ICv2's Milton Griepp, then of Capital City Distribution, handing a donation check to Friedrich related to his benefit book Within Our Reach, produced in conjunction with Marvel Comics in 1991.
Mike Friedrich has had a multifaceted comics career.  He started out as a writer for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, then began publishing Star*Reach, a sci-fi and fantasy anthology that was one of the first comics aimed squarely at the Direct Market.  He later worked for Marvel as their first Direct Sales Manager and ultimately became an agent for comics creators.

As the publisher of Star*Reach and later at Pacific Comics, Friedrich crafted contracts that preserved creators’ rights, contracts that set the standard for creator-owned comics at a time when the industry was still in flux.

The video of our interview is embedded below, and we’re also making available a lightly edited transcript of the interview (see "ICv2 Interview: Mike Friedrich").

This interview was conducted as part of ICv2’s Comics Direct Market 50th Anniversary celebration; for more, see "Comics Direct Market 50th Anniversary."