A new graphic novel imprint, HarperAlley, is to be launched by HarperCollins Childrens Books, with the first of thirty titles per year to go live in Q3 2020.
Despite being an arm of HarperCollins Children’s Books, HarperAlley will be for readers of all ages, says the press release, and the imprint intends to be a
collaborative, creator-focused publisher.
HarperAlley’s editorial director will be Andrew Arnold, a former art director and acquiring editor at First Second, Macmillan’s graphic novel imprint. Arnold said in a press release,
Witnessing the rise of the graphic novel over the past 15 years has been amazing. Cartoonists continue to inspire, challenge, and push the form in unexpected directions.
Arnold added that the imprint is,
looking to publish books that readers of all ages can enjoy, from the youngest readers to teens and adults. We believe that a good story is a story that any reader can relate to. That’s what we mean when we say “readers of all ages.”
Title acquisition is already underway and, significantly, HarperAlley will be looking to bring translated European and foreign-language content to the US market.
The news comes a week before the San Diego Comic Con, one of the largest comics events in the US, opens July 17-21.
The comics and graphic novels sector is one of the fastest growing and most vibrant elements of the global publishing industry, driven by Manga and anime as well as the superhero market, but extending across many traditional publishing genres.
By way of example, Gizmodo is carrying a post titled 10 Most Exciting Panels Happening at San Diego and alongside the usual suspects like Batman and Marvel Studios are His Dark Materials, Westworld, The Witcher, Star Trek.…
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