Do you need a list of independent comic book publishers?
Look no further.
We’ve featured 17 of the best independent comic book publishers below.
Continue reading to learn about who they are.
1. Aftershock Comics
Aftershock Comics is an independent comic book publishing company based out of Sherman Oaks, California that was founded recently in 2015. They publish a multitude of engaging and truly beautiful comics and graphic novels for their readers, utilizing an online platform to reach readers around the world. Aftershock Comics is responsible for producing series like A Walk Through Hell by Garth Ennis, American Monster by Brian Azzarello, and Animosity by Marguerite Bennett.
They are currently not accepting submissions from writers, but strongly encourage you to check back at a later date. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines. They are, however, looking for pencillers and colorists to help with other projects that they’re currently working on. If you’re an artist who’s interested in submitting their work, you can do so via email.
2. Image Comics
Now the third largest comics publisher in the US, Image Comics was founded in 1992 in Portland, Oregon. The company consists of five renowned houses, among which we can also name Todd McFarlane Productions, and it has an extremely wide range of interests in terms of graphic novels and comics. Once you access their website, you will find genres like LGBTQI, fantasy, cyber punk, dystopian, science fiction, spy/espionage, music, romance, thriller, and countless others. To become more familiar with what they’re looking for, make sure to check Bloody Mary, by Garth Ennis and Carlos Ezquerra, the Velvet series, written by Ed Brubaker, and the Aphrodite series, written by Bryan Hill.
Luckily, they are permanently searching for new talents, so don’t hesitate to look up their submission guidelines – writers have to send proposals only, and each of them should contain a cover letter, a synopsis, photocopies of fully inked and lettered sequential story art pages, and a cover mock-up.
3. Amulet Books
Amulet Books is an imprint of Abrams that focuses on publishing graphic novels, novels, and nonfiction for young adults and middle-grade readers. Some of their titles include “A Fire Story” by Brian Fies, “Tumult” by John Harris Dunning and Michael Kennedy, and “The Bridge” by Peter J. Tomasi.
The Abrams company does not accept unsolicited submissions. Because of this, they recommend that you collaborate with an established literary agent. Therefore, if you are a writer with literary representation, you can have your literary agent submit a book proposal or query letter on your behalf. This way, you’ll have a better chance of being considered by Amulet Books’ editorial team. For more information, you can reach them by entering the Connect section on the website.
4. Antarctic Press
Founded in 1984 in San Antonio, Texas, Antarctic Press is a major name in the comic book publishing industry. With nearly 1500 titles in their catalogue, Antarctic Press has a readership that can be found all over the globe. They’ve produced comic series like 8-Bit Zombie by Fred Perry and David Hutchison, Adventure Finders by Rod Espinosa, and Airboy by Chuck Dixon, Gianluca Piredda, and Ben Dunn.
Due to the high volume of submissions that they receive, they ask that you be patient when waiting for a response from their editorial team. They strongly suggest that you review their submission guidelines before proceeding. If you’re an artist looking to submit, they ask that you provide a complete issue of your work, which is ideally between 22-30 pages in length. Be sure not to send any original work, as you will not receive them back. Also, keep in mind that, although they’re looking for a manga/anime artwork style, they are willing to accept other artwork styles as well.
5. Archaia
Archaia was established in 2002 as an imprint of the comic and graphic novel publishing company BOOM! Studios. Archaia has produced several award-winning and best-selling graphic novels. Some titles that they’ve published include series like Abbott by Saladin Ahmed, Adventure Time by Christ Hastings and Zack Sterling, and Lucas Stand by Daryl Gregory.
They are currently accepting submissions via their electronic submission form. Be sure to provide your contact information, indicate whether your project is a graphic novel or a comic book series, and attach electronic copies of your artwork and treatment, among others. Due to the high volume of submissions that they receive, they ask that you allow up to 90 days to hear back. If this period of time passes and you don’t receive a response, it means that your submission will not be considered. As long as they’re interested in your project, a member of their editorial team should reach out to you promptly.
