Category Archives: Business

ComicsPro 2026: Tokyopop and 247 Comics Announce a Publishing Partnership

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Tokyopop has announced a publishing partnership with 247 Comics, a creator-led publishing and content studio. Tokyopop will begin publishing and providing product development and marketing support for a broad range of 247 Comics’ manga-inspired original graphic novels. Tokyopop also will work with 247 Comics to create a range of licensed merchandise based on these properties.

Engaging Tokyopop’s digital marketing resources, production expertise, and extensive channel distribution network that is managed by Penguin Random House, the initiative will launch in coming months with exclusive print editions for 247 Comics titles including the sci-fi adventure, Evermind, the intense revenge saga, Heroes Be Damned, the swords and martial arts action of Bladesmyth, and the supernatural crime drama, Zero Ghost. The comic bookstore exclusive editions published by Tokyopop will feature variant covers by world-class manga cover artists. 

Tokyopop surprised the ComicsPRO community with an exclusive announcement of its comic shop exclusive single-issue and graphic novel partnership with the team at 247 Comics, formally introducing the 247 Comics powered by Tokyopop publishing initiative.

Announced as Executive Editor of 247 Comics on stage at last year’s ComicsPRO, Terry Kavanagh brings his legacy role as editor of Marvel Comics Presents and shared details on the first issue of 247 Comics Presents & Spotlight, a flip-book quarterly anthology series. The debut issue of “Presents” features original stories by Larry Hama, Howard Mackie, and newcomer Anderson Carman’s original series Cyber League, along with a variant cover by superstar artist Daniel Warren Johnson. The “Spotlight” side will feature reprint and remastered titles New Men, created by Rob Liefeld (Deadpool), and Sons of the Devil, created by Brian Buccelatto (Flash). 

EVERMIND

written by Sean Chen and Daniel Wu; artwork by Sean Chen

A science fiction graphic novel set in the future follows renowned scientist Lucas Zhang, who develops breakthrough technology to control robots through the human mind.  Zhang’s Neurolink tech powers theme parks and military mechs alike—but when those worlds collide, his quest for immortality and glory spirals into chaos. Welcome to EVERMIND.

EVERMIND

HEROES BE DAMNED

written by Vince Sunico and Nicholas Lukic; artwork by Vince Sunico

The Murders of Heroes & Villains by a Mysterious Figure Seeking Revenge. Heroes. Villains. Kill or Be Killed! In a world where capes and cowls maintain cosmic balance, the invincible Victory Force stands as humanity’s last defense. When a shadow dubbed “The Man in Black” begins systematically eradicating heroes and villains alike, leaving only destruction in his wake, even the mighty Victory—the greatest superhero ever known—finds himself at a loss. While the Victory Force scrambles against an enemy they cannot track or identify, young Mystic—granddaughter of Victory himself—is called upon by her mentor Dr. Magic to unlock her unique abilities and pierce the veil surrounding their mysterious adversary. But some darkness refuses to be illuminated, and some truths are better left buried.

HEROES BE DAMNED

BLADESMYTH

written by Lingie Park and Justin Calen-Chenn; artwork by Creees Lee 

Honor the Blade, Defy the World. Asian American creator team unlocking Action and Appetite. Loren is visited by a mysterious figure who seems to know everything about what he does in the day and what he really does at night.

BLADESMYTH

ZERO GHOST

written by Justin Jordan; artwork by Brian Ching

An epic adventure set in a world where magic exists and is almost entirely dominated by criminals. Kira Kaine is out for revenge, even if it costs her soul. Literally.

For centuries, the Five Families have operated in the shadows, using hidden magic and sudden violence to dominate the criminal underworld. Kira is heir to the Kaine family, the strongest of them all. But on her eighteenth birthday, unknown enemies slaughter the Kaine family, intending to use Kira as a sacrifice to attain ultimate power. What they didn’t anticipate was Kira breaking free, leading to her being accidentally bonded to an angel of death named Shrike. 

With Shrike, she has the power to enact bloody vengeance on the people who betrayed her family, but every use of his power burns away a part of Kira’s very soul. Can she find the truth and her revenge before Shrike destroys her entirely?

ZERO GHOST

Spotify Partners with Bookshop to Promote Book Sales

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Spotify

It’s been a few years since Spotify launched their audiobooks selection and they are now teaming up with Bookshop to sell copies of those books.

Page Match is a new tool where readers can scan a page of a printed or e-book using their phone and then continue listing to that book where they left off. It also works in reverse where you can go to the page of the book after listening to resume reading.

