DSTLRY: One Year Later
Why comic book readers (and comic book companies) should be keeping an eye on one of the newest publishers.
It’s been one year since DSTLRY was founded by Chip Mosher and David Steinberger—and what a year it has been. While most companies struggle to find their footing in this timeframe, DSTLRY has brought innovation (and great stories) to the comic book medium.
Buzz surrounding DSTLRY began in April 2023 when the impressive roster of comic book creators were announced. It soon became evident that this publisher was focused on bringing in major players while shaping the comic book experience for readers.
Fast forward to August 2023 and the one-shot anthology Devil’s Cut (the company’s premiere comic book) received more than 50,000 orders from comic book stores and received high marks from reviewers.
What’s been impressive is how the company has leveraged its “start-up” style and focused on crafting its own path. For starters, let’s talk about the format of their releases.
The typical American comic book is roughly 6.63 X 10.25 inches, and it’s been this size for some time. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with this design, but one of the first traits of DSLTRY is that their comics are roughly the size of a sheet of paper. This may not mean much to the average reader, but DSTLRY’s releases dwarf other comics when put side by side.
Big deal, so their comics are bigger, right? Well, from a reading experience it’s almost night and day when comparing the two sizes. Additionally, comic books are a visual medium so pages with real estate that respect the art team and enhance the reading experience are a welcomed addition.
While markets around the world have comic books of all different sizes, DSTLRY’s intentional format (and consumers buying copies) signals North American audiences aren’t loyal to just one comic book size—even if it doesn’t fit inside the average short box.
From a marketing standpoint, DSTLRY’s strategy is certainly keeping up with the times. Where other larger publishers rely on the goodwill of influencers to collaborate on partner posts or classic marketing strategies, DSTLRY brought influencer Sadé Paige of “Whatpaigeisit” to lead their social media marketing. Comic book readers on TikTok or Instagram may recognize Paige from her weekly videos that begin with: “It’s…new comic book day! So….let’s go get those comics.” This is a particularly clever tactic as (according to Forbes) the return on investment of companies partnering with influencers is nothing short of positive and it’s a reminder to the flexibility DSTLRY has with its lean staff. Additionally, this strategic move goes against the norms seen by larger comic book publishers that base sales on loyalty of characters or creators.
True, other independent publishers connect with influencers with tens of thousands of followers, but DSTLRY is clearly hyper-focused on connecting with readers and leveraging the audiences brought in from social media marketers.
But what about the comics? Of course, back to that. Since Devil’s Cut DSTLRY has released Gone, Blasfamous, Somna, Spectregraph, and The Blood Brothers Mother. Additionally, DSTLRY launched its own digital marketplace with the intention of reshaping the digital comic book buying experience. Customers not only get access to digital copies of their favorite series, but DSLTRY is putting the control back in the hands of the consumer while also throwing in a few digital perks for buying through the site.
In a time where buying anything digital is essentially renting the IP, it’s refreshing to see a company that actively wants customers to feel (and be) committed to a digital marketplace.
Whether or not DSTLRY’s tactics will yield in profit remains to be seen. (I’d be willing to bet it will.) As of this article, Devil’s Cut, Gone (by Jock), and Somna (by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay) all have had their spot in the “top 200 single issues copies sold by month” lists—with Devil’s Cut being in the top 200 for two months in a row (according to ICV2 data).
Data from the top 200 by month list are based on single issue releases, so it’s paramount to note Somna’s impending collected edition is worth tracking for graphic novel sales in the future. Additionally, James Tynion IV’s Spectregraph was released at the end of April and is anticipated to be a chart topper as well.
From a critical standpoint, DSTLRY’s comics have generally received positive reviews as their collective average score is 8.4 on Comic Book Round Up. As of this article, Somna and Spectregraph are in the lead with 9.0 and 9.3 average critical scores from reviewers. It’s clear reviewers and casual comic book readers are enjoying the publications from DSTLRY and with more titles on the way (such as Scott Snyder’s White Boat), it’s a good time to get acquainted with the company.
Where DSTLRY goes from here is anyone’s guess, but it’s safe to say this exciting new company is keeping comics fresh both in storytelling and the customer experience. For more on DSTLRY, be sure to visit https://dstlry.co. For more information on which creators are part of DSLTRY, see the list below.
Creator Index (As of May 2024)
BRIAN AZZARELLO
Founding Creator, Writer
JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER
Cover Artist
FABIO AMELIA
Letterer
ARTGERM
Artist
GABRIEL BA
Artist
ADITYA BIDIKAR
Letterer
BERNARDO BRICE
Letterer
E.M. CARROLL
Artist
ELSA CHARRETIER
Founding Creator, Artist, Writer
HOWARD CHAYKIN
Artist
DERRICK CHEW
Artist
CLIFF CHIANG
Cover Artist
ANWITA CITRIYA
Artist
BECKY CLOONAN
Founding Creator, Writer, Artist
JORGE CORONA
Artist
CLAYTON COWLES
Letterer
DANI
Artist
ANWORLD DESIGN
Letterer
ALEX ECKMAN-LAWN
Artist
JARED K. FLETCHER
Letterer
FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
Artist
JENNY FRISON
Artist
JOE HENDERSON
Writer
JOSHUA HIXSON
Artist
JAMES TYNION IV
Founding Creator, Writer
JOCK
Founding Creator, Artist, Writer, Letterer
DAVE JOHNSON
Cover Artist
JOËLLE JONES
Founding Creator, Artist, Writer
ARIELA KRISTANTINA
Artist
JAE LEE
Artist
ALBERTO LOCATELLI
Artist
GREG LOCKARD
Editor
JAMIE MCKELVIE
Founding Creator, Writer, Artist
JUNKO MIZUNO
Founding Creator, Artist, Mominu Designer
FABIO MOON
Artist
BEN OLIVER
Artist
DAN PANOSIAN
Artist
GERMAN PERALTA
Artist
EMMA PRICE
Designer
DOM REARDON
Artist
EMMA RIOS
Artist
EDUARDO RISSO
Artist
ALLISON SAMPSON
Artist
JOSEPH SCHMALKE
Artist
JAY STEPHENS
Artist
JOHN TIMMS
Artist
CHRISTIAN WARD
Artist
ANNIE WU
Artist
CAITLIN YARSKY
Cover Artist
DANIJEL ŽEŽELJ
Artist