Aftershock Comics Coming Out Of Bankruptcy At San Diego Comic-Con

Posted in: AfterShock, Comics, Comics Publishers | Tagged: retailerlunch, sdcc

At the Diamond Comics Retailer Lunch, Aftershock Comics representatives got up to a room so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Last year, Bleeding Cool ran a story about AfterShock Comics filing for bankruptcy, after we had run a number of stories concerning the comic book publisher  and what had seemed an inability to pay their freelance comic book creators what is due to them. It was then revealed that AfterShock Comics of Sherman Oaks, California, and their partner studio Rive Gauche Television, had filed for bankruptcy, stating “On December 19, 2022 AfterShock Comics, LLC and affiliates filed for chapter 11 protection in the District of Central California (Case No. 22-11456). The Debtor reports Assets of $10M-$50M and Liabilities of $10M-$50M. The Petition states funds will be available to Unsecured Creditors. Debtor Represented by: David L. Neale of Levene, Neale, Bender, Yoo & Golubchik L.L.P.”

Now, Chapter 11 Protection means that the publisher can continue publication operations. But they have burned through their production schedules. January 2023 had six new titles. February 2023 had seven.  March 2023 solicits had five titles. April 2023 had just two new titles, and May had one, Bulls Of Beacon Hill #5 which was published last week. And that’s was it for new titles.

At the Diamond Comics Retailer Lunch, Aftershock Comics representatives got up to a room so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Aftershock told the retailers that significant progress has been made, but ways to go before they can announce they are fully back. And they are still not there yet. It seemed an emotionally fraught moment, for both the speaker and those in attendance. Tears are new to the Diamond Comics Retailer Lunch.

Retailers were told that Aftershock Comics is currently going through court-supervised proceedings to make sure that people get paid. But as a result if the current situation, there might be previously announced series that may not get out. All Aftershock Comics staff have been kept on payroll, and they are still working with creators on new projects and have announcements when they can. One of their more successful series, which was to have a new volume, Maniac of New York, has just seen the third issue pencils come in. And they state that a few weeks from now, collected editions will start flowing to shops again.

They are looking forward to have their marketing budgets back and getting the word out about their books as well, and also still trying to get their books into Hollywood’s hands, but the current wave of strikes are holding that up. This may have been the most depressing presentation ever held at the San Diego Comic-Con Retailer Lunch. Quoting Chumbawumba didn’t help. But maybe it was therapeutic for all…

You can read all about announcements and presentations from a number of publishers by following the Bleeding Cool Diamond Retailer Lunch tag.

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