The Portland Comic Book Author Behind “Luke Cage” and “Shaft” Has Started His Own Publishing Company

"Solid Comix is meant to publish just a handful of projects every year that I really want to do that makes more sense for me to do on my own."

By Shannon Gormley

Local comics creator, Portland State University adjunct professor and former WW film critic David Walker has started a new self-publishing project.

Solid Comix, Walker's independent, creator-owned company, is essentially a vehicle for his passion projects.

"Solid Comix is meant to publish just a handful of projects every year that I really want to do that makes more sense for me to do on my own," Walker tells WW. "I can sell maybe 1,000 to 2,000 units. That's really good for me, but you take a publisher, and they're only moving 1,000 to 2,000 units, they're looking at you and your book like it's a failure."

The series that Walker currently writes are published by industry titans like DC and critical darlings Image. Two of his best known titles, Luke Cage and Power Man and Iron Fist, are published by Marvel, and his award-winning adaption of Shaft is published by Dynamite. Along with high distribution demands, larger publications usually have long, drawn-out production schedules.

"Sometimes when you're hungry, you just got to go to the Taco Bell drive though," says Walker. "Not that I'm comparing the work I'm going to do with Taco Bell."

At least for the foreseeable future, Solid Comix will only publish works that Walker authors or co-authors. Walker plans to distribute Solid Comix releases at conventions and local comic book stores. Solid currently has four releases in progress, and Walker expects the first release—One Fall, a five-issue series that adds supernatural forces to the world of wrestling—will come out in April.

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