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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

So, what the heck is Oni Press?
Oni Press, Inc. was founded in 1997 by Joe Nozemack and Bob Schreck with the goal of publishing the kinds of comics and graphic novels they themselves would want to read. Unsatisfied with the material that was dominating the industry, the men believed firmly that sequential art could be used to tell virtually any story. While Schreck left the company in 1999, ten years later Nozemack is still fighting for diversity in comics by publishing one of the most eclectic and varied lines in comics. With the help of Jamie S. Rich (editor in chief, 1999-2003), James Lucas Jones (editor in chief, 2004-present), Randal C. Jarrell (managing editor 2003-present), and an array of talented comic book creators; Nozemack built Oni Press into one of independent comics' most respected and innovative publishing houses.

In 2003, Nozemack teamed with film producer Eric Gitter to form Closed on Mondays--a media production company created specifically to help Oni Press creators and titles find life in mediums outside of comics. As a sister company, Closed on Mondays works closely with Oni creators and staff members to find creative partners appropriate for the vast array of titles in the Oni Press catalog.
 
Why won't Oni Press accept unsolicited submissions?
There are many factors as to why we no longer accept blind submissions. Part of the problem was due to copyright issues and legal hazards in the field of entertainment. The other is that 99% of what we received in the mail was not only inappropriate for our publishing house, but also given a short shrift by an overburdened staff. As a result, we decided to suspend the submissions process in favor of a more streamlined process-namely, viewing online comics, reading minicomics, and meeting people at conventions. We are always looking for talent. Come by our booth at any convention and introduce yourself. We are more than happy to talk.
 
Can I take a tour of the Oni office?
That would be a bad idea. It's really just a cramped collection of rooms with desks, some bookcases, a few thousand pounds of paper, and 4 guys being cranky at one another. We wouldn't want to ruin the magic.
 
Is Randall Jarrell the former Poet Laureate?
Randall Jarrell is indeed a former Poet Laureate, but that isn't Oni Press Managing Editor Randal Jarrell. Our Randal only uses one letter L in his first name, whereas the poet used two. Besides, Randall Jarrell has been dead since 1965 and, at least as far as we know, he wasn't much of a comic book fan.
 
Are there T-shirts or other products from my favorite Oni comics?
Maybe. You can check our online store for some of the products available. Some of our books have had shirts created by Graphitti Designs, and you can go to their website at www.graphittidesigns.com. Many of our creators sell merchandise through their own websites.
 
Is the comic I want still available?
You can check the store on this site for product availability. If it's listed in our webstore, it should be available still Diamond Comics, the distributor that serves almost all comic book specialty stores. We encourage you to see if you local comics shop can order it for you before ordering it from us. You'll probably get better service in the long-run.
 
How can I find a comic book store in my area?
You can go to Diamond Comics comic shop locater at csls.diamondcomics.com, or call 1-888-COMIC-BOOK.
 
Is J. Torres the same J. Torres that's a respected professor of Marine Science at the University of South Florida?
No, our J. Torres is a husky Canadian who, while fond of aquariums, isn't all that knowledgeable about the deep blue sea.
 
How do I contact my favorite creator?
You can e-mail them through the address listed in the comic book of the specific creator you want to reach (for instance, you can reach the Hopeless Savages team at hopeless@onipress.com) or you can send an e-mail to oni1@onipress.com, and the editorial staff will forward you there. If you want to send something by snail mail, send it to:

Oni Press
1305 SE MLK Blvd., Suite #A
Portland, OR 97214

(For snail mail, expect delays as we have to forward the package.)
 
Is Jamie S. Rich the same Jamie S. Rich that used to write letters to Grendel?
Yes, and his current life is proof why you should never get involved in the sick, dark world of letterhacking. (And how come no one ever remembers that it was Joe Nozemack in those fashionable ads for the Grendel Cycle sculpted pin?)
 
Will there be more issues of my favorite Oni Press comic?
Maybe. Look in the site's books section for possible information, or on the upcoming release list in the news section. If that fails, try our community board.
 
Will there be a trade paperback collection of my favorite Oni Press comic and how much will it cost?
It's very possible that there will be a collection, because we like them. We try to never collect any comic earlier than four months after the last issue, and whenever possible, we price them the same as it would cost to buy the individual issues so no one gets a better deal. (Sometimes prices change for various reasons, usually having to do with length.)
 
Why not just publish them in book form instead of releasing them in serialized form?
There are many reasons for this. Some are economic, like allowing the individual issues to absorb production costs and enabling the creators to earn more money up front. Also, though the comics market is starting to become more friendly to original graphic novels, we don't feel that it is ready to abandon serialized comics completely. Many fans and retailers still prefer the nature of serialized comics, and we feel that audience deserves to have their say.
 
Are your comics available outside the direct market?
Yes, our trade paperback collections are distributed through Diamond Books, as well as book distributors like Ingram and Baker & Taylor.
 
Will Oni Press ever publish in color?
Yes, and we actually have done several books in color. However, the expense of color is more suited to a much larger publisher, so color on individual projects is judged on a case-by-case basis. Even if we make a big transition to color comics, we will likely still publish comics in black-and-white if we think the book is best suited to that medium.
 
Is Antony Johnston the dude from that band?
Which band? Antony & the Johnsons? That's not even his name! It's JohnsTon! There's a T in there! Antony Johnston is a musician though. You can check out his theme song for his comic series, Wasteland, at TheBigWet.com.
 
Are any Oni Press creators going to be appearing at cons or stores near my town?
We list all creator appearances we are aware of in the news section of our website. Also, the OniPress.com Forum provides an excellent opportunity for fans to converse directly with several different Oni creators.
 
Why won't your webstore ship outside the United States?
We now ship to Canada, but at this time, it's not economically viable for us to ship individual orders overseas. Sorry.
 
Is Ross Campbell the same Ross Campbell that works as a dental surgeon in Norwich?
No. Ross is a fulltime cartoonist living in New York. He rarely leaves his drawing table, and when he does, it's often to watch The Chronicles of Riddick yet again.
 
Will my favorite Oni comic ever be made into a movie?
Maybe. Currently some Oni projects--Scott Pilgrim, Courtney Crumrin, Whiteout, Queen & Country, The Damned, and The Leading Man, to name a few--have been optioned for motion pictures. Other Oni titles may find a life in other media. If any concrete news is available, it should be in our news section. Barring that, try our forum.
 
Is Corey Lewis really C.S. Lewis?
Yes, in that his first two initials really are "C" and "S." No, in that he is not the award-winning author of The Chronicles of Narnia.
 
 
 
When is the "My Name is Earl" comic coming out?
Unfortunately, it's never going to happen. Sorry. :)
 
Who distributes Oni Press titles?
Our distributor for the "Direct Market", which is the large network of specialized comic shops, is Diamond Comics Distribution.

In all other markets, our books are available through Diamond Book Distribution, Baker & Taylor, and Ingram.