In a not-so-important week, Gina Galliano Article What Potential 2025 Tariffs Mean for Comic Publishers? What we’re talking about is most likely “our customers may decrease” at TCJ.com. Because if tariffs go into effect, the cost of books and comics will rise, and the comics ecosystem will change. The article explains in detail how and why.
In a comprehensive and thoughtful article, Galliano discusses with 18 publishers and experts what the announcement of a 10% tariff on Chinese imports and a 25% tariff on Canadian imports could mean for independent comics publishers . Publishers cited include Eric Reynolds Silver Sprocket by Fantagraphics Avi Erlich refuge Damian Vassell There are many, many more. There’s even a chart that breaks down where the publishers surveyed print their books:
This chart reflects the number of countries in which the 18 publishers TCJ interviewed are printing, not the number or total number of books they print in each country.Publishers are also blunt about costs:
“Until recently, I had only used domestic printers for printing, and that was expensive,” says Bulgilhan publisher Zachary Clemente. “To give context, the last two books I printed were printed in 3,000 copies each and sold for approx. It’s $1.46. Doing something similar in the US would cost closer to $5.50 per book, which means I’d be lowering my print runs and probably having to raise the cover price.
According to our handkerchief calculations, at the current tariff of 7.5 cents, Clement would pay $328.50 in tariffs for its 3,000 copies. If interest rates rise to 100%, he will pay $4,380.00 for a future book with the same printing cost and print run. This is a significant change, prompting publishers to consider other options.
Ouch.
One of the key points of this article is that publishers cannot just turn to American printers. First, there aren’t that many printers in the U.S., and handling all of them would require massive structural improvements that won’t be possible in the short term. What isn’t mentioned much is that American printers can’t handle the quality and detail that overseas printers offer:
But the decision on where to print depends on more than just cost. Many of the publishers I spoke to also mentioned print quality, as well as the ability of U.S. printers, who often specialize in black-and-white prose fiction and nonfiction, to produce books as complex as full-color graphic novels, especially those with additional Design effects such as speckled gloss, foil stamping, die cutting, folding, embossed footers, etc.
…
Avi Ehrlich, publisher of Silver Sprocket, said: “The decision to print overseas is not just about cost (although they are cheaper), but really about quality and selection. We have yet to find a printer that can provide the quality that overseas offers. and domestic printers with options such as high-quality interesting paper stocks, binding options and unique foils that make our books stand out. We used to print primarily in Canada, eventually after a series of frustrating quality issues and delays. The reason for moving most of the printing overseas is that North American printers simply don’t have all the resources available under one roof to efficiently and correctly produce the high quality books we want to produce.
I urge everyone to read the entire article – it’s full of details and information. One of the key points, however, is that publishers can only plan so much before actual tariffs are implemented – in theory, a book could be printed in China at one cover price and have tariffs imposed while it’s on board. This means the price is too low.
Other potential impacts: more black and white comics; books could be shorter; books would have fewer lavish details. Or just a nut graph:
“Maybe in the post-globalization era, U.S. manufacturing will rebuild, but in the short term, I expect it will just make most products more expensive and less profitable,” said Beehive’s O’Neill.
Bonus points: Austin English posted a comic about printed books by Ben Katchor in the comments!
The image above shows where some publishers print their books, but figures for exactly how many comics are printed there are hard to come by. I did a random survey of a stack of books next to my desk (I have a lot of books next to my desk):
D&Q: Boznia and Herzegovina
Picture: Canada
Marvel: Solisco Printers, Canadian OC Scott
First place and second place: Dongguan Toppan Lifeng Printing
Dark Horse (Comics): United States
Dark Horse (Color Comics): China
Abrams: China
DSTLRY: Canada
So, there are a lot of genres out there, but I should note that none of them are traditional comic books.
Tariffs are a big question mark (but maybe not the biggest one) for comics in 2025, and it’s going to be a wild ride, for sure.
