Marvel and DC Comics have been the dominant companies of the comic book industry. Their superheroes are known worldwide, their movie franchises have broken box office records, and their sales top the charts every month. Creator-owned series do not get much spotlight because of the mainstream appeal of the Big Two, but companies such as Image (known for The Walking Dead) have tried to change this, pushing original, independent stories into the hands of comic book enthusiasts. But even with indie comic companies trying to market original material, a lot of fantastic comic books are overlooked, underappreciated, and are relatively unknown.
CCP Comics is trying to change that. Founded in 2007 by writers and artists, CCP Comics banded together in order to create, publish, and distribute their own stories. This team understood the difficulties of breaking into the comic industry, and how hard it is to be noticed, so they chose an alternative route. The CCP crew decided to self-publish their material – a risky move for a small company. The comics could have potentially only gained the attention of a small audience because of the lack of
a recognizable brand or because the distribution is not as wide spread.
But the gamble ultimately proved to be a wise decision. CCP Comics, after tirelessly promoting their books and attending Comic-cons nationwide, have found an audience. Collections of Dead Robot are selling out and issues of Dead Beats and Cape Town are being picked up in stacks. The success did not stop, though, for CCP expanded their reach tenfold. Android recently added a ‘Comics Plus’ application to the Droid market, allowing users to purchase and read comics on their mobile devices. After uploading their comics to the app, CCP found new fans in no time.
The Austin-based publisher remains resilient with its mission. The CCP team continues to put out solid comic books, each with its own unique story and art. With an expanding comic line-up and a growing fan-base, CCP Comics is becoming a forefront for local creator-owned material. Be sure to check out the CCP line on Comics Plus.