L-R: Bud Plant, Sasha Fera-Schanes, Plant’s partner Anne Hutchinson, Steve Schanes, Bill Schanes
Comic industry veteran Bill Schanes has acquired the assets of Grass Valley, California-based Bud’s Art Books and has growth plans for the 55-year-old online retailer. The transaction closed on January 15, with the new ownership to take over on February 1. Bud’s Art Books is an online retailer of comic strip, comic book, fantasy, horror, and sci-fi illustrated books and graphic novels.
Schanes is joined in this new venture by partner Sasha Fera-Schanes, President of Pop King Inc. (founded by Schanes’ brother Steve Schanes), and employee Marty Grosser, until last year the editor of Diamond Previews (see “’Previews’ Editor Is Looking”). Plant will help out during the transition period and staff will be retained.
Schanes and Plant had long connections as fellow California retailers and distributors in the 1970s; Plant bought assets of distributor Pacific Comics from the Schanes brothers in 1985. Schanes had a long career with Diamond Comic Distributors, retiring from that role in 2013 (see “Schanes Stepping Down at Diamond”). Plant originally announced plans to retire and sell the business in 2011 (see “Bud’s Art Books for Sale”), but after no buyers emerged continued to operate the company. Schanes approached him about buying the business recently and a transaction was quickly completed.
Schanes described his plans for the company. “My vision for this company is comprehensive, and I have mapped out our future plans to take it into new markets, new audiences, and offering even more books and products than ever,” he said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “The demand for comics and fantasy art has never been stronger, with comics currently in a strong period of sales. We will strive to be an important facet of that market and look forward to serving their comic art needs.”
Plant offered his thoughts on his history with the company and the transition. ““I’ve been privileged to share my passion for all things comics as well as illustration and art history… for an amazing run of 55 years,” he said. “I’m so lucky to have had the support of wonderful customers as well as comic book creators, many of my good friends. I’ve loved picking catalog covers featuring my favorite artists, creating cool signed bookplates (thanks to all you artists and writers!!), and last but not least, helping deserving books get to people who appreciate them. As if that’s not enough, I’ve been told I’m being inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame at Comic-Con this July (see “Bud Plant Named to Eisner Awards Hall of Fame”). Life is good! I’m super pleased Bud Plant Comic Art will carry on with our present great staff and also new people like Marty Grosser and Bill Schanes to keep up the good work and add new dimensions to what I’ve achieved.”
ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp commented on the sale. “Bud Plant was a pioneer in the comics direct market, with an early retail chain and a wholesale operation that nurtured comic stores with fanzines, underground comics, manga, and art books when there was no other distribution for many of those publications,” Griepp said. “He led the way in promoting an understanding of comics as a broad medium with stories for every taste and interest and had an appreciation of comic art in all its forms, root and branch, that he shared with his customers across the country and around the world. Bill Schanes was a contemporary of Bud Plant, and like Bud a a comic retail, publishing, and distribution pioneer. Bud’s online retail legacy will be in good hands.”
Source: ICv2
