Tag Archives: massive publishing

Massive Publishing turns to Kickstarter for “Massive Pilot” Program

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Massive Pilot

Massive Publishing has announced the launch of its brand-new initiative: The Massive Pilot program — a creator-first platform designed to help comic book creators launch new series by combining the power of crowdfunding with Massive’s publishing infrastructure.

The Pilot Program offers fans and collectors a unique opportunity to support and shape the future of independent comics. Each Pilot crowdfunding campaign features a high-end early release version of the series debut, and will be produced in limited quantities for collectability. These premium editions will feature upgraded paper stocks, specialty covers, exclusive content, and collectible treatments curated specifically for campaign backers who are investing in the future of the series.

This initiative gives fans early access to potential breakout series with backer-exclusive content, both physical and digital. Series that gain traction will be fast-tracked for full release and direct-market distribution. The crowdfunding to store shelves with upgraded limited editions isn’t new for publishers. What stands out about the announcement is that 100% of the initial funding goal goes directly to the creative team, covering production costs and supporting creators from day one. That would mean that Massive covers the credit card costs and crowdfunding platform costs as well as printing costs. Shipping would assumed to be paid by backers.

The first title to launch as part of the Pilot Program is The Disavowed, written by Josh Blaylock with art by industry veteran Pop Mhan. Blaylock has had previous success on Kickstarter with numerous series funded for his publishing venture, Devil’s Due. The Disavowed debuted at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 where an ashcan edition was released as well as a Backerkit campaign. The comic is a riff on G.I. JOE of which Devil’s Due used to publish the comics before they eventually went to IDW and then Skybound.

This debut issue will set the tone for what Massive’s Pilot Program is all about. Follow the campaign on Kickstarter and be notified when it goes live on Tuesday, June 17th.

The Disavowed

Massive Indies Expands with New Publishers and Studios

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Massive Publishing

Massive Publishing has announced the expansion of its Massive Indies program, now welcoming a new wave of independent publishers and studios into its growing network. This expansion marks a major milestone for the program, which continues to redefine how indie comics reach comic book shops nationwide. While no specific publishers were announced, they will be revealed over the next few weeks with the initial wave being announced in Massive’s July solicitations for on sale in September.

Designed to empower small and midsize publishers, Massive Indies provides direct market access through Massive’s partnership with Lunar Distribution, as well as marketing support—while allowing creators and studios to retain full creative control. With this new phase, Massive reaffirms its commitment to the program and opens its doors to more partners than ever before.

The expanded program comes with a streamlined onboarding process and newly reduced pricing, designed to lower barriers for publishers looking to scale and give relief to publishers impacted by the Diamond Comic Distributor bankruptcy. Applications are now open and the Massive Indies team will be contacting previous applicants who were not part of the initial wave of publishers. 

Interested publishers are encouraged to apply via http://www.massiveindies.com

Mini Reviews: Monster High: Pride 2025, Metamorpho: The Element Man #6, Absolute Martian Manhunter #3, Detective Kaiju #1, Mommy Blog

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Mommy Blog

Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Monster High: Pride 2025 (IDW) – Monster High kicks off Pride Month a week early with a couple cute, yet spooky stories. First up is a “fiends” to lovers called “Math Camp” by Jacque Aye, Siobhan Keenan, and Bex Glendining, which was also relatable to me as someone with lifelong math anxiety. I love the chemistry that Aye and Keenan craft between Clawdeen Wolf and Toralei, and how Clawdeen uses her knowledge of fashion to get through math equations. The plotting, puns, and bright colors are like an old school Saturday morning cartoon, but fierce and more queer-inclusive. The second story by Megan Brown, Bowen McCurdy, and Katherine Shuda deals with the ramifications of an emotional vampire using the “L” word. (Love, not lesbian.) McCurdy orchestrates a dangerous situation set up in a haunted fairgrounds to bring them together and even throws in some chibi style art to make the action/chase sequences even more adorable. I feel like being queer and being into monsters goes hand in hand, and Monster High: Pride 2025 pulls this off in a really fun way. I’ve always thought their characters have had the best aesthetics, and it’s nice to learn about their actual personalities in this comic. Overall: 8.0 Verdict: Buy

Metamorpho: The Element Man #6 (DC) – One of the most underrated DC books of the past few years concludes in freakish fashion as Al Ewing, Steve Lieber, and Lee Loughridge put Metamorpho through his final paces in a fight against Solaris, the Tyrant Sun. There’s still a Silver Age energy to Ewing’s dialogue and captions (So much alliteration!), a touch of early Bronze Age in some of the deep cut references and winking nods at the book’s cancellation, and Lieber even turns in some Golden Age art in a unique two page seqeuence. But Metamorpho #6 also feels like the eccentric cousin of Grant Morrison’s DC One Million and All-Star Superman, especially in the climax of the battle between Metamorpho and Solaris. The final issue ends up being a love letter to the different eras of superhero comics and reminding us that they’re at their finest when they’re at their weirdest. Of course, there’s plenty of heart and heroic sacrifice too with Sapphire Stagg and Metamorpho rekindling their romance. I would love a lot more adventures with this style of writing and art, but six near perfect issues is a damn good run. Overall: 9.6 Verdict: Buy

