Com.x

Com.x was founded in 2000 by Eddie Deighton, Russell Uttley and Neil Googe. Deighton later described how the group came together in 1999:

{{cquote|Neil originally came for an interview as a designer at the design agency Russell and myself ran, but as soon as we saw in his portfolio that Neil had trained as a comic artist and had worked on 2000AD, we ended up talking for about 4 hours about comics and the industry in general. By the time we finished, we felt that Neil's talent would have gone to waste if we'd taken him on as a designer, so we decided instead to propose to our client, Konami, that we should work with Neil on a graphic novel for the computer game Silent Hill. They felt it would be a cool thing to do, so Neil came on board and we began developing the project. Very quickly, we found that we all got on really well and by about the third week of working together, we felt we had a lot to contribute to the comic industry in terms of enthusiasm and creativity.[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=153890 Com.x's Back: Talking to Eddie Deighton & Benjamin Shahrabani]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, April 16, 2008}}

The company published a number of titles in the following couple of years like Cla$$war by Rob Williams and Trevor Hairsine,[http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/jan02/rwilliams.shtml Cla$$ Act], Sequential Tart, January 2002[http://www.newsarama.com/comics/040902-ClassWar-Collection.html Finally Collected: Rob Williams Talks Cla$$war], Newsarama, 2 April 2009 Puncture by Uttley and Ben Oliver,[http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6125 The Final Puncture: Russ Uttley on Com.x's Puncture]{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, 13 October 2003 Razorjack by John Higgins[http://www.newsarama.com/comics/030907-Razorjack.html A Very Personal Vision: John Higgins on 'Razorjack'], Newsarama, 7 April 2009 and Bazooka Jules by Googe.[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=24085 Neil Googe: Talking Com.x, Majestic, & More]{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, 27 December 2004

Rob Williams suggested that the relatively greater impact Com.x had on the American publishing companies was:

{{cquote|It was purely the American format and the attention we received from the U.S. comic press. I just think Com.X's books talked to the American publishers in their own language—they looked and read like U.S. books so, hey, it's not that big a leap for American editors to see us working in American books.Hanly, Gavin [http://www.2000adreview.co.uk/features/interviews/2005/williams/robwilliams1.shtml Rob Williams interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006142730/http://www.2000adreview.co.uk/features/interviews/2005/williams/robwilliams1.shtml |date=2008-10-06 }}, 2000 AD Review, 6 June 2005}}

The downside of this for the company was that their artists, like Trevor Hairsine,[http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=295742#Post295742 Trevor Hairsine's Captain America With Cla$$] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605171248/http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=295742 |date=2011-06-05 }}, Comicon.com, 18 December 2002 Ben Oliver, Joshua Middleton[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=56 Middleton Exclusive With Marvel] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060827134602/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=56 |date=2006-08-27 }}, Newsarama, 1 April 2003 and Neil Googe, were snapped up by Marvel and DC.

They ran into bigger problems in 2002 when their offices were burgled[http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/103298474312211.htm Com.X Office Burglarized; Currently Assessing Extent of Damages And Losses] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171022/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/103298474312211.htm |date=3 March 2016 }}, Comics Bulletin, September 2002 and it took them time to recover.[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=614 A Com.x Update]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, 11 December 2002 Other named projects, like Battle Raven Six by Antony Johnston,[http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/july01/johnston.shtml Creepy Curves], Sequential Tart, July 2001 were never published and the company went quiet for over a year.

The second phase of the company's activity took place in 2003 and 2004.[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=6999 Com.x's Act Together, Titles To Return in March]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, 4 December 2003 The first three issues of Cla$$war were collected into a trade paperback in 2003[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=324 Com.x Announces Cla$$war Trade, N-jin]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, 30 April 2003[http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/107113912454355.htm Cla$$war's Rob Williams Entertains You] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172921/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/107113912454355.htm |date=3 March 2016 }}, Comics Bulletin, 11 December 2003 and the series was finished in 2004 with new artist Travel Foreman.[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=4233 Cla$$war Returns With a New Artist]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, 23 June 2003[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=10910 The Ongoing War - A Preview & Update on Cla$$war]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, 25 March 2004 However, when interviewed in 2004 Googe said he did not feel the company had fully returned:

{{cquote|We have had a few bits out this year, Cla$$war was finished, as was Puncture and we had the Last American graphic novel ... but as a fully functioning publisher ... well no, the simple fact is we underestimated what it would take... and enthusiasm only gets you so far. We never really had that much cash and so when the big guns came knocking for the likes of Trev and Josh, with their promise of great projects, we just couldn't compete. ...

