[Link] AMC Networks Publishing launches with graphic novels, Stephen King, Kirk Hammett and more

by Heidi MacDonald

As long as I’ve been writing the Beat, I’ve heard rumors of TV networks starting their own comics lines to cheaply (sorry) generate IP in-house.  (Remember when Netflix was going to start a comics line because they signed up Millarworld?) It’s never quite happened that way yet, but AMC Networks Publishing might just be the closest thing yet – a publishing spin-off of the network that will put out fan-friendly, genre-forward specialty books, comics, original graphic novels and more.

The line is headed up by publishing veteran and Head of AMC Networks Publishing Mike Zagari, who worked at Marvel, DC, Disney and Aftershock before moving over to AMC, so he certainly knows the territory.

Upcoming projects include several comics, a graphic novel and a coffee table book, in partnership with talents like Kirk Hammett, Brendan Fletcher, Greg Nicotero, Stephen King and many more.

The first AMC publishing venture was a coffee table book, The Art of AMC’s The Walking Dead Universe, published in partnership with Image Comics and Skybound. The new AMC Publishing output will have various print partners, including Titan Books and Every Cloud.

“We’re excited to launch this new initiative with talented creators, writers, artists and storytellers to further engage our passionate fanbases with the stories and characters they love, as well as open the doors to discover new and compelling worlds,” said Zagari in a statement. “From deeper dives on AMC’s The Walking Dead Universe, Shudder’s Creepshow and Acorn TV’s Miss Fisher, to a brand-new collection of fantasy and comic-based tales from Kirk Hammett, Marcel Feldmar, Brenden Fletcher and more, we can’t wait to entertain and thrill our audience and fans in new and innovative ways.”

The line-up...

Read the full article: https://www.comicsbeat.com/amc-networks-publishing-launches-with-graphic-novels-stephen-king-kirk-hammett-and-more/

[Link] Streaming TV, Films Drive Surge in Graphic Novel Sales

by Heidi MacDonald

As the number and popularity of such streaming services as Netflix, and Disney+ continue to grow, many of these services have turned to adapting comics and graphic novels which have gone on to become some of their biggest hit shows.

Comics properties that have been adapted range from eccentric indie comics titles–for example, Charles Forsman’s The End of the F****** World on Netflix–to highly promoted superhero franchise series, among them WandaVision on Disney+ and The Boys on Amazon Prime. All of these shows have led to increased graphic novel sales, but along the way publishers have had to adapt and find new strategies to capitalize on their popularity on streaming media.

Among the challenges publishers face is the effort to link book releases to streaming TV shows: these services often don’t publicize broadcast dates until only a few months out. This means that publishers have to guess what the print demand will be, leaving them a narrow window to prepare. This can mean that books will be out of print for months just as demand spikes, unless publishers turn to more costly printers located in North America that can print and ship books to bookstores and comic shops more quickly.

One of the earliest (and most surprising) streaming successes based on a graphic novel was Forsman’s TEOTFW (as it’s called by many publications), the story of a teenage sociopath and a bratty thrill-seeker on a roadtrip, which was initially published as a series of mini-comics before being collected into a book by Fantagraphics. TEOTFW was published just as the streaming wars began heating up in 2017.

Read the full article: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/86120-streaming-tv-films-drive-surge-in-graphic-novel-sales.html