Posted in: AWA, Comics | Tagged: axel alonso, rupert murdoch

It's Almost 2026. Do You Know Where AWA Studios Has Gone?

Where Are AWA Studios In 2026? How much of the Murdoch money is left? Why no solicitations in January? We have questions, no answers.

It's a question I have been asking without a response. There are no solicitations from AWA Studios listed in Lunar Distribution's January 2026 catalogue, and I can get no response from the publisher via email or on social media. They still seem to be very active, just not responsive. But where are AWA in 2o26?

Artists Writers & Artisans, Inc. or AWA Studios, was founded in November 2018 by former Marvel EIC Axel Alonso, former Marvel publisher Bill Jemas and Fandom's Jonathan F. Miller. And they were well-funded, including Murdoch money, first from Rupert Murdoch's eldest son, James Murdoch, and then his sister, Elisabeth Murdoch. And they spent it well, getting the likes of J. Michael Straczynski, Mike Deodato, Reginald Hudlin, Garth Ennis, Gregg Hurwitz, Margaret Stohl and Frank Cho on board to create original new comic book work. Along the way, Bill Jemas pushed for weirder and weirder approaches, leading Axel Alonso to rebrand the books he was in charge of as the AWA Upshot imprint. Eventually, Bill Jemas was jettisoned, and Upshot just became standard AWA. Then, recently, they have made some more high-profile publishing alliances, first publishing environmental science comic books produced and then written by James Murdoch's wife, Kathryn Murdoch. A new series by Charlamagne Tha God. A new graphic novel launched on Kickstarter, written by wrestler Ronda Rousey. And then a new version of the Wizard Of Oz with, of all people, Elton John.

Weirdly, Elton John was the man who was so offended by the Marvel comic book X-Statix edited by Axel Alonso at the time, planning on resurrecting Princess Diana as a mutant and joining the X-Men books, that he shouted his complaints at Marvel's Avi Arad, who used that as part of his attempt to get Bill Jemas fired from Marvel. Axel Alonso survived… I suppose Elton John might not remember him.

Sidebar aside, AWA's most recent solicitation is for December 2025, with just a one-shot, Aggie by Mark Russell and ACO, part of Kathryn Murdoch's line, and a collection of They Chose Violence. Ultimate Oz: Lost Lands is out this week, next month has the finale of Charmagne The God's comics, but after December, well, I'm not really sure. Any ideas? Is January just a fallow month? Would anyone at AWA like to get in touch and let us know?

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