Manga’s very bad month continues as it was revealed today that DC is shutting down its manga line, CMX. Rather than make any official announcement, DC released a statement to people who asked about the closure:
Over the course of the last six years, CMX has brought a diverse list of titles to America and we value the books and creators that we helped introduce to a new audience. Given the challenges that manga is facing in the American marketplace, we have decided that CMX will cease publishing new titles as of July 1, 2010.
The shuttering of the CMX line does not affect the best-selling series Megatokyo which will continue publication, now as a DC Comics title with story and art by Megatokyo‘s award-winning
creator Fred Gallagher.We’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the efforts and dedication of the CMX staff and to thank our fans who have supported CMX.
–Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio
Musashi #9 Vol 17 CMX will ship 5/26 for an in store date of 6/23. Venus Capriccio Vol 4 CMX will ship 5/26 for an in store date of 6/23.
Two Flowers for the Dragon Vol 6 CMX will ship 5/26 for an in store date of 6/23. Polyphonica: Cardinal Crimson Vol 1 CMX will ship 5/26 for an in store date of 6/23.
Stolen Hearts Vol 2 CMX will ship 6/2 for an in store date of 6/30.
Teru Teru X Shonen Vol 7 CMX will ship 6/2 for an in store date of 6/30.
Orfina Vol 8 CMX will ship 6/2 for an in store date of 6/30.
Launched six years ago, DC’s manga imprint was a continual afterthought for the company, although it won some fan support, as Brigid Alverson reminisces:
Asako Suzuki took over as director of manga in 2006 and quickly shifted the tone. She and Editor Jim Chadwick went out of their way to establish rapport with fans, and a number of the series they licensed, including Emma, The Name of the Flower and Kiichi and the Magic Books, garnered good reviews. They also published a number of all-ages and kid-friendly series, such as The Palette of 12 Secret Colors. CMX books were hard to find in bookstores, however, and at conventions the imprint often seemed to be an afterthought, with little space allotted to the division in the DC booths and panels.
We can attest that a review copy pf a CMX title was sited about as often as an ivory billed woodpecker in our neck of the woods. Yet there were a number of very readable CMX books, including our personal favorite, Crayon Shin Chan, by the late Yoshito Usui.
And with that, an awkward though well-meaning experiment has come to an end.
Well, I guess this means I’m never going to see the last six volumes of Swan. Unless someone else wants to rescue that license, which I’m not too optimistic about — it’s a wonderful title, but for some reason the market’s not too kind to releases of older manga that aren’t by Tezuka.
Wasn’t CMX based out of California? Were there any staffers out on that coast who’ve now been let go? Very sad…
At least they got through the GON volumes….
This is extremely upsetting news, strictly from a fan perspective- they were not even close to finishing Swan or From Eroica With Love, two classic series. From a retail perspective, this is also bad, as the shop I work at has done very well with titles like My Darling Miss Bancho, Tenjho Tenge, Diamond Girl and Ballad of a Shinigami. We’re going to have several disappointed customers. (It might be too much to ask for another publisher to pick up the CMX titles… but I can hope.)
I’m also worried about the staff of CMX- I hope they’ll be able to find other work. They were doing a good job.
Would any of the canceled titles be profitable for a smaller publisher without DC’s excessive overhead?
I’m sorry to see them go, I did a lot of lettering work for CMX for many years. Some great titles and a great group of guys to work with.
“Would any of the canceled titles be profitable for a smaller publisher without DC’s excessive overhead?”
Related question: are there any small/mid-sized manga publishers out there anymore that don’t have a large overhead?
You know what, I’m glad CMX will be no more. I for one support licensed manga but not when it’s a company like CMX.
There’s noway I would buy something like your version of Tenjho Tenge and have it more cut to shreds the what a paper shredder would do.
I’m a 25 year old male and too think I would’ve had to put up with crap like this. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!!!
Long live scanlations & long live all the publishers who actually care about their buyers.
I meant “then” lol a little bit excited about CMX closing. :)