Popular movie franchises like “Batman” and “X-Men” have raked in billions of dollars since their release, motivating independent comic book publishers to pursue opportunities for television, movie, and even play production, reports the New York Times.

Some independent comic book publishers are doing so by reimagining themselves as “entertainment companies” and creating internal divisions that primarily work with distribution or finance partners—or by funding production themselves.

Archie Comics, for example, seeks an opportunity to bring Archie to TV in a series called “Riverdale,” while Adam McKay, the director of the film “Anchorman,” is writing the redheaded Romeo of the Archie comic into a Broadway musical.

“We want to move into film and TV and licensing and areas where we can get significant revenue streams,” said Jon Goldwater, publisher and chief executive of Archie Comics. “We look to be competitive with Marvel and DC in that area.”

Still, smaller, independent publishing houses typically publish differently than the larger houses. They rely on publishing shorter series of about five issues, instead of longer monthly titles. If the series takes off, the publisher can request a longer, ongoing storyline from its author.

 “The Walking Dead,” a television show on AMC based on the comic book series published by Image Comics, epitomizes the kind of recognition indie publishers seek.

“‘Walking Dead’ is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon,” said Ted Adams, chief executive and publisher for IDW Publishing. “It was a grand-slam home run; if we get a double, we are going to be happy.”

Related reading: Ta-Nehisi Coates will write Marvel’s new Black Panther comic book series next spring.