Welcome to half 2 of our annual Creator Survey. As we’ve executed yearly for 15 years, we requested comics creators, retailers and journalists to inform us what they thought have been the largest traits of the yr. This yr we additionally requested about what social media apps comics people have been considering of shifting to within the wake of Twitter’s decaying orbit. As you may see, within the responses, whereas Twitter has performed a vital function in so many elements of comics over the past decade, discovering a brand new platform – and even sticking round on social media – is an ever altering metric.
Thanks as at all times to everybody for taking the time to reply to our survey. You can learn Part One right here.
Shaenon Ok. Garrity, Writer, editor, cartoonist
2023 Projects: Jeffrey Wells and I completed our long-running day by day webcomic Skin Horse this yr (full 12-volume print assortment out there now; go to skin-horse.com!), which has freed up plenty of time. Chris Baldwin and I are engaged on a sequel to our graphic novel The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor. I’m writing some graphic novels I can’t discuss but.
Biggest story of 2022: All the dork-ass e book bans transparently targeted on shutting down work by and about LGBT individuals, individuals of colour, and girls. I’ve no extra persistence for this nonsense.
Biggest story of 2023: Hopefully, nonsense ending.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: Still watching all of the horror motion pictures.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? I’m hanging round Tumblr today. It’s fairly chill.
John Patrick Green, cartoonist
2023 Projects: Coming out in 2023 I’ve the primary Agents of S.U.I.T. e book (February) that I co-wrote with Christopher Hastings and is illustrated by Pat Lewis and coloured by Wes Dzioba. It’s a derivative of the InvestiGators sequence I write and draw, which has its seventh quantity (titled “All Tide Up”) popping out later in September. During 2023 I’ll be engaged on the second and third Agents of S.U.I.T. books in addition to the eighth (and probably ninth!) InvestiGators.
Biggest story of 2022: I’ve actually been out of the loop on capital C “Comics” issues these days. Maybe James Gunn taking on DC’s movie division? Or the Batgirl film cancellation (and all of comics-adjacent media cancellations, like Netflix’s Bone adaptation and stuff.) I assume Oni Press employees getting gutted was a reasonably large deal!
Biggest story of 2023: Disney buys DC. Why not.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: Indiana Jones 5. More Marvel TV. More Star Trek. Those I don’t actually really feel responsible about, although, so I’m gonna say all of the costly LEGO units that I’ll in all probability purchase and by no means have time to place collectively.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? Hive appeared fairly nice firstly, however has been down a bit whereas they attempt to enhance their total system. Mastodon may find yourself the winner. But actually I’d prefer to see a resurgence in locations with a FOCUS. Message boards, boards, and many others. Less “constantly talking over one another vying for attention” and extra “here are places to have conversations about specific things.” Actual discussions, not simply arguments with trolls, and I don’t know if something that follows the Twitter format can actually accomplish that.
Nate Powell, cartoonist
2023 Projects: My subsequent solo graphic novel, FALL THROUGH, shall be out by Abrams ComedianArts round August. It’s an interdimensional Nineteen Nineties punk cleaning soap opera that’s about energy dynamics in inventive areas, a love letter to underground hardcore, and a pandemic remedy challenge stuffed with sweaty individuals respiratory on one another in enclosed, self-defined areas.
Biggest story of 2022: It’s presently unfolding in actual time, however probably the collapse of Twitter and different social media platforms as communication and organizational areas, and the scramble to stay linked and afloat in methods we more and more took without any consideration pre-pandemic, and definitely shifting into the longer term.
Biggest story of 2023: Horrifyingly, it can seemingly be a seamless enhance in censorship and intimidation campaigns from the reality-averse far-right. They at all times play the lengthy sport, they’re simply ramping up, and they’re determined.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: Reading extra of the brand new wave of Hickman/Ayala/Duggan X-books! I haven’t been this excited to learn X-Men since I used to be 14 years previous.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else?I benefit from the simplicity of Hive, personally. But I feel we must always all take significantly the elemental takeaway that every one social media platforms will finally collapse and get replaced– and that it’s nonetheless true that we’re their product, not their clients.
