Every year we poll comics industry professionals – creators, journalists, editors and more – and give you their thoughts on the year past and the year ahead. Also we give a preview of what they have cooking for ’26.
It’s not hard to figure out the biggest story of 2025, but you may be interested in the different takes on the story, and the colorful language used to describe it below.
Our bonus question this year is people’s favorite comics shops – so we have some great plugs for great shops as well.
Many thanks to those who took the time to answer the Survey at a busy time of year. We’ll be running the next few parts each day this week with the 2025 Industry Person of the year announced on Friday!
Steve Foxe, Writer/Editor
2026 Projects: In the editorial space, I’m hard at work on the next Tiny Onion horror series, as well as more madness with Matthew Rosenberg and co. As a writer, I’ve got something that should FINALLY be announced after working to grow it from a tiny little seedling over more than a year now. The art alone will have been worth the wait. And yes, I did drop a hint there.
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? For me, it was the mind-boggling response to self-contained lines and books that give you that event FEEL. At DC, it was the Absolute line. At Marvel, it was the Ultimate Universe. At Image, Tiny Onion was over the MOON at the response to Exquisite Corpses, and you have the continued success of stuff like G.I. Joe and Transformers. There’s a really intense hunger to be a part of something BIG, and I think every publisher and every savvy creator is scrambling to figure out how to deliver that in a market saturated with long-running stories that give the impression of being impenetrable–or, conversely, books that you can’t guarantee are going to stick around long enough to feel worth the investment. The Absolute and Ultimate lines in particular REALLY found that sweet spot this year and I felt they were all I ever heard about as they just kept organically growing.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026?I have my fingers crossed that it’ll be the return of Vertigo. I’m a Vertigo ride-or-die, and when DC first sunsetted the imprint, it felt like something fundamental about the comic landscape went with that brand. The initial lineup for the revival seems very promising, I have a ton of faith in the editors involved, and I think it’ll just be a matter of seeking out and meeting the audience where they now exist to make sure it can keep its legs. We need multiple viable avenues for original voices in monthly adult comics and we need them to be COMPETITIVE, so I’m really rooting for the Vertigo revival to make a big splash.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? I hope to set aside more time to read comics that have NOTHING to do with my current writing or editorial work. The vast majority of my reading time is research of some sort and that does sap a little of the fun out of it…!
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? I live down the street from one of the best shops in the midwest, Vault of Midnight (Grand Rapids). They’ve got a welcoming, inclusive staff, an excellent selection, cool merch, and all-around great vibes! They’ve also got great sister shops in Ann Arbor and Detroit.
David Harper, Journalist/Podcaster
2026 Projects: My Eisner Award-nominated subscription comic site SKTCHD continues onwards, as does my long-running weekly comics interview podcast Off Panel. I have a new print annual for SKTCHD ‚Äî SKTCHD BOOK 2025! – coming later this year as well, and my expansion into video on the SKTCHD YouTube continues onwards. This will be my first year as a full-time comics journalist and podcaster, and I’m excited to see how it goes for me.
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? Diamond Comic Distributors declaring bankruptcy and then turning into a black hole of bad vibes and insanity for the remainder of the year.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? Probably something we don’t know about yet, but the two direct market things I’ll be watching for are, can the good vibes keep going, and can the success of the biggest books spread to titles outside the Big Two and licensed space?
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? Scream 7, because I just can’t quit that stupid series.
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? BOSCO’S Comics in Anchorage, Alaska is my shop, and I love it because it feels like home. I’ve been shopping there for almost my entirely life, and every time I visit is like checking in with friends as much as it is buying comics (although I do that too).
Louis Southard, Writer
2026 Projects: For 2026, I have two incredible passion projects made in tandem with two super talented artists. The first one is LAUGH RIOT, an 8-issue miniseries co-created by myself and artist Devlin Baker. This is a “Looney Tunes versus 1984” anti-fascist thrill ride about one impossible little clown and the depressingly realistic dystopia he lives in. We’ve already funded issue 1 with our campaign for issue 2 launching in January. Best part is, each issue we crowdfund on Kickstarter, we match a portion of excess funds to good causes like the Trans Lifeline, Trevor Project, Planned Parenthood, and more to come! The other project I can’t spoil too much, but I won’t exaggerate when I say that it’s 60-years in the making! The best way I can vaguely describe it today is as a love letter to independent superhero comic books from across history intermixed with a truly unforgettable story about loss, love, and what it means to be a hero. Co-created by artist Tyler Lenaz and I, be sure to keep an eye out for SOLARMASTER AND THE STARLIGHT SQUADRON next year!
