The European comics market alone reached $18 billion in 2024, with Franco-Belgian bandes dessinées representing high-margin, evergreen inventory.
Ablaze Publishing has purchased NBM Publishing in an asset acquisition encompassing the veteran imprint’s complete catalogue and active creator contracts.
Founded in 2019, the Portland-based Ablaze will integrate NBM as a distinct imprint while founder Terry Nantier continues as consultant – preserving institutional knowledge whilst accelerating scale.
A Legacy Catalogue Enters Its Next Chapter
NBM’s 49-year heritage offers significant strategic value. Established in 1976 as North America’s first dedicated graphic novel house, the publisher pioneered literary comics distribution, securing bookstore partnerships as early as 1979 when the direct market dominated.
Its translations of European bandes dessinées introduced Enki Bilal, Lewis Trondheim, and Will Eisner to US readers, building a backlist that remains commercially resilient.
The imprint’s reputation for curatorial excellence across true crime, horror, and graphic journalism provides immediate credibility in an increasingly crowded market.
Distribution Infrastructure Meets Content Premium
This acquisition follows Ablaze’s global distribution agreement with Simon & Schuster (effective February 2026), positioning the combined entity to maximise reach across retail chains, independents, and libraries.
For publishing professionals, the S&S partnership resolves fulfilment logistics whilst NBM’s rights portfolio – particularly its European licences – offers a gateway to international markets at a moment when cross-continental content flow intensifies.
Market Context: Consolidation Amidst Growth
The deal reflects broader indie publisher M&A (merger and acquisition) activity. 2025 has witnessed Andrews McMeel Universal acquiring Quirk Books, Zando purchasing Tin House, and Seven Stories Press buying Two Dollar Radio – each transaction driven by backlist value and operational synergies.
Within graphic novels specifically, market analysts note accelerating consolidation as traditional houses acquire specialised imprints to capture segment growth (projected 5.61% CAGR in Europe through 2033).
The European comics market alone reached $18 billion in 2024, with Franco-Belgian bandes dessinées representing high-margin, evergreen inventory.
Strategic Implications for Rights and Licensing
For rights professionals, NBM’s active contracts and translation licences offer Ablaze immediate diversification beyond its existing manga, manhwa, and webtoon slate. The imprint’s established relationships with European publishers provide leverage in a market where French bandes dessinées maintain 40.8% regional market share and cultural institutionalisation. The preservation of Nantier’s consultancy signals continuity for licensors wary of catalogue disruption.
Ablaze’s integration of NBM’s prestige backlist with S&S’s distribution firepower creates a scaled graphic novel player capable of competing with larger conglomerates.
This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsletter.
