It was a 12 months stuffed with modifications and challenges. And as we’ve carried out yearly for 15 years, we requested comics creators, retailers and journalists to inform us what they thought had been the largest traits of the 12 months. As can be custom, we requested our respondents to choose the Comics Industry Person of the Year. That might be introduced subsequent week however for now let’s simply dive into a glance again at ’22 and preview of what’s coming in ’23!
Thanks as all the time to everybody for taking the time to reply to our survey.
Erica Schultz, Writer
2023 Projects: Hallows’ Eve from Marvel, X-23 from Marvel, the TPB of The Deadliest Bouquet from Image.
Biggest story of 2022: The turmoil at Oni Press and the shortage of publishers with cubicles at NYCC.
Biggest story of 2023: What social media website will all of the comics folks flock to and follow?
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: The new season of Bad Batch.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? Who is aware of. As of proper now, I’ve accounts with Instagram, Tribel, Mastodon, Hive, Twitter, and Counter Social. People are speaking about Post, however I feel my cellphone is maxxed out.
Victoria Ying, writer, illustrator, and cartoonist
2023 Projects: My ebook “Hungry Ghost” about rising up with an Eating Disorder might be launched on April 25, 2023!
Biggest story of 2022: Webtoons drama
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? I’ve seen a number of comics of us on Hive, however issues are so shakey, I can see a darkish horse (hah.) popping out of nowhere too.
Matt Bors, Cartoonist and editor
2023 Projects: I’m writing Justice Warriors quantity 2 with Ben Clarkson about election in Bubble City and in addition growing my wasteland characters from my editorial cartoons, Gorm and Tinsel, into one thing longer type. So two dystopian comics with two completely completely different vibes.
Biggest story of 2022: Cons had been again.
Biggest story of 2023: No clue.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? Social media might be extra scattered and damaged up throughout extra fiefdoms, which is wholesome, even when it feels extra diffuse. The days of everybody being on twitter each second of the day are over, if you would like it.
Marc Arsenault, Editor and cartoonist
2023 Projects: Editing numerous books for Webtoon/Yonder. Relaunching Sparkplug and Alternative Comics distro. Getting some archive stuff again into the market and in libraries’ and college collections from Wow Cool, Alternative and Sparkplug. Working on a Dylan Williams bibliography. Maybe lastly performing some comics myself once more.
Biggest story of 2022: I feel I’m breaking a rule right here or two, however, actually, I feel it’s internet comics overtaking print for readership and manga getting even larger. See the Publishers Weekly tales from a couple of weeks again. And additionally any of this 12 months’s comics greatest sellers lists in PW
Biggest story of 2023: DC Comics closes up store and stops printing new comics. A beast like that may solely stay so lengthy with its coronary heart ripped out.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: Al Ewing, who gave us good Defenders comics once more. OK, perhaps they’re a bit derivitave of the Gerber/Kraft/DeMatteis period, however why ought to that matter?
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? Numerous us outdated timers are nonetheless on the ole FB, however I see Hive as a possible winner right here.
Eric Reynolds, Publisher and Editor
2023 Projects: Briana Loewinsohn’s EPHEMERA, Maria Bamford & Scott Cassidy’s HOGBOOK & LAZER EYES, Natalie Norris’s DEAR MINI, Simon Hanselmann’s WEREWOLF JONES & SONS, Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez’s LOVE AND ROCKETS, Daria Tessler’s SALOME’S LAST DANCE, Marcello Quintanilha’s LISTEN, BEAUTIFUL MARCIA, Garth Stein & Matthew Southworth’s THE CLOVEN, Jordan Crane’s GOES LIKE THIS, Ruppert & Mulot’s EXTRAORDINARY PART, and plenty of extra!
Biggest story of 2022: Skyrocketing manufacturing and transport prices and cascading printing delays at a time of file inflation. Tangentially, the more and more shaky floor the direct market — a fragile ecosystem constructed upon an more and more anachronistic enterprise mannequin — stands on.
Biggest story of 2023: Either Disney or Warners resolve they don’t have to subsidize the normal American comedian ebook format simply to develop IP.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? Something else. I haven’t deleted my twitter but however I’ve considerably curtailed utilizing it.
