The first thing I learned about Regie Simmons is that he has a "bias for action." It is crystal clear talking to him or watching any of his popular Regie Collects YouTube posts; he is a man who likes to get things done. I recently spoke with Regie about his latest project, Isolation.
This is the first comic book from Swoldier Publishing Company, created and owned by Regie.
Isolation #1
It will be interesting to see the reception for this book, written by Doug Bratton with cover art by Adelia Gunderson. It is done in black & white print with a range of color covers, including several variants. The book is selling for $5.99, either directly from Swoldier or through one of the local comic stores with distribution deals (more on this later).
Regie described the genre as Western Horror / Fantasy. Proving that the whole notion of 'genre' is of limited use. It is hard to put my finger on what this story will be, except that it will not be the usual superhero fare. Not that this will stop me from checking it out - any more than not being able to describe Saga, Something is Killing the Children or Paper Girls stops me from recommending those stories.
The print run will be 7,500 books and a second issue is already in production.
The Age of Independent Publishing House
We are in the golden age of independent publishers. I remember the days of a fledgling Dark Horse Comics and wondering if there could really be more than a couple of publishers. I also used to wonder if the corner of Main Street and Main in every town could really support two coffee shops (Seattle seems to have multiple corners with three cafes!).
Regie compiled his YouTube wisdom into the Guide to Smart Comic Collecting in 2021 and used that success to springboard into Isolation. A second edition of the Guide is also in the works. At the heart of this boom is the massive demand for great content. Streaming services, traditional publishers, online 'zines, independent presses, movies - the forums for storytelling have never been so vast. There is a virtuous circle of more fans of comic books and demand, in turn, draws better artists and better storytelling.
Time will tell if Isolation finds its audience. The greatest barrier to starting a new publishing company for the Swolider founders was just deciding to do it. Once they committed to the path, pulling the pieces together was challenging but, hearing Regie tell the story, it was just a matter of getting the details done. And he does like to get things done.
Diamond Who?
A lot of the elements of getting Isolation out in the world were in Swolider's control - the story, the artwork, the print run - but getting the books in the hands of readers is the last difficult yard to cross. They talked with Diamond, but found the terms for distribution to be too steep for a fledgling venture. This is the part of the program I am the most interested in seeing if Regie and his business skills can crack. Smartly leveraging his YouTube presence and relationships through Regie Collects, Swolider has orchestrated a variety of direct-to-your-LCS deals.
This doesn't seem too far off of how various collectors are reaching out to particular LCSs that can deliver specific variant covers. Is it possible to build an alternate distribution chain shipping directly to readers and to a network of LCS across the country? This could be the real legacy of what Swolider builds. But for now, we will have to see how Isolation rolls out.
There is no doubt that Regie Simmons is, as he describes it, "living his best life right now." The rise of Swolider and the publication of Isolation is a testament to making a dream happen. And that is always good.
