After more than 50 years in online retail, pop culture authority Bud Plant has sold his company, Bud’s Art Books, to longtime industry expert Bill Schanes and his niece, Sasha Fera-Schanes, for an undisclosed amount.
The deal was officially completed on January 15, and gives Schanes ownership and control of Bud’s Art Books, a.k.a. Bud Plant Comic Art, the Grass Valley, Calif.-based online mail order business known for selling new and rare books related to comic books, fantasy art, illustration, horror, and related materials. The sale includes the overall assets of Bud’s Art Books.
“I’ve been doing this for 55 years, and it seemed time to step back,” Plant, 73, told Publishers Weekly. “I would like to be able to step away from the warehouse and have some free time to enjoy other things. My partner, Anne Hutchison, and I are running a separate but related business selling old books and comics, so it’s not like I’m moving away completely.”
Plant, a comic book fan since 1964, entered the online retail business in 1970 selling old comic books, underground comics, and fanzines. He also had a presence at early comic book conventions, including Phil Seuling’s conventions in New York, and the San Diego Comic Con, where Plant was a central figure for 48 years.
In 1972, Plant, with a few fellow fans, established Comics & Comix, the first comic store chain in northern California, eventually opening seven stores. Plant later got into distribution, selling that portion of his business to Diamond Comic Distributors in 1988. He even tried his hand at publishing, producing 24 issues of Jack Katz’s independent comic book The First Kingdom and five issues of the fanzine Promethean Enterprises.
Schanes, who has known Plant since the early ‘70s, is the former publisher of Pacific Comics, and former vice president of purchasing at Diamond Comic Distributors, a title he held from 1985 until his retirement in 2013. Sasha Fera-Schanes is president and CEO of Pop-King, Inc., a prominent player in the comic book and pop culture industry.
One of Schanes’ first decisions was to hire longtime fan and collector Marty Grosser, who will replace Plant as the “voice” of the company’s popular “Bud Plant’s Incredible Catalogue,” known for Plant’s personal product recommendations. Grosser will also be involved in expanding the number of titles and products offered each month, with hopes to "diversify our offerings to include more independent creators and their works while continuing to serve our existing customer base and their particular interests."
One of Bud’s Art Books’ greatest strengths is Plant’s reputation among fans and clients, observes Schanes. “People love Bud and they love his company,” he said. “One of the things that historically has made Bud’s Art Books unique is Bud’s integrity and insights into all things comics, illustrated books, and art books. If we can do justice to that, I believe we’ll have something that can go forward for many more years to come.”
Plant is ready to step back and let Schanes take the spotlight, but acknowledges that there will be much he’ll miss. “What made me the happiest was selecting the covers for the catalogue and getting the catalogue out,” he says. “I would get opinions from others, but selecting the cover was my creative part. I really enjoyed finding a really groovy piece of artwork to share with our customers. That was very rewarding.”
Beyond the cover, Plant says he also will miss promoting his favorites among new items, and tapping his connections within the art world to offer signed book plates, a special bonus Plant usually provided at no additional charge. Plant explains, “I’m not an artist or a publisher, but I love doing stuff like that, adding extra value to a book I’m excited about anyway.”
