Antarctic Press, a comic book publishing company based in San Antonio, is a prominent player in the world of "Amerimanga" style comic books. Their journey began in 1985, and since then, they have introduced over 850 captivating titles to readers, amassing an impressive circulation exceeding 5 million copies.
True to their name, Antarctic Press has a bold mission – to publish the most incredible creator-owned comics on Earth. Leading the charge as the company's publisher is Joe Dunn, the brother of co-founder Ben Dunn. Notably, many celebrated creators got their start at Antarctic Press and have continued to collaborate with the company. These include talents such as Chris Bunting, Ben Dunn, Eisner-nominated Rod Espinosa, and Joseph Wight. In the 1990s, cartoonist Alex Robinson serialized his inaugural book, "Box Office Poison," with Antarctic Press.
The inception of Antarctic Press can be traced back to late 1984 when Ben Dunn and Marc Ripley established the company to publish "Mangazine," one of North America's pioneering original English-language manga publications. Early contributors to "Mangazine" included local San Antonio artists Fred Perry, Joseph Wight, and Rod Espinosa, all of whom went on to create their own titles under Antarctic Press. Over a span of two decades, "Mangazine" produced an impressive 120 issues across three volumes.
Antarctic Press struck gold with Ben Dunn's "Amerimanga Ninja High School," initially conceived as a miniseries in 1987. However, the comic's explosive popularity led it to become a full-fledged series, now boasting over 160 issues, along with two miniseries, "Ninja High School V2" and "Quagmire USA," and the color-limited series "The Prom Formula."
During the 1990s, the company diversified its offerings, delving into furry and erotic comics. For a brief period from 1994 to 1998, Antarctic Press even operated an erotic imprint, "Venus Comics." However, in late 1996, they made the strategic decision to discontinue translated manga, anthropomorphic, and adult-oriented titles to streamline their focus on more mainstream properties.
In 2006, "Warrior Nun Areala" was rebranded as "Warrior Nun Lazarus" and introduced computer coloring. The year 2007 brought the release of David Hutchison's "Final Girl" limited series, which allowed readers to make choices regarding the fate of characters. In August 2016, Antarctic Press embarked on the publication of "Rochelle," a creation by writer John E. Crowther and artist Dell Barras.
Antarctic Press's growth continued, as in 2018, they expanded their monthly publishing schedule to 15 titles. They also ventured into distribution by taking on the comics of the all-ages San Antonio small-press publisher Guardian Knight Comics.
In the spring of 2018, Antarctic Press announced their intention to publish "Jawbreakers: Lost Souls," a controversial creation by Richard C. Meyer that was crowdfunded on Indiegogo. However, due to backlash and the threat of a retailer boycott, the company decided not to proceed with the publication.
This decision led to a civil suit filed by Richard C. Meyer against fellow creator Mark Waid, alleging "tortious interference with contract, defamation, and exemplary damages" for his role in preventing the publication of "Jawbreakers: Lost Souls" by Antarctic. In a joint statement issued on December 23, 2020, both parties announced that Mr. Meyer had voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit.