Jacob Shapiro
It has several years Because I wrote for the beat! I’ve returned Fantasy comics After working in Washington, DC, for a while at a New York publisher. Seeing the industry from the other end of the retailer-Publisher relationship has taught me a lot, and the lessons I have learned since returning to Fantom in 2023 have been fulfilling.
Diamond Comics Distributor Recent bankruptcy This year is imminent at the ComicsPro Retailers Summit. Each spokesperson at the Glendale meeting last week settled their plans to leave the diamonds for distribution as the company failed to ship comics on time for months and owed huge sums of money to publishers.
I listened to it last month Interview with the comic industry insiders podcast With Comix Experience owners Brian Hibbs Share his views on the situation of the industry. Hibbs’ San Francisco shop is similar to mine, a standalone store that leans in a big city – most of what he says applies to fantasy too. One of his concerns is if major distributors in the industry are not feasible for decades in the next five years, what do we think our small shop would be? I flew to ComicsPro to find the answer.
Penguin Random House Once again, have a strong presence in ComicsPro, focusing on distributing larger publishers: Marvel, Kodansha, Dark Horse, IDW and their latest acquisition boom! studio. My vigilance with PRH is a giant company that tries to swallow up other companies…but, in my experience, they are by far the easiest distributors to work with, from the retailer website interface to the sales rep I actually met under a name.
Moon In contrast, fewer Tentpole Publishers (DC, Image, Oni Press), but their remaining large midsize companies and most midsize companies previously distributed through Diamond, as well as “literary” publishers Fantagraphics and Drawn & Dearlder Quarter and Quarter. It seems like a healthy business plan – I know when little news, dear Silver sprocket and Bulgilhan Publishing House Signed with the moon.
For the two major publishers, DC Comics It is the obvious winner this year. In my opinion, they’ve been working on the comic side of the business for a while to better handle than Marvel, and their announcement last week solidified that. They announced a “Summer Summer” and have multiple new series to connect with the big series Superman July’s movie release: There’s a new one Super girl Long-term writing and drawing Teen Ninja Turtle scribe Sophie Campbelland… Krypto comics! at the same time Miracle Urgent to reprint Jeff Tashark Comics and announced a new Jeff series, seemingly frankly, the cute mascot characters will take a hit among Marvel competitors.
DC’s knockout round this year is Batman writer Free chips Pass the baton to his Sexual offender Collaborators Matt score For the first new Batman #1 since DC’s rebirth nine years ago. It finally stopped raining in Gotham. Sunrise in the city…what is that? Batman’s suit is blue and gray again! Put down for a new era goth black suit with Batman Jorge Jiménez About artistic responsibilities.
I can’t exaggerate Matt Fraction and David Aja’s 2012-2015 Hawkeye running It’s my store. A generation of casual fans and indie comic readers are finally starting to read superhero comics. Score Hawkeye Only delay legend Maybe G. Willow Wilson’s Ms. Marvel In the 2010s, bringing new readers to the American comics side in my store. To get him back to comics after writing for years for TV, this is… Batman is the biggest superhero comic that brings obvious energy to the room. Scores published on ComicsPro with obvious excitement about the project.
Most importantly, DC has Shh 2 Starting with issue 158, instead of the main page of the independent miniseries Batman series. Ironically Shh 2 Performing well, maybe it will inspire DC to post the next big Auteur Batman miniseries on the page of the main title, rather than adding another Bat Book to a dozen other concurrent Bat Books.
They press I am another outstanding person on ComicsPro 2025. For many years, I think Oni’s slate is very weak, Scott Pilgrim Reprinted, but this year is different. President Hunter Gorlingson Announced 2024 as the best year ONI has ever seen. Scott Pilgrim 20th Anniversary Box Set, but their EC Comics relaunched: the best-selling single-shot series in company history. This is an impressive feat given the anthology comics can take a commercial hit. Oni caught it, too Free for everyonea shot of breaking through cartoonists in 2024, Under the tree no one sees it Writer/Artist Patrick Horvath. The most important thing is Harrow County artist Tyler Crook New ONI title Come out from Alcatraz Island With the writer Christopher Cantwell ((Plastic men are no longer!) It looks like it has the potential to be one of the biggest indie hits of 2025.
ONI also announces a new $9.99 “Compact Collection” reprint Adventure time and Rick and Morty Comics, from the perspective of DC’s popular Compact Comics – the wild thing is that Oni Press can do better with the awkward $14.99 “Marvel Prime Minister Series” release.
