IDW Publishing: Competing with Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image Comics

In 2009, when I wrote about independent comics, those publishing houses that weren't on the scale of the giants DC or Marvel, I mentioned Dark Horse, Image, and Top Cow, but I left out IDW Publishing.  My bad.  IDW often ranks as the number 4 or number 5 major comic book publisher in the industry and continues to make a name for itself.

IDW stands for Idea + Design Works, LLC, and they have been in the publishing business since 2000.  They are now leaders in bringing digital comics to electronic devices.  They just announced that 30 Days of Night, their original graphic novel about vampires that was turned into a successful movie, will now become an ongoing comic book series. 

Other original titles that might spark future adaptations include Wake the Dead, a Frankenstein tale set in modern times; Locke and Key, written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez; and the fun horror tale Aleister Arcane.  Other notable original comics under the IDW flagship include Epilogue, Dead She Said, Wormwood, The Vanishers, and Zombies vs. Robots (the name says it all).  There are many more, with great writing and artwork.

IDW has also built a solid line-up of comic book versions of mainstream franchises, such as G.I. Joe, Doctor Who, Dungeons and Dragons, True Blood, Star Trek, Terminator, and Transformers, just to name a few.

While Marvel and DC continue to bring us superhero blockbusters, it's good to get a taste of the other genres that independent publishers like IDW bring to the table.