It’s a great time for the direct market. 21

Comic shops are thriving, new readers are getting onboard, and veteran fans are excited as well. More than that, the comics themselves are good, which generates even greater enthusiasm. It’s absolutely a high time, and that brings good vibes with it.

But high times are not always balanced. It’s true that comic shops are having a good year. 22 But creators themselves? It might be a bit more of a struggle, especially for those operating in the non-licensed space. 23 While there’s been a surge in high profile, high performing micro lines and a practically infinite number of solid selling crossovers starring known characters, 24 creators have been saying — both publicly and privately — that it might not be as easy for those looking to turn their own ideas into single-issue comics.

A typical refrain has been that it’s a good time to be working on Absolute book at DC, but selling original stories — whether that’s to publishers, retailers, or readers — is a far greater challenge. This isn’t something that’s just been popping up in recent weeks either, as if it’s a late-breaking story that is finally rearing its ugly head.

It’s been consistent throughout the year on Off Panel, 25 in private correspondence, and beyond. It’s also been building for years. Veterans of the site may remember a similar piece about a similarly down time for non-licensed comics from a little over two years ago. It’s been a difficult environment for creator-owned and original titles for a while now, particularly since the pandemic boom subsided. That’s the reason this subject hasn’t been explored until now, especially with many of the issues facing creators staying largely the same.

What changed, though, is the state of the market. When that piece was published, comic shops were struggling. It made sense that creators would too as part of that overall ecosystem, just like we would expect a resurgence when comic shops saw an uptick. But the market’s turnaround hasn’t seemingly reached non-licensed comics yet.

That doesn’t mean everyone is struggling, of course. No one’s worried about the most notable names, and perhaps rightfully so. But it’s enough to warrant asking some questions, and to try and get a better sense as to how creators are navigating an exceptional year for comic shops that might not be as prolific for them.

Rob Guillory has been working in the non-licensed space for several decades. He was the artist of a monster hit in Chew, the cartoonist of a long-running series in Farmhand, and someone who has been published at a bevy of houses. So, it makes sense that if anyone would offer a nice synopsis of the current environment, it would be him.

“It’s wildly unpredictable at the moment and has been for a while,” Guillory said. “I think creators are scrambling to find their footing, myself included.”