Category: Comic Publishers

Mad Cave announces a new manga imprint, Nakama Press

The first titles are expected to arrive next summer.

Mad Cave Studios is adding a manga imprint to their already impressive list of imprints. Nakama Press will publish original manga and licensed titles, along with manhwa from Korea, manhua from China and manfra, which are the French equivalent of OEL manga.

The release says they plan to partner with studios like Japanese animation company Tatsunoko Pro and The Rainbow Group, among others, to “deliver a compelling reading experience that appeals to manga enthusiasts and newcomers alike.”

“Our mission with Nakama Press is to connect readers with stories that resonate universally, transcending cultural boundaries,” said Mark Irwin, President of Mad Cave Studios, “We believe in the power of storytelling to bring people together, and Nakama Press is our way of celebrating that through the incredible world of manga and graphic novels.”

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SDCC | Joe Quesada teams with Mad Cave Studios + Dupuis for a new comics line

Amazing Comics will launch with its first comic, titled ‘Disciple.’

Today at the San Diego Comic Con, Mad Cave Studios had a special guest joining their panel — former Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada, who wasn’t there just to MC.

Quesada teased in his newsletter this week that he was “hosting” their big “industry shaking” panel, which has something to do with this cryptic, Idaho-obsessed website. It turns out their big news is the launch of Amazing Comics, a new imprint spearheaded by Quesada that will be published in the U.S. by Mad Cave and in Europe by Dupuis. The first title they announced is called Disciple, which Quesada will co-write and draw, along with co-writer Charles Dorfman, inker Wade von Grawbadger, colorist Richard Isanove and letterer Joe Caramagna.

“The true origin of Disciple came about when I met Charles Dorfman, a talented writer with a passion for graphic storytelling,” Quesada said. “Charles pitched an adaptation of Hamlet, which sparked a creative journey that led to the unique version of Disciple we have today. This project blends Shakespearean elements with contemporary genres, creating a rich, mythological world for our readers to explore that begins as a prequel to the original, set in a whole new world.”

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SDCC | DC brings back an old friend for its new era

The popular DC Bullet logo returns.

As DC prepares for both a new comics era in October and the launch of the DC Studios slate headed up by James Gunn (starting with Creature Commandos, whose trailer dropped at SDCC), the company unveiled the return of its DC Bullet logo.

“For me, there is no better way to celebrate the power of our storytelling, and usher in this new era of creative unity at DC, than bringing this powerful, iconic mark back into the world—back to its rightful place of prominence, on the front covers of everything DC,” said Jim Lee, DC’s president, publisher and chief creative officer, on the company’s LinkedIn feed. Lee revealed the change back to the older logo during his panel in San Diego today.

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SDCC | Dark Horse rolls a 20, picks up Dungeons & Dragons + Magic: The Gathering licenses

New titles are expected from the partnership next summer.

Dark Horse Comics and Wizards of the Coast have announced that Dark Horse will publish comics, graphic novels and art books based on Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. They plan to release the first titles as part of the deal next summer.

“If you’d told my 12-year-old self I’d get to work with incredible writers and artists to craft comics for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, alongside such thoughtful and creative stewards of these licenses, I wouldn’t have believed you,” said Dark Horse senior editor Spencer Cushing. “The opportunity to work with Wizards of the Coast is a dream come true.”

Dark Horse joins a list of publishers who brought Dungeons & Dragons to comics since the late 1980s, when DC worked with TSR, its original owners, to create comics based on Dragonlance, the Forgotten Realms, Spelljammers and more. IDW has had the license since 2010, publishing a wide range of titles base don the role-playing game and even working with Dark Horse on a Stranger Things crossover.

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SDCC | Get your digital DSTLRY comics signed at Comic Con this week

DSTLRY is rolling out two new innovations for digital comics owners at their SDCC booth.

While shifting from buying print comics to digital comics has some advantages (storage space!), one of the downsides is that you no longer have something for creators to sign at conventions. DSTLRY plans to change that with DSTLRY Remarques, a new feature that, along with one called DSTLRY Proof, will debut this weekend at the San Diego Comic Con.

