From Fandom to Frankfurt

New York Comic Con 2025, held last week, was a decidedly optimistic affair despite various headwinds facing the industry, with publishers and creators alike reporting brisk sales and enthusiastic fans on the packed show floor. And the celebration of comics continued at the Harvey Awards, held at NYCC and dominated by such indie publishers as Fantagraphics, Graphix, and IDW. With the publishing world’s biggest annual gathering officially kicking off in Frankfurt tomorrow, we give a briefing on the myriad opportunities for dealmaking and networking at this year’s Buchmesse. Plus, Atria publisher Libby McGuire will take on an expanded role at Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins is launching a new nonfiction imprint focused on personal growth. For the New York Times, economists Jared Bernstein and Ryan Cummings warn that the AI bubble could soon burst. Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s YA series The Inheritance Games is getting a TV adaptation, reports Deadline. The Des Moines Register investigates parents’ ongoing efforts to censor “anti-American” books and materials in public schools. Meanwhile, Electric Lit talks with authors about how book bans continue to threaten their livelihoods and wellbeing. And for the Guardian, David Barnett looks at how even Hellmann’s mayonnaise is getting in on the romantasy boom.