Welcome to the comprehensive guide of the best graphic novel publishers.

The graphic novel and comic book industries have been gaining deserved praise since the entertainment industry started animating its artwork.

There are now a plethora of graphic novel publishers out there that constantly publish individual novels. If you have drafted your graphic novel, you might as well be thinking about the right publisher to use.

In this guide, I will be exploring the best graphic novel publishers. Well, let’s proceed without further ado – 

Best Graphic Novel Publishers

If you are looking forward to publishing your written artist craft, you might need to send your craft to your publisher at once rather than using an agency.

The graphic novel publishers we have detailed in this guide cover you. Below are the best graphic novel publishers you should consider for your written-artist craft – 

1. Antarctic Press –

As a graphic novel and comic book publisher since 1984, Antarctic Press has published over 1500 titles, with more than 5 million copies in circulation.

The Texas-based publisher, Antarctic Press often publishes “Amerimanga” (English-language comics drawn in manga style) and instructional comic books.

Rod Espinosa’s Neotopia and Joseph Wight’s Twilight X are some of their best-selling crafts.

2. Drawn and Quarterly – 

Drawn and Quarterly is leveling as one of the most successful publishers if not the most successful Canadian graphic novel and comic book publisher. 

Since its founding in 1990, Drawn and Quarterly’s specialties have been in comics, comic strips, and graphic novels. 

The popular Canadian publisher has maintained relevance and a well-reputable image within the comics community, with many of its anthologies winning the Harvey Awards.

Tove Jansson’s Moomin comic strips (in book format) and Chester Brown’s Louis Riel are a few of their publication.

3. Image Comics –

Tied on the third best graphic novel publisher on our list is Image Comics. Currently regarded as the third largest graphic novel publisher in the industry, Image Comics specifically publishes creator-owned material, where the creator can publish their original craft without giving copyrights to their products. 

The Walking Dead, Spawn, and Kick-ass are a few of their published works.

4. Top Shelf Production – 

Top Shelf Production is an American-based press established in 1997 that pushes its focus to publishing graphic novels and comic books, including strips. 

Unlike other publishers, the Top Shelf Production submission process is simple. Moreover, you will submit 10 – 20 pages of the completed pages of your plot synopsis, scripts, or cover letters. If the earlier does not meet their standard, Top Shelf Production will most likely reject your work.

Alan Moore’s From Hell and Craig Thompson’s Blankets are some of their popular publications.

5. Fantagraphics –

Having been in the graphic novel and comics industry since 1976, Fantagraphics has risen to heights, mainly focusing on magazines, comic books, graphic novels, and manga.

Fantagraphics are strict on publishing children’s picture books because of their fewer chances of fitting neatly into their mainstream genres.

Some of the successful graphic novels they have published in the past are Daniel Clowes’ Ghost World and Joe Sacco’s Palestine.

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6. Blank Slate Books – 

As a leading publishing company in the United Kingdom, Blank Slate Books specializes in publishing graphic novels, comic books, and comic collection strips.

They prefer taking in “indie-friendly” stories that don’t adhere to mainstream genres and are made by new or still unpublished talents.

Blank Slate Books’ publication has won a plethora of awards for some of its work. Some of its award-winning publications are Psychiatric Tales, Trains are…Mint, and Nelson

7. Dark Horse Comics – 

Dark Horse Comics needs to be applauded more for its neatly published written artisan crafts.

The well-known publisher only sells two kinds of unsolicited works which are art samples or story proposals from the writer and artists team or writer-artist.

Some of their best-known titles are Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, Gerard Way’s The Umbrella Academy, and Frank Miller’s Sin City.

8. SelfMadeHero – 

Undo has not raised her name like Dark Horse Comics, SelfMadeHero is a UK-based independent publisher. 

The independent publisher specializes in adapting literary works into graphic novels. Recently, SelfMadeHero has been reported to have started releasing original works. 

Some of their well-known publications are Glyn Dillon’s The Nao of Brown and Rob Davis’s The Motherless Oven.

9. Iron Circus Comics –

Iron Circus Comics, a popular graphic novel publisher, is well-known for its pioneering use of crowd-funded campaigns to finance successful projects.

Although with their acceptance of a wide range of story formats and genres, they are strict on accepting fan fiction, children’s comics, serials, superhero stories, and works that fall under the zombie genre.

Their most successful project is Smut Peddler, an erotic anthology series created by women.

10. Black Mask Comics – 

Formed as a new space for comic book and graphic novelists, Black Mask Comics has consistently published graphic novels and comic books since being established in 2012.

They prefer taking on stories with a transgressive attitude, much like V for Vendetta as opposed to other publishers. 

A few of their best-known publications are Twelve Reasons To Die, Godkiller, and Calexit.