RAID Press was founded in 2017 by the members of The RAID Studio, an artist collective based out of Toronto. It started simple enough. Aside from gigs that paid the bills (thank you MARVEL and DC!), our creators had tons of original stories on the go, but no real avenue to explore them with free reign. We thought, “Why not self-publish our passion projects into an annual anthology?” And so we steamrolled ahead.
With our third anthology under our belt, we decided to endeavour outside of the collective and print our first non-studio related book, the historically focused Doc. Stearne & Mr. Monster collecting the original stories for the first time since their original publication in the 40s. Following this, with an established agenda, we embarked on creating our first season of books featuring stand-alone graphic novels and comic collections. With these first significant steps forward, we look to help revitalize a now dwindling independent Canadian publishing scene.
“A PLACE FOR CREATORS BY CREATORS.”
Ramón K Pérez / Artist & Writer
Toronto has long been a creative hub for comics and animation. The vibrant alternative and small-press scene of the 1970s saw Canadian publishers, such as DRAWN & QUARTERLY and VORTEX COMICS, gain international audiences and critical acclaim. While on the animation side companies like NELVANA entered the public tapestry with cartoon shorts and series for Star Wars, and cult classics like Rock & Rule.
RAID PRESS is looking to shine that spotlight back on our city. Our mandate is to offer a publishing platform that supports emerging and established talent, with a focus on original graphic novels and art books, while also spotlighting our Canadian pop-culture heritage.