Whatnot’s first comic, Alpha Betas #1, gets over 45,000 orders at FOC

Whatnot Publishing, a new comics publisher, formed in partnership between live marketplace app Whatnot and Massive Publishing, has announced sales figures for its debut title Alpha betas #1, which received more than 45,000 orders from retailers when final orders closed, putting the publisher in one fell swoop alongside Image Comics, Dynamite, and Boom Studios for launches.

The comic book series is both the companion and prequel to the Alpha betas animated show, produced by 3Blackdot and Starburns Industries, the animation studio behind rick and morty. Alpha betas #1 is written by Kyle Stark (I hate this place), drawn by star burns alumnus and co-founder of Whatnot Publishing Michael Caleroand colored by another co-founder of Whatnot Publishing, Trevor Richardson and will hit comic stores on October 12. Calero states “that by creating a series like this and starting a publishing house, you hope that the effort you have put in will be satisfied by fan support and that retailers will spot your book in the realm of amazing comic book series that debut every month. The response we’ve received has been mind-blowing and we’re incredibly grateful.”

Trevor Richardson says: “We know how much retailers put at stake when ordering books and we wanted to be able to put something in their hands that shows we’re going to be releasing titles that not only sell but are fun to read. So we let’s put a sample comic showcasing our first four series into the hands of all Diamond Distributors around the world, at no cost to the stores.”

A third co-founder at Whatnot Publishing, Kevin Roditelihas their comic to follow, funky ninja #1. “We couldn’t be more grateful for the support and interest from readers and retailers in our launch range. With orders from Alpha betas #1 surpassing 45,000 copies and looking at the first orders of our upcoming debut album, I just want to shout that YOU ARE THE BEST! The co-creator of funky ninja, JPG, is a retailer himself and fulfills his dream of creating comics. Seeing the support he receives from his fellow retailers shows how special and beautiful the world of comics is. Thank you all!”

Whatnot Publishing will launch Quest in December by Michael Calero, Thomas Parson and Kit Wallisand the exile in January, a cyberpunk noir crime novel co-created by Wesley Snipes.