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? Without a shadow of a doubt, the collapse of Diamond Distribution. Publishers, creators, and comic book store owners were all the victim of essentially a monopoly rolling over and dying in front of us. I don’t think I’ve met a single comic shop owner who hasn’t been stressed out over the damage control to get their businesses back on track. It’s very sad in a lot of ways, but I hope this vacuum leads to newfound creativity with how we can get more comics into the hands of people. Not just longtime fans, but new readers as well. The future is knocking at our door, we must be brave and let them in.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? Honestly? I hope in 2026 we see a return of stability for the independent series from upcoming creators. Seems nowadays we’re all fighting for a spot at the table and I find it upsetting that people of all ages who want to break in have less chances than ever. From my perspective, at least. There are a lot of talented people like writers H.L. Roberts, Jonathan Hedrick, and Oscar Osorio or artists Linden Cahill, Alex Moore, and Sean Peacock who deserve more work. Crowdfunding is certainly a great equalizer, but nothing beats a book on a store shelf. I want to see the next wave of creators boiling right beneath the surface finally pop into the limelight! Hopefully, I’ll get to included there too haha.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? I’m going to reveal my age a bit here and say the upcoming animated series Darth Maul: Shadow Lord. I loved Star Wars: The Clone Wars growing up and now I’m getting an entire show about an evil half-devil, half-robot wizard trying to find his place in a world that abandoned him? Yes, sign me up for a job at the slop factory.
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? Whenever I visit my hometown, I always support the shop I went to as a kid: Ray & Judy’s Book Stop. It’s this perfectly run little piece of Americana selling comics and novels and I love it. I bought my first ever comic there: Spider-Man: Noir #2. The staff is always friendly and there are always a diverse group of customers. It feels like a little time capsule of everything I love about comics, books, and community in one place. Shout out to Ray and Alex! The two guys who hold up the world and helped build mine!
Melissa Meszaros, Don’t Hide PR, Owner/Publicist
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? It’s hard to pick just one. Every ten years, comics and publishing and honestly entertainment in general gets shaken up by whatever new tech or access point decides to kick the door in, and this year was no exception. Diamond toppled, tariffs hit, and AI is still hovering (and somewhat dominating, ahem META) while we all try to figure out what it actually means for the work we want to make. I want to believe my tech friends when they say AI is a bubble about to burst, but I also remember we all once said the same thing about the internet, so I stay hopeful but realistic. What I keep coming back to is that every time the industry cracks open, something genuinely exciting emerges. Yes, there is more content than ever and yes, it is loud out there, but it also means more people are creating, experimenting, and finding their audience in ways we never could before, and there is real freedom in that. So instead of asking how anyone breaks through the noise, I find myself asking how we keep creating in a way that feels honest and connected to the part that matters, without turning what we love into just another piece of content we soon forget about once it’s out there. And for me, the answer is simple: keep making the thing you believe in and trust that it finds who it needs to find. The return might not always look big on paper, but the connection is real, and it is worth it every single time!
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? More publishers are streamlining their comics, books, and collections through Kickstarter, using the platform as both a funding tool and a direct line to their most engaged readers. We’re also seeing a rise in large-format collectibles like anthologies and premium editions, along with a noticeable shift toward LPs, branded merchandise, and Hollywood-propelled partnerships (Berserk, SWAT Kats). Taken together, it all points to a larger strategy: creating synergistic IP ecosystems where stories, books, RPG, and fandom feed into one another in a way that feels intentional and built for very long legs.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? Well, 2025 was the year I finally accepted that all my so-called guilty pleasures officially marked me a Xellenial dinosaur. I’m not giving up my NES and Sega Genesis on the Raspberry Pi, no one is taking my vinyl collection or my grunge T-shirt archive, and I refuse to apologize for any of it. In 2026, I’m leaning in even harder. Maybe this will be the year I finally meet that one celebrity who always seems to be “just leaving” every time I walk into a room at SDCC. I’m manifesting it. My mother is still waiting on that Norman Reedus autograph, after all…
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? I love that Floating World Comics in Portland moved into the Lloyd Center Mall. (And I love Books with Pictures because Katie is the best!) But there’s something especially cool about what’s happening in that mall itself. All these independent businesses have taken over the carcass, and the rumor is they’re putting a music venue where Nordstrom used to be. I’m genuinely into the idea that they might actually resurrect a mall as an independently owned rec center for Gen X and Millennials. I like that FWC is at the genesis of that movement. It speaks to modernity and the future without forfeiting nostalgia.
Byron ONeal, Journalist, Editor In Chief
2026 Projects: Trying to stay healthy honest and continue to develop the podcast while recruiting more contributors
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? The success of the DC Absolute line
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? [Redacted comics publisher] bites the dust
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? Buying more comics related to-shorts that my wife will hate.
