Marvel reported Q4 2001 and full year results on Friday, and the turnaround that began around the second quarter of 2001 continued (see 'Publishing Continues To Improve in Marvel's Third Quarter' and 'Marvel Cash Flow Positive in Q2'), with a $3 million operating income for the quarter that topped last year's results by almost $50 million, and represented the best quarterly results for Marvel in recent memory.
Licensing was the star again in Q4, with over $17 million in revenue from licensees such as Buster Brown Shoe, Haddad (children's apparel), Encore Software (video games), Universal Shows (traveling Marvel Universe stunt show), Serious (CD-ROM trading cards), and Paradise Press (coloring and activity books). That represented a 330% increase in licensing revenue for the quarter and a 100%+ increase for the year. Publishing was also up for the quarter (24%), with toys the only division that showed a decline in sales. The toy division did improve its bottom line results, however, and actually eked out positive EBITDA for the quarter.
