Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: BHP, scotland

Scottish Comics Publisher BHP To Close

BHP Comics publisher Sha Nazir has announced that he is to wind down BHP as a comic book publisher this year, returning all rights.

BHP Comics publisher Sha Nazir has announced that he is to wind down BHP as a comic book publisher. Set up in 2011 as an underground comics collective Black Hearted Press, had grown by 2015 into a limited company rebranded as BHP Comics, becoming one of Scotland's premier indie publishing companies. It was shortlisted for publisher of the year multiple times and was a consistent presence on the List Hot 100.

In mid-2019, BHP successfully expanded into the US market. Volumes included Art & Sketches volumes from Frank Quitely and Charlie Adlard, as well as the series Killtopia, John Wagner and Alan Grant's Rok of the Reds, Clare Forrest's Mighty Women of Science, Gary Chudleigh and Tanya Robert's Plagued: The Miranda Chronicles, Jack Lothian and Garry Mac's Tomorrow, its Full Colour and Bold comics diversity projects, its women in politics anthology We Shall Fight Until We Win and its books found in every secondary school in Scotland.

However, Nazir stated that the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit significantly impacted the business with shrinking profit margins and escalating costs, exacerbated by Brexit, had rendered international publishing less economically feasible for the company.

Nazir says "I've loved working with everyone at BHP Comics and I'm really proud of all we've achieved. It's been a tough decision to wind the company down but we feel it's the right one. Over the course of the next few months we'll be selling off all remaining BHP stock. If you've got a gap in your collection, now's the time to grab it."

The company will return all creators rights effective 1 Jan 2024. And over the following months will responsibly tie up its administration commitments before the financial year end.
Nazir added "BHP has been instrumental in opening numerous doors, and I take immense pride in its profound impact on both Scottish and UK comics publishing. We broke many barriers, getting wider acceptance of comics in UK publishing, increasing representation and being the only person of colour publisher in Scotland for far too long."
"BHP's legacy lives on through the many lives it has touched. It will be around for the next few years in schools because of 'Freedom Bound' and our titles will live on in the shelves of our readers and no doubt pop up in charity shops for years to come."

Sha Nazir will not be stepping away entirely from the world of comics. He will continue his freelance publishing consultancy role for the Terry Pratchett estate, which recently achieved major success with the Kickstarter for the Good Omens Graphic Novel. His live events company ACME Comic Con continues to grow at the SEC. And, along with Gary Chudleigh and Jack Lothian, he intends to  continue working on development projects in comics, film and TV under their new collective partnership.

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