Trajectory, a digital distributor and technology developer, has reached a global digital distribution agreement with fast-growing indie publisher Image Comics. The deal is being announced as the ALA Conference opens in San Francisco, and will expand the reach of Image’s digital comics to retailers and libraries in North America, the U.K., Europe, South America and China.
The deal will launch with 324 Image digital graphic novels to be followed by frontlist single-issue periodical comics.
Image’s physical graphic novels are distributed by Diamond Book Distributors. In 2014 Trajectory inked a multi-year deal with Diamond to provide digital conversion and distribution to its publisher clients. Trajectory offers digital distribution through a global network of more than 300 accounts representing more than 230,000 e-book retailers, library and school distributors and alternative sales channels.
Image Comics publishes many of the most popular creator-owned comics in the world including such series as Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga and Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s Sex Criminals.
Image publisher Eric Stephenson said he was “thrilled” to with the arrangement. "It’s great that we’ll be reaching new readers in libraries through services like Hoopla and Overdrive [via Trajectory].”
Trajectory CEO Jim Bryant said the deal was driven by the demand for English language comics around the world. “Comics are a key component of pop culture and the world has its eyes on America."