Absolute Martian Manhunter #3 (DC) – Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez‘s Absolute Martian Manhunter continues to be one of the most immersive and impactful comic of 2025. This is a book that can be read on a variety of levels: Rodriguez’s trippy imagery and more traditional art, Camp’s narrative captions for John Jones, and Martian vision, which letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou conveys in (At times literal) cloudy script. The plot of the issue deals with Jones investigating a series of homicide/arsons done against unhoused folks as the White Martian threat ramps up, and it turns into a beautiful, occasionally violent meditation on home, shelter, and being. Javier Rodriguez’s art makes the familiar alien in scenes like Jones interacting with his two distant kids. Absolute Martian Manhunter #3 is walking in someone else’s shoes, but with extra visual flair. Overall: 9.6 Verdict: Buy

Detective Kaiju #1 (Massive) – Despite its super cool title, Michael Calero and Kit Wallis‘ Detective Kaiju #1 is a fragmented first chapter. (Disclaimer: I haven’t read Quested, the series’ parent book.) The main thing that took me out of the book was figuring what the protagonist’s size was at any given time ; sometimes, he has the physical proportions of, say, Hellboy and sometimes he’s Godzilla-size. It left me wondering if the sequences Detective Kaiju is a private eye are dream sequences, and the ones where he’s facing the military and tanks are reality and vice versa. Even this quibble aside, overall, Detective Kaiju #1 feels like a collection of loose incidents instead of a coherent chapter in a narrative although I appreciate Calero’s lettering and some of Wallis’ design choices. Overall: 5.8 Verdict: Pass

Mommy Blog (Image/Ninth Circle) – Mommy Blog is an incredibly frightening, yet darkly hilarious one-shot from Marguerite Bennett, Eleonora Carlini, and Hoyt Silva that holds up a mirror to mom/influencer culture and laughs at it with a bloodstained mouth and visually cartoonish glee. Bennett’s script is wordy, but absolutely dripping in wit quickly introducing the main character, her world, and off-base opinions. Capitalism and white supremacy are Bennett and Carlini’s main targets, but they make the medicine go down with blood, gore, and suburban drama. This is a horror story for our always on/always live streaming culture where public and private life blurs together unrecognizably and relationships are just stepping stones. Overall: 9.4 Verdict: Buy

Massive Publishing Co-Founder and President Kevin Roditeli Departs

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Kevin Roditeli

After three years as President and Co-Publisher of Massive Publishing, which he co-founded with Michael Calero and Trevor Richardson, Kevin Roditeli is stepping away to focus on his creative pursuits. The move comes at a time the publisher is shifting its focus, becoming a sub-distributor with its Massive Indies initiative, as well as its other programs like its high end Massive Select line.

In the past year, Roditeli authored two standout series as a creator, including Bad Omens: Concrete Jungle, created with the Billboard-charting band for Sumerian Comics. He also released his creator-owned series, Washed In The Blood, a post-apocalyptic tale about a teenager who becomes the messiah of a frozen wasteland after hearing the voice of the goddess of guns.

Kevin Roditeli is now fully dedicated to freelance writing, pursuing licensed projects that align with his unique voice, while developing his own original comic series with potential publishers. Beyond comics, he has secured initial funding for his debut film, which he will write and direct. Roditeli and the Massive team remain on good terms and look forward to future collaborations, including the release of one of his creator-owned series and his involvement in an upcoming licensed project from Massive.

Heavy Metal and Devil’s Due join Massive’s Indie Distribution Partnership with Lunar Distribution

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Massive Publishing

In February, Massive Publishing announced a new deal with Lunar Distribution called Massive Indies. Massive Indies is a sub-distribution program aimed at helping independent publishers and self-published studios get their books onto comic shop shelves worldwide. It has been announced that Heavy Metal Magazine and Devil’s Due Studios are the first two publishers to take advantage of this new program.

Heavy Metal recently relaunched with a Kickstarter raising nearly $800,000.

Massive Indies is an open platform for submitting titles for inclusion in the Massive Indies solicitations within the Lunar catalog. Unlike traditional imprint models, this sub-distribution approach enables each publisher or studio to retain its autonomy and control over their publishing lines.

Massive Publishing adds Lunar Distribution and launches new sub-distribution initiative “Massive Indies” for independent publishers and self-published studios!

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Massive Publishing

Massive Publishing has announced a new partnership with Lunar Distribution, for the direct market distribution of its titles and imprints, including its premium limited product brand Massive Select. Up until now, Massive’s library of titles was only available to comic shops through its distribution agreement with Diamond Comic Distributors. This new partnership will bring increased visibility to the Massive Publishing brand and expand its presence in the marketplace, while giving retailers more options on how to carry Massive’s upcoming releases and back catalog. Massive Publishing is also available to the book market through its exclusive book market distribution agreement with Simon & Schuster.e.

