Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Chip Mosher, David Steinberg, DSTLRY

Dstlry Creators Express Concern To Bleeding Cool, Dstlry Responds

Dstlry creators have expressed concern over the current state of the comic book publisher to Bleeding Cool, today Dstlry responds

Earlier this week, boutique comic book publisher Dstlry paused its publishing line. I understand that many Dstlry comic creators learned of the Dstrly statement by reading it on Bleeding Cool or on the website, rather than through any direct communication. But also, this has been a long time coming, and is one of a centipede's worth of shoes dropping, and it seems to go back to mid-2024, when creators first noticed something was amiss. But let's go back a little further.

In 2022, Bleeding Cool reported that former Amazon Comixology leaders David Steinberger and Chip Mosher were holding meetings at Thought Bubble in Harrogate with big-name comics talent. They were doing creator deals to found Dstlry, pronounced "distillery", a creator-owned American boutique comic book publisher founded in 2023 that aimed to redefine creator-owned comics by blending high-quality physical editions with digital collectables and featuring big-name launches. The company emphasises creator-first models, premium formats, and allowing readers to buy, read, and even resell digital comics and collectables through their marketplace.

Titles included Gone by Jock, Somna by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay, Blasfamous by Mirka Andolfo, White Boat by Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla, Spectregraph by James Tynion IV and Christian Ward, The Blood Brothers Mother by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, Life by Brian Azzarello, Stephanie Phillips and Danijel Zezelj, The Big Burn by Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett, The Missionary by Ryan Stegman and Jason Howard, Time Waits by Chip Zdarsky, David Brothers and Marcus To, One for Sorrow by Jamie McKelvie, The City Beneath Her Feet by James Tynion IV and Elsa Charretier, Warm Fusion by Scott Hoffman and Alberto Ponticelli, You Won't Feel a Thing by Scott Snyder and Jock, White House Robot Romance by Chip Zdarsky and Rachael Scott, Endeavour by  Stephanie Phillips and Marc Laming, Galactic by Curt Pires and Amilcar Pinna, A Mischief of Magpies by Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara, Knife by Miles Gunter and Patrick Mulholland,  Through Red Windows by Ram V and Joelle Jones and Last Flight Out Of Wichita by B. Clay Moore and Mack Chater, Mirka Andolfo's Midnight Airlines #1, and Chuck Austen and Patrick Olliffe's Defiant #1 and plenty of other books that never saw the light of day.

Their physical comics are in larger, magazine-style formats with wraparound covers and high production values. They famously quit Lunar Distribution to go exclusive with Diamond Comic Distributors at the end of 2024, two months before Diamond declared bankruptcy. They then moved to Penguin Random House, and their digital side has integrated with sister company Neon Ichiban for reading and collecting.

I have been doing some asking around. The decision at the end of 2024 to go exclusive with Diamond was a direct result of a breakdown in the relationship with Lunar Distribution. Which is not entirely unique amongst publishers right now (See Oni's decision to jump ship to Penguin Random House), but was unusual back then. But before that, there were issues with payments. Big-name creators had signed up to Dstlry with new projects and given away part of their intellectual property in exchange for promised high payments. And they suddenly weren't getting them. This led to a number of important meetings at Dstlry with creators, during which scant details were shared. But it seems that around a year ago, a number of creators simply stopped receiving payments. And the big question is, especially for the venture capital that funded Dstlry, where did the money go?

That it has taken this long for people to start speaking out, even privately, demonstrates strong loyalty and a good feeling towards Dstlry founders Chip Mosher and David Steinberger; people involved really like them. But making a public statement without informing creators tipped some over the edge this week, telling me that enough is enough. And while Dstlry emphasises a pause in publication, some creators doubt their comic book projects will ever see the light of day.

For some at least. Other Dstlry creators continue to put their faith in Chip'n'Dave and see this as a temporary blip. It's just that this might be a definition of the word temporary that I was previously unaware of.

Public statements are hard to come by. Rachael Stott posted to BlueSky, "You've seen the announcement from DSTLRY, that's why White House Robot Romance #3's release date hasn't been announced. I wish them all the best because they've had a lot of rough luck last year".  Marc Laming stated "Barry Windsor Smith's art always makes me happy – finding this was a much needed lift after a bloody awful week." I asked "Dstlry?" He replied "Well, they've not helped matters… and that's all I'm saying." And Si Spurrier posted to X, "A MISCHIEF OF MAGPIES is: The most beautiful thing we've ever made. Three issues long. 97% complete. Delayed. We're as bummed by that last point as anyone."

After talking to Dstrly creators over the past few days, I put these concerns to Dstlry last night. Chip Mosher and David Steinberger got back to me fast, telling me, "We know DSTLRY fans and creators are frustrated, and so are we. This pause gives us the space to regroup, and we're focused on getting these books into readers' hands as soon as possible."

This is, as they say, developing…

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