IDW Offers International Services to Other Publishers

Now here’s a smart way to make additional money — set something up that you need, then offer the service to others like you.

IDW International manages foreign rights (international licensing) for publishers including themselves, Oni Press, Archie Comics, and now Tokyopop. That means they help sell these publishers’ comics into non-English-language markets. That’s a useful source of extra money for publishers, but it requires skills and time that smaller firms likely don’t have.

(I do wonder about Tokyopop as a client, though — their business is mostly translating Japanese works into English. The press release where I got this information says, “Tokyopop’s foreign rights catalogue consists of over 100 manga and graphic novel IPs featuring a diverse range of characters and stories from talented creators worldwide.” Perhaps that only covers the original “OEL manga” works they published years ago.)

Said IDW President and Publisher Greg Goldstein, “Our mission with IDW International has always been to be a worldwide content distributor and this cements that goal even further.” Besides comics, IDW Entertainment is also the worldwide distributor of the Wynonna Earp TV show and producer of BBC America’s Dirk Gently.