ComicBook can report that comic book publisher BOOM! Studios has been acquired by Penguin Random House in a major shake-up for the comics world. This marks the latest behind-the-scenes change for BOOM! since the company’s founding in 2005. More recently, 20th Century Fox purchased minority stake in the publisher in 2017, after they held the company’s first-look deal for several years. That ownership later carried over to The Walt Disney Company following their 2019 acquisition of Fox’s assets.
In recent years, Penguin Random House has become a growing player in the comics industry, handling distribution and marketing for DC and direct market distribution for Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, and more.
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It is unclear how this deal affects BOOM!’s distribution deal with Diamond Comics Distributors, nor is it clear if layoffs are coming for the employees of the publisher. But ComicBook.com has learned that today, July 10th, is the last day of Filip Sablik, the President of Publishing and Marketing at BOOM! Studios.
This story is developing and will be updated as we learn more.
What Comics Does BOOM! Studios Publish?
Founded by Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby in 2005, BOOM! Studios has become a unique facet of the comics and graphic novel industry, publishing a wide array of concepts. This has included licensed franchises like Power Rangers, Magic: The Gathering, Dune, Firefly, Adventure Time, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The publisher has also produced a number of original hits, including Something Is Killing the Children, Lumberjanes, Slam!, Keanu Reeves’ Brzrkr, and Damn Them All. BOOM! currently has four different imprints — Boom!, KaBoom!, Archaia, and Boom! Box.
Is Netflix Working with BOOM!?
In 2020, it was announced that BOOM! would have a first-look deal with Netflix, with the company bringing on former Marvel Television executive Mark Ambrose to spearhead things. This has led to the recent David Fincher movie The Killer, as well as planned adaptations of Something Is Killing the Children and BRZRKR.
“It is exciting to have a seasoned veteran TV exec from the biggest comic book publisher, Marvel Entertainment, who supervised and launched shows with the biggest streamer, come over to BOOM! to build a deep, engaging slate with his former stomping grounds, Netflix,” said BOOM! Founder and CEO Ross Richie. “This is exactly what we need to get to the next level and strengthen what was already an aggressive translational strategy. Mark was one of the executives at 20th Century Fox Television who supervised our TV deal so he knows what it’s like to be on the studio side. He translated comics into TV shows multiple times successfully at Marvel. Mark checks the boxes for us in many many categories and Stephen and I are thrilled to have him onboard.”
“I have had tremendous respect for the brand that Ross and Stephen have built at Boom since we first began working together during my time at 20th,” said Ambrose. “As a comic fan, I’ve watched this company consistently release groundbreaking books from the most highly sought-after writers and artists in the industry. I could not be more excited about the opportunity to work with this talented group of people, and to have a chance to collaborate again with the great team at Netflix through our first-look deal.”