So Com.X will continue to chase the deals it's already looking at, as for the comics, I like to think of it as lying dormant until such a time as it can return properly.}}

Other titles that were announced as returning, but never appeared, include Bazooka Jules with new artist LeSean Thomas[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=5442 Bazooka Jules Returns With LeSean Thomas]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, 2 September 2003[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=8510 Bazooka Jules - There and Back Again For LeSean Thomas]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, 26 January 2004 and Thomas' own Cannon Busters.[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=6628 LeSean Thomas' Cannon Busters Lands at Com.x]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Newsarama, 14 November 2003

The company returned fully to comics publishing in 2008, led by Eddie Deighton and business partner Benjamin Shahrabani, with a more sustainable business model. To avoid delays in the releasing of series, Deighton said that "[o]ur publishing model, at least for the time being, is going to focus on graphic novel format, collected editions, complete story-arcs, etc."[http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=540710#Post540710 Deighton on the Return of Com.x] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605172317/http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=540710#Post540710 |date=2011-06-05 }}, Comicon.com, 9 April 2009

This included the release of new original graphic novel Path by Gregory Baldwin, along with the collection of Razorjack[http://mindlessones.com/2009/03/09/21-questions-with-john-higgins/ 21 Questions With John Higgins], Mindless Ones, 9 March 2009 and Cla$$war.[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=20413 Cla$$war & the Resurrection of Com.X], Comic Book Resources, 12 March 2009 Then they will roll out other titles, including Forty-Five written by Andi Ewington{{cite web |first=Andrew |last=McIntire |url=http://www.tfaw.com/blog/2009/11/11/45/ |title=TFAW.com Interviews Andi Ewington, Writer of 45, from Com.X |publisher=TFAW.com |date=11 November 2009 |accessdate=6 January 2010 }} with forty-five comics artists,{{cite web |first=Andy |last=Oliver |url=http://www.brokenfrontier.com/lowdown/p/detail/stars-on-45 |title=Stars on 45 |publisher=Broken Frontier |date=28 September 2009 |accessdate=10 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007122407/http://www.brokenfrontier.com/lowdown/p/detail/stars-on-45 |archive-date=2009-10-07 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |first=John |last=Hogan |url=http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/content/behind-forty-five-talk-andi-ewington-interview |title=Behind Forty-Five: A Talk with Andi Ewington |publisher=Graphic Novel Reporter |accessdate=10 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122124729/http://graphicnovelreporter.com/content/behind-forty-five-talk-andi-ewington-interview |archive-date=2010-11-22 |url-status=dead }} a softcover collection of Cla$$war and another creator-owned comic.

{{unsourced|section|date=January 2023}}

Titles published include:

• Babble by writer Lee Robson, with art by Bryan Coyle
• Bazooka Jules by Neil Googe
• BlueSpear by writer Eddie Deighton/Andi Ewington, with art by Cosmo White
• Cla$$war by writer Rob Williams, with art by Trevor Hairsine/Travel Foreman. Coloured by Len O'Grady
• Codename: Babetool by writer Jose Luis Gaitan, with art by Walter Taborda
• Duppy'78 by writer Casey Seijas, with art by Amancay Nahuelpan. Coloured by Daniel Warner
• Forty-Five by writer Andi Ewington, with art by various artists
• The Last American by writers Alan Grant/John Wagner, with art by Mike McMahon
• Monster Myths by John Lupo Avanti
• N-jin by writer Guy Haley, with art by Dan Boultwood. Coloured by Len O'Grady
• O:R:E by writer Eddie Deighton and Jim Alexander
• Path by Gregory Baldwin
• Primal by writer Russell Uttley, with art by Joshua Middleton/Ben Oliver
• Puncture by writer Russell Uttley, with art by Ben Oliver
• Razorjack by John Higgins
• SEEDS by Ross Mackintosh
• Sky Between Branches by Joshua Middleton

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{gcdb publisher|id=2070|title=Com.x}}
• {{comicbookdb|type=publisher|id=711|title=Com.x}}

{{refend}}

• {{official website|http://www.comxcomics.com}}

Category:Comic book publishing companies of the United Kingdom

Category:Publishing companies established in 2000

Category:2000 establishments in the United Kingdom