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NBM Publishing

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Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing Inc. (or NBM Publishing) is an American graphic novel publisher. Founded by Terry Nantier in 1976 as Flying Buttress Publications, NBM is one of the oldest graphic novel publishers in North America. The company publishes English adaptations and translations of popular European comics, compilations of classic comic strips, and original fiction and nonfiction graphic novels.[5] In addition to NBM Graphic Novels, the company has several imprints including ComicsLit for literary graphic fiction,[6][7] and Eurotica and Amerotica for adult comics.[8][9]

NBM Publishing
StatusActive
Founded
  • 1976; 48 years ago (1976) as Flying Buttress Publications
  • 1984; 40 years ago (1984) as NBM
Founders
  • Terry Nantier
  • Chris Beall
  • Marc Minoustchine
Headquarters locationNew York City, U.S.
DistributionIndependent Publishers Group (US)[1]
Turnaround Publisher Services (UK)[2]
Diamond Book Distributors (international)[3]
Publication types
  • Graphic novels
  • Comic books and magazines
Imprints
  • ComicsLit
  • Eurotica
  • Amerotica
  • Flying Buttress Classics Library[4]
Official websitenbmpub.com

According to NBM, it is "the second largest indie comics press after Fantagraphics with close to $3MM in yearly retail sales on over 200,000 graphic novels sold a year plus tens of thousands of comic books and magazines".[10] The company says their "editorial choices [...] take [their] cue from the large and well-respected European comics scene".[11][failed verification]

History

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Flying Buttress Publications

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Terry Nantier (born 1957) spent his teenage years living in Paris,[12] developing an interest in European comics.[12] Returning to the U.S., Nantier attended the Newhouse School of Communications division of Syracuse University. In 1976, while still a Newhouse student, and using his Lawrinson Hall dorm room as headquarters,[13] he teamed with Chris Beall and Marc Minoustchine[12] to found Flying Buttress Publications with an initial investment of $2,100.[14] (Their tagline, referencing the architectural element of the flying buttress, was "the support of a new medium.")[14]

Flying Buttress was among the first to introduce the concept of the European graphic novel to American audiences. Among their first titles was Racket Rumba (1977), a 50-page spoof of the noir-detective genre, written and drawn by the French artist Loro. The company followed this with Enki Bilal's The Call of the Stars (1978). In 1979, the company published Gene Day's Future Day, a collection of science fiction works reprinted from comics anthologies including Star*Reach. Flying Buttress marketed these works as "graphic albums".

In 1982, the company created the Flying Buttress Classics Library imprint to reprint classic newspaper comic strips in both hardcover and paperback, beginning with Milton Caniff's Terry and the Pirates, followed by Tarzan strips by Hal Foster and Burne Hogarth.

NBM Publishing

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Nantier moved to New York City in 1983 to study at New York University, where he received his MBA in marketing in 1985. At that point NBM incorporated as Nantier, Beall, Minoustchine (NBM Publishing).[12] Nantier was co-owner and publisher, a title he still holds.[15]

NBM found success with such series as Vicente Segrelles's The Mercenary and Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese. NBM also became known for its reprints of classic newspaper comic strips. Wash Tubbs and Captain Easy reprinted the entire 1924–43 run of Roy Crane’s strip in an 18-volume series with biographical and historical commentary by Bill Blackbeard. With production and design by Bhob Stewart, this series was published by NBM on a quarterly schedule from 1987 to 1992.

In 1991, NBM created the Eurotica erotic comics imprint, following that in 1995 with the Amerotica line. Leading off the Amerotica titles were Skin Tight Orbit, volumes 1 and 2, erotic science fiction anthologies written by Elaine Lee. In 1994, NBM created ComicsLit, its showcase literary imprint,[16][17] which introduced ComicsLit Magazine in 1995.[18] Rick Geary's long-running "Murder" series, A Treasury of Victorian Murder and A Treasury of XXth Century Murder, have both been published through ComicsLit.

All through the 1990s NBM published translations of Franco-Belgian comics as well as works by Geary, Ted Rall, and other American authors.

