Heavy Metal will become an imprint of Whatnot Publishing, the companies announced, in a new co-publishing agreement under which Heavy Metal will package content which Whatnot Publishing will release to the trade. The deal includes all print content from Heavy Metal, including the magazine, floppies, and book-format products. [Added for clarification, October 12, 6:30 p.m. CT, ed.]: Heavy Metal remains an independent company and retains all rights.
Whatnot Publishing Co-Founder and Head of Publishing Michael Calero clarified what the relationship means for Heavy Metal’s current trade channels. “For local comic book shops and other specialty retailers Heavy Metal will function as an imprint of Whatnot Publishing,” he said. “For newsstand and book market we will manage and continue to distribute through Heavy Metal’s existing partnerships such as Simon & Schuster.”
The current management of Heavy Metal took over in 2019 (see “ICv2 Interview: Heavy Metal Execs”). We asked the company why it was ending its efforts to go it alone and taking on a publishing partner. “There’s various reasons,” a spokesperson replied. “Not only are there big cost savings associated with it, but it also gives Heavy Metal a platform with live-selling and collector communities, and with a younger audience that can experience Heavy Metal for the first time. Plus, as our CEO Matt [Medney] said, finding the right partner to work with is easier and better than braving it alone.”
Whatnot Publishing will take over release of Heavy Metal products with the December 2022 issue of Heavy Metal Magazine. The magazine will be re-launched with Heavy Metal Magazine Vol. 2 #1 in February. “There will be collaboration on curating aspects of the magazine, but the main goal of this partnership has been to free up the Heavy Metal editorial team to do what they do best in creating a really amazing monthly magazine,” Whatnot’s Calero said.
In addition to titles packaged by Heavy Metal, including upcoming book-format products Ranx (see “’Complete Ranx’”) and Dark Wing and serial comics A Darker God, RAMG0D, Aeon, and Lucy, the companies will collaborate on a new title Crashdown, by “comic influencer” “Comic Tom” Garcia, Ryan Sargeant, and Ben Templesmith.
Live Selling platform Whatnot, which was formed in 2019, has raised over $400 million in equity funding to date (see “Money Pours In”). It’s launching Whatnot Publishing with the editorial teams behind Starburns Industries Press and Happy Tank (see “Live Selling Platform Launches Comic Publisher”); its first releases are this month.
Source: ICv2
