Quick Hits | Eric Gitter, Filip Sablik, Jamie S. Rich + Jeremy Haun form a new comic company

Plus: An AI lawsuit moves forward! ‘Blankets’ is banned! The 1982 DC Comics Style Guide is delayed! And ‘A Guest in the House’ receives another awards nomination.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that four industry pros will come together to form an as-yet-untitled comics company. Producer Eric Gitter, formerly with Oni Press and the producer of the big -screen adaptations of Atomic Blonde and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, is teaming up with former BOOM! Studios president Filip Sablik; Jamie S. Rich, a former editor at IDW, DC and more; and Jeremy Haun, whose work includes The Realm, Red Mother, The Approach and more.

Sablik will serve as publisher of the new venture, with Rich taking on the role of editor-in-chief and Haun as creative director. Per THR, the new company “will eschew superheroes and lean toward horror, science fiction, crime and fantasy,” and hopes to start publishing comics next year.

“I can’t imagine partners that I believe in more,” Haun said in his newsletter. “Each of us bring something special to the table. Moreover— we’re lock step in our vision for what we want this company AND industry to be.”

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Quick Hits | Free Comic Book Day founder prepares for the last event at the location where the event was born

Plus: The Comics Journal website has new editors! Frank Miller Presents and Abrams ComicArts strike a deal! Aurora Awards nominees announced! Plus news on Marjane Satrapi, Bubbles Con and a controversial ski town comic!

This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day, an opportunity for retailers to not only bring new customers into their stores, but also to get media coverage. You can do a quick search of Google News to see all the local coverage the event has been getting, but this story in particular jumped out at me because it involves Joe Field, who came up with the idea of Free Comic Book Day back in 2001.

Field’s store, Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff in Concord, California, has been a staple of the community for decades, but will have to move to a new location early next year after their lease expires — making this Saturday the last FCBD at their current shop.

“We’re very hopeful and now actually pretty excited by what the future of Flying Colors could be,” Field told the San Jose Mercury News. “There are a lot of unknowns — like how many of our faithful customers will want to create a new habit of going to a different spot to support us? How many new customers can we cultivate moving to a different spot? How strong will the market for comics and graphic novels be over the next bunch of years? Can we afford to do this when we are already technically past the standard retirement date?”

Despite those questions, Field says they hope that “we continue to build community and continue to spread happiness through our comic book business. That’s when everything will be a success.”

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