There will be a little more consolidation towards the end of this year. Abraze Publishing announced that it has acquired NBM Publishing through an asset purchase. Ablaze will acquire NBM’s complete publishing catalog, all active contracts with creators and licensors, and the transfer of editorial operations to Abraze infrastructure, with NBM co-founder Terry Nantier taking on a consultancy role as packager for several titles scheduled for 2026. Bill Shanes negotiated the deal.
NBM will continue to operate as an imprint of the Ablaze brand, while transitioning to marketing and selling Ablaze through Simon & Schuster, Lunar, Universal and Diamond UK.
Founded in 1976 by Terry Nantier and the long-forgotten Beal and Minouszczine (so the NBM part is part NBM, the company was originally known as Flying Buttress). NBM is one of the quiet veterans of graphic novel publishing, having survived turmoil, recession, and everything else the comics industry can face. They established themselves as one of the early bastions of French translated comics in the United States, went on to add several manga titles, and sold their successful children’s line, Papercutz, to Mad Cave in 2022. As noted in the PR, NBM was also a pioneer of the graphic novel format itself in the United States.
NBM Publishing also pioneered the sale of graphic novels in traditional bookstores in the United States and has long held a prominent place in the history of comics and graphic novels, publishing translations of classic European novels, adult graphic fiction, and literary comics. Authors in their history include Hugo Pratt, P. Craig Russell, Will Eisner, John Mass, Dave McKean, Milo Manara, Louis Trondheim, Etienne Davodeau, and Cyril Pedrosa, and helped launch the careers of Rick Geary, Brooklyn Adams, Brandon Graham, and Jesse Lonergan, among others. Ablaze Publishing’s acquisition of NBM combines NBM’s rich catalog and heritage with Abraze’s dynamic growth and global reach.
Founded in 2019 by Rich Young, Abraze has a similar interest in translated comics, focusing on lesser-known works from non-Japanese Asian publishers (though they also publish manga), original works, and takeaways from Comixology Originals and more. Most recently, they’ve started featuring more French and Belgian comics, a move that makes sense given their interest as they plan to expand into international markets, strengthen their backlist program, and launch more creator-owned collaborations.
“We are thrilled to welcome the entire NBM publishing team, catalog, and legacy to the Abraze family. NBM’s unique position as one of North America’s earliest graphic novel companies, strong European comics list, and reputation for editorial excellence make it the perfect complement to Abraze’s global comics vision,” Abraze founder Rich Young said in a statement.
Nantia continued, “I am grateful for the diversity of Abraze’s catalog of which NBM will be a part. I look forward to joining the Abraze team and beginning the next chapter beyond NBM’s 50 years of pioneering and championing the graphic novel format. NBM It has been a true labor of love to build Abraze into the home of translated European graphic novels and literary comics. Joining forces with Abraze will ensure that our founder’s mission lives on and that our catalog reaches even more readers around the world.”
Nantia was a 19-year-old college student when he co-founded NBM in 1976, but his 50 years in publishing allowed him to step away from academia to enjoy more free time. I hope he gets the recognition he deserves as one of the longest-running independent comics publishers of all time.
Something like this:
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