ComiXology co-founder and former CEO David Steinberger and former comiXology Head of Content Chip Mosher unveiled today DSTLRY. DSTLRY is “a next-generation comics publisher that redefines creator-owned comic books and collectibles.” The publisher will offer customers limited physical and digital item drops, available online or in-store at local comic shops, while providing creators with fairer deals alongside company ownership. The co-founders have been working on the project in stealth mode since departing comiXology/Amazon in summer 2022.
DSTLRY’s investors include international publishing giants Kodansha USA and Groupe Delcourt, as well as video game luminary John Schappert, tech strategist Mike Vorhaus, and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura—the last three make up DSTLRY’s Advisory Board. The focus is on premium content, hassle-free digital collectibles, and a more equitable comics industry.
DSTLRY’s Founding Creators include renowned writers and artists such as Scott Snyder, Tula Lotay, James Tynion IV, Junko Mizuno, Ram V, Mirka Andolfo, Joëlle Jones, Jock, Becky Cloonan, Brian Azzarello, Elsa Charretier, Stephanie Phillips, Lee Garbett, Marc Bernardin, Jamie McKelvie, and Founding Editor Will Dennis, with more Founding Creators, creative teams, and a publishing rollout to be announced later this year.
Each Founding Creator holds an equity stake in the company, and DSTLRY has set aside an additional 3% of company equity to be distributed among all creators who release projects during the first three years of DSTLRY’s publishing slate; allocation will be based on title performance. This innovative structure aligns DSTLRY with the comic creators, whose creations dominate the pop culture landscape but are too often under-recognized and under-compensated.
DSTLRY’s oversized, premium-format single-issues will be available in print at local comic shops while digital single-issues will be available for purchase for up to one week after release on dstlry.co. These eco-friendly digital issues will be fully owned and resellable on DSTLRY’s marketplace—a “Stub Hub for digital comics”—with benefits like special discounts, exclusive drops, and meetups with the creators, depending on the item. Collected editions of single-issue comics in both print and digital formats will be widely available.
Digital owners can resell their items on the DSTLRY marketplace at a price of their choosing, with a percentage of resale going back to the creators, while each physical issue will be a limited-edition premium collectible fans will love to read and collect. More details about these physical and digital collectibles will be announced later.