Publishers | Image Comics has announced a new project by Warren Ellis, Ghost Drive Station, after stating that they would not work with him again until he made amends to his sexual misconduct victims. Ellis was one of many creators called out for their behavior in 2020, when his numerous victims created a website that outlined the allegations as well as a path to make amends.
Ellis lost work in the comics industry as a result, and has not had any new comics work published since then (although some of his past publishers have released collected editions that included his work). In 2021, artist Ben Templesmith announced plans for the return of Fell, his comic with Ellis, which led to Image offering a statement that said, “Image Comics will not be working with Warren on anything further until he has made amends to the satisfaction of all involved.”
The creators of the SoManyofUs website last updated it in 2023, stating that, “to the best of our knowledge, Warren Ellis took none of the steps we hoped he would. A mediated accountability process with Warren Ellis is not possible at present, and we do not anticipate our involvement in any progress he might make in the future.” It does not sound like any amends were ever made.
Conventions | The City of San Diego has fined the Marvel Studios’ advertising team $160,000 for covering the Gaslamp Quarter sign with an advertisement for Avengers: Doomsday during the San Diego Comic-Con last month. A representative for the city said that the advertising firm, Elevue Outdoor, was told weeks before the event that they could not place anything on the sign, and then asked them to remove it after they did it anyway. “The contractor knowingly created a safety risk and refused to address it, and was cited and fined accordingly,” said Richard Berg, the Senior Public Information Officer for the City of San Diego.
Conventions | The Small Press Expo will continue to hold the annual comics festival at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center despite a nationwide boycott of the facility called by UNITE HERE Local 25 and elevated by the AFL-CIO in late July. The union launched the boycott after Montgomery County and Marriott renewed their operating agreement for the county-owned conference center in spring 2025 without a provision allowing collective bargaining. SPX says the conference center’s staff is not on strike and there are currently no labor negotiations between those workers and Marriott.
In a statement to the SPX community, the nonprofit said it supports workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively but cannot participate in the boycott because of its existing contractual commitments. SPX has agreements with the Bethesda North facility through 2029, and canceling this year’s event alone would result in an $85,787 cancellation fee, an expense the organization says it cannot afford without permanently closing the show. SPX also said it has investigated moving the event to another venue in the Washington, D.C., area, but doing so would increase the cost of tables, badges and hotel rooms by 30% or more. SPX has been held at the Bethesda North Marriott for the past 20 years.
Distribution | At ICv2, Rob Salkowitz looks at the resolution of the legal battle between several publishers and the purchasers of Diamond Comics Distributors assets, as well as what the future looks like for comics distribution.
Creators | The Beat reports on the sad news that artist Andy Fish has been diagnosed with two forms of cancer, and his cousin has started a GoFundMe to support his expenses as he seeks treatment.
Interviews | At Publisher’s Weekly, Zach Rabiroff speaks with Abrams ComicArts’ Charles Kochman about the imprint in general and the success of X-Men: Elsewhen in particular. “John’s one of those seminal creators who hadn’t done anything in a while, and we knew a book like this would get attention. What we didn’t count on was the lure of pure nostalgia for people who grew up reading John’s X-Men. And also, the story that seemed to get the most attention was a creator who got to finish the story on his own terms, outside of a corporation sort of dictating where he could go,” he said.
Awards | The nominations for the annual Dragon Awards, which are given out in September during Dragon Con, have been announced, including for the “Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel” category. Those nominees, heavily dominated by DC’s Absolute line, include:
- X-Men: Elsewhen by John Byrne
- Absolute Batman by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta
- Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera
- Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman
- Absolute Superman by Jason Aaron, Rafa Sandoval
- Daredevil by Stephanie Phillips, Lee Garbett
Dragon Con runs Sept. 3-7 this year.