Spotify is partnering Bookshop to promote the purchase of books on its app. Bookshop is a website that’s a network of independent bookstores. Spotify will then get part of the sales as an affiliate fee.

In transparency, we use Bookshop’s affiliate program and anyone can just sign up and take part. Bookshop has expanded its offerings from just physical copies to digital copies as well.

While all of that sounds great, Bookshop does sell comics and graphic novels and potential for more sales is a good thing, Spotify has come under scrutiny lately for running ads for ICE recruitment. That lead to boycotts of the platform and pressure to pull the ads. The recruitment ads had run since April 2025 and were on Amazon, YouTube, Hulu, Max, and other streaming services. The ads ended in late 2025 after the campaign ended and they ran their intended time period.

Spotify refused to take down the ads stating they didn’t violate the platform’s advertising policies.

The ads ran and ended before the recent executions of American citizens by ICE but they were regularly abusing individuals and violating Constitutionally protected rights and housing detained individuals in inhuman conditions while they were running.

Numerous musicians withdrew their music from the platform in protest.

DSTLRY Pauses Comic Releases

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DSTLRY

In a post to their site, comic publisher DSTLRY has announced that it has paused its comic releases. The company has had an interesting time since it launched, releasing new issues every other month and then distribution issues where it started with Lunar, then went to Diamond, and then to Penguin Random House.

In their post, they mention Diamond’s bankruptcy as one of the reasons for the issues and “preventing” them from shipping their titles and that the switch to a new distributor created a release gap.

The following titles have been delayed:

  • City Beneath Her Feet #3
  • Endeavour #3
  • Galactic #2
  • Mischief of Magpies #1
  • White Boat #3

All of these are delayed and not cancelled.

Endeavour #2 was released in late December with Galactic #1 debuted towards the end of November. DSTLRY announced their switch to Penguin Random House in March 2025 with the change taking place in June 2025. Since June, they have released about a dozen issues for various series.

They are also working on multiple previously announced series that were caught up in Diamond’s bankruptcy with a re-solicitation coming soon.

The US Senate Takes up the Proposed Netflix and Warner Bros. Merger in a Hearing

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The proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Bros. has a lot of hurdles before it’s approved including being approved by the government.

On Tuesday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos appeared before the US Senate to discuss the deal that would see Warner Bros.’ studio, HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros. Games, and DC Comics purchased by Netflix.

Concerns over antitrust issues were raised but some took the opportunity to bring up “woke” content and “transgender ideology” bringing culture wars to the process.

While making attacks, those Senators could not provide evidence or support for their claims and statistics. MAGA influencers have raised that issue to block the merger and it has been echoed by Republicans.

Paramount has put in a competing bid for the company. Paramount has a more conservative bent having put numerous individuals into decision making positions to guide CBS and more. Paramount is looking to continue to consolidate the market and bring all of Warner Bros. Discovery under their control.

Cara O’Neil Joins Mad Cave Studios as Director of Marketing

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Cara O'Neil

Mad Cave Studios has announced that Cara O’Neil has joined the company as the publisher’s new Director of Marketing. A senior publishing and marketing executive, O’Neil’s career has been shaped by steady growth, cross-departmental leadership, and a holistic understanding of the comics and publishing ecosystem.

She joined Dark Horse Comics in 2018 and was promoted through multiple positions within the marketing department, later serving as Vice President of Marketing. In that role, she led marketing and publicity in close collaboration with sales, editorial, licensing, and digital teams. Her work helped bring major titles, including Hellboy, Black Hammer, The Umbrella Academy, Sin City, and Berserk, to audiences across comics, games, and screen, balancing longtime fan trust with thoughtful, audience-driven campaigns that expanded reach across platforms. She also regularly represented the company at key industry events.

A graduate of Portland State University’s Master’s in Publishing program, O’Neil brings together retail insight, formal publishing training, and executive-level experience. She is widely respected within the comics and publishing community for her collaborative approach and long-term perspective. 

Oni Press shifts to Penguin Random House Publisher Services for Distribution

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Oni Press

Oni Press has announced a multi-year worldwide sales and distribution agreement with Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS). The publisher was previously distributed by Lunar Distribution. The deal begins August 1, 2026.

PRHPS will sell and distribute Oni Press’ frontlist and backlist trade books, as well as single issue comics, for Oni Press and the company’s Magnetic Press imprint exclusively across all sales channels worldwide.

