Aftershock Comics logo
| |
| Founded | April 2015[1] |
|---|---|
| Founder | Joe Pruett Mike Marts Lee Kramer Jon Kramer Michael Richter |
| Defunct | December 2022 (bankruptcy[2]) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | Sherman Oaks, California |
| Distribution | Diamond Book Distributors (books) |
| Publication types | Comic books, graphic novels |
| Official website | http://aftershockcomics.com/ |
AfterShock Comics was an American comic book publisher founded in April 2015.[1]
Senior executives included Jawad Qureshi.[3] In December 2022, AfterShock Comics filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy leaving many of their contributing artists unpaid for their work.[2][4]
The company was co-founded by Joe Pruett, editor of the noted comic anthology Negative Burn and Mike Marts, the former executive editor in charge of Marvel Comics' X-Men franchise and DC Comics' Batman franchise.[5] Other co-founders include Lee Kramer, Jon Kramer, and Michael Richter.[3] Other senior executives include Jawad Qureshi.[3]
AfterShock's published works are creator-owned and its portfolio includes comics by Cullen Bunn, Warren Ellis,[6] Garth Ennis,[7] Marguerite Bennett,[8] and Adam Glass,[9] among others.
AfterShock Comics won the New Publisher of the Year Diamond Gem Award in 2017.[10]
The label attracted attention in 2016 when it published Paul Jenkins' comic Alters, featuring the character Chalice, touted as the first transgender superhero.[11][12] In a column for The Mary Sue, transgender activist Jes Grobman dismissed Alters as "cliche".[13] Other critics were more positive; one noted that "[t]he visuals are beautiful and deserve attention, while the story looks to be addressing something avoided in American society."[14]
