In a transfer that reinforces that graphic novel publishing is right here to remain, Abrams ComicArts, the graphic novel arm of Abrams, is changing into its personal division. Beforehand an imprint of guardian firm Abrams Books, the reorg means it will likely be its personal standalone division, alongside the grownup and youngsters’s divisions.
The road, which has printed such books as Improbable 4: Full Circle by Alex Ross, Mother’s Most cancers by Brian Fies, Joseph Smith and the Mormons by Noah van Sciver, and The Nighteaters by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda, was based in 2009, by ex DC alum Charlie Kochman.
The brand new division shall be run by Rodolphe Lachat, who has the title Vice President and Writer of Abrams ComicArts, reporting to Abrams president and CEO Mary McAveney, who introduced the transfer.
Abrams Comedian Arts founding editor Charlie Kochman will retain the title of editor-in-chief and report back to Lachat, and persevering with to edit the Wimpy Child line of books, Jeff Kinney’s mega-popular collection. Abrams ComicArts is already dwelling to the Megascope imprint, edited by John Jennings, a line of graphic novels devoted to speculative fiction and nonfiction by folks of shade; and Lachat will proceed as editor of Cernunnus, an grownup fiction imprint on the home.
Abrams’ guardian firm is French writer Média-Participations, which additionally owns French comics publishers Dargaud and Dupius; underneath this new construction ComicArts will work extra carefully with their French counterparts to carry extra worldwide comics and manga to their US line. Manga is a selected focus, as Lachat revealed in a press release. “Media-Participations has constructed a lot of its success and status primarily based on its extraordinary catalog of comics, graphic novels, and manga,” he says. “Launching the primary Abrams manga program, we will leverage the relationships MPP, one of many first manga publishers in Europe, has constructed. Our new titles—quickly to be introduced—will additional the immense richness and variety of the Japanese tradition right here within the US.”
Upcoming authentic graphic novels embody Cormac McCarthy’s The Highway: A Graphic Novel Adaptation and Thomas Piketty’s Capital and Ideology: A Graphic Novel Adaptation.
“Graphic novels, comics, and manga are an space of great progress with a loyal and numerous fan base,” says McAveney in a press release. “Our distinctive entry to wealthy content material by MPP permits us to strategically develop our presence on this market. Our greatest-in-class publishing within the artwork of comics makes Abrams ComicArts the division to enlarge our backlist publishing whereas increasing into this vital market.”
This can be a large deal that not solely validates Kochman’s management of the imprint over the past 14 years, however reveals that comics – together with grownup comics – proceed to be successful story within the mainstream publishing world.