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? ACME Comics – It’s like walking into the nerd equivalent of Cheers. Jermaine has been a pillar of the comics retail community for decades now and runs a profitable shop with an expert’s knowledge and efficiency.
Maia Kobabe, author
2026 Projects: I was very excited to announce two books coming out in 2026, my middle-grade fiction debut OPTING OUT co-written with Swati “Lucky” Srikumar due out from Scholastic Graphix and a new annotated edition of GENDER QUEER (both of which you kindly already covered in The Beat!)
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? The biggest story for me in 2025 was the ongoing vicious attacks on free speech: continued book bans in schools and public libraries; attacks on public library budgets; personal attacks which have driven librarians out of their jobs; laws proposed or passed in multiple states banning minors from entering libraries without an adult. We’re also seeing intense censorship online, especially of queer, trans, and 18+ content. The site itch.io folded to pressure from Visa and Mastercard and delisted tons of comics mostly by queer artists making erotic work, which sparked a phone call campaign to Visa, Mastercard and Paypal demanding answers about why legal work is being made impossible to sell or buy online. Multiple internet censorship bills including KOSA (Kid’s Online Safety Act) and SCREEN (Shielding Children’s Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net) as well as IODA (Interstate Obscenity Definition Act) claim to protect teens by placing a duty of care on online platforms to prevent exposure to harmful things. But Republicans keep expanding the definition of “harmful.” KOSA’s sponsor said it would “protect minors from the transgender in this culture.” The Heritage Foundation said it would use KOSA to block abortion information. All of this is very bad for authors, for readers, and for anyone who values free speech in this country. And we are now seeing the book ban wave move up into Canada. Conservatives in Alberta, Canada, pushed hard for the removal of queer and diverse books from school libraries and the four books they held up as examples of what they wanted to remove were all comics: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, Flamer by Mike Curato and Blankets by Craig Thompson.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? I think the book censorship will only continue to worsen, and that comic conventions will be hit increasingly harder by the anti-immigration policies and ICE raids. I think US shows can say goodbye to the possibility of international guests until we have an administration change, and that overall attendance will likely be down as people become more distrustful of the safety of air travel, worry about Covid spread at events, and experience economic hardship when social safety nets like SNAP are threatened or destroyed.
Shaenon K. Garrity, Writer, Editor, Cartoonist
2026 Projects: My graphic novel STEAM, with adorable art by Emily Holden, comes out in February. It’s a mad science love story, my favorite kind.
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? For me it was Mimi Pond’s DO ADMIT: THE MITFORD SISTERS AND ME. I love Pond and I love the non-Nazi Mitford sisters, so this book was like a special present for my special interests. There were probably other industry stories but this is the one I feel like talking about.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? It’d be cool to stick it to the AI companies that scraped our work. Let’s do that.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? It’s always horror movies.
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? Dr. Comics and Mr. Games in Oakland is always welcoming and has something for everyone.
Daniel Kalban, Writer
2026 Projects: Things aren’t entirely set in stone but I do have some things coming out with scrappy new publisher Summit Comics, I’m planning another installment of my Jewish comics anthology “Chutzpah!”, and I’m planning to have another Kickstarter campaign for more issues of my flagship book “American Dreams”, along with a revised and expanded edition of our first collected edition. Everything else is up in the air (but when isn’t that the case in this industry?).
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? Diamond’s utter collapse and bankruptcy. It’s still chaos stemming out from there.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? Other than the continuation of the Diamond aftermath? Potentially how the various publishers pivot and react to the continued fallout, and which of the smaller publishers ultimately survive. Marvel, DC, et al aren’t going away anytime soon…but its the little guys who will definitely suffer for now.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? Going to SDCC for the first time ever, and bringing some friends along with me for the trip. I’m really excited for it (not so excited for the Hotel Hunger Games though…..)
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? I tend to patronize the legendary Midtown Comics and Forbidden Planet NYC! This is mainly due to ease of overall access, but their respective staffs are great, informed, and opinionated in the best way. And like all shops, it’s the staff who are the unsung heroes of the industry.
Brian Garside, Superhero in Residence Manage Comics
2026 Projects: My big project for 2026 is Comic Previews – which is our attempt to fill the Previews World void by having one place where every comic item will live no matter who is distributing it! https://comicpreviews.com
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? The Diamond Bankruptcy and dissolution of Diamond into whatever the heck it has become.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? The ongoing Distributor shakeout as new players enter the game (Universal), old players continue to “evolve”, and companies like Alliance Entertainment get involved in our industry.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? Avengers Secret Wars is going to be bonkers and I can’t wait!
