Penny-Farthing: Not Your Typical Indie

This story originally appeared in PW Comics Week on November 7, 2006 Sign up now!

by Sunyoung Lee, PW Comics Week -- Publishers Weekly, 11/7/2006

Just because you might never have heard of Penny-Farthing Press—much less picked up one of its comics—doesn't mean you shouldn't pay close attention to this Houston indie comics publisher. Founded in 1998, Penny-Farthing Press combines deep pockets with a business plan focused on developing high-quality comics that can be licensed as movie, TV or gaming projects.

PFP tends more toward flashy mainstream superhero fare than the idiosyncratic, single-artist aesthetic associated with indie comics. It regularly publishes the kind of intricately plotted, lushly produced titles that even the largest publishers rarely attempt. Most surprising of all, PFP has managed to survive as a self-described "boutique" publisher in this increasingly competitive market.

"If you look at the industry, it's littered with the corpses of independents," says Pamela Miltenberger, PFP's v-p of marketing and media communications. "We want to develop smart. And that's why people are sitting up and noticing now. They're saying, 'we can't believe that a small press can do this level of books.' "

It doesn't hurt that PFP's founder and publisher, Ken White, a longtime comics fan and collector of Plastic Man comics, also happens to be the CEO of a very successful, publicly owned oil company. White's business plan is to use comics as a stepping stone to other licensing possibilities. "You can't really make any money in comics unless you're putting out ridiculous amounts," explains PFP's creative director, Trainor Houghton. "We're not trying to out-Marvel Marvel. The only thing you can do is to take that property and parlay that into media property—games, movies, TV series, whatever."

This emphasis on original comics as potential media property has made it possible for PFP to publish an eclectic range of genres, from sci-fi adventure to retro pulp to alien/cop buddy humor. Its titles translate easily into film pitches such as "high-budget summer popcorn thriller" or "Saturday morning kid's cartoon." "We're not interested in creating a shared universe," says Trainor, "nor do we want to be a niche publisher. I don't think there's any genre that we wouldn't consider."

Given this strategy, it's no surprise that PFP emphasizes editorial quality over quantity and production values over loaded schedules. As of 2006, PFP has published only six titles, each released first as a serial and then as a hardcover or paperback collection. They didn't bring in Pamela Miltenberger, v-p of marketing and media advising, until just this year. "So far, we've been working on getting up to snuff in terms of production," says Houghton. "Now we're trying to raise our profile."

Distribution has also not been as much of a priority thus far. Although PFP is exploring book distribution options, it has been relying primarily on Diamond for its serials and on book wholesalers like Baker & Taylor. PFP's average print run for serials is 10,000 copies; 6,000 copies for bound collections. The house's marketing has relied on word of mouth, Internet buzz and an increased presence at conferences throughout the country for its sales.

PFP's titles are known for being lavishly produced, with four-color glossy paper and the kind of painstaking attention to design, artwork and color that would be prohibitively expensive for a larger press. "Slick production values really helps to sell a property," says Houghton. "Paying attention to this kind of production is good for getting the property in front of the right people in Hollywood and overseas."

In this regard, PFP's size and deep pockets are particularly useful. "I can get the best penciller, put him with a legendary inker, a Hollywood animation colorist, and then get the best cover artist money can buy," explains Houghton. "DC or Marvel might be able to say that they've put out 30 books a month, but I've put four legends together."

PFP's production standards have already won awards for its books from Spectrum and the Gutenburg Metal d'Argent for excellence in printing. It's also made the publisher popular with freelance talent. (Its reputation for paying on time has also been helpful.) "We used to have to call artists to get them to work with us," says Houghton. "They call us now."

Writing is equally important. "I'm a writer," explains Houghton, "so I always approach proposals to see if they're well-written. Do they actually work, line by line, beat by beat?" As with the artwork, this has sometimes meant reaching out beyond those who are already involved with comics. "We've gone after writers from other mediums: book writers, short story writers, to get them to write for sequential art," says Houghton. Barbara Hambly, a multi-genre fiction writer who had originally been contacted to provide a side story for one of the villains in Penny-Farthing's flagship title, The Victorian, is now the creative force behind PFP's forthcoming title, Anne Steelyard, an action thriller featuring a World War I female archeologist.

Just how well this boutique approach to publishing will work as a long-term strategy has yet to be determined. Although PFP has been approached "almost from the get go" with offers, it has yet to make any announcements. "We don't want to see any of these projects die in turnaround," says Houghton. "When the director says, 'Roll,' that's when we'll announce them."

In the meantime, PFP is gearing up for a big bookselling push in the coming year that will include visits to conventions and a complete redesign of its Web site. Headlining the spring 2007 book releases are bound collections of two bestselling titles: Captain Gravity and the Power of the Vril, a retro Rocketman-style homage to golden age pulp serials that features an African-American hero fighting off Nazi intrigue; and PARA a sci-fi action adventure about atom smashers and extraterrestrials, dreamed up by Stuart Moore, former editor and co-founder of Vertigo. In another nod to the media potential of its titles, PFP is creating an animated demo of its children's book, Loch, which it will unveil at the 2007 San Diego Comic-con (a sneak peek should be ready by the New York Comic-con).

Despite challenges, Penny-Farthing Press is committed to following the path of slow growth and exacting standards. "People can see that we have quality titles," says Miltenberger. "So they understand that it might take longer to get one of our books—but look at what you get."