Magnetic Press is a small press focused on bringing some of the best European comics to the US. It’s long punched way above its weight on the comics award circuit, with many nominations, nabbing their first win last year for Best Publication Design for the box set of Dracula and Frankenstein by George Bess. And last year they celebrated their 10-year anniversary, all under founder and publisher Mike Kennedy, whose excellent taste in comics has guided the imprint all the way.
Now, in yet more consolidation news, Magnetic will be teaming with Oni Press in a strategic partnership that will see upcoming releases co-branded, starting this fall. It’s a team up that makes a lot of sense as both publishers are owned by Polarity, the media company owned by David Steward II that also owns Lion Forge Entertainment.
Magnetic titles will team with Oni for distribution: with Simon & Schuster for books and Diamond and Lunar for comics shops. Magnetic’s upcoming titles will also receive additional marketing, sales, and manufacturing support from the Oni team.
“Oni and Magnetic have been sister companies for more than five years, and this new partnership truly will allow us to offer the best of both worlds: Magnetic’s world-class graphic novels and games, coupled with Oni’s formidable presence in comic shops and book stores,” said Mike Kennedy. “Together, we look forward to providing readers with an even broader selection of compelling stories and artwork. The Magnetic Press line will continue to champion its unique editorial vision while benefiting from Oni Press‘s established distribution and marketing channels.”
“Few American publishers can match the exceptional roster of international talents that Mike Kennedy has brought to English language audiences under the Magnetic Press banner. As both colleagues and fans, we’ve watched as Magnetic has strategically expanded its footprint to include hugely successful crowdfunding and tabletop game initiatives over the past several years,” said Hunter Gorinson. “Now, as Magnetic’s award-winning catalog reaches critical mass with a bevy of exciting new titles for 2025, we’re proud to extend their reach farther than ever before with expanded distribution and support for some of the most beautifully packaged graphic novels anywhere in the industry today.”
Magnetic was founded by Kennedy in 2014 after he left Archaia, and quickly became an early adapter on bringing the best of European comics to the US. Notable releases include Love: The Tiger by Brremaud and Bertolucci, The Ghost of Gaudi by Juan Torres and Jesus Alonso, Jazz Maynard by Roger and Raule, Carbon & Silicon by Mathieu Bablet, and Frontier by Guillaume Singelin. At this year’s Angoulême festival, Magnetic announced an exclusive first-look partnership with the renowned French design studio Label 619. They’ve also branched out into role-playing games, and tabletop games.
Some samples of their releases below:
English (US) · 