6. Black Panel Press
Black Panel Press is a Canadian independent comic book and graphic novel publisher based out of Toronto, Ontario that was recently established in 2017. Black Panel Press prides itself on their ability of bringing North American readers exceptional foreign graphic novels. . Some titles that they’ve produced include “The Corsair” by Vincent Pompetti and “Jeanne & Modigliani: Paris in the dark” by Nadine Van Der Straeten.
If you’re interested in working with the team at Black Panel Press, you can contact them via emailor by using this form. Since there is no information regarding the submission guidelines on their website, you will have to ask them for details. If they’re interested in your project, they should reach out to you promptly to discuss the next steps you’ll need to take.
7. Hound Comics
Hound Comics was established in 2005 and launched in Borders Book stores all around the US five years later. It is a privately owned publishing company which produces works in every field of the entertainment industry, and it’s based in Bethpage, New York. To become accustomed to their interests, you might want to check out Soul Heir, by Ocie Taylor and Anthony Taylor, Dangerman, by Chris R. Notarile, and Remnants, by Mark Vuycankiat.
In terms of submissions, the team is only interested in creator-owned material, and they will accept works for new series or stand-alone graphic novels exclusively. Script-only submissions are normally rejected, as they wouldn’t have enough time to read all of them. Thus, you have to send your art as well, if you want the story to be taken into consideration. To find out more, access their submission policy.
8. Oni Press
Founded in 1997 in Portland, Oregon, Oni Press is a premier comic book and graphic novel publisher. Among their list of award-winning titles we can name Nickelodeon’s Invader ZIM, Wasteland, Kaijumax, and Rick and Morty. Their Web Comics category currently includes two works which can help you become familiar with what they’re interested in – Kim Reaper, by Sarah Graley and Spectacle, by Megan Rose Gedris.
Unfortunately, they are currently closed to submissions. However, you can still check their page for any updates.
9. Fantagraphics
Based out of Seattle, Washington, Fantagraphics is an independent publishing company that is well-known in the comic publishing industry, alongside companies like Marvel and DC. They’ve worked with renowned brands like Disney, Peanuts and Love and Rockets. They’ve published graphic novels like “Empress Cixtsis” by Anne Simon, “Press Enter to Continue” by Ana Galvan, and “Tonta” by Jaime Hernandez.Your work will be rejected if it fits the standards of mainstream horror, fantasy, science fiction, vigilante, or superhero. Children’s books are not of interest either. They unfortunately do not provide illustrators to pair up with writers, and note that they will only consider work that’s independently-created and immediately publishable. You can submit a copy of your project via regular mail, as they do not accept electronic submissions. If chosen, your work will not have a standard format – it simply depends on what suits your story best. For more information, you can review their submission guidelines to determine what you’ll need to send.
10. Seven Seas Entertainment
Known as the #1 independently-owned manga publisher in North America, Seven Seas Entertainment was established by Jason DeAngelis in 2004. Although they are specialized in Japanese manga and light novels, they also produce youth literature, graphic novels, and original comics. The genres featured online are romance, supernatural, military, mystery, as well as many others.
Although they don’t accept any original content pitches or portfolio submissions at present, you can still enter their website once in a while to see if there are any updates available.
11. Committed Comics
Officially established in 1999 in Redmond, Washington by Thomas Doherty and Alejandro Cruz, Committed Comics is a company that wants to help comic book fans start their careers in the industry. They partnered with Dawnfire Inc in 2000 in order to produce RPG Dawnfire, which was released all over the world. In 2015, they partnered with the renowned artist Sean Dietrich. To become familiar with what they publish, you might want to check their catalog – here, you will find titles such as Nira X: Reborn, Confidence Pig, Haunting Refrain, and Miss Miniver.
Luckily, Committed Comics is permanently trying to find talented creators. Therefore, if you’re a writer who wants to collaborate with them, send a 5-page story that has a clear beginning, middle, and ending, and that contains dialogue as well. 5-page excerpts of longer stories are not taken into consideration. For more information, you can read their submission guidelines.
