- As well as a great working relationship with your printer, you also seem to have fantastic relationships with your creators. You have such a powerhouse of talent and great titles on your books. Why do you think these creators have stayed loyal to you and continue to publish their titles through Markosia?
I’d like to think that the main reason is because I am honest with them. One of the very first things I do when I make first contact with them is to ask, “Do you know how tough it is out there?” and, “If you’re expecting to make money quickly then you should really speak to another publisher!” I tell them that all we can do by them is try our best and that it is likely to be a long term project. This day and age you have to be realistic and one thing I will never do is make promises I doubt that I’ll be able to keep. I think they respect that. I also try and keep regular contact with them as much and as often as I can, although it’s tougher to do nowadays as we have over 120 projects signed. I should also add that we are fortunate to have worked with some of the most professional creators in the business, and most are also good friends now.
- What titles do you have either out now or in the pipeline that you are particularly excited about? I’m sure all 120 are great, but are there any standouts that people really shouldn’t miss?
I am very excited about the books due in November, particularly “Cancertown: Blasphemous Tumours” by Cy Dethan and Graeme Howard. This book will scare the bejeesus out of most sane people, I can promise you! Also out in November is Dan Fitzgerald’s “All Star U”, a somewhat different take to the superhero genre than you will see elsewhere. In December we have an amazing adaptation of the classic “A Christmas Carol” by Steve Stern and Doug Sirois. 2013 is likely to be one of our most exciting years, with sequels coming from the likes of “Hero 9 to 5”, “Dark Mists”, and also a couple of new books that I have been waiting for many years, “The Case Files of Harlan Falk” and “Project Luna 1947.” There are many more but these are stand outs for the early part of the year which I am looking forward to.
- Without a doubt, one of the biggest things to happen to comics in recent times is the digital age. With digital comics and graphic novels increasing in popularity, as a publisher, how do you feel this has affected the industry and do you embrace the digital age?
I think the advent of digital comics is incredibly important to the industry and we have embraced it wholeheartedly. One of the reasons the industry hasn’t grown as well as other forms of entertainment in recent years is because I don’t think it has evolved much in comparison. Other than Photoshop it has pretty much stayed the same for decades. The digital comics scene is new and in a little bit of a mess but once it settles down and sorts itself out it will be huge for us all. Although revenue at the moment is reasonably small the books will have an infinite shelf life and can potentially continue to earn revenue for us all for many years to come. We have some exciting announcements coming soon with regard to animation and foreign partnerships which will help us with that.
- Sounds great. On the note of future plans, what is in store for Markosia and where do you see yourself in the future?
Well, 2013 is going to be a big year for us with regard to moving forward. In addition to the great new titles we have coming we are also hoping to officially announce a project that has been signed as a TV series! That will be a major breakthrough for us and hopefully lead to more such deals in the pipeline. It is one of our main objectives, and we are very close. Further afield I hope that we can be around for many more years and sign at least another 120 projects! I’m hoping that we eventually have a stronger presence in the book market and reach out further afield in the direct market also. But for me what would make things really sweet is to see more of our creator partners achieving success and gaining the respect and rewards that they truly deserve.
Many thanks once again for talking to us Harry and we are all excited about what Markosia is currently putting out and your future titles look like ones to check out. If you want to check out Markosia titles and see whats you offer, you can visit the website at http://www.markosia.com
