Bongo is the successful comics publishing company that nobody knows about. Although it will celebrate its 17th anniversary this year, and has mastered the periodical-to-trade business model, and has been happily plugging along publishing essentially creator-driven comics for all that time….no one in the comics industry EVER talks about Bongo. Sure, publishing Simpsons comics seems like a no-brainer…but do you think the books would have lasted this long as a licensed title at DC or Marvel?
Well, now there have been some changes. And some new branding. It has a new logo to start with —three’s a trend! And long-time art director Nathan Kane has been promoted to Creative Director, replacing Bill Morrison, who, we’re told, has joined Simpsons creator (and Bongo owner) Matt Groening to work on new projects.
They’ve also released a 16-page insert for retailers to explain where the company is and where it’s going.
Bongo’s titles include:
SIMPSONS COMICS
FUTURAMA COMICS,
BART SIMPSON
SERGIO ARAGONES FUNNIES
BONGO ONE-SHOT WONDERS
SIMPSONS ILLUSTRATED
TREEHOUSE OF HORROR
SUMMER SHINDIG
WINTER WINDING
SIMPSONS SUPER SPECTACULAR
and distributes SPONGEBOB COMICS. With SERGIO ARAGONES FUNNIES, Bongo has gone back to publishing creator-owned comics…and they deserve lots of props for that.
Although long the silent star of the comics biz, we suspect you might just be hearing more about Bongo in the near future. If nothing else, when successful comics company are discussed—one with worldwide distribution models and a highly successful trade publishing program—Bongo should definitely be included.
Here’s the retailer marketing insert in total:
Hmm… there’s a theme at work here. Someone write up a piece about it! It just seems that someone somewhere decided all logos for comics should be boring! Bland! and yawn inducing. I mean, first DC, then Bongo? And really, Oni’s isn’t much better.
Not only that, but some of DCs relaunch title logos are horrific. Deathstroke, anyone? Teen Titans? Even the Animal Man logo is bad, if I may say so myself. In the past, these logos would have been laughed out of the office, but now they’re accepted and used. DC might have just been in a hurry or something with their relaunch, but even Marvel has sleepy time logos now. Does it have something to do with the book industry, and trying to push the titles in that direction? Comic book logos today seem less about “bam-pow-bang!” in 3D with punch, and more just about laying out fonts and giving them some gritty/drop shadows. I’ve just noticed this trend for a while, and I’m curious what it’s all about.
Bongo Comics may not get talked about a lot, but their comics fill a great need on the comics spectrum— they are funny comics for all ages that do not talk down to their readers.
What Matt Groening, Bill Morrison, Terry Delegeane and company have done over the last 17 years is nothing short of remarkable.
As a retailer, I am very thankful for what Bongo brings to this market!
Eh, it doesn’t suck as bad as the new DC and ONI logos, but I don’t think it’s better than the previous Bongo logo. This new one is just boring looking.
In the spirit of all the new logos, I myself will be giving myself a new logo in two weeks.
I don’t understand: why would you change the comic’s logo from that of the the show on which it’s based? Don’t you want that obvious visual continuity?
Yeah, changing the logos so they don’t match the TV shows is one of the stupidest decisions I think I’ve ever heard. That said, Matt Groening working on “secret projects” sounds good to me.
If all licenced comics were treated like Bongo treats theirs, comics would be a better place.
I would buy a fort thunder/kramers ergot influenced GI Joe comic in a second!
I like the new Bongo logo. Snappy with a slight retro feel. The old one worked for me as well. Call me crazy but it’s like they have some sort of “graphics talent” working for them.
The irony here is the Simpsons and Futurama comic books do have value on EBay unlike the vast majority of comics published by Marvel,DC and Dark Horse these last 15 years. Bongo cut the cord from the TYPICAL NICHE audience that never grew up, and sold to a more mainstream audience. I give Bongo props for that. DC should have taken notes from Bongo when they tried their DC 52 reboot.
respectfully “stam”