Cody White, Valiant’s Marketing and Editorial Services Coordinator, told ICv2 that Alien would be producing both comics and graphic novels and may move into other formats in the future. The new titles will carry both the Valiant and Alien logos.
“Our goal is to expand the entire Valiant universe by crafting new books that will delight longtime fans while also innovating to engage a new generation of readers interested in webtoons, manga, and digital storytelling experiences,” said Alien Books Director Matias Timarchi in a statement accompanying the announcement.
Valiant’s output has decreased from 100-150 releases per year in the mid-2010s to 31 in 2022, with 9 titles so far in 2023, according to the publisher’s website. White told ICv2 that a new publishing schedule is in the works.
Alien Books is a New York-based comics publisher with an eclectic line that includes comics and graphic novels from around the world; on June 28, 2023 they will publish the first part of Howard Chaykin’s Sunshine Patriots. White told ICv2 that the new deal will not affect Alien’s distribution agreement with FairSquare Books (see “FairSquare Adds Alien Books to Its Catalog”).
Valiant was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter and Steven Massarsky and became a publishing powerhouse with its own superhero universe and an innovative marketing program. After management and ownership changes the company went dark for a while, but it was relaunched under new ownership in 2012 (see “Valiant Returns”). Blackstone Publishing will continue to be the publisher of adult prose novels based on Valiant IP.
