James Andre founded Milk Shadow to publish his novella in 2008. Then he met some brilliant underground and self-published cartoonists that he felt deserved a wider audience. Andre expanded his company’s mission to publish multicultural comics that blow your mind, and make you gag and think. Milk Shadow aims to revolutionize the world of graphic novels with a string of best-selling fringe titles.
JAMES ANDRE: For the past few years I’ve been working a day job in a very drab little office doing data entry. It’s the equivalent of rubbing your shoes on carpet though, as it gives me this scary static charge when I get home. Usually I don’t have much time at night, a few hours, if that, so I have to multi-task. Checking sales, contacting people regarding reviews, distro, laying out and editing new projects, creating some social media awareness, and millions of other things. It’s a chaotic blur. But I’ve been lucky to have my partner, Matilde helping with the communications area. She’s really good at that. Also Madman Entertainment has picked up our books for retail distro in Australia and New Zealand, which has been a relief.
LW: What do you like and look for in terms of self-published works?
JA: A unique voice and style is generally what we like. Especially if that can be combined with black comedy and surreal leanings. Someone that can cultivate a strong personal profile too, and keep putting out work.
LW: What advice would you give someone who wants to be published by Milk Shadow?
JA: As above, be funny, surreal, and have a solid style. And please be patient, we’ve got a lot of stuff to publish already.
LW: You started Milk Shadow in 2008, and it’s flourishing. Congratulations.All well-deserved.What advice would you give someone who wants to self-publish?What are some keys to your success?
JA: Keep putting out work by any means necessary. Otherwise people might forget you. Also try to keep good records of what you’re doing so that you can follow up later. It’s always hard work, but don’t complain, because it’s better than picking your nose in front of the television each night.
LW: Do the creators need to have a “platform?” Do you expect your authors to help sell, go on book tours?
JA: We don’t contractually force anybody to promote their books, but those do, usually sell more. I wish that we had the budget to mass promote everything, but we’re very limited. So the more that both us and the author can do via free social media, guest appearances, interviews, reviews, it all adds up. Authors need a platform today, whether publishing through big or small platforms. If you’re shy, your work tends to disappear.
LW: Are reviews critical to sales?
JA: It’s tacky, but quality, not quantity is the key. If possible, choosing the right places to get reviewed if you can. We were lucky enough to get Mr Unpronounceable Adventures reviewed on Boing Boing last year. We also had a review in one of the big Australian newspapers for All You Bastards Can Go Jump Off A Bridge. You could tell the difference in interest after they hit. Other small publishers I’ve talked to have said the same about select reviews.
LW: What makes Milk Shadow multicultural?
JA: We have published people from around the globe in Yuck! Plus we’ve published longer works from artists such as Johandson Rezende (Brazil, Cartoondelia), David DeGrand (USA, Sweat Soda). J Marc Schmidt (All You Bastards Can Go Jump Off A Bridge) is a Sydney boy but now lives Japan, while Tim Molloy is a New Zealander who lives in Melbourne. So the artists are an eclectic, spread out bunch.
LW: As Milk Shadow gains more market share, recognition and popularity, any danger that Milk Shadow will be seen as, or go “mainstream?”
JA: It would be tempting, but I created the label from nothing. Working deadbeat jobs to keep it going isn’t the worst thing in the world if it keeps the label going and honest. I would like to eventually create some animations, and breach out further into the world with our titles though.
In terms of popularity, it’s really hard to tell what could go mainstream, one of our more successful books, Mr. Unpronounceable Adventures, has done really well, and it’s a totally bizarre, violent, surreal book. While other books we thought would be huge have been quieter. It’s hard for us to gauge perception or popularity at this point. We just do what we like, and then others might like it too.
LW: Any plans to publish you own work again? What are you writing?
JA: Possibly? I haven’t written much for the past few years. There’s been plenty of unfinished ideas and first pages to nowhere. Since settling down, my own muse has been fairly quiet. But I’ve been toying with one idea lately that I’d love to make into a graphic novel, or book ,or movie. But it might never get finished. Kind of a suburban paranoia revenge black comedy. And like everyone, there’s a giant monster story I’d still love to make too.
LW: Where do you want to be in 5-10 years? Milk Shadow?
JA: I’m not too fussed about owning a Porsche, but would love to be running Milk Shadow Books full time. Continuing the adventures of our creators, characters and stories in multiple media in many languages. Once a character goes out of print it slowly dies, and all of these characters deserve better than that. I’d like to be doing some more writing myself again. And hopefully our house might be paid off one day too.