HIGHWATER BOOKS CLOSES SHOP

[MattBrady]

With more of a whisper than anything else, Tom Devlin’s Highwater Books quietly closed up shop last week. The alternative publisher was home to the an eclectic collection of books and creators which included the likes of James Kochalka, Ron Rege Jr., Mat Brinkman, Brian Ralph and others.

For more mainstream fans, the publisher was probably best known for Coober Skeber #2 – a “benefit” issue for Marvel, published at the height of the publisher’s bankruptcy woes. James Kolchalka's story from the issue, “Hulk vs. The Thunder Storm” was later reprinted in Marvel’s Hulk 2001 Annual.

While Highwater’s website will continue to run through the end of the year, no further publications are planned.

“When I started publishing I tried to publish cartoonists that didn't fit into the other alternative comics companies' - at the time Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics’ publishing agendas,” Devlin said. “I was also excited by the non-traditional approaches that I was seeing in the mini-comics scene and I wanted comics readers to see something that didn't adhere to the strict six -panel grid, even though I've published that sort of thing. I also think there's a looseness to the drawings styles, a cartoonishness that I think is utterly lacking in most of comics today.”

“It's always been difficult to make a living publishing alternative comics and it took me several years to figure out how to run Highwater efficiently,” Devlin continued. “Unfortunately, by then my debt was huge and I was still paying for mistakes that were years old. This past year, I looked at the future likelihood of putting that debt behind me and decided it wouldn't happen while working a full-time job and running a comics company full-time. Too many full-time jobs.”

Devlin said that, in the end, he blames himself, rather than market forces or increased competition from other alternative publishers. “I'm a bad accountant and a bad publicist and in the end I realized that much of what I wanted to accomplish had been accomplished and it was time for other people to take over,” Devlin said. “I was able to help some of my favorite artists in the world get their art into the hands of an audience. Now there are other avenues for those artists, avenues that might even provide a living so it seemed like a good time to step aside.”

Along with publishing, Highwater also acted as a distributor for alternative comic creators’ works, a division Devlin said he may turn over to someone else to continue selling, as there is still stock left.

As for Devlin himself, he plans to continue, drawing his own comics. “I've got some book ideas - comics and non-comics - that I've been mulling over for a while although I'll probably wait a couple of years before I pursue them.”

[Gordon McAlpin]

Originally posted by MattBrady
[BAlong with publishing, Highwater also acted as a distributor for alternative comic creators’ works, a division Devlin said he may turn over to someone else to continue selling, as there is still stock left. [/b]

Top Shelf, we need you!

[Boomtube]

This is a damn shame. Highwater put out some fine books, and I hope their creators find homes elsewhere.

[Hannibal King]

This is a damn shame. Highwater put out some fine books, and I hope their creators find homes elsewhere.

I agree. Hopefully someone gives these guys a place that is a little more secure. I would like to see more from them.

[THB]

Sad news. Good Luck in your future endeavors, Tom.

[skiteman]

MAN.........
sorry to hear this!!!!!!
BRIAN RALPH ROCKS!!!!!!
Highwater was doing stuff on a completely different level.

another unique voice ...smothered

[genetic freak]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!