Irish Comic Book Publishers

Kerrywriterno1

Hi guys,

I'm currently writing my first graphic novel and I should be finished it hopefully within the next year (that includes the editing etc.) and I was wondering if you could tell me if there are any comic book publishers in Ireland? I know O'Brien's Press published a few, with their recent one being about the 1916 Rising but I don't know of any others.

Any help you can give would be very much appreciated.

K'writer

Patrick Brown

Kerrywriterno1 wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'm currently writing my first graphic novel and I should be finished it hopefully within the next year (that includes the editing etc.) and I was wondering if you could tell me if there are any comic book publishers in Ireland? I know O'Brien's Press published a few, with their recent one being about the 1916 Rising but I don't know of any others.

Any help you can give would be very much appreciated.

K'writer

Book publishers like O'Brien do put out the odd comic, but if they were going to look at it, would probably expect it to be educational in some way. You say you're writing it, so presumably you're not drawing it - I don't think any of the book publishers in Ireland would be set up to buy a script and find an artist to draw it, so you'd probably need to have an artist on board before you approached them.

Most comics in Ireland are self-published in one way or another, which with digital printing bringing the costs down, is easier than it's ever been. You won't make much money, but I know people who have been published by proper publishing houses and haven't made much money either. If you can make it to Summer Edition in Dublin on 24 July you'd meet some of the Irish comics self-publishing comics, and maybe make some contacts and get some suggestions?

Kerrywriterno1

Thanks very much for that, Patrick. I actually do have an artist for the work but like I said, I'm still in the very early stages of it yet.

Yes, I have thought about self-publishing it but there's pros and cons for that. If you ever get a chance to read the book, Writing for Comics and Graphic Novels by Peter David, you'll see that he makes good points about the negative aspects of self-publishing and P.O.D. If I did choose to self-publish the book, are there any Irish comic book self-publishers? I do know of a few ordinary book publishers e.g. Original Writing - www.originalwriting.ie

As for that book event, I'd love to go to it but don't know if I'll be able to though. Is it on again later on in the year?

Thanks again, Patrick, for getting in touch.

K'writer

ztoical

Kerrywriterno1 wrote: »

I actually do have an artist for the work but like I said, I'm still in the very early stages of it yet.

Be aware the most book publishers are not interested in seeing submission with artists already attached. I know this sounds odd but most book publishers who don't normal publish comic work treat them much the same way they treat children's pictures books and with those editors don't want to see art, they want the story and then they match up an artists and create the over all 'look'. If your looking to publish a graphic novel you are much better going down the self published road and selling at comic shows and getting comic shops to stock copies.

Ireland doesn't really have that many book publishers let alone ones that deal just with comics...population just isn't there. O'Brien would be the largest of the Irish publishers but they're rep for dealing with creatives isn't the best and they've turned down a number of comic book projects recently, the graphic novel adaption of the recent 'Secret of Kells' film for example in favor of a kids picture book of the film, as they feel there isn't a big enough market in Ireland and looking beyond Ireland your better approaching a bigger publisher

Self publishing for comics is very different to self publishing for novels which is viewed more as vanity press. Without self publishing we wouldn't have seen the likes of Bone or the Flight anthologies. The xeric grant in the US has helped a number of amazing graphic novels see the light of day through funding publishing but they are still self published projects. It all depends on whys and wheres and reasons behind a project. At the very least you would need to self publish a section of sequential art to show an editor.

Comics are more like animation and film then books when it comes to getting them out there. With film you would raise the cash to make the film then bring it to film festivals in the aim of getting a studio interested in buying the distribution rights. With comics you would invest in putting a small run together and hit the cons. Research of course is needed as its not a case of just going to any and all publishers....different publishers publish different things and something Dark Horse would publish is not the same as something Top Shelf or Fantagraphics would publish.

The resource thread on this forum lists links to a number of POD printers that deal just with comic book publishing such as Comixpress, Kablam, and FAM.

Kerrywriterno1

OK. Thanks very much. You've been very helpful. I appreciate that. I'll check out those publishers you mentioned.

Is there any Irish comic book site where people can post a part of their script online and get some feedback? Don't worry, I'll copyright it first!

Thanks again, lads for your help.

K'writer

voyage

I recently came across some Irish language graphic novels based on Irish history and mythology.

This is their website, it's in Irish and English http://www.leabhar.com/comics.htm