From The Comic Journal’s link blog is a CTV News article on Montreal’s amazing new startup, Lethal Comics.
This is a very timely success story about buying Canadian and buying local, worth paying close attention to!
From the article:
There are shifting tides in the ocean of comic book creation and publishing and an independent shop in Montreal’s Mile End is part of the new wave of content creation that is changing the game in the industry.
Andy Belanger is co-founder of Lethal Comics, a Montreal created, published and shipped operation that is funded by fans.
“All comics, no bulls&$t” is the company motto and, with more than a dozen crowd-sourced editions, the company’s plan to do everything in house and go direct to comic book fans is something the team is excited about.
“Going direct to consumer creatively is the coolest thing ever because I get to make whatever comics I like,” said Belanger. “You’re getting unfiltered creativity from me, as opposed to a directive that DC wants.”
Lethal Comics co-founder Andy Belanger shows some of his early work in the comic industry. (Daniel J. Rowe / CTV News)
Pencils down to crowd sourcing
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Belanger and his partner, Karl Kerschl, found themselves without much work in comics.
“There was a pencils down movement in Marvel and DC comics, like the core of comic publishing, and I was basically without work,” said Belanger. “I had a whole bunch of contracts lined up. It all fell through.”
Belanger found work illustrating for video games, but he and his partner have always has been comic book guys and wanted to continue doing that work.
They decided to try a different model and went straight to comic book fans through Kickstarter.
“We immediately made $30,000, which, outside of production was, like, more than double I’d make on the best rate at DC Comics,” said Belanger. “So, we were, like, ‘We need to try and figure out how to turn this into a viable business on the reg.’”
The duo has now turned their boutique, niche publishing house into a viable business with a staff of around a half-dozen people creating, writing, producing and shipping comics that are printed in Montreal straight to their readers.
Read the rest here on CTV News.
The Toronto Comic Jam 