Peggy Burns. Publisher
2023 Projects: Barbara Brandon-Croft’s Where I’m Coming From; Benji Nate’s Girl Juice; Rina Ayuyang’s Man within the McIntosh Suit, Roaming by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, and many many extra sensible tasks.
Biggest story of 2022: Kate Beaton’s DUCKS touchdown on the bestseller lists for a number of weeks, making many publications finest nonfiction books of the yr (not simply comics), and being in comparison with Maus and Fun Home, besides printed by an indie. 🙂 Julie Doucet being nominated president of Angouleme, her new e book Time Zone J being featured within the NY Times twice. Randall Park directing Adrian Tomine’s Shortcomings. Hard to choose one!!!
Biggest story of 2023: Jillian and Mariko’s first graphic novel for adults, ROAMING
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: late nights at Chat Noir whereas attending Angouleme, mais oui
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? Please god no.
Matt Medney, Publisher, Writer, Heavy Metal
2023 Projects: Excited about my upcoming sequence AEON with Joe Harris and John Connelly! (See preview under) Also excited for the Graphic Novel Release of Dark Wing!
Biggest story of 2022: James Gunn giving life to DC.
Biggest story of 2023: The printing, provide chain disaster coming to a head.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: Eating extra sweets.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? It’ll be again on Twitter.
Brian Fies, Graphic novelist
2023 Projects: I anticipate to spend most of 2023 studying Noah Van Sciver’s “Joseph Smith” e book whereas working by myself formidable comics challenge I’m enthusiastic about however not able to announce. Meanwhile, I’ll proceed to make appearances supporting my 2022 e book, “The Last Mechanical Monster,” and I’ve occasions associated to 2019’s “A Fire Story” deliberate as properly. I’m quiet however busy! Lurking silently like a shark, or no less than cowering within the mud like a flatfish.
Biggest story of 2022: The passing of the previous guard. It looks like a technology of each mainstream and Underground comics expertise has died unexpectedly: George Perez, Carlos Pacheco, Kevin O’Neill, Justin Green, Diane Noomin, Aline Kominsky-Crumb . . . It’s a terrific cumulative lack of historical past and expertise.
Biggest story of 2023: I predict that one of many main comedian e book firms will publish a narrative drawn by synthetic intelligence, there shall be an infinite uproar and outrage about it, and they’ll promote a bajillion copies.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: I’ll take no matter I can get.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? Mimeographed newsletters, stapled and mailed with a “Peanuts” stamp.
Henry Barajas Author (Gil Thorp, Batman: Urban Legends)
2023 Projects: Beyondtopia: Legends #2 & #3 are hitting comedian outlets in January and March 2023. I’m working a academic comedian for the NYC Department of Education.
Biggest story of 2022: Gender Queer’s win in Virginia because of the CBLDF
Biggest story of 2023: AI will take over comics
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: I’ve been loving “Snoopy en Español” lots.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? We have but to see the brand new comics twitter. If you’re sensible, e mail is the very best place to go.
Peter Birkemoe. Retailer, The Beguiling
2023 Projects: simply protecting all of it collectively despite everybody’s forgetting the pandemic
Biggest story of 2022: Ongoing distribution shakeups
Biggest story of 2023: Sadly, ongoing distribution shakeups
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: Denpa’s PLEASURE & CORRUPTION
Calum Johnston, writer / retailer
2023 Projects: Makers #5 and 6 by Dave Howlett (@paskettiwestern) are coming quickly, new points from our buddies at Grandway Comics are on the way in which as properly. [Editor’s note: The Makers elevator pitch: imagine a fictionalized version of the Image Comcis creators being in a Galaxy Quest type situation. Order here.]
Biggest story of 2022: doomsday is upon us, comics are dying….
Biggest story of 2023: doomsday remains to be upon us, comics are nonetheless dying….
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: hoping to get to comicspro, the one comics business convention, to see previous buddies, settle some previous scores and do our greatest to enhance the comedian e book world
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? instagram and fb, nonetheless on twitter (however for the way lengthy?), tried HIVE and will achieve this once more as soon as it will get a bit extra steady, tried mastodon nevertheless it’s not for me. Reddit sometimes
Marion Peña, Writer/Podcaster
2023 Projects: More webtoon opinions! Listicles to offer individuals who haven’t learn any webtoons a greater concept of what is perhaps up their alley!
