Posted in: Comics, IDW | Tagged: Conor Hughes, romantasy, white ash
IDW Adds Romantasy Imprint With White Ash Comics For 2027
IDW Publishing adds Romantasy imprint with White Ash Comics from Charlie Stickney and Conor Hughes for 2027
Article Summary
- IDW Publishing launches the White Ash Comics imprint in 2027, bringing the hit romantasy White Ash Universe to stores.
- White Ash creators Charlie Stickney and Conor Hughes lead the imprint as IDW remasters the Kickstarter-born saga.
- White Ash #1 debuts as an ongoing in April 2027, followed by The Game #1 in June and Glarien in September.
- Set in White Ash, Pennsylvania, the White Ash Universe blends fantasy, romance, and supernatural drama for comics.
Well, someone finally noticed the Kickstarter machine in the corner. White Ash Comics, the indie outfit that has spent the better part of a decade quietly raising over a million dollars across twenty-eight campaigns, is joining IDW as a full imprint, making its transition from focusing primarily on Kickstarter to the direct market. Charlie Stickney remains Publisher and CEO. Artist Conor Hughes of Void Rivals becomes Chief Creative Officer. Nicole D’Andria runs editorial, Tango handles design, and Travis Escarfullery looks after production. An ashcan is being planned for ComicsPRO next February.
Described as Supernatural meets Saga, the White Ash Universe takes place in the struggling coal-mining town of White Ash, Pennsylvania, “blending epic fantasy worldbuilding with compelling romance”. White Ash Universe comic books have never been in comic shops, at least not through traditional distribution means. They existed as crowdfunded objects for people who already knew they wanted them. IDW is remastering the existing material, adding new bonus stories, and launching the whole thing into the direct market for the first time. White Ash #1 arrives as an ongoing in April 2027. The Game #1 follows in June. September brings Glarien: Short and Deadly, the first of a run of White Ash Universe limited series.
“Ten years ago, artist Conor Hughes, colorist Fin Cramb, and I got together and started working on what would become the foundation of the WHITE ASH Universe. I’m beyond thrilled to be partnering with IDW, a company with a long lineage of championing independent comics like LOCKE & KEY, BENEATH THE TREES WHERE NOBODY SEES, and the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. Through our White Ash Comics imprint at IDW, we look forward to bringing our stories to comic shops and bookstores for the first time in the format they were always intended to be read in. With all-new stories mixed in with the classic tales, we’re excited to introduce the world of WHITE ASH to a new generation of readers. As a writer, creating an expansive, ongoing saga is rare in the world of modern comics, and being able to do a deep dive into the lore and history of WHITE ASH, while still getting to spend time exploring all the nuances of our characters, is a gift that I treasure and look forward to sharing with our fans for the next decade” – Charlie Stickney, Publisher & CEO of White Ash Comics.
“We’re champions of building and supporting new worlds at IDW Publishing. The White Ash Universe will feel right at home under the IDW umbrella, and we’re looking forward to having readers enter this universe for the first time while the current fans get to experience the stories in a whole new way and witness it expand and reach new heights.” – Davidi Jonas, CEO of IDW
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