Creator-First, Built To Last — Comicsburgh Forges A New Path In Independent Comics
by Brendan M. Allen
Pittsburgh knows strong. It takes grit to take an idea, put in the work, and keep building until it becomes something bigger. That spirit drives Comicsburgh, an independent publisher founded by comic creators D.P. Brown, Grant Lankard, and Marvin Wynn to give original stories a stronger foundation and a bigger place in the market.
“Comicsburgh means more to me than publishing comics — it represents years of believing in something before there was any reason to know where it might lead,” said Brown. “What started as a couple of guys splitting convention expenses has become something I’m genuinely proud to have helped build, but it’s also allowed me to take what I’ve learned along the way and teach it to others.
“Whether it’s helping another creator understand how to take an idea from script to store or showing young creators that creativity can become a real career and business, sharing that knowledge has become just as meaningful to me as publishing the books themselves,” he continued. “Ultimately, I want Comicsburgh to create opportunities for storytellers while inspiring the next person to believe that their own idea is worth building.”
Forged around creator-first publishing, Comicsburgh is built to hold up under the weight of growth. The publisher gives creators a professional place to develop their work and reach new readers while keeping each book unmistakably their own.
“We hope to represent the ingenuity and diversity of indie comic creators,” shared Lankard. “Those who have brought ideas from seemingly every genre, style, and format but with a similar goal — to raise the stature of independent comics and fight against the ever-growing homogenization of corporate-created entertainment.”
“It’s about celebrating Pittsburgh’s distinct comics identity and everything that shapes it, from its stores and creators to its characters, humor, and culture,” added Wynn. “We’re thrilled to bring our titles to a wider audience and invite more readers to become part of it.”
Comicsburgh’s catalog is already taking shape across genres, from Wynn’s superhuman action-adventure saga The Edge and Lankard’s reimagining of Beowulf to Brown’s The Theme of Thieves, a time-travel mystery confronting the parts of history too easily forgotten.
As that foundation grows, Comicsburgh plans to create stronger connections between its creators and the audiences waiting on the other side. In the long term, the publisher aims to extend those connections across education, professional development, conventions, and creator entrepreneurship, giving creators more ways to build something sustainable around their work.
Check out the publisher’s website here.
