Antarctic Press


Antarctic Press is a San Antonio-based comic book publishing company which publishes "Amerimanga" style comic books. The company also produces "how-to" and "you can" comics, instructing on areas of comic book creation and craft.
Beginning in 1985, Antarctic Press has published over 1500 titles with a total circulation of over 5 million. Befitting the company name, Antarctic's self-proclaimed mission is to "publish the coolest creator-owned comics on Earth". Co-founder Ben Dunn's brother Joe Dunn is the company's publisher.
Many now-established creators started their careers at Antarctic, including Chris Bunting, Ben Dunn, Eisner-nominated Rod Espinosa, and Joseph Wight. Cartoonist Alex Robinson serialized his first comic book, Box Office Poison, with Antarctic in the 1990s.
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History

Antarctic Press was founded by Ben Dunn and Marc Ripley in late 1984 to publish the anthology Mangazine, one of North America's first publications of original English-language manga. Local San Antonio creators Fred Perry, Joseph Wight, and Rod Espinosa were early contributors to Mangazine; later all of them had their own Antarctic Press titles. Mangazine eventually ran for 120 issues in three volumes over a 20-year period.
Another early title was Extremely Silly Comics.
The company's first hit was Dunn's Amerimanga Ninja High School, which debuted as a limited series with Antarctic in 1987. Originally intended as a miniseries, the comic hit such a boom of popularity that it became a full series, currently totaling over 160 issues.
Co-founder Ripley left the company in 1989 and Dunn brought on his brother Joeming Dunn to help manage the business.
Fred Perry's Gold Digger, which debuted in limited series form in 1992, is still being published by Antarctic Press.
In the 1990s, the company also published furry comics and erotic comics — from 1994 to 1998 the company operated an erotic imprint, Venus Comics.
In late 1996, however, looking to cut costs and focus more on more mainstream properties, Antarctic discontinued publishing all translated manga, anthropomorphic, and adults-only titles. As a result, two Antarctic Press employees, Elin Winkler-Suarez and Pat Duke, left the company to form Radio Comix. Furrlough and Genus, both long-running anthology titles, were taken over by Radio Comix.
Many of Antarctic's staple characters, from titles including Warrior Nun Areala, Ninja High School, Gold Digger, The Courageous Princess, and Dragons Arms, came together in the 2005 How to Break into Comics, which also featured their creators in the narrative.
In April 2006, the popular title Warrior Nun Areala was re-launched as Warrior Nun Lazarus and began to include computer coloring.
In 2007, David Hutchison's Final Girl limited series gave readers the choice as to which characters lived and which ones died.
In August 2016, the company began publication of Rochelle, from creator and writer John E. Crowther and artist Dell Barras.
In 2018 Antarctic more than doubled its monthly publishing schedule to 15 titles. It also branched into distribution, taking on the comics of the all-ages San Antonio small-press publisher Guardian Knight Comics.
In the spring of 2018 Antarctic announced it was publishing controversial creator and key figure of Comicsgate Richard C. Meyer's Jawbreakers: Lost Souls. After a backlash and threat of a retailer boycott, however, on May 11, Antarctic decided not to publish the title. Meyer filed a civil suit against fellow creator Mark Waid for "tortious interference with contract, defamation, and exemplary damages" for working to keep his book from being published by Antarctic; on December 23, 2020, the parties released a joint statement announcing that "Mr. Meyer has decided to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit".
In 2019 they launched Exciting Comics and the start of their "Superverse".

Titles

8-Bit Zombie by Fred Perry, a zombie-themed parody of/unofficial sequel to Wreck-It RalphAlbedo Anthropomorphics — taken over from Thoughts & Images; later taken over by Shanda Fantasy ArtsAmerican WomanBad Kids Go to HellBattle GirlzBox Office Poison Chesty SanchezThe Courageous PrincessDiesel, a loose adaptation of JoJo's Bizarre AdventureDinowarsDragon ArmsExtremely Silly ComicsExciting ComicsFamilies of Altered Wars Fantastic PanicFar WestFinal GirlFreakier Than NormalFurrlough — taken over by Radio ComixGold Digger — written and drawn by Fred PerryHepcats A History of WebcomicsAP's How to Draw MangaKing of Zombies, written and drawn by Joseph WightLand of Oz: the MangaThe Last ZombieLuftwaffe 1946Mangazine vol. 1 Mangazine vol. 2 Mangazine vol. 3 MetaDocs written by Joeming Dunn, MD, and illustrated by Rod EspinosaMighty TinyNazi ZombiesNeotopiaNinja High SchoolOz: the MangaPirates versus NinjasPresident Evil, a zombie parody comic featuring Barack ObamaThe Prince of HeroesPolyCombats Pose FilePunchlineRobotechRochelleSarah Palin vs. the World, a parody of Scott PilgrimThe Science FairSentaiShanda The PandaShōjoSteampunk Palin, a sci-fi satire featuring Sarah PalinStellar LosersStrangers in Paradise by Terry Moore — 3 issues ; debuted with Antarctic before becoming self-publishedStrong Box the Big, Bad Book of Boon by H. Thomas AltmanTank VixensTwilight X by Joseph WightTwilight X StormWall Might, a Donald Trump-themed parody of My Hero AcademiaWarrior Nun ArealaWeapons FileWild Life, a humorous slice-of-life anthology edited by Elin Winkler-Suarez which ran February 1993-April 1995 for twelve issues. It included Joe Rosales' Wildlifers and John Nunnemacher's Buffalo Wings.Winds of Winter
  • ''Zetraman: Revival''

Venus Comics titles

The Barr Girls — by Donna BarrBattle Binder Plus Big Boob Bondage Bondage Fairies Cheeta Pop Scream Queen Deviant — by Robin BougieEmblem — by Kei TaniguchiGenus — long-running anthology; taken over by Radio ComixMelty Feeling — by Komashi MamiyaNo-No UFO Nosferatu: The Death Mass — by Holden Morris
  • ''Vanity Angel''

Creators associated with Antarctic Press