“DSTLRY Remarques and DSTLRY Proof exemplify our mission to merge the traditional comic experience with groundbreaking digital advancements,” said DSTLRY co-founder David Steinberger. “These features not only enhance the collector’s experience but also ensure that our creators are continuously supported through perpetual royalties via our digital marketplace.”

Per the press release, DSTLRY Remarques “allows creators to sign and sketch on digital editions of DSTLRY issues and books, creating completely individualized and re-sellable editions.” DSTLRY only offers digital single issues through their own proprietary marketplace, rather than through other platforms like Comixology. That gives them some control over additional features they can add to enhance the experience — like this one.

Here’s how it’ll work:

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Joshua Williamson + Scott Snyder are ‘All In’ on DC this fall

DC will launch the Absolute Universe this October, a new line of comics spearheaded by Snyder and Williamson.

Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder took to YouTube today to announce DC’s next big publishing initiative, the Absolute Universe, as well as DC All In, a one-shot coming in October that will introduce a new universe of DC characters as well as spotlight upcoming storylines in the regular DCU.

If that’s confusing, think of it like this: DC is launching their own version of the Ultimate Universe, which will run parallel to the regular DC Universe. It’s creation, though, is part of the story in DC All In.

Williamson and Snyder will co-write the DC All In one-shot flipbook, which will feature art by Daniel Sampere and Wes Craig. Sampere’s story will focus on the post-Absolute Power DC Universe, while Craig’s will introduce the Absolute Universe — which has an interesting origin.

“If the main universe is sort of predicated on Superman energy right … then this universe is kind of founded on Darkseid energy,” Snyder said, which he described as chaotic, dangerous and wild.

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Random House Publishing Group is acquiring BOOM! Studios

The deal is expected to close this summer.

Penguin Random House has announced plans for its Random House Publishing Group divison to acquire BOOM! Studios, the publisher of BRZRKR, Something is Killing the Children, Power Rangers comics and many more titles over the course of its almost 20-year history.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but PRH expects to close the sale this summer.

BOOM! will join the Random House Worlds portfolio of imprints, which includes genre piublisher Del Rey, manga publisher Inklore and more. According to the press release, BOOM! will retain their editorial and publishing independence as they report into Scott Shannon, President of Random House Worlds.

“Over the past several years Random House Worlds has partnered with BOOM! Studios on various projects and had the benefit of seeing first-hand their best-in-class comic publishing. Ross and his team have built a dynamic, imaginative home for a diverse and talented roster of creators. We are thrilled to welcome BOOM! Studios to our house, and now work side-by-side with this imaginative team,” said Shannon. “The acquisition of BOOM! Studios is a major step in Penguin Random House’s expansion of support to the direct comics market and a key part of our commitment to being the best publisher for creators across all categories. We are excited to continue that tradition with BOOM! as part of the Random House Publishing Group.”

As to who will run things on the BOOM! side, that remains to be seen, as founder Ross Richie is leaving and Filip Sablik, their president of publishing, recently left.

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Marvel’s 2024 Pride Month plans received internal criticism

An article in the Advocate quotes a Marvel employee who thought Marvel’s ‘ally’ covers were a ‘prank.’

Marvel’s approach to Pride Month this year received not only external criticism but also concern from their own employees, as an Advocate article revealed last week. An anonymous Marvel employee spoke to the publication about their reaction to an internal email about Marvel’s “ally” variant covers, which many have said put the spotlight on non-LGBTQ+ characters during a month aimed to spotlight and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. “I thought, ‘they’re really erasing us,’” the employee told the publication.

What was different about Marvel’s approach this year? First, they opted not to call this year’s Pride special a Pride special. The Marvel’s Voices: Pride anthology, as they’ve called it in years past, was replaced with X-Men: The Wedding Special — which featured the wedding of Mystique and Destiny, the first time a wedding between two women was shown in a Marvel comic. The comic also featured additional stories that tied into the main story, by creators like Yoon Ha Lee, a trans science fiction author, and M. Louis, creator of the webcomic Agents of the Realm. While it served a similar function, showcasing stories about LGBTQ+ characters, it did so without the word “Pride” in the title (although it did sport an emblem on the cover that noted it was “A Very Special Edition of Marvel Voices: Pride.”)

