David Fickling Books (DFB), publishers of the top-selling, award-winning Bunny vs Monkey by Jamie Smart, and The Phoenix weekly comic have announced they will launch a new comic-book imprint, The Phoenix Comic Books, in January 2025.
DFB and The Phoenix have collaborated in the past to publish series like Jamie Smart’s Bunny vs Monkey and Looshkin, as well as Neill Cameron’s Mega Robo Bros.
An independent publishing house since 2013, DFB was initially run as an imprint for nearly twelve years, first as part of Scholastic, then of Random House. The company joined their separate, sister company, which publishes the new children’s comic The Phoenix, to form a DFB Storyhouse in 2013.
Authors include Laura Ellen Anderson, Julia Green, Nansubuga Isdahl, Susannah Lloyd, Thiago de Moraes, Sarah McIntyre & Philip Reeve, James Turner and many others.
The Bookseller reports their new imprint’s launch programme for 2025 includes new Bunny vs Monkey and Neill Cameron’s Mega Robo Bros titles, alongside collections of series such as the hugely-popular Donut Squad by Neill, that which will publish in May 2025, and Pandora in Puzzlevale, publishing June 2025.
The trade magazine highlighted the news on the cover of its issue cover dated 13th September 2024, an issue that included its annual Graphic Novels Spotlight, and an Independent bookshops report.
Excitingly, also in the works is The Phoenix Comic Club, which will launch alongside the new imprint, giving readers access to drawing, writing and comic-creation tutorials from artists and comic creators.
Each title in the imprint will come with free access to the club, with each book featuring a QR code opening a portal to a draw-along video and activity. Readers can then access the full array of comic-club tutorials, downloadable worksheets and activities from comic creators.
The Phoenix will be publishing new Comic Club material in the comic every week, and this will be accessible online for free.
The Phoenix has regularly published drawing guides by Robert Deas, the primary artist and series editor for the weekly drawing tutorial series The Skills Hub and the artist for The Valhalla Protocol.
A massive marketing and PR campaign is in the works to promote The Phoenix Comic Books imprint, including a launch at the 2025 Waterstones Family Festival, the dates of that yet to be announced, followed by a year-long programme of events and workshops.
“We’re so excited to launch The Phoenix Comic Books in 2025, bringing comic-book brilliance to as many readers as possible,” DFB enthused in social media posts. “The Phoenix comic know what kids love, and we can’t wait to turn more epic comics into epic books.”
“The Phoenix has fostered a love of reading in so many children, and has played a vital part in the recent growth of children’s comic books,” Bea Carvalho, head of books at Waterstones told The Bookseller. “DFB have a proven exceptional instinct for new talent in the genre: we’re hugely excited to see The Phoenix Comic Books imprint take shape, and to work closely with the team to launch more standard setting brands to excite booksellers and young readers.”
The Bookseller reported an advertising campaign will accompany the release of the stories, along with pop-up events, resources, display material, activity packs, exclusive merchandise and more.
“The experience DFB and The Phoenix have of working together on Bunny vs Monkey and our other wonderful comic-book series is joyous,” commented Liz Cross, managing and publishing director at David Fickling Books, “particularly because of the delight we can see these books bringing to readers.
“The Phoenix team have boundless creative energy, unparalleled comics expertise, and the ability to tap into what children really love – and the opportunity to work with them to harness this comics power in book form and bring Phoenix-y goodness to as many readers as possible is an exciting one indeed!”
Tom Fickling, editor-in-chief at The Phoenix comic, added: “I couldn’t be more thrilled and delighted to see The Phoenix Comic Books imprint burst into life! It takes the very best comics from The Phoenix, that we already know thousands of children love, and with DFB’s crack publishing team turns them into amazing books.”
• David Fickling Books is online at DavidFicklingBooks.com
• The Phoenix comic is online at thephoenixcomic.co.uk
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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