Comic Book Solicitations Explained A beginners guide to comic book solicitations.

As a comics creator, think of your solicitations as a kind of trailer or advertisement. It’s content that should help readers find and buy your comic. www.howtolovecomics.com/2026/03/18/c...

David Gabriel Out at Marvel Amid Company-Wide Layoffs at Disney

Marvel was the top publisher in the comics industry for most of Gabriel’s tenure icv2.com/articles/new...

Comic book law is a specific area of intellectual property. I’ve represented hundreds of comic book creators and publishers for more than 25 years.

If you want a free legal consultation for your comic book or the contracts related to your comics, please visit my website. www.gamalhennessy.com

Marvel Comics is recruiting its next recruiter of top writers, artists, and more A powerful behind-the-scenes position at Marvel Comics is now open, and for comic creators it really matters.

Marvel is hiring a new talent relations coordinator who will focus on finding new writers and artists to work on its comics. (Apply if you love traveling.) www.thepopverse.com/comics-marve...

Tokyopop Raising Equity Via Crowdfunding After 2025 Loss, Going Concern Opinion

Tokyopop will need to cut its loss substantially or get back to profitability in 2026 to turn things around operationally. icv2.com/articles/new...

Kindt and Oni unveil 100% Human-Made logo Kindt's design, promising an AI-free product, is free to use under a Creative Commons license, and will debut with the new MIND MGMT series.

In the same way modern food in America is produced across a spectrum that runs from organic fruit to Doritos, comics will develop a range of designations, depending on the level of AI or human involvement in the project. This might be the beginning of that process. www.comicsbeat.com/kindt-oni-an...

With an Assist from ‘Absolute Batman’ and DC, the Comic Artist Superstar Rises Again Nick Dragotta, Daniel Warren Johnson and others are bringing about a popularity and mania not seen since the heyday of Image Comics in the 1990s.

"The return of the artist as superstar is good for the business, it is good for the art form.”

www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...

Philbo Distribution adds print on demand to its services Upstart distributor Philbo is adding onsite print on demand services to its offerings, hoping to add more options for small publishers.

“The moves will give more options to independent publishers and retailers by offering onsite printing at offset-comparable pricing. This will eliminate the shipping costs and delays associated with overseas printing.” www.comicsbeat.com/philbo-distr...

Comic book law is a specific area of intellectual property. I’ve represented hundreds of comic book creators and publishers for more than 25 years.
If you want a free legal consultation for your comic book or the contracts related to your comics, please visit my website. www.gamalhennessy.com

The Elusive Goal of the Four-Quadrant Comic Con Column by Rob Salkowitz

You have to sell your comics where your readers are, but if your readers are men under 25, they might not be at comic cons. icv2.com/articles/col...

Graphic novel sales rose 28.5% in Q1 2026 Graphic novel sales were WAY up in Q1 2026, but what drove the surge isn't clear based on the data we have.

A quick look at the Top 10 from both 2025 and 2026 reveals manga-heavy sales in both years, so a jump of almost 30% indicates that category of comics is becoming even more popular. www.comicsbeat.com/graphic-nove...

The Best of Times and the Worst of Times...

The Business of Comics Podcast for March 30th, 2026

www.gamalhennessy.com/blog/the-business-of-comics-for-march-30th-2026

OpenAI shutting down Sora, Disney drops investment The news comes less than four months after Disney announced a $1 billion licensing and investment deal with the owner of Sora.

“We will continue to engage with AI platforms to find new ways to meet fans where they are while responsibly embracing new technologies that respect IP and the rights of creators.” www.comicsbeat.com/sora-shutdown/

If you would like to protect the legal rights to your comic or your professional comic book career, my firm is currently accepting both short-term and long-term clients. Please contact me to schedule a free consultation.
www.gamalhennessy.com

We recognize that emerging technologies, including AI, can be used as creative tools, but also that their use raises valid concerns about originality, respect for artists' rights, and quality. globalcomix.com/ai-policy

Boom restructures under PRH, including layoffs PRH has announced a major restructuring for Boom! Studios admin within the Random House worlds imprint group

“As with any massive multinational corporation, the org chart is always going to be tinkered with, and a greater integration within PRH seemed inevitable back when Boom was acquired by PRH two years ago.” www.comicsbeat.com/boom-restruc...

