Recession Watch: The DFC shutting down

The DFC is a less-than-a-year-old British comics weekly for kids, recently launched in a market where new comics products have an uphill battle. Backed by Random House UK, the magazine had gotten a warm reception and contributions from heavy hitters like Phillip Pullman, but now, The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log reports the subscription-only publication will be canceled at the end of the month unless a buyer is found — not very likely, all involve glumly agree. Joe Gordon writes:

Obviously this is a big blow – we were all really excited at the launch of a major new British comic (such a rare event these days) and as regular readers will know its proved to be popular with adults and with kids (as Molly showed in her reviews with her dad Richard). And of course it offered a major new vehicle for British comics talent – that’s going to hurt, losing both that outlet where their work could be seen and enjoyed as well as the obvious loss of potential earnings (and the worry is that if a buyer isn’t found and the DFC does cease after issue 43 it will put off others from trying to launch a new British regular comic even when the economy picks up).

Contributor Sarah McIntyre has more at her LJ.