The rule of thumb goes that it’s pretty ill-advised these days to create your own comic publisher. In modern times, what with the digital fragmentation of comics, the rise of the Original Graphic Novel format, the ‘death’ of single issue comics…it’s an uncertain world out there. Many reputable publishers are going under, cutting costs, cutting staff, and struggling to get people to read their titles. Who’d want to sell comics?
However, managing to get together some of the most significant award-winning, critically acclaimed talents in the business for a ‘creator owned’ company is a good start. The issue of a creator’s rights in the comics industry has been a sad and well-documented one, and the shift away from work-for-hire contracts and towards more intellectual property ownership is long overdue.
Enter DSTLRY - a publisher with some huge comic talents attached such as Scott Snyder (Batman, Wytches), Jock (Judge Dredd, Batman), Tula Lotay (Supreme: Blue Rose, Bodies), James Tynion IV (Something Is Killing The Children, Nice House On The Lake), Brian Azzarello (Hellblazer, 100 Bullets), and others. It promises not only physical releases of their individual comics and collections, but also a vibrant online marketplace for its digital versions and collectables, as well as other exclusive extras. DSTLRY is built to be the publisher where the creators get the freedom to tell the stories they’ve always wanted to.
With projects from Lee Garbett (The Outsiders, Skyward) and Jamie McKelvie (Captain Marvel, The Wicked & The Divine) to follow in the upcoming months, DSTLRY has quickly positioned itself in the crowded market as a company which demands our attention, and long may it continue.
Find DSTLRY at https://dstlry.co/
Gone (collected edition) - Jock
HARDBACK £26.99 each, published in the UK 13th August 2024
On a far-distant planet, 13 year-old Abi scavenges in the depths of Star-liners to help support her family. When she is accidentally trapped in the guts of a colossal spaceship with a gang of fellow marauders, she finds that it’s not just the crew inside who are out to get her, but also perhaps some closer to her than she could ever imagine.
Jock’s first creator-owned project is a spectacle - he both writes and draws with the kind of incredible visual storytelling which you’d expect from the celebrated Eisner Award-winning artist. As a concept, it’s a wholly cinematic experience…yet it manages to focus in on some subtle and nuanced character beats which keep the story grounded in a way that a lesser author would probably sacrifice for the big splash pages. The dark, cyberspace noir feel of Gone gives off vibes of Dune or Star Wars: Andor - not surprising given Jock’s exemplary work as a film concept artist and storyboard creator. Never dull or clichéd, this epic tale is wrapped up in a glorious oversized-format hardcover which allows the art to shine and the story to be presented as beautifully as possible.