Lion Forge is still fairly new, but they have done quite well at growing a catalogue of titles for all ages. Their list of titles just got a lot bigger. Polarity, the parent company of Lion Forge, announced that they will become the majority owner of Oni Press. This will now create a merger of the two publishers, with new responsibilities for each team.
James Lucas Jones will serve as president and publisher of the new entity. The Oni Press team will now lead the creative and business operations. Lucas Jones had this to say in a press release: "We want to build on our strength as a go-to destination for creators, grow our culture as an employee-first organization, and reinforce our commitment to our industry partners and friends," said James Lucas Jones. "In an increasingly competitive marketplace, where the business of comics and graphic novels is rapidly evolving, this merger is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our two companies to pool our resources for one goal: to create the finest comics and graphic novels for everyone." We have also learned that Joe Nozemack will be stepping down as President, and move to an advisory role.
It really seems like Polarity wants to streamline the operation of both companies. It's also worth noting that this process also deals with Oni Entertainment and any film, TV or gaming projects. This was an area where Lion Forge did not yet have a lot of traction. To put that into perspective, Oni Press has been around for 20 years, which is quite a head start on Lion Forge. What Lion Forge has been able to build, with titles for all ages, in such a short time is quite remarkable.
To me, this is a win-win for both sides. Lion Forge gets to add a great catalogue of creator owned and licensed properties. Oni Press gains more of a footing in the younger age range, where the Lion Forge imprints seem to shine. There is no word on whether or not the companies will be completely under one umbrella or if Oni Press will now be an imprint of Lion Forge. More information will be announced in the coming weeks.