IDWOver the past few years, Godzilla comics have become increasingly popular on Fantom, beyond many Miracle and DC champions. I’m glad to see them announce new “Kai-sei era” Share the universe of three new Godzilla series, including the first real sustained Godzilla The comics for ten years, from Tim Seeley ((revival) and Nikolačižmešija ((Batman: City Legend). New George Takei Graphic Memoir It rhymes with takei From IDW’s top shelves, it should be another home run during June’s “Pride Month”.
The new face of ComicsPro this year is Ignition Publishing Houseled by former prosperity! Studio Chairman Filip Sablikformer editor-in-chief of IDW Jamie S. Richand cartoonist Jeremy Searchits creators owned the 2010s image series beauty Get a TV adaptation from FX under the ignition umbrella. There seem to be more emerging publishers in ComicsPro than ever before, but Ignition looks like the best preparation and best funding. Filip is known for his TED Lasso-style inspirational speeches, and he basically says everything you want to hear about new publishers of comics owned by creators. Focus on supporting the comics themselves, by ensuring high-quality content first.
If the comics themselves are not good, it doesn’t matter, but the ignition brings A-level creators like this Simon trainer ((Ending), A strange cul ((Harrow County), Stephanie Williams ((Nubia), and Leah Williams ((Power Girl), all of these people seem to be excited about the books they work for new publishers. Honestly, with dstlry After signing the exclusive diamond deal, a little bit of it will likely launch its own resident boutique publisher to pursue big-name artists and writers to bring the works that their creators own.
Dark horse Not participating in ComicsPro this year… It makes sense to cut costs, but seeing a large American comic artist skip the town, and all the major comic publishers are known on the show. I’m always impressed by how much effort I’m trying Kodansha,,,,, medium,,,,, Yen Publishing Houseand square Consider that they earn more money through Amazon and Barnes & Noble than selling in traditional comic stores to support the direct market.
Direct Market Comics Stores need to meet with these Japanese publishers and adapt to comics as the main form of North American comics if we want to do business within a decade; it is a pity to have B&N claim all physical comic market share, and the comics industry is linked to our olive branch in every comic.
Again, I was impressed by the fact that in the years since the pandemic, the multinational enterprise Penguin Random House will spend a lot of time and effort distributing regular direct market comics, our ancient small industry, our ancient small industry and smaller footprint compared to the book market. Hopefully this means that PRH and comic publishers still see value in comic shops…it can alleviate some of my fears about my store’s post-diamond survivability in order to answer questions from Brian Hibbs’ podcast interview.
I’m optimistic about the Direct Market and Floppy Periodicals Comics; 2024 is a year of growth for Fantom Comics. Ultimate Spider-Man,,,,, Absolutely Batmanand Power fantasy Always a crushing hit song that has attracted new readers to sign up for subscription with us for the first time; these long-term return customers are the lifeblood of our comic shops. Under the tree no one sees it It turns out we can still have a popular American comic, and after ComicsPro I saw a copy of it in an airport bookstore on my trip home. Adapting to a more complex distribution environment and making comics an integral part of the comics, comics are just Japanese words for comics, and are crucial to survival in the next decade. It may just be a little painful along the way.
PS Maybe it’s one next to it, because anyone at ComicsPro feels comfortable talking about it, but one end in the room is a big threat to U.S. President Donald Trump continues to have tariffs on goods imported from Canada, the largest trading partner in the United States, as well as many Canadian retailers, publishers, publishers and attendees at Comicspro and creators in China, as well as stores sold in China, selling in constant sales. The famous Canadian chip Zdarsky just got hired Captain Americacry loudly!
Canada and China are the two most important countries for printing American comics. If tariffs are imposed on paper in these countries, Printing of comics will be more expensive. We have seen printing costs rise in the years since the COVID pandemic, when there was a container ship Stuck in the Suez Canal And subverted global supply chains.
Don’t believe me: Heidi has Articles on this topic Better than me. She wrote:Most of them are printed in Canada, and even those who print in the United States use Canadian paper. Expect the price of journal comics to rise. ”
It is hard to say whether to take Trump’s threat seriously. At the time of writing, he said he delayed 25% tariffs on Canada Until April 2. But even the vague threat of tariffs can disrupt the market, as businesses are unsure whether they can invest. I can’t worry about anything possible However, it will happen, so I will keep working hard.
Jacob Shapiro is co-owner and co-manager of Fantom Comics in Washington, D.C. He previously worked as sales and marketing managers at Nobrow/Flying Eye Books and Penzler Publisher/Mysterious Bookstore.