Part of this strategic partnership with Lunar Distribution is the launch of Massive’s newest initiative, Massive Indies, a sub-distribution program aimed at helping independent publishers and self-published studios get their books onto comic shop shelves worldwide. This will be an open platform for submitting titles for consideration in the Massive Indies solicitations of the Lunar catalog. Unlike the more common imprint model for publishers, this sub-distribution model will allow each publisher/studio to maintain their absolute independence and control over their publishing line. Massive is prioritizing publishers affected by the recent news of Diamond Comic Distributor’s Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing but sees this as a possible game-changing process for creators to access the direct market without signing deals which compromise their intellectual property rights.  

Massive will begin to solicit products through Lunar Distribution starting in February. For publishers and studios interested in submitting to Massive Indies, visit www.massiveindies.com

Massive Publishing Ends its Exclusive Partnership with Diamond Comic Distribution

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Massive Publishing

2025 has been off to a rocky start for the comic book industry with Diamond Comic Distributors‘ announcement they were declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy. While many companies come out stronger after such legal move, many fear this is a sign Diamond will go under impacting not just comic shops and those they owe, but especially smaller comic publishers who may not find other comic distributors as welcoming. Still, that hasn’t stopped Massive Publishing from announcing they are ending their exclusive partnership with Diamond Comic Distributors.

Massive begins their statement focused on the debts Diamond owes, amounting to somewhere between $50 million and $100 million according to court filings. Some of that debt is owed to Massive for books shipping in the fourth quarter of 2024. While those comics have since been sold to retailers, Massive hasn’t seen its portion of the revenue. It’s money they’re out in printing and shipping to Diamond. The money owned may not be paid for some time and a fraction of what’s owed.

Massive has announced, with advice from their counsel, that there is risk in continuing to provide Diamond with product while they operate under Chapter 11. With that, the publisher has ended their exclusive distribution deal with Diamond.

What does this mean? Massive will:

  1. Solicit its monthly comics through Diamond on a non-exclusive basis, once they’ve established that payments have begun for product already shipped
  2. That will cause a delay for numerous releases
  3. New trade paperbacks won’t be offered through Diamond for the foreseeable future but will be available through other channels like Simon & Schuster
  4. Re-order trade paperback products for existing titles are still available through Diamond

Questions are raised by this decision as for how it impacts creators who may rely on sales for some of their income.

Expect more decisions like this in the near future. You can read Massive’s full statement below:

Vampiro: Rockabilly Apocalypse #3 is silly fun and fans of B-movies will dig it

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It’s an all-action duel in the desert! The Bonneville is out of commission and our heroes are pinned down by The Bad Habit…and the blazing desert sun! Can Estrella and Everitt hold off the shotgun-wielding Sisters of Mercy? Can Vamp survive an all-out war against Abaddon…the Black Queen of the Abyss?

Story: Michael Kingston
Art: El Terrorifico Dr. Napalm
Color: El Terrorifico Dr. Napalm
Letterer: Jacob Bascle

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Zeus Comics

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Get a look an Pinupocalypse #1, a mix of 50’s sci-fi and horror tropes reimagined with a clever twist

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Pinupocalypse #1

(W) Andrew Tarusov, Brendan Jones (A) Igor Vyunyshev (A/CA) Andrew Tarusov
In Shops: Jan 22, 2025
SRP: $4.99

Series Creator and Artist Andrew Tarusov delivers this iconic feature image of one of our two leading ladies, Foxy, as she prepares to fight an army of the undead. Stay tuned for next month when our other leading lady, Roxy, gets her own feature cover image.

Pinupocalypse is a mix of 50’s sci-fi and horror tropes reimagined with a clever twist. Set in 1950’s small town America, this satirical adventure pits two stylish pin-up girls against hordes of zombies and aliens. Inspired by Hollywood filmmakers like Ed Wood, Sam Raimi and Edgar Wright, Pinupocalypse is an out-of-this-world story with a Gil Elvgren aesthetic to titillate readers!

It’s Foxy’s birthday, and with money in her pocket, she’s on a mission to find the perfect dress! That is until an explosion rocks the small town of Pinupolis and startles her out of the dressing room. Surrounded by suspicious green smoke, Foxy emerges to find that everyone else in town has turned into zombies!

Pinupocalypse #1

Vampiro: Rockabilly Apocalypse #2 continues the B-Movie fun

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Following the shocking revelations from issue #1, Vampiro, Estrella, and Everitt must race against time to stop a shadowy plan to jumpstart the apocalypse. But instead, they find themselves in the crosshairs of The Bad Habit…a motorcycle gang of shotgun-toting nuns tasked with delivering God’s justice on Earth.

Story: Michael Kingston
Art: El Terrorifico Dr. Napalm
Color: El Terrorifico Dr. Napalm
Letterer: Jacob Bascle

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Massive Publishing

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