Scottish publisher BHP Comics has announced that will be shutting down. The publisher cites the ongoing impact of the pandemic and Britain’s exit from the European Union as the drivers behind the decision. According to BHP, all rights will be reverting to original creators in January and it aims to complete shutdown by the end of UK financial year, 5 April 2024.
In a press release delivered on social media on Friday, the company said the reasoning behind the decision:
“In mid-2019, BHP successfully expanded into the US market. However, the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit significantly impacted the business. Shrinking profit margins and escalating costs, exacerbated by the complexities of Brexit, rendered international publishing less economically feasible for the company.”
On the schedule of closure, it details:
“The company will return all creators rights effective 1 Jan 2024. And over the following months will responsibly tie up its administration commitments before the financial year end [April 5, 2024].”
BHP Comics began as underground collective called Black Hearted Press in Glasgow, Scotland in 2011. It rebranded and formalised into its current incarnation BHP Comics in 2015. The team currently comprises publisher Sha Nazir, editor-in-chief Jack Lothian, freelance content producer Gary Chudleigh, freelance event liaison and bookseller Melissa Doherty. Among its eclectic mix of lauded titles it has published anthologies Full Colour, spotlighting Scottish minority creative talent, and We Shall Fight Until We Win (co-published with 404-Ink) that celebrated a century of women-led political activism. It also published Warren Pleece, Shazleen Khan and Robin Jones’ Freedom Bound, a graphic novel made in conjunction with the University of Glasgow to educate young people about the history of slavery in Scotland; and Clare Forrest’s Mighty Women of Science – an A to Z of inspiring women.
BHP Comics publisher Sha Nazir said:
“I’ve loved working with everyone at BHP Comics and I’m really proud of all we’ve achieved. It’s been a tough decision to wind the company down but we feel it’s the right one.”
He added:
“BHP has been instrumental in opening numerous doors, and I take immense pride in its profound impact on both Scottish and UK comics publishing. We broke many barriers, getting wider acceptance of comics in UK publishing, increasing representation and being the only person of colour publisher in Scotland for far too long.”
“BHP’s legacy lives on through the many lives it has touched. It will be around for the next few years in schools because of ‘Freedom Bound’ and our titles will live on in the shelves of our readers and no doubt pop up in charity shops for years to come.”
A regular presence on the UK con circuit, BHP Comics doesn’t plan to disappear immediately – with a number of final comic shows on the calendar – including Stornoway’s OH! Con (October 14), London’s MCM Comic Con (October 27-29), Glasgow Gaming Market (November 12), and the Edinburgh Comic Art Fair (November 18).
Publisher Sha Nazir will remain a significant presence on the UK comics scene as well – he is the co-founder of Scottish event organiser ACME Comic Con and is a freelance publishing consultant for the Terry Pratchett estate – which successfully crowdfunded a graphic novel adaptation of the Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman novel Good Omens, raising nearly $3million – nearly a thousand times its original funding target.
Full BHP Comics Statement:
BHP COMICS
Press Release Statement
Fri 6 October 2023
BHP Comics publisher announces the winding down of the indie comics publishing house.
Set up in 2011 as an underground comics collective Black Hearted Press, had grown by 2015 into a limited company rebranded as BHP Comics, becoming one of Scotland’s premier indie publishing companies. It was shortlisted for publisher of the year multiple times and was a consistent presence on the List Hot 100. Breaking barriers with its ‘Full Colour’ and ‘Bold’ comics diversity projects, its women in politics anthology ‘We Shall Fight Until We Win’ co-published with 404 Ink and its books can be found in every secondary school in Scotland.
In mid-2019, BHP successfully expanded into the US market. However, the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit significantly impacted the business. Shrinking profit margins and escalating costs, exacerbated by the complexities of Brexit, rendered international publishing less economically feasible for the company.
Publisher, Sha Nazir said “I’ve loved working with everyone at BHP Comics and I’m really proud of all we’ve achieved. It’s been a tough decision to wind the company down but we feel it’s the right one. Over the course of the next few months we’ll be selling off all remaining BHP stock. If you’ve got a gap in your collection, now’s the time to grab it.”
The company will return all creators rights effective 1 Jan 2024. And over the following months will responsibly tie up its administration commitments before the financial year end.
Nazir added “BHP has been instrumental in opening numerous doors, and I take immense pride in its profound impact on both Scottish and UK comics publishing. We broke many barriers, getting wider acceptance of comics in UK publishing, increasing representation and being the only person of colour publisher in Scotland for far too long.”
“BHP’s legacy lives on through the many lives it has touched. It will be around for the next few years in schools because of ‘Freedom Bound’ and our titles will live on in the shelves of our readers and no doubt pop up in charity shops for years to come.”
Sha Nazir will not be stepping away entirely from the world of comics. He will continue his freelance publishing consultancy role for the Terry Pratchett estate, which recently achieved record-breaking success with the Kickstarter for the Good Omens Graphic Novel. His live events company ACME Comic Con continues to thrive and grow at the SEC national stage. And, along with Gary Chudleigh and Jack Lothian, he’ll continue working on development projects in comics, film and TV under their new collective partnership.
As a small press indie publisher, BHP reached the ceiling of how big it could grow. It turns the page on this final chapter proud of its contribution and leaves the door open for everything that follows.