The deal comes ahead of numerous anticipated releases from Oni including Matt Kindt and Brian Hurtt’s Fort Psycho from his Flux House imprint as well as the launch of Oni’s partnership with Archie Comics and Archie #1 which arrives in September. That issue is by writer W. Maxwell Prince and art by Fábio Moon. 

Josh D’Amaro will replace Bob Iger at Disney

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Disney

Disney has named Josh D’Amaro as its next CEO succeeding Bob Iger. The switch will be effective March 18. Who would replace Iger has been a closely watched process in the business world.

This is the second time Disney has replaced Iger in six years. The company previously picked parks boss Bob Chapek, a disastrous decision that had Iger reclaiming the CEO position. Iger will remain as a senior advisor and Disney board member until he retires December 31, 2026.

The search for Iger’s replacement has taken place over years with D’Armaro, the chairman of Disney Experiences since 2020, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro and Entertainment Co-Chairmen Dana Walden and Alan Bergman all interviewed for the position.

Walden was named president and chief creative officer on Tuesday as part of this announcement.

Disney has faced scrutiny from investors with a rather mixed response. The company reported its quarterly earnings where revenue and earnings beat expectations, but the stock still dropped 7%.

D’Amaro has been in charge of such things as the theme parks, resorts, and cruises. That will expand with a new theme park opening in Abu Dhabi and there’s been a $60 billion commitment in the theme parks over the next decade.

But, the space for entertainment has been where many questions remain with a still unknown shift in consumption of media. The dip of traditional tv and rise in streaming is still being navigated and D’Amaro will oversee a key time for that.

The previous succession of Iger went to Chapek which was a rough period due to Covid. It obviously hurt the park business but streaming boomed and the stock increased with it. But, that was a bubble and shares began to fall as the company didn’t meet earnings expectations and streaming growth slowed down. Iger returned to the job and focused on restructuring of the company where his first tenure focused on acquisitions.

The plan originally was for Iger to stay on in the role until the end of the year, but the transition was moved up so he could work with the new team and helped guide them through the process.

Dynamite and Coffin Comics announce a Co-Publishing Agreement

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Chaos Comics

After a photo teased it, Dynamite Entertainment and Coffin Comics have announced the start of a historic co-publishing agreement, set to offer fans the ultimate collaboration and releases many have been waiting on for years. Following the surprise in-person announcement at Swornfest 2026 in Mesa, Arizona, this past weekend, after extensive meetings and planning between Dynamite’s Nick Barrucci and Coffin’s Brian Pulido, the full cast of characters and world of the original Chaos! Comics line will be reunited for limited-time reprint collections and merchandise, available through multiple channels, including direct-to-consumer crowdfunding campaigns and the direct market.

It all kicks off soon with a massive Kickstarter showcasing the character that began it all — Evil Ernie! In a projected three-volume set, all of the beloved original misadventures of the Evil One will be collected comprehensively for the first time ever. Presented in multiple formats, the books will amount to well over 1,500 pages. Each edition will feature a unique cover. Smiley, the Psychotic Button’s specials and solo stories will also be included in this set, while other superstars, including Lady Death, Purgatori, and Chastity will have appearances. Key storylines, including Youth Gone Wild, The Resurrection, Revenge, Straight to Hell, Destroyer, and more, will be presented in these can’t-miss tomes.

Future Kickstarter campaigns will focus on Lady Death, Purgatori, Chastity, and the Coffin universe.

As further details are confirmed, Dynamite and Coffin will keep fans up to date on book contents, formats, pricing, and launch dates. Other goodies projected to be offered include limited-edition issue reprints with epic enhancements, like metal or glow-in-the-dark effects, on top of all-new artwork from top names. A trading card set is being considered for parallel development. Posters, prints, T-shirts, patches, and challenge coins are planned.

The thrill ride mythos of Chaos! began in 1991 with the debut of Evil Ernie created by writer Brian Pulido and brought to life by the late great Steven Hughes. A couple years later, the scope and success of the effort expanded with the founding of a separate publisher and a string of new characters and titles including Lady Death, Purgatori, Chastity, Jade, Bad Kitty, Lady Demon, and many more. Pulido was revered by fans for his dark, pulse-pounding storytelling, great collaborative eye for artists, and unparalleled engagement with fans, aka the “Fiends.”

Steven Hughes established the iconic look for many of the Chaos! mainstays. His detail-oriented, moody artwork matched both Ernie’s edgy verve and the innovative “bad girl” trend, which featured Lady Death at the forefront. His visual blueprint laid the groundwork for countless creators who have tackled the characters to this day, including Ed Benes, Mike Deodato, Al Rio, Jim Balent, Ivan Reis, and countless others.

