Rosenberg began his career in the comic-book industry at age 13 when he started a mail order company. Rosenberg graduated from the University of Denver.
Sunrise Distribution and Malibu Comics
In the mid-1980s, Rosenberg ran the small Commerce, California-based comics distributor Sunrise Distribution. In 1986, income from his distribution business allowed Rosenberg to finance Malibu Comics; and in 1987, he also pumped money into a number of other independent publishers, including Eternity Comics, Aircel Comics, and Adventure Comics. Malibu's first launch, Ex-Mutants, as Rosenberg once said in an interview, "turned out to be a hit" and "all on a $400 marketing budget." During his time at Malibu, Rosenberg led comic spin-offs into toys, television, and feature films, including the billion-dollar film and television franchise Men in Black, based on the Marvel/Malibu comic The Men in Black by Lowell Cunningham. Sunrise began to suffer cash-flow issues in 1987, and abruptly folded in 1988 during the "black-and-white implosion" and went out of business. This left a number of small publishers without the cash flow to continue, and they, too, went out of business. In 1992, Rosenberg brokered a deal in which seven top-selling artists defected from Marvel Comics to form Image Comics. Rosenberg signed the artists to a label deal which made Malibu the publisher of record for the first comics from Image, giving the upstart creator-run publisher access to the distribution channels. This subsequently led to Scott Rosenberg and his Malibu Comics breaking all sales records for independent comics; in 1992 Malibu grabbed almost 10% of the American comics market share, temporarily moving ahead of industry giant DC Comics. Malibu Comics' creator-friendly approach, savvy marketing, and willingness to take chances with new types of characters and stories made it the top independent comics publisher in the United States. By the middle of 1993, Image's financial situation was secure enough to publish its titles independently, and per the agreed upon distribution agreement with Malibu, ventured out on its own. During this period, Rosenberg also worked with Adobe Photoshop software to develop the then-leading standard for the computer coloring of comic books. Rosenberg sold Malibu to Marvel Comics in 1994. As part of the deal, Rosenberg was given the title senior executive vice president of Marvel.
Platinum Studios
Rosenberg left Marvel in January 1997, and purchased half of Platinum Studios from European rights agent Ervin Rustemagić. Platinum produces based on two distinctive categories: Those from the "Macroverse Bible," a multi-thousand-page bible of related comic characters created by Rosenberg, including titles such as Cowboys & Aliens, and properties acquired from other companies or creators such as and Jeremiah. Rustemagić left Platinum Studios in 2000. The company’s comic publishing philosophy is for the original publishers or rights holders to continue publishing their comics with Platinum Studios handling all other rights and development. Comics have been published based on Platinum’s properties continuously since inception, whether by Platinum itself or the original rights holders. Film productions in 2009–2011 were Cowboys & Aliens and Dylan Dog. Platinum Studios posted net losses of $4.3 million in 2006 and $5.1 million in 2007, and grew to a revenue of $10.5 million. The company became a public company, trading continuously since February 2008. In early 2012, Platinum Studios moved to new offices in West Los Angeles. In 2014, 27 million shares of Platinum were acquired by KCG Holdings. In 2017, Rosenberg began guest lecturing at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, California State University, NorthridgeDavid NazarianCollege of Business and Economics, Cal Tech, and the University of La Verne to MBA students discussing his successful Men In Black and Cowboys & Aliens properties as well as his comic book and television shows. In addition, Mr. Rosenberg was a panelist at the University of Southern California Innovation Conference in 2018. Rosenberg consistently is ranked as the best guest lecture in the classes he lectures by the students as well as their professors.
