Breaking: DC to shut down CMX

StolenHearts

Well, this is sad news: CMX Manga, the plucky little manga division of DC Comics that put out some nice little series but always seemed to fly under the radar, will be shutting down as of July 1. Here’s the official statement:

Over the course of the last six years, CMX has brought a diverse list of titles to America and we value the books and creators that we helped introduce to a new audience. Given the challenges that manga is facing in the American marketplace, we have decided that CMX will cease publishing new titles as of July 1, 2010. 

The shuttering of the CMX line does not affect the best-selling series Megatokyo which will continue publication, now as a DC Comics title with story and art by Megatokyo’s award-winning creator Fred Gallagher.

We’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the efforts and dedication of the CMX staff and to thank our fans who have supported CMX.

– DC Comics Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan Didio

We are of the opinion that DC never really gave CMX the love they deserved—they didn’t give it much publicity, and the books were impossible to find in bookstores. But editor-in-chief Asako Suzuki and editor Jim Chadwick did an incredible job of picking great manga and bringing them over, including The Name of the Flower, Kiichi and the Magic Books, and Diamond Girl, which had my husband laughing out loud this weekend. We are going to miss them.

Update: ANN reports that seven titles will ship next month.

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Comments

  1. Nooo, not CMX :(
    I always assumed that even though they never really learnt what advertising was, they were doing okay because of their parent company and the fact their books always seemed so well received.
    I’ve bought so many of their books and the idea that I won’t get to buy more is far more depressing than I’d have thought. Go Comi vanishing disappointed me because I was following a few of their titles. CMX is more soul shattering. I’m following so many, the idea of not seeing them through… I’ve been burned before many times but somehow I never saw it coming from CMX. There were so many licenses I was looking foward to as well; Phantom Guesthouse, 51 Ways to Save Her, Carved, Shisso Holiday, even Nyankoi… :(

    Farewell CMX :x
    You’ve released some awesome, amazing manga, I’ll miss it a lot more than I realised until I saw this.

  2. Erk. That was meant to be a :s sort of face, rather than an angry one with the farewell :

  3. This is truly disheartening news. CMX was a division that did more than could be expected with less than nothing and I’m upset at DC for not valuing their efforts.

    I’m starting to think the odds are just completely stacked against any company that’s not funded heavily by a Japanese parent.

    To the CMX folks I offer my sincere condolences. You guys did brilliant work.

  4. I always thought that CMX really shot themselves in the foot in the starting gate with the whole Tengo Tenge censorship. When Del Rey got under fire for the same issues revolving Negima, they immediately resolved the problem, putting them in a better light with the fans. CMX never really seemed to care about the Manga audience, save for some selective obscure 70’s Shojo Mangas. They just assumed they’d snap up any license they’d acquire.

    Not to mention most of the titles they brought over were substantial titles that couldn’t really stand up to their competitors at Viz & TokyoPop, the REAL Big Two. Heck. they’d be lucky to be considered a contendor versus Go.Comi, Broccoli, Bandai, or any of the small-time Manga publishers.

    At least they stuck with this longer than they did for the Minx line. My guess is that they only just noticed it around now, and decided it wasn’t on par with the rest of their regular S-hero line. (i.e. Dark & Depressing)

    I’d better snap up the rest of Moon Child while I still have the chance. (Even if it feels like a sub-par Please Save my Earth rip-off)

  5. Nooooooooooo! I’ll miss you most of all, CMX!!!!!

    I jest slightly, but this really, really sucks.

  6. This really sucks, especially since I had the opportunity to visit the CMX offices last summer. Asako and Jim, along with Larry and others at the La Jolla-based offices, did an AMAZING job considering the resources they were provided with. I honestly don’t want to believe this news, especially since I was so happy to have a local manga imprint. I’ll be sure to hit up my bookstore this weekend to pick up the remaining volumes of the series I was following.

