Graphic Novel Publishers

Representative DC Titles
• Action Comics
• Batman
• Batgirl
• Batman Gotham Knights
• Birds of Prey
• Detective Comics
• The Flash
• Hitman
• Impulse
• JLA
• JSA
• Legion of Super-Heroes
• Martian Manhunter
• Nightwing
• Robin
• Starman
• Supergirl
• Superman
• Titans
• Wonder Woman

Representative Vertigo Titles
• 100 Bullets
• Books of Magic
• The Dreaming
• Hellblazer
• Preacher
• Transmetropolitan

Selected Wildstorm Titles
• Astro City
• Battle Chasers
• Crimson
• Gen13
• Leave It to Chance
• Planetary
• Promethea
• The Authority
• Tom Strong
• Top 10

• Amazing Spider-Man
• Avengers
• Black Panther
• Captain America
• Conan the Barbarian
• Deadpool
• Fantastic Four
• Gambit
• Generation X
• Hulk

• Iron Man
• Peter Parker: Spider-Man
• Punisher
• Spider-Girl
• Thunderbolts
• Ultimate Spider Man
• Uncanny X-Men
• X-Men

Unlike most comics publishers, most of Archie’s revenues come from sales to “newsstand” distributors rather than Graphic Novel stores. Although it is difficult to estimate the company’s total share of industry sales, Archie is believed to be the third largest comics publisher in America. The adventures of Archie Andrews and his Riverdale friends have sold continuously for nearly 60 years, and remain as popular as ever.

Archie Comics are the most steadfastly kid-friendly comics on the market, and the publisher works assiduously to maintain its wholesome reputation.

The company publishes an extensive line of titles in the Archie “family,” including several Digest editions. A handful of non-Archie books are also produced, most notably Sonic the Hedgehog and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

• Alley Cat
• Aria
• Crimson
• The Crow
• Dark Minds
• The Darkness
• Fathom
• Go Girl!
• Lady Pendragon
• Mage: the Hero Discovered
• More than Mortal
• Neon Cyber
• Powers

• Savage Dragon
• Red Star
• Rising Stars
• Rumble Girls
• Sam and Twitch
• Section Zero
• Shock Rockets
• Spawn
• Tellos
• The Tenth
• Warlands
• Witchblade

• Viz Communications

  An American subsidiary of the Japanese firm Shogakukan Inc., Viz is the largest manga publisher in the U.S. Best known as the force behind the Pokemon craze, Viz has been publishing manga in the U.S. since 1986. Popular titles include:

• Eagle: The Making of An Asian-American President
• Pokemon Adventures
• Dragonball Z
• No Need for Tenchi
• Ranma ½
• Neon Genesis Evangelion
• The Return of Lum

• CPM Manga

  This company and its parent, Central Park Media, publish both manga and anime for the American market. Popular titles include:

• Call Me Princess
• Dark Angel
• Geobreeders
• Princess Prince
• Project A-ko
• The Record of Lodoss War

• Dark Horse Comics

  Best known as a publisher specializing in Graphic Novels of licensed characters, such as Star Wars, Aliens, and Predator, Dark Horse also produces an impressive manga line. Popular titles include:

• Blade of the Immortal
• The Dirty Pair
• Ghost in the Shell
• Gunsmith Cats
• Oh My Goddess
• Shadow Lady

• Mixx Entertainment

  Los Angeles-based Mixx is an Internet entertainment company specializing in Japanese popular culture for the U.S. market, and is best known for its Tokyopop.com Web site. Mixx also maintains the U.S. license for several leading manga series. Popular titles include:

• Cardcaptor Sakura
• Ice Blade
• Magic Knight Ray Earth
• Sailor Moon

• Antarctic Press

  Best known as a publisher specializing in Graphic Novels of licensed characters, such as Star Wars, Aliens, and Predator, Dark Horse also produces an impressive manga line. Popular titles include:

• Gold Digger
• Ninja High School
• The Courageous Princess
• Warrior Nun Areala

• Acclaim
  Once one of the larger comics publishers in the country, Acclaim now issues few titles, most of which involve characters from the video games produced by its parent company. Popular titles are Turok, Shadow Man, and cult favorite Quantum & Woody.
• Antarctic Press
  Primarily noted for Ameri-manga titles, such as Gold Digger and Ninja High School. Other major titles include the unique, alternative history fantasy Luftwaffe 1946, “nuns-with-guns” prototype Warrior Nun Areala, and slice-of-life romance Box Office Poison.
• Astonish Factory
  Newer independent company focusing on comics for younger readers. Primary titles are the critically acclaimed Hero Bear and the Kid, by Mike Kunkel and Zoom’s Academy for the Super Gifted by Jason Lethcoe.
• Awesome
  Founded by controversial artist Rob Liefeld, Awesome publishes super-hero, bad-girl, and supernatural titles aimed at teenage boys, with stories big on drama and action. Titles include Awesome Adventures, Coven, Kaboom, Re-Gex, and Supreme. The company folded in 2000.
• Bongo Entertainment
  Matt Groening, creator of “The Simpsons” TV show, the “Life in Hell” comic strip, and other modern-day classics, publishes his own line of Graphic Novels, based on his work but typically written and drawn by others. Ongoing titles include the flagship Simpsons comic, Bart Simpson, Futurama, and an annual Halloween special called Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror.
• Cartoon Books
  This company is best known as the self-publishing vehicle for Jeff Smith’s hugely successful Bone comics. Smith has recently begun publishing works of other creators with similar sensibilities, most notably Linda Medley’s wonderful Castle Waiting series.
• Caliber Comics
  One of the most consistently diverse independent publishers. Current and former titles include Pakkins’ Land (fantasy adventure), the Explorers (action-adventure), Saint Germaine (supernatural), and the Maze Agency (detective). Under the Tome imprint, Caliber publishes a line of literary, historical, biographical, and art comics, whose range is unique in today’s market. Examples of Tome titles include the Sherlock Holmes Reader, Legends of Camelot, the Alamo, and the Art of Frederic Remington.
• Chaos! Comics
  Chaos! Comics was a comic book publisher that operated from 1994 until 2002. Violent or ultra-violent supernatural fare with a strong teen following. Representative titles include Evil Ernie, Lady Death, and the Undertaker.
• Cross Plains Comics
  Award-winning publishing arm of Robert E. Howard Properties, which maintains the rights to works by the late pulp fiction writer best known as the creator of Conan. Cross Plains produces annotated, beautifully illustrated , prestige format comics such as Robert E. Howard’s Worms of the Earth. CPC is no longer in business. It seems that the company never fully recovered from debts it incurred early on.
• CrossGen Comics
  Launched in 2000 with considerable marketing fanfare, financial backing, and experienced creative talent, CrossGeneration Comics (CrossGen) hoped to become a major force in Graphic Novel publishing. CrossGen operated from 1998 to 2004. Its leading series wove an interrelated tale of star-spanning sword and sorcery, but each title in the line can be read independently of the others. Other titles include Meridian, Mystic, The First, Scion, and The Sigil.

• Drawn and Quarterly

  Drawn and Quarterly is a Canadian comic book publishing company, headed by publisher Chris Oliveros, and based in Montreal, Quebec. Its focus is on graphic novels and underground or alternative comics. Drawn and Quarterly was also the title of the company’s flagship quarterly anthology during the 1990s. The name of the company is a pun on “drawing,” “quarterly,” and the practice of hanging, drawing and quartering.

  It is currently the most successful and prominent comics publisher in Canada. Drawn and Quarterly enjoys a solid reputation in the comics community and its anthologies have won a number of Harvey Awards.