Biggest story of 2022: Kadokawa proudly owning majority stake in J-Novel Club. Yen Press, one other NA writer, can be owned by Kadokawa, and will now present printings for sure JNC titles (novels and comics). This partnership between Yen and JNC occurred at ANYC, the place JNC additionally introduced their plans to dive additional into audiobooks, a discipline largely untapped within the manga/anime business till this yr.
Biggest story of 2023: My intestine feeling is that Korean/Chinese digital comics shall be carving a deeper area of interest out there as time passes on. KOCCA (Korea Creative Content Agency) is a Korean authorities company that promotes Korean content material internationally–together with digital and print comics like webtoons. They had a presence at NYCC this yr, and introduced over a number of publishers to gauge curiosity and progress within the North American market, to constructive outcomes.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: Tapas, Tappytoon, Webtoon, Manta, and Pocket Comics will proceed to deliver over ALL of the Romantasy (Romance Fantasy) from Korea and China, and I’ll proceed to devour all of it like a ravenous beast.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? If Twitter doesn’t implode, I can solely see it staying there, except it turns into completely unusable. I may see Discord communities changing into extra prevalent, as they’re extra akin to AOL Chatrooms than social media areas like Facebook or Twitter.
Megan Tan. Editorial Assistant
2023 Projects: Really excited to see Woshibai’s English translation of 20KM/H out! And additionally Keum Suk Gendry Kim’s new e book, THE NAKED TREE. I can also’t look forward to the world to learn the brand new Jillian and Mariko Tamaki’s e book ROAMING and THE MAN IN MCINTOSH SUIT by Rina Ayuyang! Jazzed to even have Saito Nazuna’s OFFSHORE LIGHTNING out as properly!
Biggest story of 2022: Seeing all of the opinions of Kate Beaton’s DUCKS and following its launch. Having labored on it for therefore lengthy, and seeing it on the bestseller lists, in addition to studying how Kate’s story resonates with so many was actually gratifying. And after all Julie Doucet successful the Grand Prix at Angoulême 🙂
Biggest story of 2023: Oooh I’m actually excited to learn individuals’s reactions to ROAMING! 😀
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: I’m wanting ahead to the Nimona film!
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? Tumblr? I do suppose I’ve seen a ton of individuals return to the nice ol’ e-newsletter by way of Substack.
Ryan North, author
2023 Projects: DANGER AND OTHER UNKNOWN RISKS with Erica Henderson – – it’s me and Erica reuniting after Squirrel Girl to inform an all-new story tremendous necessary to us each, and happening in a post-apocalyptic world of magic and journey – with a reasonably large twist. We’re each tremendous excited for this.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? I want I knew! Right now I’m reexamining the idea that we want social media in any respect
Kat Kan, public librarian, Adult Graphic Novel Selector
2023 Projects: Continuing to pick out graphic novels for my library system’s Adult Graphic Novel assortment. Hoping to work with my metropolis’s Center for the Arts and our native comics outlets to run a sequence of packages serving to individuals in our group create brief comics about their restoration from Hurricane Michael, a Cat-5 hurricane which devastated our a part of the Florida Panhandle in October 2018.
Biggest story of 2022: Due to some main household points over the yr, I didn’t pay an excessive amount of consideration to information, however one factor i couldn’t assist however discover is that in-person comics conventions undoubtedly returned in 2022; I additionally seen that plenty of individuals who attended these conventions received contaminated with COVID.
Biggest story of 2023: More progress in comics from unbiased publishers and so-called conventional e book publishers. This has been occurring for years. While I order some DC and Marvel graphic novels, my patrons a lot choose manga, and some will take probabilities choosing up titles from different comics publishers in addition to titles from new authentic graphic novel imprints from e book publishers. I’ve additionally seen extra and extra youngsters’s and youth authentic graphic novels being printed.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: Sharing extra comics with my grandsons.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? I’m simply hanging again and ready to see what develops.
Brandon Forsyth, Bookseller
Biggest story of 2022: The explosion of manga in North America
Biggest story of 2023:The continued rise of manga and webtoons
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: James Tynion’s continued runs on THE NICE HOUSE ON THE LAKE and THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH, huge concepts sci-fi!
Discussion about this post