Andrews McMeel Publishing, known for its history with newspaper strips and webcomics, expanded into webtoons in Fall 2022. The move began with three titles from the Tapas platform and has now grown to include Webtoon comics. Betty Wong, VP and Associate Publisher, Books at Andrews McMeel, highlights the attraction to webtoons as a logical progression due to the publisher’s extensive experience with serialized comics and their adaptation to digital formats.
Webtoons provide a global reach, allowing diverse stories from around the world to connect with new audiences. The publisher looks for engaging art, relatable characters, and compelling storylines, with active creators and passionate fanbases also being crucial factors.
The primary audience for webtoons in print includes women and LGBTQ+ readers, highlighting a previously overlooked comic-loving demographic. Andrews McMeel is also exploring manhwa (Korean comics) and manhua (Chinese comics), with a focus on unique, universally relatable stories.
Their publications span various genres, including romance, horror, and humor, with a conscious effort to reflect diverse voices and address themes like mental health and neurodiversity. The publisher has also expressed interest in media tie-ins, although none have yet materialized.
Upcoming titles from Andrews McMeel include "ZomCom" and "Axed" by Emi MG, and "High Class Homos" by momozerii.