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Comic publisher BOOM! Studios is set to be acquired by Penguin Random House, it has been reported by Deadline. BOOM! will become a part of the publishing giant's Random House Worlds division, alongside several other imprints including the manga-focused Inklore, and sci-fi publisher Del Rey.
BOOM! Studios co-founder and chairman Ross Richie said of the deal, "It's every entrepreneur's dream to launch a company, build it, and sell it to the best. I'm excited to hand the reins of BOOM! over to the best and largest publisher in the world. Their focus on readers and retail partnerships will build upon our work and help our creators achieve even more success. Personally, it's time for me to take some much-needed time off with my family and explore what's next."
Random House Worlds president, Scott Shannon added, "Over the past several years Random House Worlds has partnered with BOOM! Studios on various projects and had the benefit of seeing first-hand their best-in-class comic publishing. Ross and his team have built a dynamic, imaginative home for a diverse and talented roster of creators. We are thrilled to welcome BOOM! Studios to our house, and now work side-by-side with this imaginative team."
He continued by saying that the acquisition is "a major step in Penguin Random House's expansion of support to the direct comics market and a key part of our commitment to being the best publisher for creators across all categories."
Despite the acquisition, it seems as if things will continue to be largely business as usual at BOOM! for now – though Filip Sablik, BOOM!'s president of publishing and marketing, has reportedly left the company. BOOM! will retain its editorial and publishing independence, and will continue to be based in the same L.A. office led by company president Stephen Christy. Likewise, BOOM! titles will continue to be distributed through both Diamond Comic Distributors and Simon & Schuster.
BOOM! was founded in 2005 by Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby, with the intention of publishing comics that mostly fall outside of the superhero genre. The company has gone on to great success with breakout hits like James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera's horror title Something is Killing the Children, and Keanu Reeves' BRZRKR, the 2021 first issue of which was the single best-selling comic issue since 2015. The company also holds numerous popular licenses, including Power Rangers, Firefly, and Labyrinth. The acquisition is expected to complete later this summer.
Keanu Reeves isn't the first celebrity to dabble in comics - nor will he be the last. Check out our list of notable celebrities who have written and drawn comic books.
