The enormous popularity and sales of Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man graphic novel series, trends in the changing U.S. comics and graphic novel retail landscape, and the growing popularity of manga and anime-influenced Japanese light novels, were among the topics explored in PW’s most-read comics stories in 2019. Starting below, we have a top ten list of our most-read articles on comics and graphic novels in ascending order of popularity.
10. Will Publishers Roll the Dice on Board Games?
Tabletop board games are booming, but comics publishers are wary about entering the market
9. In Her First YA Graphic Novel, Lauren Myracle Takes On Catwoman
Bestselling YA author Lauren Myracle spoke with us about her debut graphic novel, ‘Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale,’ which is part of the DC Books for Young Readers launch list.
8. DC Closes Vertigo, Revamps Publishing Under Age-Specific Labels
DC will shut down Vertigo, its pioneering non-superhero imprint, at the end of the year as part of a restructuring that will also eliminate DC’s recently launched Zoom and Ink publishing imprints. All DC titles (young reader and adult) will now be published via three age-specific publishing lines.
7. Chris Ware Talks About ‘Rusty Brown’
Acclaimed graphic novel author Chris Ware answers questions about the creation of his graphic novel 'Rusty Brown' and about his working process.
6. Lion Forge, Oni Press Merge Under Polarity Pop Culture Brand
Indie comics publishers Lion Forge and Oni Press will merge under the majority ownership of Polarity, a newly formed media entertainment entity launched by Lion Forge cofounder Dave Steward II in 2018. The merger resulted in a number of layoffs.
5. Viz Launches Imprint to Publish Original Manga-Inspired Graphic Novels
Viz Media announced plans to launch Viz Originals, a new imprint that will publish original graphic novels by artists inspired by manga and anime.
4. HarperCollins to Launch HarperAlley, New Graphic Novel Imprint
HarperCollins Children’s Books has announced plans to launch HarperAlley, a graphic novel imprint under the direction of Andrew Arnold, who has been named editorial director. The imprint will release its first graphic novels in fall 2020.
3. Mixing Prose with Manga, Light Novels Attract North American Fans
Works of prose fiction with quirky fun plots and manga-style illustrations, Japanese light novels are attracting a growing audience of fans in North America.
2. Comics Is a Market in Transition
Comics retailers are struggling to adapt to changes among consumers and publishers. We talked with comics shop retailers and general trade book stores about the transformation of the North American comics and graphic novel marketplace.
1. What We Know About 2018 Graphic Novel Sales
It was a good year for comics, and the graphic novel market in 2018 was dominated by one category: kids' comics; and that category was dominated by just one series: Dav Pilkey's Dog Man.