The Chaos! library outside of Lady Death was acquired by Dynamite Entertainment in 2010 and has featured in several best-selling comics and crossovers. Industry icons like Tim Seeley and Mirka Andolfo have contributed to the evolving characters, and they’ve crossed paths with Vampirella, Red Sonja, Hack/Slash, and more.

Pulido continues his tales of Lady Death and his reputation of connecting directly with “Sworn Nation” to this day through Coffin Comics. New characters, including La Muerta, Lady Satanus and Hellwitch, have wowed, and a new era of fans and creators keeps the energy alive with record-smashing Kickstarters and conventions.

More news on the Evil Ernie project and future plans will be coming soon!

Send Help takes the weekend box office as 4 out of the top 5 are debuts

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Send Help

Send Help wont he weekend box office with an estimated $20 million. The film debuted with a fairly solid weekend holding steady between Friday and Saturday. It grossed $8.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $28.1 million.

Iron Lung took second place with an impressive $17.8 million domestically and $3.9 million internationally for a worldwide opening of $21.7 million. The film will absolutely shift the movie business as the movie is an indie film by Markiplier that bypassed major studios and played straight to the internet personality’s fans. But, it also might have shown a weakness in that strategy too. The film opened in first place Friday but dopped 41.1% on Saturday and another 34% on Sunday indicating that Markiplier’s fans turned out early and the movie might not have legs in theaters or appeal to the masses. But, the film has a reported budget of just $3 million so has easily turned a profit. It shows that there is a space for niche, low budget films, that play to a very specific built in audience. While critics were a bit mix, audiences have returned a positive review. The second weekend will be key to see if this has legs and can be something more or if it’s a cult classic right out of the gate.

Melania opened in third place with a little over $7 million with no international box office reported, though it did open in international markets. The film is a disaster though Trump’s media will spin it otherwise. Amazon and Jeff Bezos paid $40 million for the film with an additional $35 million going toward marketing. $28 million of the $40 million went to Melania as a producer, an unprecedented amount all around. It’s hard to not see all of this as shady as shit and a backdoor way to get money to the President to gain favor. The film’s gross also was inflated with organizations stepping in to buy tickets and get people in the theaters. Advertisements were found online to pay individuals to sit through the film. The film has been savaged by critics while it has been review bombed in a positive way for non-critic reviews. Expect it to tumble in the second weekend.

Zootopia 2 could be the story of the year for films with impressive legs. The movie held on to fourth place with $5.8 million in its tenth week to bring its domestic total to just under $409 million. Over the week, it grossed $25 million to bring its international gross to $1.368 billion. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $1.777 billion.

Rounding out the top five was another debut, Shelter. It grossed $5.5 million domestically and $7.7 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $13.2 million.

In other comic related movies…

All You Need Is Kill grossed around $38,000 domestically over the week and now $690,138 total. There’s no international gross.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution remained at $16.6 million domestically. Internationally, it also remained at $24.9 million for a worldwide gross of just over $41.5 million.

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc remained at $43.4 million domestically. Internationally, the movie gained about $700,000 over the week and has grossed $117.2 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $160.6 million.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie – Infinity Castle has grossed $134.5 million domestically. Internationally, the movie added about $5.6 million and is at $593.7 million. Its worldwide gross is $728.3 million.

Numbers have 66 movies grossing $83,999,566 from 38,846 theaters for an average of $2,162.37. That is compared to last week’s 71 movies grossing $54,792,025 from 40,521 theaters for an average of $1,352.19.

Sex Criminals gets a Prime Video Order

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Sex Criminals

Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon, and Tze Chun are adapting Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky‘s Sex Criminals for Prime Video. The show will run for eight episodes and based on the comic series that was published by Image Comics and ran from 2013 to 2020 running 32 issues (30 plus a #69 issue and one-shot). Nanjiani is set for a role in the series.

The series is about a girl who when she has sex, it stops time. She meets Jon, who has the same gift. And together, they decide to rob banks.

Nanjiani and Gordon will executive product the show through their Winter Coat Films. Chun will also exec produce as well as Winter Coat’s Dani Melia, Dani Gorin of LuckyChap, Fraction and Zdarsky. LuckyChap’s Louie Hayes produces.

The series has been praised and won numerous awards including two Eisners. It previously was in development at Universal Televion in he mid-2010s but the project didn’t move forward.

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

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