Sales in Marvel's publishing segment rose 10.8% in the second quarter ended June 30, to $21.6 million, and operating profit increased 45%, to $9 million. An increase in the number of comics published per month, from 50 to 65 (boosting circulation 10% in the quarter, to 3.5 million units), was cited as the primary reason for the gain. Trade paperback sales were also up. For the first six months of the year, operating profit increased 44%, to $16.3 million, on a 18.7% sales increase, to $41.2 million.
For the entire company, total revenue jumped 73%, to $155.5 million, although operating income slipped to $29.1 million from $32.7 million. The sales increase was largely due to a huge increase in toy sales tied to the movie Spider-Man 2.