It was not until 1997 that NBM published their first actual comic books—in a magazine format—when they reprinted issues of Pratt's Corto Maltese in a seven-issue limited series.[19]

In 2005, Nantier founded the companion publisher Papercutz, which is devoted to family-friendly comic books and graphic novels.[20] Mad Cave Studios acquired Papercutz in 2022.[21]

In 2020 NBM began publishing a new American translation of the Asterix series.[22]

Distribution

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Early on, NBM was distributed to the direct market through outfits like Sea Gate Distributors, Bud Plant Inc., Last Gasp, and Krupp Comic Works.[12] NBM pioneered general bookstore distribution as early as 1980,[12] with Caroline House.[23] In 1986, it was the first American comics publisher to get a book distributor when it signed with Publishers Group West. In 1988, NBM took over its own distribution, along the way becoming Dark Horse Comics's graphic novels distributor.[11] In 1994, they officially joined the Association of Comic Store Suppliers.[24]

Selected titles

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References

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  1. ^ NBM Publishing
  2. ^ "NBM". Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  3. ^ Our Publishers
  4. ^ "Visiting Faculty Spring 2011". Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS). Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  5. ^ St-Louis, Hervé (June 14, 2010), "Interview with Terry Nantier - Publisher and Founder of NBM", Comic Book Bin, retrieved December 17, 2016
  6. ^ Kulesa, William (February 24, 2016), "Take a walk through the Louvre with this graphic novel—Comic Box", Jersey Journal, retrieved December 17, 2016
  7. ^ St-Louis, Hervé (June 1, 2010). "It's NBM Month at The Comic Book Bin". Comic Book Bin. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  8. ^ Arrant, Chris, ed. (January 13, 2016). "NBM Publishing Celebrates 40 Year Anniversary with Name Change & New Logo". Newsarama. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  9. ^ Booker, M. Keith, ed. (2010). "Underground and Adult Comics". Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels. Vol. 2: M–Z. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 653. ISBN 978-0-313-35747-3.
  10. ^ CBR Staff (August 25, 2016), "NBM Publishing Announces Comic-Con International Debuts and Exclusives—Official Press Release", CBR.com, retrieved December 17, 2016
  11. ^ a b "About Us". NBM Graphic Novels. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Contino, Jennifer M. "NBM's So Graphic!," Sequential Tart vol. 5, #5 (May 2002).
  13. ^ Griffin, Sarah (February 17, 2020). "A Pioneer in Comics Publishing". University of Syracuse. Retrieved May 31, 2023. In his second year at Syracuse, with his Lawrinson Hall dorm room as headquarters, Nantier started his first publishing company.
  14. ^ a b "America’s First Graphic Novel Publisher," NBM website. Accessed February 22, 2014.
  15. ^ NBM entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed January 8, 2014.
  16. ^ "Newswatch: NBM Launches New ComicsLit Imprint," The Comics Journal #168 (May 1994), p. 39.
  17. ^ "Newswatch: NBM Launches New Format, Hires Publicist," The Comics Journal #175 (March 1995), p. 29.
  18. ^ "Newswatch: NBM Launches ComicsLit Magazine," The Comics Journal #176 (April 1995), p. 32.
  19. ^ "News Watch: NBM Leaps into Comic Book Publishing with Corto Maltese," The Comics Journal #194 (March 1997), p. 24-25.
  20. ^ "Papercutz Makes Big Splash with Kids' Graphic Novels," Publishers Weekly (November 2, 2010).
  21. ^ "Mad Cave Acquires Kids' Graphic Novel House Papercutz".
  22. ^ Gustines, George (November 10, 2019). "Asterix and the New Translated Editions". The New York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  23. ^ "In September 1976, NBM became America’s first graphic novel publisher," NBM website. Accessed February 24, 2014.
  24. ^ "Newswatch: New Member Added to ACSS," The Comics Journal #171 (September 1994), p. 40.
  25. ^ Kit, Borys; AP (August 15, 2008), "Alcon picks up 'Cryptozoo", Hollywood Reporter, retrieved December 17, 2016
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