12. Hermes Press
Hermes Press is an independent comic publishing company that’s located in New Castle, Pennsylvania. They’re especially interested in producing books and comic strip reprints with science fiction and popular culture themes. Some of their titles include “Mother Goth Rhymes” by Kaz Windness, “Slaves for Gods” by Jason Godi, Dylan Silvers, and Ryan Hartsell, and the Tails series by Ethan Young.
Hermes Press very much welcomes submissions and new ideas. Therefore, if your work fits the standards of comic books, art, comic art histories, or of graphic novels, don’t hesitate to contact them. You can email your manuscript or comic book idea, or make contact using the form at their Submission Page. After doing so, expect a response in 3-5 business days.
13. Heroic Publishing
Operating out of Long Beach, California, Heroic Publishing is an independent comic book publisher that’s been producing comic titles for nearly 25 years. They love to work with writers and illustrators with unique perspectives and daring new stories to tell. Heroic Publishing also utilizes an online platform to produce webcomics, which is capable of reaching a much wider audience than titles only published in print. Some of their recent publication projects include the Anthem series by Roy Thomas and Benito Gallego, Black Enchantress by Dannis Mallonee and Gordon Purcell, and Liberty Girl by Richard Martin and Henry Martinez.
They are unfortunately closed to unsolicited submissions at this time, but encourage you to check back at a later date.
14. Last Gasp
Last Gasp is a comic and graphic novel publishing company that first got its start in 1970. Based out of San Francisco, California, Last Gasp publishes up to 20 new titles every year. The love to work with writers and illustrators who explore interesting topics which most publishers may shy away from is characteristic of them. Some of their titles include “Rent Girl” by Michelle Tea, the Barefoot Gen series by Keiji Nakazawa, and “Who Killed Hunter S. Thompson?” by Warren Hinckle. Once you enter their website, you will find categories that vary from erotica and humor to manga and music. LGBT books and comics are also of interest.
Last Gasp unfortunately does not accept unsolicited submissions. However, if you feel like your work is definitely something they’re looking for, you can use their online contact form to submit a description of the project
15. Legacy Rising
Based out of Pickerington, Ohio, Legacy Rising is a comic book publisher that produces works for all ages. They utilize both print and digital platforms to help their authors reach a wider audience. Series that they’ve produced include Knight & Daye by Jacob Newell and Victor Dandridge, Vigilance by Valdeic Nogueira and Micah Cox, and The Legend of Azure by Mason Easly.
If you’re interested in working with Legacy Rising, you can send them a message via their website’s online contact form. Be sure to provide your contact information and a brief summary of your project. If they’re interested, a member of their editorial team will most likely reach out to you. If you’re an author with literary representation, you can have your literary agent send a query letter on your behalf, as well.
16. Rosarium Publishing
Founded in 2013, Rosarium Publishing is a new publishing company that specializes in producing works of speculative fiction, comics, and books of crime fiction. Based out of Greenbelt, Maryland, Rosarium Publishing has produced graphic novels like “The Hookah Girl” by Marguerite Dabaie and comic book series like The Little Red Fish by James Moffitt and Bizhan Khodabandeh, Manicore by Keith Miller and Ian Gabriel, and Echo Gear by Vincent Sammy.
If you’re interested in working with Rosarium Publishing, you can contact them via regular mail or through their website’s online contact form. Similarly, if you’re a writer with a literary representative, you can have your agent send a query letter on your behalf to see if they’re interested in your project. If your work piques their interest, a member of their editorial team will most likely reach out to you.
17. Sloth Comics
Sloth Comics is a British comic book publishing company based out of Oxford, England that was founded in 2010. They publish a wide variety of comics, mostly intended for younger audiences. They’ve produced series like Ash: Academy of Super Heroes by Loran and Young Talented… Exploited by Yatuu. They are currently not accepting unsolicited manuscripts, but encourage you to check back at a later date when this status may change. For general inquiries, you can still contact the team at Sloth Comics via email. However, keep in mind that they will not accept any biographies, superhero titles, or anything profound or serious in the future either.
Have you had any comic books published by other independent comic book publishers? Please share your experiences in the comments box below!
K. Z. Kwan is a freelance writer based out of Halifax, Canada.