For comics professionals, NYCC ’25 is going to be jammed with panels and presentations, and one of the most respected will be back once more: ICv2 Insider Talks: The New World of Comics, presented by Milton Griepp, returns on Thursday, October 9, from 5:15 pm to 7:30.
ICv2’s industry conferences have been part of NYCC since the first one in 2006. And in 2025, it’s needed more than ever. Speakers will include the always quotable Todd McFarlane; Damian Wassel (Vault Comics) and Steve Beaulieu (Aethon Books) talking LitRPG; and in his appearance at an industry function this year, Universal Distribution CEO Angelo Exarhakos. And of course Griepp will deliver his annual White Paper on the state of comics sales.
“The last year has seen the biggest changes in the comics business since the Covid pandemic,” ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp said of this year’s topic. “Those changes include the biggest distributor bankruptcy in generations, tariff turmoil in related categories, a shifting media landscape, and new trends in the properties that are driving comic sales. It’s a new world for comics, and the ICv2 Insider Talks will bring together leaders of the business to help us understand and thrive in the midst of change.”
The complete schedule:
Check-in and Coffee Break (5:15-5:30 p.m.)
Pick up a beverage and greet other leaders of the comics and graphic novel industry in preparation for the beginning of programming at 5:30 p.m.
The Creator as Brand (5:30-6:00 p.m.)
Very few people in the history of comics have turned their creative vision into a brand powerful enough to draw in fans across comics, toys and media for over three decades. One is Image Comics cofounder and toy entrepreneur Todd McFarlane. ICv2 and Forbes columnist Rob Salkowitz will sit down with McFarlane to discuss the arc of his career, challenges and opportunities of today’s market vs. when he first emerged, and the future of creator-driven brands and businesses.
Comic Distribution in the Post-Diamond Era (6:00-6:30 p.m.)
With the bankruptcy filing of Diamond Comic Distributors and sale of its businesses, the landscape for comics and graphic novel distribution in the U.S. has dramatically changed. Universal Distribution, which acquired Diamond’s Alliance Game Distributors division at auction, is a comic distributor in Canada and plans to begin offering comics in the U.S. as well. Milton Griepp of ICv2 and Universal CEO Angelo Exarhakos engage in a one-on-one discussion on the comics and graphic novel market and Universal’s plans for the future.
Bringing Big New Audiences to Comics: LitRPG and More (6:30-7:00 p.m.)
Ebooks and webnovels serve as the source of many webtoon properties, some of which make it to print, but there’s another path to physical comics for the big audiences for ebooks or the audiobooks based on them. The LitRPG genre is the tip of the spear for this phenomenon, and Vault Comics, with new majority owner ebook and audiobook publisher Aethon, is leading the way with key properties coming to print. Eisner Award-winning journalist Heidi MacDonald explores this new IP pipeline with Vault Comics CEO and co-founder Damian Wassel and Aethon Books owner and President Steve Beaulieu.
ICv2 White Paper (7:00-7:30 p.m.)
ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp will present the ICv2 White Paper, with the charts and graphs that show the state of the comics and graphic novel market in all its channels as it transitions to the new world of comics.
Here are the key details:
When: 5:15-7:30 p.m., Thursday, October 9, 2025 (check-in begins at 4:45 p.m.)
Where: River Pavilion, Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York City
How: If you are a business or creative professional or a member of the press and would like a free invitation to the event, email Conferences@ICv2.com.
