Dark Horse Comics has shared a video celebrating the five-year anniversary of Berger Books at Dark Horse. Launched in 2017, Dark Horse first announced that Karen Berger, the award-winning comic book editor and founder of DC Comics’ influential imprint Vertigo, would be acquiring, editing, and overseeing Berger Books, a line of creator-owned comics and graphic novels to be published by Dark Horse Comics. The Berger Books line launched titles in January 2018 like Anthony Bourdain’s Hungry Ghosts, followed by The Seeds by Ann Nocenti and David Aja, and more.
“Karen is someone I’ve always respected and admired. She’s a visionary thinker and one of the most highly regarded individuals in the comic book industry,” said Mike Richardson, CEO and Founder of Dark Horse Comics. “Her fiercely independent streak and forward-looking storytelling instincts are a perfect match for Dark Horse Comics, and have led to ongoing success with Berger Books.”
Check out the celebratory video below.
Berger added had this to say about the anniversary:
It’s a thrill to celebrate the first five years of Berger Books! I’m incredibly proud to have published so many smart, singular and thought-provoking stories by a stunning range of writers and artists. Shifting the line to original graphic novels exclusively has been the perfect way to showcase our line-up of books in diverse genres: speculative, science and climate fiction, thrillers, crime, fantasy, magical realism, horror, and mystery.
Whether it’s a tale of a crusading doctor and her sentient plant, a love story between an alien and a young woman, the fight to save a plagued planet Earth, an intergalactic conspiracy between religion and commerce, the search to uncover dark family secrets, or the surreal battle for the American Dream, each of our stories is its own reflection of the times in which we live. Each story explores aspects of the human and sometimes inhuman condition, our connection and disconnection to each other, and how each of the characters navigate their own unique and unpredictable journey. For those of you who have read and sold our books along the way, thank you so much for your support and patronage. There’s certainly more to come!
And for those of you looking for new and exciting books that challenge and inspire, please check out our burgeoning line of acclaimed and award-winning graphic novels and our stellar creators whose visions and wonderful talent make it all possible. Explore our range of titles here and head to your favorite comic shop to make it your own. I’m very excited for what we have in store, so stay tuned for new unforgettable stories from the gang at Berger Books!” –Karen Berger
From Richard Bruning, Berger Books Designer: “It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since we concocted this mad scheme to publish the best comics since Vertigo. But, here we are, and happy to be so. In my MANY years of working in comics, one thing has always driven me: to present collected comics and graphic novels in the best way possible. They should look like books anybody would be proud to have on a coffee table or to share with a non-comics reading friend. Berger Books was built from the beginning to do just that.
I’m extremely proud of how our many volumes have turned out. Having complete control over the packaging without any corporate interference has been a godsend (thank you, Mike!). Finding the right design approach for each unique story being told is a joy I hope I can experience for many more years. And with your kind and generous support, I know that I will. As they say: It’s the Must-Have Graphic Novel Library. And I’m sure you’ll agree.” –Richard Bruning
Stay tuned for more to come from Berger Books–and meanwhile, join Dark Horse in celebrating five years of compelling, thought-provoking stories and definitive editions! Look for more news and posts from Dark Horse on our website and social media, and join in the conversation with the tag #BergerBooks.
For more on this news, read the official press release below.
MILWAUKIE, Ore., (January 31, 2022)— In 2017, Dark Horse first announced that Karen Berger, the legendary, award-winning comic book editor and founder of DC Comics’ influential imprint Vertigo, would be acquiring, editing, and overseeing Berger Books, a line of creator-owned comics and graphic novels to be published by Dark Horse Comics. Following that announcement, the Berger Books line launched strong in January 2018 with Anthony Bourdain’s Hungry Ghosts, followed by The Seeds by Ann Nocenti and David Aja, and more. Over the past five years, Berger Books has continued to find critical success with titles such as the Eisner Award-winning Invisible Kingdom by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward, and LaGuardia by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford, which won both an Eisner and a Hugo Award.
Now, entering 2023, Berger Books marks five years of publishing groundbreaking comics. New editions of titles such as Air by G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker are set to arrive this year, joining recent acclaimed titles such as Shifting Earth by Cecil Castellucci and Flavia Biondi and Salamandre by I.N.J. Culbard. The newest Berger Books release, Carmilla: The First Vampire by Amy Chu and Soo Lee, has just arrived in comic shops and will soon land in bookstores, and is already receiving rave reviews.
“Karen is someone I’ve always respected and admired. She’s a visionary thinker and one of the most highly regarded individuals in the comic book industry,” said Mike Richardson, CEO and Founder of Dark Horse Comics. “Her fiercely independent streak and forward-looking storytelling instincts are a perfect match for Dark Horse Comics, and have led to ongoing success with Berger Books.”
From Karen Berger herself, “It’s a thrill to celebrate the first five years of Berger Books! I’m incredibly proud to have published so many smart, singular and thought-provoking stories by a stunning range of writers and artists. Shifting the line to original graphic novels exclusively has been the perfect way to showcase our line-up of books in diverse genres: speculative, science and climate fiction, thrillers, crime, fantasy, magical realism, horror, and mystery.
Whether it’s a tale of a crusading doctor and her sentient plant, a love story between an alien and a young woman, the fight to save a plagued planet Earth, an intergalactic conspiracy between religion and commerce, the search to uncover dark family secrets, or the surreal battle for the American Dream, each of our stories is its own reflection of the times in which we live. Each story explores aspects of the human and sometimes inhuman condition, our connection and disconnection to each other, and how each of the characters navigate their own unique and unpredictable journey. For those of you who have read and sold our books along the way, thank you so much for your support and patronage. There’s certainly more to come!
And for those of you looking for new and exciting books that challenge and inspire, please check out our burgeoning line of acclaimed and award-winning graphic novels and our stellar creators whose visions and wonderful talent make it all possible. Explore our range of titles here and head to your favorite comic shop to make it your own. I’m very excited for what we have in store, so stay tuned for new unforgettable stories from the gang at Berger Books!” –Karen Berger
From Richard Bruning, Berger Books Designer: “It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since we concocted this mad scheme to publish the best comics since Vertigo. But, here we are, and happy to be so. In my MANY years of working in comics, one thing has always driven me: to present collected comics and graphic novels in the best way possible. They should look like books anybody would be proud to have on a coffee table or to share with a non-comics reading friend. Berger Books was built from the beginning to do just that.
I’m extremely proud of how our many volumes have turned out. Having complete control over the packaging without any corporate interference has been a godsend (thank you, Mike!). Finding the right design approach for each unique story being told is a joy I hope I can experience for many more years. And with your kind and generous support, I know that I will. As they say: It’s the Must-Have Graphic Novel Library. And I’m sure you’ll agree.” –Richard Bruning
Stay tuned for more to come from Berger Books–and meanwhile, join Dark Horse in celebrating five years of compelling, thought-provoking stories and definitive editions! Look for more news and posts from Dark Horse on our website and social media, and join in the conversation with the tag #BergerBooks.
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