Future Comics announced today that the company will cease publishing monthly comics after the publication of its August cover dated books.  Future plans to release all-new trades in a variety of formats, from digest to graphic novels, beginning in October 2003.  Future Comics President and Editor-in-Chief Bob Layton explained the change this way: 'In the last year, revenues from the mass market have eclipsed that of the entire direct market with a 30% growth projected for 2004.  And as an independent publisher, Future Comics is in a more advantageous position for making a major shift in its business plan than are the larger, publicly owned companies.  Our test marketing with mass-market bookstores has been very successful.  That, and the skyrocketing costs of producing the 22-page monthly format, makes this move a 'no-brainer.''

 

Layton also indicated that Future Comics would be publishing some 'special projects' in the traditional comics format and distributed through the normal direct market channels, but these will not be on-going periodical comic book series.  Future Comics will make all of its trades, digests, and comics available to all its distributors and direct-buying retailers.