Comics / Spotlight

Gary Groth Announces Retirement – Sells Fantagraphics

By Hervé St-Louis
November 27, 2012 - 12:15

Source: Drawn & Quarterly

Gary Groth, the founder of Seattle-based comic book publisher Fantagraphics has announced that effective December 1st 2012 he will retire from the company. Groth contacted ComicBookBin to offer this exclusive bit of news saying “the main reason I’m retiring now is because of the Rapture. I’ve never been a particularly religious man, but this one I really believe in. The Rapture is coming December 12, 2012 and I’d rather spend the last twelve days of my life peacefully, until the Mayan-predicted end of the world.” But then Groth added “I’m joking of course. Seriously, I’ve been thinking about moving away from Fantagraphics for a few years now. I’ve done all I could. It’s time to let the company evolve on its own or through the hands of another publishing group.”

Fantagraphics is one of America’s oldest comic book publishers. Founded in 1976 as a pulp fanzine called The New Nostalgia, Fantagraphics’ first publication changed name to The Comic Journal in 1977 and has become one of the leading English-language critical trade publications on comic books. Soon, Fantagraphics became a publisher of original works from 1960s underground cartoonists, such as Robert Crumb. Fantagraphics has introduced to North America and the world its own flavour of comic books which consolidated the creator-author voice of comic books, often publishing auto-biographical or reflective works that focused on genres and stories neglected by larger comic book publishers such as Marvel and DC Comics.

“Our clientele has always been older than the average comic book reading crowd, until the last decade,” says Groth. Nowadays, he adds “The mainstream comics reader is much older than the average Fantagraphics reader! That’s one of the main reason I felt it was time for me to step down from Fantagraphics and let someone else take the reins of the company. We’ve had several substantial purchase offers over the years and even more in the last few years. Some of the companies interested in us are not even traditional publishers. They are what one would consider new media types, of which we have a lot here in Seattle”

When asked what was his biggest triumph at Fantagraphics, Groth answered “I think we made more than a difference. We spearheaded a whole genre of comic books that are on par with anything  published in Europe or Japan. We lacked that in America for years. Since, many other publishers such as TopShelf, Drawn & Quarterly, and even the guys from Heavy Metal have joined our ranks and pushed through a unique perspective in comics.” On the other hand, Groth describes his biggest failure as his inability to take advantage of the shifting world of comic book publishing and publishing in general. He says “look, we’re based in Seattle. We’re constantly in touch with Valley types and very creative minds who dig our work. Yet, I haven’t been able as Fantagraphics’ publisher to tune into that energy. It’s a different world out there, and that’s why we need new blood.”

Funnily, Groth also remarked on his most shameful accomplishment at Fantagraphics. “People always ask me if I could go back in time, would I be more cooperative with the mainstream comic book industry or would I be less polemical and controversial. I always tell them that this doesn’t matter. Whatever controversy and position we’ve taken in the comic book world pales with the adult comic book line that basically kept us afloat for years. In hindsight, it feels hypocritical of Fantagraphics to champion non genre comics only to feed upon even more fetishist material than super heroes. But then, at least, there was nothing hidden in that we were publishing purely fetishist fantasies meant to be consumed by wired-in grownups. At least, unlike the super hero stuff our adult comics weren’t pretending to be something else. “

The current team at Fantagraphics is expected to remain as is. Eric Reynolds will take step in as the main publisher until a new one is announced.

Editor’s note: This is a fake story. My editor wants me to post these warnings whenever I write an Onion-style story at ComicBookBin, something about our credibility taking a hit or something. So please understand that this is not a real story. It’s all made up. It’s not true. Don’t quote this as reality like other people did when I posted another similar spoof last week. It’s meant to be enjoyed as pure fun. If you don’t get jokes, then don’t even bother.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12