Staff members at indie comic publisher Dark Horse Comics announced this week that they’ve formed a union with the Communications Workers of America. They are demanding that Dark Horse recognize their union by June 3 or they will head to the National Labor Relations Board. This comes as the once-proud publisher struggles after firing its own founder, Mike Richardson, earlier this year.
Richardson built Dark Horse from the ground up over 40 years, and turned it into a home for creator-owned hits like Sin City and Nexus. Yet Embracer Group pushed him out in March, and now in a delicious form of irony, the interim bosses are facing demands for more diversity, equity, solidarity, and transparency. The union letter talks about layoffs, a hiring freeze, worries over artificial intelligence, and return-to-office rules.
Their demands specifically are for:
- Democracy: Our voices should be heard and valued, with fair representation.
- Diversity: Our work environment and publication titles should foster an inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels respected.
- Equity: We must collectively address each other’s individual needs, and work to reduce systemic inequality.
- Solidarity: We are strongest together. We stand together. Transparency: We are committed to safety and approachability in our work environment through clear communication and fellowship.
They say the “looming uncertainty from recent layoffs, wage/hiring freeze, change in leadership power, TFAW’s closure, emergence of artificial intelligence, and return-to-office policies have fueled us to organize and collectively address our concerns.” No comments involved any concern foir how these demands might economicly impact their fellow employees
Will another layer of union rules save a company already bleeding money? Dark Horse shut down its Things From Another World stores (TFAW) due to descending sales, but the publisher continues to cut back. Employees say they seek a democratic workplace, but they are acting like activists who are merely pushing the same ideas that have hurt Hollywood, video games, and other publishing houses.
Dark Horse built success by letting creators tell bold tales without heavy corporate control. Now the push is for equity checklists and collective bargaining. What happens to those edgy comics when ideology comes first?
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence. pic.twitter.com/2M1lMijoVI
— Grummz (@Grummz) May 27, 2026
On X, @Grummz compared the union’s logo with its rainbow horses next to an Antifa symbol and it is an apt comparison. The timing raises real questions. A publisher that once thrived under Mike Richardson is now dealing with internal chaos. Union backers promise better conditions, but as history shows, time and time again these efforts only speed up the decline. Higher costs, slower decisions, and scared investors rarely equal stronger books and bottom lines.
America loves underdogs, but new unions at failing firms are little more than band-aids on very deep wounds. Dark Horse needs fresh stories and smart business moves, not socialist-style power play undermining their mission. Will this union experiment kill what remains of a once-independent giant? The answer could signal trouble for the whole comicbook industry.
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