In an announcement on the Sparkplug Books website, Emily Nillson has announced that she and Tom Neely are turning the running of the imprint over entirely to Virginia Paine; and Paine promises business as usual.
Nillson is the widow of much-missed Sparkplug founder Dylan Williams. She, Neely and Paine had been runing the company as a trio wince Williams death in late 2011. However as Nillson explains, this is a move she had planned for a while and she and Neely will remain as consultants.
Paine will be setting up at the next weekend, and plans to finish projects including Reich and Orchid #2.
Sparkplug’s place as an inspiration for the current indie comics and micro-pubishing boom cant be overstated. It’s good to know the company will be in good hands.
Dear Friends of Sparkplug:
2012 was a huge year for us. As many of you know, we moved our central location of business, which has led to a more recent development. As of the beginning of February, I have transferred ownership of Sparkplug Books to Virginia Paine, formerly my employee and business partner. Tom Neely and I plan to continue helping in many of the same ways as we have been, but Virginia will be in charge. This was a decision I made many months ago and that we’ve finally made for real. I knew that this was the right thing to do, as I have other goals I want to reach. Virginia has been a dedicated partner in Sparkplug for three years and a close friend to the comics and zine community. Business will continue much as it has been, and we’re looking forward to our new projects and seeing what else the future holds.
Emily Nilsson
Hello friends,
Emily handed ownership of Sparkplug to me at the beginning of February, a few days before I turned 32. I think there is kind of a neat symmetry to that: a new year for me, and a new adventure for Sparkplug. We’ve gone through a lot of changes in the past year and a half and had a lot of obstacles to overcome. I’m proud of the work Emily, Tom and I have done, and I am proud to be taking the reins of Sparkplug with two wonderful people to advise and help me. I am looking forward to smoother sailing and am excited about finishing up many of Dylan’s projects, including Elijah Brubaker’s Reich series and (finally!) Orchid 2.
Virginia Paine