• Event Comics
  Small, traditional publisher known for strong stories and outstanding art. Major titles are Painkiller Jane (female bounty hunter) and Ash (super-hero). Latter title notable for its positive portrayal of professional firefighters (the protagonist works as a fireman). The company published during the years 1994 to 1998, at which point it was contracted to form the Marvel Knights imprint for Marvel Comics.
• Fantagraphics
  Large publisher of alternative comics, best known for Acme Novelty Library, Eightball, Hate, Love and Rockets. Fantagraphics also publishes the award-winning nonfiction works of Joe Sacco, including Safe Area Gorazde and Palestine.
• Harris Publications
  Best known as the long-time publisher of Vampirella, the sexy, scantily clad alien vampire. Also publishes Vampi, a teenage sci-fi version of the character drawn in the manga style.
• NBM Publishing
  Book publisher Nantier, Beall, Minoustchine (NBM) specializes in paperback and hardcover graphic novels for different age groups. Genres include realistic fiction, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, humor, children’s literature, and adaptations of classic literature. Among the outstanding titles in their backlist are Vittorio Giardino’s acclaimed A Jew in Communist Prague, P. Craig Russell’s adaptation of Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, and Will Eisner’s Last Knight: An Introduction to Don Quixote.
• Oni Press
  This relative newcomer has received critical acclaim for its diverse line of quality comics, most of which are limited series. Recent examples include the raunchy humor of Jay and Silent Bob, the gripping police-procedural of Whiteout, the espionage action of Queen & Country, the youthful humor of Alison Dare, the super-hero parody of Grrl Scouts, and the historical adventure of the Marquis.
• Quadre Enterprises
  A small, independent book publisher specializing in children’s books and illustrated nonfiction, Quadre is notable for its “Heritage Collection” series: meticulously detailed military history titles published as prestige format Graphic Novels. Among the titles in this series are Antietam: The Fiery Trial; Blockade; and The War in Korea.
• Sirius
  Published innovative, high quality fantasy tales for a variety of tastes, from charming children’s adventures to sword and sorcery with a cynical twist. Major titles are Akiko, Klor, Poe, Poison Elves, Scary Godmother, and Dawn. Sirius operated from 1985 to 1986.
• Slave Labor Graphics
  Focuses on dark and twisted humor for older readers. Representative titles of this type include Milk & Cheese, Dork, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Lenore, and Squee. A newer, more serious title for older teens is Gloomcookie. SLG also publishes humor titles suitable for younger readers, including Patty Cake and Little Gloomy.

Unlike the book publishing community, the Graphic Novel industry accepts self-publishing as a respectable outlet for creative effort. Experienced, talented Graphic Novel professionals often publish their own work as a means of realizing their artistic vision without editorial interference from mainstream publishers.

Most self-published comics are created using the same professional, high-quality production standards as titles from major publishers. Many have enjoyed long-lived commercial success and/or critical acclaim. In fact, some of the most original, exciting, and groundbreaking comics in today’s marketplace result from self-publishing activity.

The following list represents a selective, though representative look at some of the best self-published comics available in recent years.

• Aardvark-Vanheim
  Cerebus (Dave Sim)

• Abiogenesis
  Strangehaven (Gary Spencer Millidge)
• Abstract Studio
  Strangers in Paradise (Terry Moore)
• Active Synapse
  Clan Apis (Jay Hosler)
• Adhesive Comics
  Too Much Coffee Man (Shannon Wheeler)
• AiT/Planet Lar
  Astronauts in Trouble (Larry Young)
• Basement Comics
  Cavewoman (Budd Root)
• Blindwolf Studios
  Patrick the Wolf Boy (Art Baltazar)
  Weirdsville (Franco Aureliani)
• Crusade Comics
  Shi (Billy Tucci)—Crusade Comics operated from 1994 to 2002.
• Cryptic Press
  Quicken Forbidden (Dave Roman and John Green)
• Cup O’ Tea Studios
  
  Xeno’s Arrow (Gregg Beetham and Stephen Geigen Miller)

• Dork Storm
  Dork Tower (John Kovalic)
• El Capitan Books
  Stray Bullets (David Lapham)
• Exhibit A Press
  Supernatural Law (Batton Lash)
• Helikon Comics
  Galaxion (Tara Tallan)
• I Box Publishing
  Thieves and Kings (Mark Oakley)
• Insight Studios
  
  Liberty Meadows (Frank Cho)

• Lethargic Comics
  
  Lethargic Lad (Greg Hyland)
• Mighty Gremlin
  Electric Girl (Michael Brennan)
• New England Comics
  The Tick (Ben Edlund)
• Studio Foglio
  Girl Genius (Phil and Kaja Foglio)
  Buck Godot, Zap Gun for Hire (Phil Foglio)
• Warp Graphics
  Elfquest (Wendy and Richard Pini)