Jimmy Palmiotti, Creator , writer
2023 Projects: PAINKILLER JANE- TRIGGERGIRL- FANTASIMA-THE PRO- for Paperfilms and Image Comics.
Biggest story of 2022: More and extra creators following their paths and doing their very own characters and proudly owning them. The huge two are shrinking as they fight something they’ll to remain afloat by providing as many covers to every ebook as they’ll. They have now gone full in on interesting to collectors and fewer about content material to promote excessive numbers. Walk into any comedian store and witness the fatigue.
Biggest story of 2023:Creators studying easy methods to promote on to the followers utilizing new applied sciences and the comedian artwork viewers continues to develop as file costs for authentic artwork maintain skyrocketing.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: I stay up for constructing the viewers for my work past simply comedian ebook followers and discovering new methods to get the work on the market. I’m additionally wanting ahead to touring worldwide with my spouse Amanda Conner in 2023.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? Twitter and Instagram and creators non-public mailers would be the factor.
Tom Akel, Publisher & Creator, Rocketship Entertainment
2023 Projects: On my private plate – the Stan Lee’s Genesis tabletop recreation, Backchannel quantity 2, a brief story with Ben Templesmith, and a few unannounced issues. On Rocketship’s plate – an excessive amount of to checklist, most of it unannounced.
Biggest story of 2022: 2022 appeared to have extra surprising layoffs, turnover, and normal PR and advertising mishaps than we’ve seen in a very long time.
Biggest story of 2023: Our new A.I. overlords will generate all the content material however nonetheless not be capable of do dishes or laundry. I’m kidding, I hope.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? So far it appears to be Hive. I’m not on Mastodon.
Rantz Hoseley, VP of Editorial, Z2 Comics
2023 Projects: Z2 has 4 jaw dropping tasks which are launching subsequent 12 months that I can’t point out but as a result of they aren’t introduced but, however holy cats… they’re one thing!
Biggest story of 2022: The announcement and launch of FMP (Frank Miller Presents) – I imply… RONIN II?!? Who the hell may have predicted we’d see that 40 years after the unique!
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? I’m on all platforms, however since we are all habituated and hooked on social media, I feel it’d be nice if all of them collapsed and we need to re-learn easy methods to community & join in individual.
Rob Clough, Critic/Publisher/Editor/Teacher
2023 Projects:In addition to educating for SAW (Sequential Artists Workshop), operating my Rent-A-Critic enhancing service for cartoonists, and writing evaluations for SOLRAD and my good ol’ High-Low weblog and Patreon, we at Fieldmouse Press are proud to be publishing new books from MariNaomi, Andrew White, Allison Conway, Cole Degenstein, Zoe Belsinger, and some surprises to be introduced.
Biggest story of 2022: Two issues: the return of stay comics reveals and the fierce starvation for comics they displayed; and a altering of the guard in alt-comics as extra publishers shut down and new ones take their place.
Biggest story of 2023: Pushing the unimaginable thirst for YA and middle-grade comics that’s been cultivated for effectively over a decade and beginning to translate that for an viewers that’s approaching maturity.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling!
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? I feel it’s going to be diffuse; many will keep on Twitter, and Hive can be engaging if it wasn’t so glitchy. None of the opposite apps have the interactive and random high quality as twitter.
Kriota Willberg, Cartoonist
2023 Projects: A Comics Guide to Surgery, nonetheless on the lookout for a writer even many of the rejection letters name the ebook “brilliant.” It’s an introduction to surgical procedure from either side of the scalpel. Written for anybody who has had surgical procedure or will sooner or later, has a buddy or member of the family with a surgical historical past or future, or for anybody who’s simply inquisitive about surgical procedures. Another ebook is a memoir based mostly on my minicomic, Cadaver Diaries, a ebook about the way in which the examine of anatomy has formed my life–by means of my artwork, affected person care, play, and demise–from the time I used to be an adolescent. I see anatomy all over the place, from the clinic to rock concert events and even my dinner!
Biggest story of 2022: For me, graphic drugs is a rising style that has been fed by comics about COVID 19.
