DC Comics has confirmed a report that it will shut down its Minx imprint of graphic novels aimed at teen girls in January.
“Minx was an experimental imprint for DC Comics and we are extremely proud of the books we published and the stories we told during the past two years,” the publisher said in a statement released this morning. “We thank all of the writers and artists who lent their talents to our endeavor and especially thank readers who came along for the ride. DC Comics remains committed to publishing diverse material for diverse audiences as we continue to welcome new readers.”
According to Comic Book Resources, some solicited and otherwise approved books will be published, while others won’t — at least not as part of the imprint.
Announced in November 2007 and launched the following spring with much fanfare and an impressive — by comic-book standards, at least — marketing budget, Minx targeted the growing young-adult demographic in the book market.
Headed by Vertigo’s Shelly Bond and Karen Berger, the line debuted with The PLAIN Janes, by popular YA novelist Cecil Castellucci and Street Angel artist Jim Rugg. They also recruited the likes of Andi Watson, Derek Kirk Kim, Rebecca Donner, Brian Wood, Aaron Alexovich, Alisa Kwitney, Ross Campbell and Mike Carey.
Despite the $250,000 marketing budget, assistance from Alloy Marketing + Media — the company that promoted The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Gossip Girl – mainstream-media coverage, and a mix of talent familiar to readers in both the comics and the YA book markets, Minx didn’t seem to find its audience. (That, of course, is a familiar refrain.) CBR reports that Random House, DC’s book-trade distributor, apparently hasn’t been able to place the Minx books in the YA sections of chain stores, which would seem essential when marketing a graphic novels written by the authors of The Queen of Cool and Boy Proof and Flirting in Cars.
Tom Spurgeon considers some other factors that may have played into the failure of the line, and wonders how the closing might affect similar offerings by other companies, as well as expectations for DC’s upcoming thriller imprint Vertigo Crime.
Update 2: Artist Steve Rolston (Degrassi: Extra Credit, Queen & Country) says that Emiko Superstar, the graphic novel he created with Mariko Tamaki (Skim), will be released next month by Minx. However:
What I hadn’t announced yet was that we had already begun work on a spin-off graphic novel. DC has invited us to re-pitch it as a Vertigo book.
Update 3: Cartoonist Hope Larson wonders what might have happened if she had pitched Chiggers to Minx:
I didn’t. But what if I had, and Minx had bought Chiggers? I would probably be out of a job right now. Chiggers is not vastly better or more innovative than some Minx books. It’s a genre book. I’ve seen mentions of the Minx books mainly falling into the formula of “this summer changed my life!!!”, and Chiggers is literally that. After Chiggers I would probably have written Chiggers 2. I’d have gone through, hit the required story beats, churned out another book of exactly the same length, and stagnated as an artist and a writer. I might never have recovered from that.
Additional coverage
Forbidden Planet International
September 25th, 2008 at 9:29 am
And no one, anywhere, cried out in terror and was suddenly silenced.
September 25th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Ehh..Even with the creative teams behind it slapping on ‘For Teenage Girls’ put me off.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:00 am
This is depressing to me, thanks. I know all you guys out there think girls should just read the same exact stuff as you read, but I really felt like Minx was finally hitting its stride and getting to a good place.
Screw you, lousy economy.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Wow.
That is really sad news. The books were really well done. Mike Carey’s books were great.
September 26th, 2008 at 5:40 am
sad.
I liked Plain Janes and Waterbaby a lot. I was hoping for more sequels.
September 27th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Well, that’s disappointing. Other than Clubbing, I enjoyed every Minx book I read.
October 5th, 2008 at 11:03 am
its a pity minx has been cancelled. they were high quality and enjoyable.
June 26th, 2010 at 8:58 am
how comics are being written for the trades now. Story arcs get padded out to be much longer than they need to be, because it’s all about the trade. I’m sure that’s not true for every book out there, but often enough that it’s added to my trade waiting. Take away the often obnoxious ads, throw in the greater durability of trades (not to mention how much easier – and cheaper – they are to store/display at home), and it’s really not a tough choice for me. Discounts, lack of sales tax and free shipping at Amazon just sweetens the deal
December 4th, 2010 at 12:38 am
Lead generation is a marketing term that refers to the creation or generation of prospective consumer interest or inquiry into products or services of a business.
March 1st, 2011 at 7:59 am
The Zune concentrates on being a Portable Media Player. Not a web browser. Not a game machine. Maybe in the future it’ll do even better in those areas, but for now it’s a fantastic way to organize and listen to your music and videos, and is without peer in that regard. The iPod’s strengths are its web browsing and apps. If those sound more compelling, perhaps it is your best choice.
March 18th, 2013 at 6:15 pm
I really don’t unrasetndd girls like you what is it with sex that make you feel that he is the right person for you.You have a lot of years ahead of you and you think that this is the main dude that you will eventually marry. Because if you were to get pregnant by accident.1) It would be statutory rape because he is 18 yrs. old2) You would be a single mother, because this parent would think that you wanted to be pregnant to keep him.3) You would spent a lot of money neither paying for an abortion (which is a big mistake) or raising that child.4) As you get older and start dating. Do you feel comfortable saying you have a baby 2 yrs old to a guy that you really like?I imposes all this questions to make you realize that the decision you make will affect your future. I see to many young people who gotten married end up in divorce.Now that just you that I am speaking of.As for him he got what he wanted from you because you were to young to know any better.After he gradate from high school and decide to go to college, he not going to wait around for you. He will meet older girl who are more experience than you, even more beautiful than he ever dream of. To him it would be like a candy store were he can’t decide what favor to pick.So you make up your mind about having sex with this person.You make up your mind if you get pregnant (maybe not) the 9 months of carrying a child, spent the money, walking around feeling like a fat pig, watching other girl your age who look thinner and can eat anything and not gain weight.You make up your mind if a young guy you like would like to have a instant family after your 1st boyfriend dump you.You make up your mind whether to finish school or be a drop-out.You make up your if you can live on your own or have your rich daddy support another family beside this.And lastly ask that boyfriend of yours if he can commit and truly Love you for who you are or just like to spend this time at Y (if you know what I mean)Stop and Think!I can only give you advice and hope that you don’t pursue this idea of wanting to have sex. You can take this warming or suffer the heartacheIt is you choice and I pray to my father God that you make the right decision.