‘There Are a Lot of Stories That Need to Be Told’

On its website, comic book publisher Lion Forge states that it is “committed to ‘Comics for Everyone,'” reflecting a particular passion of David Steward II, the chief executive of Lion Forge, based in St. Louis.

“Not only is it the right thing to do, we thought the market was craving authentic characters who had appropriate representation,” Steward said in a recent phone interview.

The approach seems to be working. In February, the Young Adult Library Services Association named “Lighter Than My Shadow,” a graphic novel by Katie Green about a young woman’s battle with eating disorders, one of the top 10 “great graphic novels for teens” published in 2017.

Steward, 40, also talked about his career path, diversity in comics, the challenges of the industry and more. These are edited excerpts from that conversation.

Q: How did you get your start?

A: I went to college at American University and graduated with a degree in international business marketing. Then I worked for my dad’s company, World Wide Technology, and realized very quickly it was not for me. Over a dinner, my dad said, “If you’re doing something you’re passionate about, you’ll never work a day in your life.” That stuck with me and got my wheels turning about what I was really passionate about.

Q: What comics did you like as a kid?

A: I had a Marvel encyclopedia. I didn’t get access to real comic books until around the time Milestone, a comic imprint that showcased African-American superheroes, came out. I remember it was cool to have characters that I could see myself in. When I discovered Comixology, a digital distributor of comics,I started reading again. My girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife, was an avid prose reader. We would be hanging by the pool, and she would read her books and I would read comics.

Q: How did you go from liking comics to wanting to create them?

A: I knew I wanted to do something that utilized creative storytelling. Digital comics were on the forefront of all that. You could do flip books and light animation and add soundscapes. Carl Reed, a co-founder of Lion Forge, was working in animation and was looking for the next thing, too. We got together with a couple of other guys and started exploring: Who are the players? What are they doing? Is the market saturated? We wanted to use digital as the litmus test for what you should print. You could tell the retailer: “This title sold well first digitally. We think people will look for it in the store to collect.”

Q: Why did you feel the timing was right for Lion Forge’s diverse heroes?

A: “The New 52” was launching at DC, and I remember distinctly they had relaunched “Static Shock,” which is cool because they brought that title to the forefront, but then they didn’t have any black creators on it. I remember thinking, “What is this?” It was a reflection of what someone else thinks that an African-American person is, which is different from actually having more of an authentic representation. Whatever group we are representing, we are definitely having someone of that group be a part of it.

Q: How did you approach creating these comics and catering to the audience?

A: I feel like for everybody to participate, you have to have representation that looks like everyone in this country. We’ve been careful to make sure that it is an inclusive line of characters. Kind of like the United Colors of Benetton (laughs), but it feels natural and organic. Another thing is not only looking at core comic book readers, but how can you reach those folks interested in comics but maybe haven’t been invited in? Anybody who comes to our site or our catalog of books will find something there for them. I feel I achieved that goal in the last year with “Lighter Than My Shadow.” My wife hasn’t really picked up one of our books — other than when I’ve asked her to. (Laughs.) She saw “Lighter Than My Shadow” on my bedside table and wanted to read it. I’ve truly passed the last mile here.

Q: Why did you acquire The Beat, a blog covering the industry, by Heidi MacDonald?

A: The Beat acquisition was one of those opportunities to support something I believe that the industry needs. Comics journalism, especially the last few years, has kind of taken a turn. Comics Alliance just randomly shut its doors. Comic Book Resources has a little bit of journalism going on, but it became primarily a list site — and with very pervasive ads. Heidi was a one-woman show. There was an opportunity there to provide her with resources to continue what she was doing and to expand. I think there are a lot of stories that need to be told. I think there are a lot of creators out there that need a light shined on them.