV pilot did not sell. Sweettooth was Jeff Lemire's first mainstream comic book and ran for 40 issues from 2009 to 2013. A post-apocalyptic tale involving a young boy slash deer hybrid named Gus created by a scientific facility that caused the catastrophe. It involves growing up while being constantly on the run as Gus, aka Sweettooth, named for his love of candy, met others of his kind. Lemire is now a major creative force. Descender, Black Hammer, Royal City, a TV pilot for Sweettooth was ordered in 2018. Trans Metropolitan was a transplant from another failed DC imprint called Helix that specialized in sci-fi. It stars a Gonzo journalist named Spider Jerusalem living in the 23rd century and digging for the truth. This often involved fighting the man. Warren Ellis' work ran 60 issues from 1997 to 2002. The Unknown Soldier was yet another repurposed DC book, in this case a 1966 war title. The Vertigo version was a gritty telling of war and the CIA. Joshua Dysart's title ran from 2008 to 2010 for 25 issues. Mike Carrey's The Unwritten stars Tom Taylor, a boy whose father uses as the inspiration for a Harry Potter-esque series of books. An adult Tom learns that the fantasy world of the books actually exists and that he is or can be a wizard. It's all about the price of celebrity, he is hounded by fans of the Tom Taylor books and the relationship between fiction and human consciousness. The book ran from 2009 to 2015 for 71 issues over two series. And finally, Brian K. Vaughn's Why the Last Man shows a world where all males, except our protagonist Yorick and his pet-bunky Ampersand, have died from a man-made plague. Society is thrown into chaos and various efforts are made to avoid overall extinction in a generation. Yorick becomes a priceless pawn in this world and he moves across the earth, hiding and searching for his girlfriend. The series ran from 2002 to 2008 for 60 issues. Multiple attempts have been made to turn the property into a film or TV series and failed, but an FX series called Y was ordered earlier this year. Yorick is reportedly a minor character, so I'm not sure how that will work. Probably all of these series and many more can be found in collected trade paperback editions, which has always been Vertigo's bread and butter. I doubt they ever made money from the monthly issues with sales dwarfed by the big guys, so Vertigo will live on. Thanks for watching.