Virgin Comics closes New York Operations

IanG · Post by **IanG** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:41 am

Virgin Comics is closing its NY office so does this mean we won't see Nowhere Man? Looks like Nowhere Man is to nowhere to be found (I couldn't resist). Has anyone seen this happen before where a comic book company closes and we don't see a new comic book afterwards?. Will we still get Nowhere Man #0? Maybe we'll have to just wait and see.

Link to article on the closing:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article ... c=topstory

Post by **JohnMayo** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:23 am

It is possible that the title might move to another publisher. At the moment, I don't know the status of that title. If we find out, we'll let you know.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:03 pm

The company produced about 17 different comics series in addition to publishing about 18 trade paperback collections and 3 hardcover titles. It is unclear what will happen to the rights to these properties.

This sounds like all their US titles are in "limbo" pending someone else picking them up.

I'm glad Dan Dare finished before this happened!

Lobo · Post by **Lobo** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:07 pm

I just deleted Nowhere Man #0 from this month's Previews order.

Fnord Serious · Post by **Fnord Serious** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:26 am

The company's press release promises a restructuring and relocation to LA, so we may still see more Virgin Comics in the US.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article ... ?rssid=192

Lobo · Post by **Lobo** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:54 am

I'd like to be optimistic, but it's hard when they make comments like this...

In the statement Devarajan said that the company would release more information “in the next few weeks” and said, “the decision to scale down the New York operations and concentrate on core activities is due to the current macro-economic downturn.” The closing appears to effect only Virgin Comics’ U.S. publishing operations in New York City and does not effect the operations of Gotham Entertainment, the Bangalore, India-based partner in the venture that produces comics targeted at the South Asian consumer market.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:51 pm

Fnord Serious wrote:The company's press release promises a restructuring and relocation to LA, so we may still see more Virgin Comics in the US.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article ... ?rssid=192

I don't know. I read the whole press release, and some statement about consolidating/relocating offices to LA does not imply to me that they are going to continue the US-based comics, especially since it seems they laid off all/most of the folks in the US responsible for the comics.

The quote about their US comics:

It is unclear what will happen to the rights to these properties.

Tells me that they are pretty much not going to happen (as currently solicited) and may at some later date rise from the ashes with a new solicit (or maybe not).

In any event, I suspect ordering anything solicited in the current Previews is going to be a waste of time.

Post by **JohnMayo** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 2:44 pm

Yeah, I can't tell what, if anything, is going to get relocated to LA. All the talk about the rights makes me think that all of the outstanding solicitations will end up getting canceled at some point, probably with the October Previews.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 7:57 am

Similar article in CBG Extra today....
http://www.cbgxtra.com/Default.aspx?tab ... stid=47714

Movie office to LA makes me think they are going to concentrate more on Hollywood/media stuff and less on "regular" comics, though comics that have strong Hollywood tie-ins are still quite possible.

In any event, I suspect that given the restructuring and uncertainty, they will most likely re-solicit any books that eventually are going to come out.

Post by **JohnMayo** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:16 am

Yeah, it looks like things are over and done with and that the outstanding solicitations will most likely be canceled.

There is the remote chance that the orders might get filled, either by Virgin Comics or some other publisher. This has happened a time or two in the past but is very rare.

I'll probably let my September order stand as it is and let the items be canceled through the normal Diamond process. If nothing else, some other publisher might be looking at the orders for things like Nowhere Man to help decide if they take over the project.

Fnord Serious · Post by **Fnord Serious** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:26 pm

I was tradewaiting the Dan Dare series. Now I guess I'll have to look for it in back issue bins if I want to read it.