Silver Sprocket's San Francisco store closing today Silver Sprocket's much loved San Francisco store is closing today after mounting debts and rising rents, owner Avi Ehrlich has announced

"Ehrlich noted that the store had been profitable up until 2023, but rising rents, and a drop in foot traffic in the Valencia neighborhood where it was located had cut into profits."

www.comicsbeat.com/silver-sproc...

ICv2 Interview: Lunar Distribution Co-founders Christina and Cameron Merkler The Present and Future of the Market, Growth and Change, Competing

There are still a few publishers we can absolutely take on, but most are either under the Prana banner or the Massive banner. As long as their numbers make sense, we'll take them on separately, outside those banners, once those contracts come up icv2.com/articles/new...

Sam Kieth, creator of THE MAXX, dead at 63 Kieth, who also co-created The Sandman, and various Batman books, died last week following a battle with Lewy body dementia.

“Sam brought a completely unique look and voice to the industry. His art was raw and unmistakably his. Sam’s influence will be felt for generations.” www.comicsbeat.com/sam-kieth-ob...

The Dogman Generation Now. Right now is the best time there has ever been since 1938 to start a business in the comics industry.

"Right now is the best time there has ever been since 1938 to start a business in the comics industry."

www.linkedin.com/pulse/dogman...

Beanstack acquires Comics Plus to form the Joyful Reading Company The Joyful Reading Company is a new entity that will encourage kids to read, formed by Beanstack acquiring the Comics Plus digital comics platform

The combined entity will reach more than 3,600 library systems, 9,000 school buildings (550 school districts), and 18 million readers. www.comicsbeat.com/beanstack-ac...

GlobalComix Closes $13M Round, Acquires INKR And Names Henrik Rydberg New CEO The digital platform gets an infusion of cash, technology and new leadership to compete in the multibillion dollar digital comics market.

The company announced the acquisition of startup digital manga platform INKR, bringing a catalog of over 200,000 volumes of Japanese, Chinese and Korean comics content and a bundle of technologies that GlobalComix hopes to use in its own publishing efforts. www.forbes.com/sites/robsal...

Rick Veitch and Katie Skelly join Power Pulp small press distro Power Pulp is yet another distribution solution for small publishers, and they've just added Rick Veitch and Katie Skelly

The many small self-published cartoonists who populated the back of Diamond’s catalog have all pivoted to new models. www.comicsbeat.com/rick-veitch-...

Two Fantagraphics collections delayed after cargo ship damaged by Iranian missile The complete print runs of two eagerly awaited Fantagraphics collections were aboard a ship damaged by an Iranian missile as it was near the Strait of Hormuz

“…it’s another sign of how far-reaching events have become. And while the cargo may eventually reach the US, insurance does not cover acts of war.” www.comicsbeat.com/two-fantagra...

Core Questions, Exit Strategies, and the Maybe Movie Model YouTube video by The Business of Comics

Core Questions, Exit Strategies, and the Maybe Movie Model
youtu.be/XpXKjAr4mc4

IDW Finds Profits On Sales Increase

IDW reported a net profit of $141,000 in the quarter, a big improvement from a $1.2 million loss in the same quarter a year ago.

icv2.com/articles/new...

We're in the Middle of a Weird Speculator Boom The comic book industry is in the midst of a strange speculator boom based on low print run independent titles

“In a world that is used to movies and TV shows routinely made based on comic books, the first appearance of a new character/series could mean that you got the first appearance of a future major movie character, right?”

Short answer...probably not.

www.cbr.com/comic-books-...

It’s official: We need sales charts for comics! A straw poll confirms that most people in the comic book industry want sales charts. Here's why they're important.

“But that still leaves us with the problem of not actually having any means to have accurate and comprehensive sales charts for the comic book direct sales market.”

www.comicsbeat.com/its-official...

WEBTOON Loses Over $300 Million in Q4 Even as Operating Results Improve

WEBTOON showed an operating loss of $13.2 million in Q4 and $63.5 million for the year, improvements from the $27.7 million loss in Q4 2024 and $100.7 million loss for the full year 2024. icv2.com/articles/new...

Dark Horse CEO/Founder Mike Richardson exits after 40 years as new owners bring in new boss from gaming & Lord of the Rings Embracer replaces Dark Horse CEO Mike Richardson with Middle-earth Enterprises exec in leadership shakeup.

Dark Horse Comics began in 1986 as a creator-centric comic publisher sprouting out of Richardson's comic bookstore chain. It quickly became a multimedia empire, to encompass its various comic book, manga, TV, media, gaming, and product divisions. www.thepopverse.com/comics-dark-...