UPDATE: Oni Press has shared a statement addressing "wildly sensationalistic rumors" and claiming the layoffs "were made with the sole purpose of evolving the company and brand, and positioning it for long-term success."
The future of Portland-based publisher Oni Press is increasingly uncertain as several staff members have been laid off from the company in recent weeks.
Popverse reports that SVP of Sales and Marketing Alex Segura, Marketing Manager Henry Barajas, and Senior Editors Amanda Meadows and Jasmine Amiri are no longer with the company after a round of layoffs. Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group (OLFPG) reportedly described the decision as "management restructuring." This comes after Publisher James Lucas Jones and Executive VP of Creative & Business Charlie Chu were let go in late June. The company also recently canceled its exhibition and panels at Comic-Con International: San Diego for 2022, citing "a reduction in on-site staff."
As part of OLFPG's reduced presence at San Diego Comic-Con, two Oni Press-centric panels -- "Party Like It’s 1997: Comic Talent Celebrate Oni’s 25th Anniversary" and "25 Years of Oni Press: Classic to Modern" -- are listed as canceled on the Comic-Con website. Both were scheduled to involve now-former employees Jones and Chu. The company says it will still be present at the event, stating, "While we will not have a booth space, we will have a number of panels promoting our upcoming titles and staff on site to participate in the show." OLFPG also promises to return to the convention in 2023.
Jones last spoke on behalf of OLFPG in mid-June. Weeks before he was let go, Jones touched on the company's future plans in an interview with Publisher's Weekly, saying that he expected to soon add more talent to OLFPG's roughly 30-member staff. He also spoke highly of the company's staffing strategy after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The world was upside down, and we had to accept that and look to protect the people that worked for and with us," he said.
Many notable comics industry professionals made their thoughts about the layoffs known on social media, particularly in reference to OLFPG's parent company, Polarity. Accusations of nonpayment on OLFPG's part have also permeated the discourse surrounding the issue. One unconfirmed claim alleges that OLFPG is "dropping all their creator-owned" content, and another rumor claims Polarity may be gearing up for a sale of the company. Oni Press shared a statement on July 14 refuting these rumors and affirming its dedication to the brand.
Oni Press, perhaps best known for publishing Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim graphic novels from 2004-10, was founded in 1997 by Bob Schreck and Joe Nozemack. In 2019, the company merged with Lion Forge Comics to become the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group, a subsidiary of Polarity. The merger also resulted in multiple layoffs.