Abrams ComicArts, which has been an imprint of Abrams Books, is becoming a new division of the company, alongside its adult and children's books groups. The new division will, Abrams said, strengthen its collaboration with Abrams's parent company, MeĢdia-Participations (MPP), which publishes in France an extensive range of original and licensed graphic novels, manga, and books on comics.
Abrams president and CEO Mary McAveney said, "Graphic novels, comics, and manga are an area of tremendous growth with a devoted and diverse fan base. Our unique access to rich content through MPP allows us to strategically expand our presence in this market. Our best-in-class publishing in the art of comics makes Abrams ComicArts the division to magnify our backlist publishing while expanding into this important market."
Rodolphe Lachat has been appointed v-p and publisher of Abrams ComicArts and will continue to edit titles as part of Cernunnos, an imprint he manages under the adult division of the company. Charles Kochman, who created Abrams ComicArts in 2009, will serve as editor-in-chief. Kochman, who joined Abrams in 2005, is a recipient of the Inkpot Award, presented by Comic-Con International, and editor of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney, which he will continue to edit in addition to selected comics titles as part of the children's Amulet imprint. Megascope, the line of graphic novels dedicated to speculative fiction and nonfiction by people of color and curated by John Jennings, will continue to be published under Abrams ComicArts and will be overseen by Kochman.
The first list as a new division will release in Fall 2024 with two new additions in the Marvel Arts line, The Veracity Vortex by Chip Kidd and Michael Cho and a deluxe edition of Fantastic Four: Full Circle by Alex Ross. Upcoming original graphic novels include Cormac McCarthy's The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation and Thomas Piketty's Capital and Ideology: A Graphic Novel Adaptation.