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? I started a shop this year, Earth 519, it’s in its infancy and still online only, but the warehouse is my happy place. I love being in it, organizing stuff, moving things around, and updating / improving our website.
Tom Akel, CEO & Publisher, Rocketship Entertainment
2026 Projects: We are opening our first LA office in El Segundo in January and holding our inaugural Rocketship retreat (that I think we’ll just call ‘space camp’) and yes, everyone attending is getting a peace prize.
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? The only real answer this year has to be the collapse of Diamond.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? Lots of fun bets to make here but I’ll go with whatever happens to DC when the dust settles on the WB acquisition.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? Another year of the Mets and the Knicks being really good but inevitably breaking my heart.
Ivanka Hahnenberger, Consultant, editor, reviewer, translator
2026 Projects: Organizing publishers’ invitation program at CARTOON MOVIE in March and CARTOON FORUM in September as well as first annual comics-to-screen rights market at Annecy animation festival – please contact me if you want to attend. Looking for more French and German comics and graphic novel reviews for acquisition editors that are behind in their reviews of content sent for acquisition review. Looking for more comics/graphic novel freelance editing especially acquisition/translation projects. Looking for more comic/graphic novel translation work. According to one journalist I am the most awarded English language comics translator. Organizing comics-on-stage readings – our first performance was The Tower in New York City. Hoping to do more. VIP Brands is also the founder of the Sophie Castille Awards for comics in translations – we have 8 countries and 9 languages. We are looking for more countries and a host in the USA or Canada for North American English!
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? A tie between the collapse of Diamond and the Angouleme Boy/girlcott.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? Sadly I fear it may be the number of publishers that collapse.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? Trying to attend at least 5 comics festivals in Europe
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? Gosh Comics in the UK. They have an great collection. Have yearly favorites and hold comic events regularly.
Robert Meyers, Publisher/Editor, Bad Egg
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? Diamond
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? Level setting in the overall industry from a distribution and sales standpoint.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? That saucy LOTR re-release.
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? Heroes and Champions in Campbell, Illusive Comics in San Jose.
Liz Frances, publisher, Street Noise Books
2026 Projects: See below
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? Small publishers taking on big revolutionary topics!
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? Hopefully it will be that more cons and festivals will have funding give out to allow small indie publishers to travel and to table.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? I’d like to take more time to do absolutely nothing.
Brian Fies, Graphic novelist
2026 Projects: In March, Abrams ComicArts and I are publishing a 20th anniversary edition of my first book, the Eisner-winning MOM’S CANCER. We’ve added 22 pages of new comics content, new introductions, and an afterword focusing on MOM’S CANCER’S place in the new field of medical humanities called “graphic medicine.” I think this will be the definitive edition of the book and am very proud of it. I have completed work on another book but its fate is uncertain. If it ever gets published at all, it will happen after 2026!
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? Readership up. Diamond out. Angouleme implodes. FEEDING GHOSTS wins the Pulitzer. My choice would be the continued assault on free speech represented by the resignations or firings of editorial cartoonists such as Ann Telnaes and Keven Kallaugher for daring to criticize the current administration.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? If I knew that, I would invest heavily in it and not tell anyone else. Maybe I already have.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? The Supergirl movie. I like the cut of James Gunn’s jib.
Jimmy Palmiotti, Creator and publisher.
2026 Projects: DEADLY TALES OF THE GUNSLINGER- DAREDEVIL- PUNISHER- ELVIRA-HARLEY-BLUE FALCON and PAINKILLER JANE.
What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025? Sadly the mess of Diamond and the impact to smaller independent companies.
What will be the biggest comics industry story in 2026? OAX and Comic Art Fans will be the big news and seeing original comic book art reach new highs as there is a lot more people getting into the hobby of collecting comic book art every day and we will see a lot of established artist getting the proper recognition they deserve.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2026? I can only speak for myself, but looking forward to some major world traveling for conventions- the third OAX convention as well as the second Comic Con cruise, and the biggest news is PAINKILLER JANE having her 30th anniversary in 2026 and celebrating it with a bunch of announcements and special events. I am very excited for the year ahead.
Do you have a local comics shop? What do you like (or love) about it? My local comic shop is Emerald City Comics in Clearwater, Florida and it’s one of the biggest comic shops in Florida. It has something for everyone as the store is over 6000 square feet with comic clubs, gaming rooms, a section of back issues that include the largest collection of golden age and silver age comics I have seen, as well as original comic art, a wall of new books that is insane and a staff that is some of the best people you will ever meet. I am also super proud to have the paper films office in the back of the store as well. If you ever go to the Tampa/Clearwater area, it is a must visit.
I always look forward to these each year.
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