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Mad Cave Studios launches their 2024 Talent Search

Entries are due by the end of August.

Mad Cave Studios has announced their 2024 Talent Search, which they’ve conducted for the past seven years. Previous winners have gone on to work with Mad Cave and other publishers, including Anthony Cleveland, Jay Sandlin, David Hazan, Shane Connery Volk and many more.

The type of talent they’re looking for changes every year; up until 2022, they were looking for writers and artists, but that year they expanded it to include colorists and letterers. This year they are doubling the number of winners in each category, as they are looking for two writers, two illustrators, two colorists and two letterers to work on upcoming projects.

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WBTN: Webtoon registers with the SEC to go public

The popular webcomics platform plans to list its stock on the NASDAQ.

Webtoon Entertainment, the parent company of the popular webcomics platform Webtoon, has filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission to begin the process of becoming a publicly traded company. According to the prospectus, Webtoon would list its stock on the NASDAQ market under the WBTN symbol.

The prospectus is a great read if you’re interested in the business aspects of Webtoon, how it operates and how it views creators, who are vital to its business model. It’s also very readable, compared to a lot of legal/government filings, as it tells the story of the company and its founder/CEO, Junkoo Kim.

 “The project was born out of my own love of comics, which I’ve been passionate about since I was young,” Kim writes in his opening message. “Comics are like a window into another world, capable of transporting readers to distant, fantastic places, and creating new perspectives. I’ve long admired the talented artists who create comics and have the incredible gift of building entire universes on a page. I truly love visual stories and storytelling, which is why I am so passionate about helping a diverse new generation of creators succeed.”

Kim was a search engineer at the Naver Corporation, the South Korean internet conglomerate that currently owns Webtoon Entertainment, when he came up with the idea for it. According to the paperwork, Naver would retain a controlling interest in Webtoon after the public offering. The exact percentage of ownership they plan to offer and the opening price have not been determined and aren’t included in the document. They also don’t plan to offer a dividend for the foreseeable future (which is something my dad will ask about if he sees this).

But what is included? Stat and data on Webtoon, as displayed in this handy infographic and the document itself:

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Coca-Cola + Marvel’s new campaign brings more than 30 comics characters to Coke cans

A new ad for the campaign features Colossus, Daredevil and more delivering a Coke to a comic shop employee.

Coca-Cola and Marvel has teamed up for a new marketing program that includes Marvel Comics characters appearing on cans, along with a TV commercial, prizes and an immersive augmented reality experience.

Titled Coca-Cola x Marvel: The Heroes, the campaign will bring a line of exclusive cans and bottles of Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar products that will feature more than 30 Marvel characters in red, white and black tones. Cans will feature Hulk, Iron Man, Black Panther, Deadpool, Juggernaut, Nick Fury, Super Skrull, Cable and more.

The real star here, though, has to be the fun new commercial. Not only is it set in a comic shop, but it also features the comic book versions of Colossus, Daredevil, Black Widow and more trying to deliver a bottle of Coke to an employee:

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Magma Comix + Ruptura Estudios partner on a new comics imprint

Their first title, ‘Hell’s Half Acre,’ arrives in June.

Magma Comix has announced a partnership with Ruptura Estudios, a Mexico-based comics studio, to create a line of comics “with Hispanic appeal” made by international creators.

The new imprint’s first title, Hell’s Half Acre by Magma founder Denton J. Tipton and artist Ramon Bunge, will kick off this summer.

“When Denton shared his plans for Magma Comix, I automatically thought that this was a train I wanted to travel on,” said R.G. Llarena, Ruptura Estudios’ managing partner, and a former editor for Heavy Metal Magazine, where Magma Comix got its start before spinning off as an independent entity. “Sometime later, here we are, embarking on our first journey together. To victory!”

Magma and Ruptura plan to release two other titles this year as well.

“R.G.’s commitment to creator rights has been evident throughout his long career, making Ruptura an ideal partner for Magma,” Tipton said. “Together, we will create captivating story worlds that transport our readers and lure them back time and time again.”

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