    And, like Ephidel said, I’m so sorry to see the great licenses Asako acquired — ESPECIALLY 51 Ways to Save Her (which I had the opportunity to see in Japanese last summer) — will never see the light of day. My condolences to everyone at CMX…

  7. in truth I didnt really care for most tiltes but I’m for ever thankful for putting out super gals (the only manga I saw of them at book stores) cause I bought all 10 volumes =)

  8. doinkies says

    I don’t think DC ever really gave CMX a chance…though they had a lot of good titles, they were barely promoted and most of them never showed up in bookstores. Also there was the whole Tenjou Tenge censorship fiasco which really damaged their reputation with fans. I remember that whenever CMX licensed something after that, people worried it would be censored (even when Emma was licensed…) Even though they changed management and the rest of their series were unedited, many people still thought of them as “the company that butchered TT” and nothing else. I wonder if CMX could have been more successful if they’d decided not to censor that series.

    I feel bad for the people at CMX and I wish them the best. I also hope that some of their series will be rescued in the future.

  9. Seeing CMX close is like seeing your best friend move away forever. THIS SUCKS SO HARD. I know their books sold like complete crap, but they were awesome books, dammit. They’re backed by Time Warner! Why can’t Time Warner just shovel money at them indefinitely?! Whoever managed to mask their horrid sales from DC for this long could’ve just continued to do so forever, right? RIGHT?! WHY IS REALITY TAKING AWAY GOOD COMICS?!

    …Now is the time to drown sorrows in root beer.

  10. CMX will have officially been around for 6 whole years come the end of June, so I’d say DC more than gave CMX a fair shot at life. More than most imprints, even.

  11. Chargone says

    my only experiences with CMX were Megatokyo (which DC will apparently keep publishing) and Emma.

    gathering up Emma was a pain in the Arse (though i have, Finally! got the full thing. even if volume 7 is a rather abused ex-library copy :S), and i always wondered how on earth they could keep the first couple of volumes in print and available for so long after they stopped publishing the last ones… (never mind that it was impossible to get the ones in the middle when the end ones Were around)
    no idea how much of that is CMX and how much the vagaries of international distribution though.

    that said, Emma itself was done very well. kinda sad to see CMX close it’s doors like that. (wonder how long before Megatokyo changes publishers again, with that change? heh. depends how it goes, i guess…)

  12. “Why can’t Time Warner just shovel money at them indefinitely?! ”

    This is a really good question. The answer is that the current corporate model does not have room for any division that is not making profits. Even if the division is well-received, if the are doing okay but not great, it is not worth anything unless it is raking in profits.

    I’m really sad that manga companies are dropping like flies. I wish I had more money to spend on manga, because I feel like right now is a crucial time in manga history. If you have a favorite publisher, guys, please. SUPPORT THEM. Buy their books.

    My main love is alt manga, and things like the Viz Sig line, but I feel like these titles will be okay because the releases are smaller, more mobile. When you are talking about a company or a division that is banking everything on a large line of products and high print costs, if they fall or even trip, they fall hard.

  13. CMX will be missed but let’s face the facts that most people ignored their titles in favour of more flashier ones from the “Big Two”. Remember that the manga market is mostly driven by fickle teenagers who cna’t sepll.

    That said, it’s really up to the company to sell its products. A consumer can’t buy a product just out of pity. Yes, I blame the fickle teenagers for making the manga market how it is, but there’s also some responsibility that falls on the publisher.

    CMXs covers were too timid, and some too ugly. A major repellant. None of the titles were scream-worthy either. In contrast, Seven Seas is a chibi publisher, but just look at their gorgeous covers (heh heh, and Kitty Media, too).

    Finally, a charming but ultimately low-selling company wouldn’t have lasted long now with manga as it is. I knew DC wanted to capitalize on the manga boom, they just didn’t know how to do it. Although it allowed us fans to see a different but rewarding publisher.

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