Independent comic book publisher, Boom! Studios, has just been acquired by Penguin Random House (PRH).
As a result of this acquisition, Boom! is expected to conclude its current partnership with Diamond Comic Distributors and join the ranks of Marvel, IDW, Dark Horse, and Tokyopop as an exclusive partner of Penguin Random House Publisher Services.
While initial reports from Bleeding Cool had suggested potential layoffs, this has not been confirmed at this time. Publisher’s Weekly shared that Boom! will integrate into Random House Worlds, Penguin Random House’s genre imprint, under the leadership of Scott Shannon, who oversees the imprint.
Founded in 2005 by Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby, Boom! Studios has had a great amount of success over its 19 year run. Notably, Boom! helped to further the careers of creators like Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Mike Mignola, who was the creator of Hellboy. Additionally, Boom! has published acclaimed titles such as Irredeemable, Lumberjanes, Something is Killing the Children, BRZRKR, and A Vicious Circle – which is currently being developed into a film by Black Panther director, Ryan Coogler.
In 2017, 20th Century Fox acquired a stake in Boom!, which transferred to the Walt Disney Company upon its acquisition of Fox. This stake is now part of the Penguin Random House acquisition, which makes PRH the sole owner of Boom!.
With the acquisition, it was announced that Ross Richie will be leaving the company and Jen Harned, who is currently Boom!’s director of strategy and chief financial officer, will take over his leadership role.
In a statement on social media, Richie shared his optimism about the acquisition, highlighting Penguin Random House’s global reach and expertise in the book trade. “It’s every entrepreneur’s dream to launch a company, build it, and sell it to the best. I’m excited to hand the reins of BOOM! over to the best and largest publisher in the world. Their focus on readers and retail partnerships will build upon our work and help our creators achieve even more success. Personally, it’s time for me to take some much-needed time off with my family and explore what’s next.”
An avid book reader and proud library card holder, Angela is new to the world of e-Readers. She has a background in education, emergency response, fitness, loves to be in nature, traveling and exploring. With an honours science degree in anthropology, Angela also studied writing after graduation. She has contributed work to The London Free Press, The Gazette, The Londoner, Best Version Media, Lifeliner, and Citymedia.ca.
