Coconino Press

Coconino Press is an Italian publishing house founded in Bologna in 2000 and focused on comic books and graphic novels. Its catalogue is distinguished by a strong international orientation: alongside Italian authors, the publisher has introduced Italian readers to comics from the United States, Canada, France, Japan, and other parts of the global comics scene. The company is particularly associated with works that sit outside the mainstream superhero and mass-market traditions, including literary, alternative, independent, experimental, and author-driven comics. The publisher's international catalogue has included books by American cartoonists Daniel Clowes, Jason Lutes, Simon Hanselmann, and Adrian Tomine; Canadian creators Seth and Chester Brown; French artists David B., Baru, and Emmanuel Guibert; and Japanese cartoonists Jiro Taniguchi and Suehiro Maruo. These translations have helped make Coconino Press a significant Italian outlet for contemporary and historically influential non-Italian comics. Its publishing activity also extends to Italian creators, including Gipi, Davide Reviati, Francesca Ghermandi, Davide Toffolo, Sergio Ponchione, Igort, Zuzu, Vincenzo Filosa, Simone Angelini, Filippo Scozzari, Massimo Mattioli, Altan, and Ratigher. Coconino Press's catalogue therefore combines two complementary roles. It operates as a publisher of domestic Italian comics, supporting established and emerging local voices, while also functioning as a cultural gateway for translated graphic narratives. The breadth of its author list indicates an editorial interest in distinctive visual languages and creator-led works rather than a single narrowly defined genre. Its books span different national traditions and artistic approaches, connecting literary comics, alternative cartooning, manga-related work, and Italian graphic storytelling. The company is also associated with the Ignatz Series, an imprint produced in partnership with Seattle-based Fantagraphics Books. This relationship links Coconino Press to an international publishing initiative devoted to comics and graphic storytelling, and reflects the publisher's broader emphasis on cross-border circulation and editorial exchange. Public reference material identifies Bologna as its founding location and headquarters context, but does not provide reliable information on its current ownership structure, leadership, revenue, website, or detailed distribution footprint. Those fields are therefore left unspecified.

Coconino Press was established in Bologna, Italy, in 2000 as a publishing house devoted to comic books. From the information available in the referenced material, its editorial identity developed around the publication of both Italian comics and translated works from major international traditions. Rather than concentrating exclusively on a single national school or commercial genre, the publisher built a catalogue that brings together creators from Italy, North America, France, Japan, and other parts of the international comics field. Translation has been central to the company's role in the Italian market. Coconino Press has published Italian editions of comics by American artists Daniel Clowes, Jason Lutes, Simon Hanselmann, and Adrian Tomine, as well as Canadian creators Seth and Chester Brown. