Mad Cave Studios is a comic book publishing house based in Miami, Florida, USA established in 2014. The company was created by writer Mark London, with founding members including Giovanna Tobar Orozco, Miguel Zapata and Cecilia Medina.
Mad Cave Studios publish a range of comic books and trade paperbacks, originally partnering with distributor Diamond Comic Distributors. In following years, Mad Cave Studios continued to grow, partnering with Maverick imprint and Simon & Schuster for distribution, plus acquiring Papercutz and the introduction of licensed and creator-owned projects.
Defenders of the Earth
Defenders of the Earth is a trade paperback comic book published by Mad Cave Studios in the USA on the 4th of June 2024. The comic book reprints the Defenders of the Earth four edition miniseries published by Star Comics/Marvel in 1987, themed after the Defenders of the Earth cartoon series released in the USA in 1985. This edition marks the first time all four comic books from 1987 are found in the one publication.
The Defenders of the Earth trade paperback comic book contain a softcover with 96 full color pages measuring 25.7cm x 16.8cm with English text. The unique art found on the front cover is illustrated by Scott Chantler and features (from left to right), Lothar, Flash Gordon, the Phantom and Mandrake the Magician.
The four edition comic book series originally published in 1987 was written by Stan Lee, Bob Harras and Michael Higgins and illustrated by Alex Saviuk and Fred Fredericks. The description found in online advertisements read:
Sci-fi legend Flash Gordon must team up with the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and the super-strong Lothar to defend planet Earth against the dark forces of Ming the Merciless. Luckily, they’ll get some help from the next generation of heroes: their children! Collects issues 1-4 of the original 1987 run from Star Comics.
Defenders of the Earth Omnibus
The Defenders of the Earth Omnibus is a trade paperback comic book published by Mad Cave Studios in the USA on the 17th of November 2024. The comic book reprints the two Defenders of the Earth series created/published by Mad Cave Studios within the one edition. The first series was launched in 2024 titled ‘Defenders of the Earth‘ containing eight editions, with the second series launched in 2025 titled ‘Defenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny‘ containing 4 editions.
The Defenders of the Earth Omnibus trade paperback comic book contain a hardcover with 304 full color pages measuring 10.13 Inches x 6.63 Inches with English text. The comic book features comic strip adventures, meticulously crafted by writer Dan DiDio, illustrated by Jim Calafiore and Alex Sanchez, colored by Juancho Velez and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual.
The front cover features a vibrant, action-packed composition divided by bold vertical color panels of red, purple, and green. In the foreground, Flash Gordon is engaged in a dynamic sword duel with the villain Ming the Merciless, their blades clashing in a bright burst of light. Hovering behind them are the dramatic, stylized faces of the team’s other iconic heroes: Mandrake the Magician in his signature top hat on the left, The Phantom in purple wearing his mask in the center, and the powerhouse Lothar on the right. The cover is illustrated by Jim Calafiore, seen below.
The cover art was utilized on the front cover of edition number 6A of the first series of Defenders of the Earth by Mad Cave Studios, which was released on the 9th of April 2025. The description provided in online advertisements on the contents of the omnibus reads:
Picking up with characters and storylines from the original series, the Defenders stage a multi-world hunt for the missing Dale Arden, The Phantom fights for his spot in the family legacy, and the younger generation–Rick, LJ, Jedda, and Kshin–take up their mentors’ roles as both Earth and Mongo fracture in political chaos! All twelve issues written by Dan DiDio and drawn by celebrated artists J. Calafiore, Alex Sanchez, and more are collected here in a gorgeous, oversized collection.
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