▁Beau va is ▁and ▁writer ▁Gordon ▁Der ry ▁collabor ated ▁with ▁Bla ir ▁to ▁create ▁War lock ▁ 5 , ▁which ▁featured ▁real istic ▁mixed - media ▁and ▁air br ushing ▁techniques . ▁The ▁Ma el st rom ▁series ▁was ▁released ▁shortly ▁there after . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁the ▁independent ▁com ics ▁market ▁contract ed , ▁hur ting ▁n iche ▁publish ers ▁such ▁as ▁A irc el . ▁Bla ir ▁struck ▁a ▁deal ▁with ▁Scott ▁Mitchell ▁Ros enberg ▁of ▁Mal ib u ▁Comics ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁larger ▁publish er ▁would ▁be ▁" l ent " ▁A irc el ▁to ▁publish ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁titles , ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁financial ▁assistance . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁de ▁fact o ▁mer ger ▁with ▁the ▁Mal ib u ▁im print ▁E tern ity ▁Comics . ▁New ▁ill ust rat ors ▁assumed ▁responsibility ▁for ▁continu ing ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁series ▁( e . g . ▁El ford ▁vol . ▁ 2 , ▁War lock ▁ 5 ▁vol . ▁ 2 ), ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁ownership ▁disput es ▁over ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁titles . ▁Ult imately , ▁A irc el ▁terminated ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁previous ▁titles ▁and ▁purs ued ▁er otic - th emed ▁com ics ▁with ▁Mal ib u . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁A irc el ▁published ▁the ▁series ▁The ▁Men ▁in ▁Black , ▁by ▁Low ell ▁C unning ham ▁and ▁Sand y ▁Car r uth ers . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9