I’ll be attending the 2007 BookExpo America next week for the day job, and while scanning the exhibitor list for existing advertisers and key prospects, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of exhibitors who were tagged as “Books – Graphic Novels”. Seventy-eight (78), to be exact, but a drop in the bucket compared to the more than 1900 total exhibitors who will be there! (Note to self: Wear the comfortable shoes!)

I recognize the majority of them — including my old publisher, Soft Skull, which was recently acquired and seems to finally be back on its feet after a rough few years — but there’s several I either don’t know, or don’t know their specific connection to graphic novels.

ADV Films
Abstract Studio
Akashic Books
Archaia Studios Press (ASP)
BL Publishing | Games Workshop
Baby Tattoo Books
Bookazine Co., Inc.
Booklist Publications
Books Crossing Borders, Inc.
Brick Tower Press
Carlton Books
Cartoonists Across America & the World
Casterman Editions
Cornerstone Literary Inc.
Coughlan Publishing
DC Comics | MAD Magazine
DH Publishing, Inc.
DARGAUD – LOMBARD
Dark Horse Comics
Delcourt
Devil’s Due Publishing Inc.
Diamond Book Distributors
Diamond Spine Publishing, LLC
Drawn & Quarterly
Dupuis Editions SA
ECW Press
East Tennessee Trade Group
Elder Signs Press
F+W Publications, Inc.
Fantagraphics Books, Inc.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, L.L.C.
First Second Books
FixtureXpress, a Division of Brodart Co.
Flesk Publications
Focus Features
Gallimard Jeunesse
Glitterati Incorporated
Holtzbrinck Publishers
IDW Publishing
iBooks
Image Comics, Inc.
Grupo Imaginador de Ediciones
Ink & Paper Group, LLC
innovativeKids
Insomniac Press
Japanime Co. Ltd.
Kids Love Comics
Kodansha America
Koen-Levy Book Wholesalers LLC
Last Gasp of San Francisco
Lerner Publishing Group
Les Arenes Publishing
Manic D Press, Inc.
Marvel Comics
Metro Media Ltd
Murphy Design Art Books
NBM Publishing, Inc.
North Light Books
Papercutz
Random House
Repro India Ltd.
Saddleback Educational Publishing, Inc.
Seuil Jeunesse – Seuil Image
SF Flyer Pro
Soft Skull Press
Titan Books / Titan Publishing Group Ltd
Triple Crown Publications
TwoMorrows Publishing
Udon Entertainment Corp.
Unshelved
Verso
Vertical, Inc.
Viper Entertainment Inc.
Virgin Comics
Visikid Books
VIZ Media, LLC
YoungJin Singapore Pte.Ltd.

I’m particularly glad to see that Archaia, Dark Horse, Devil’s Due, First Second, Image, Kids Love Comics, NBM, Papercutz, Random House (presumably with Villard in tow?), Soft Skull Press, TwoMorrows, Viper and Virgin will be there to represent the broad spectrum of what comics has to offer, especially in light of the recent shenanigans at Marvel and DC that have some people unnecessarily concerned about the image of comics out in the mainstream world. While the superhero comics of my youth may be on a self-directed downward spiral of inbred ineptitude, comics as a medium are doing just fine, thank you. (No thanks to MSNBC, of course!)

Anyone else out there attending the BEA? I’ll be there all day Friday, and I hear there’s a “cocktail hour” right on the floor at 4pm. Let’s meet up for drinks!