Jim Milliot and Rachel Deahl have more on this year’s scaled-down BookExpo America:

The exhibit floor at this year’s BookExpo America will look different from the hall at the 2008 BEA in Los Angeles and even from 2007, when the event was last held at New York’s Javits Center. That is not necessarily a bad thing, according to the show’s general manager, Lance Fensterman. “It will be a more concentrated show,” Fensterman said. “Maybe that’s more appropriate for how it should be.”


We checked in with some publishers to clarify their attendance, following our earlier report on several big graphic novel publishers dropping out. It’s confirmed that DC won’t be at the show, nor will D&Q. However, fellow MacMillan imprint First Second will be there, with several of their authors, including the Adventures in Cartooning crew, Adam Rapp, George O’Connor and Danica Novgorodof.

Papercutz, the kid-friendly imprint of NBM which MacMillan distributes, will also exhibit.

All of this is much more a reflection of the book business and not the comics business. Like many other formerly-huge trade confabs, BEA is having to reconsider its business model — and just how much business gets done in a world where everyone gets basic information online. According to the PW piece, publishers are scaling back on galleys and printed catalogs, which is sad, but that at least means fewer backbreaking bags of books being lugged around.

Still, the chance to meet beloved authors is still exciting to the buyers, librarians, and other assorted print lovers who attend BEA. There’s no replacing face-to-face for some things.

1 COMMENT

  1. DBD & our publishers will have a strong presence at BEA this year – you can expect to see Dark Horse, IDW, Image, Marvel, Zenescope, Top Shelf, Japanime, Paizo, Angry Robot, Dabel Brothers, Udon and Oni Press having a presence. We’ll be soon be announcing show specials, creator signings & cocktail party details. We will also have sales people on hand representing chains, independents, libraries, college bookstores, mass market, military, Canada & international sales.

  2. Fantagraphics has their schedule online at the BEA site, with both booth and table signings. Andrews McMeel will once again host a ticketed group signing of their cartoonists.

    MacMillan won’t have a booth, and thus only those invited to their meeting rooms will see their new titles. How soon before we see enclosed booths, similar to those seen at ToyFair?

    Diamond always has a great presence at BEA, and it’s nice to have many of the graphic novel publishers near one another.

  3. When you say “DC won’t be at the show,” isn’t that more specifically because for the first time at a BEA they are distributed to the trade by Random House? Random House sales staff will be featuring and talking about new fall DC titles in the Random House booth, I bet.