Biggest story of 2023: Can’t wait to seek out out!
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: Working on my books whereas residing off my financial savings. We’ll see how lengthy it lasts. High on the pleasure and excessive on the guilt ranges.
Ruben Bollilng, cartoonist
2023 Projects: Of course, one other 12 months of Tom the Dancing Bug each ding-dong week. Also, two new books in The Complete Tom the Dancing Bug assortment from Clover Press might be printed in 2023: Volume 3, On the Trail of Tom the Dancing Bug (compiling the years 1999-2002) might be launched in April. Volume 2 (compiling the years 1995-1998) might be printed later within the 12 months, title and canopy unannounced as but.
Biggest story of 2022: I’m hardly within the heart of the trade, however from my private place, it gave the impression to be the return of in-person conventions. (Because I returned to in-person conventions.)
Biggest story of 2023: Hoping it will likely be that gross sales of comics, graphic novels, and caricature compilations overtake gross sales of iPhones.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: With various levels of guilt (listed so as from loads to none in any respect), no matter Silver Age Marvel reprints, Little Lulu reprints, and Carl Barks reprints are printed in 2023.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? As previously enthusiastic Twitterer, I’m hedging my bets by becoming a member of as many as I can and watching to see which good points traction.
Rob Salkowitz, Comics journalist
Biggest story of 2022: Comics publishing trade tops $2B, up 60% year-over-year
Biggest story of 2023: Hangover from the streaming recession hits comics in a giant method, impacting writer enterprise plans that depend on media offers
Van Jensen, author
2023 Projects: My sci-fi YA graphic novel with Jesse Lonergan, ARCA, is popping out in July from IDW Originals. I even have an ongoing sequence at IDW that might be introduced quickly. I’m co-writing TEAR US APART with Jay Baruchel and artwork from Alessandro Micelli for Dark Horse, the bloodiest romance you’ll ever see. And then my debut novel, GODFALL, comes out within the fall from Flyover Fiction. I additionally co-founded a web3 firm known as Eon Rift that’s producing comics and video video games, and we’ll formally launch within the new 12 months.
Biggest story of 2022: This felt just like the 12 months that everybody within the trade realized that Marvel and DC are second tier publishers. The gross sales have born that out for a very long time, however creators now have a look at the trade that method, too. This isn’t to decrease Marvel and DC. Other publishers have exploded and brought the mantle.
Biggest story of 2023: Going to make a guess that we’ll see two comedian ebook publishers go out of enterprise.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: I’ve acquired quantity 5 of the Claremont X-Men omnibus sequence pre-ordered, and it’ll transfer to the highest of my to-read pile as quickly because it arrives.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? I might’ve mentioned Hive two days in the past, however now it looks as if it’d fail. Wouldn’t or not it’s swell if we frolicked extra in actual life?
Andrew Farago, Curator, Historian
2023 Projects: Working on a full slate of exhibitions and applications for the Cartoon Art Museum, and a few new books from Insight Editions that might be introduced quickly.
Biggest story of 2022: Now greater than ever, it appears like a significant generational shift is underway in comics. People appear to be actually into Lore Olympus and present manga titles or the newest superhero crossover ebook or Nineties omnibus hardcover, and it appears like neither fanbase is aware of a lot or notably cares concerning the different. “Comics” more and more means just one sort of comics to readers. I don’t know if that’s an excellent factor or a foul factor, nevertheless it appears like there’s much less and fewer crossover between audiences proper now.
Biggest story of 2023: I hope it’s continued progress within the publishing trade. More titles, extra creators, extra comics for each sort of reader. There are a number of causes for optimism heading into 2023, and it could be nice to see each comics creator conserving as busy as they wish to be subsequent 12 months.
Guilty Pleasure for ’23: More conventions! It was enjoyable easing again into the conference scene in 2022, and I’d prefer to do twice as a lot of them in 2023.
Mastodon, Hive, Twitter or one thing else? Sticking with Facebook, largely, since I don’t wish to do social media on my cellphone and the opposite websites aren’t actually grabbing me but. Maybe we can all go again to LiveJournal and simply have our personal particular person blogs once more? I’d like that.
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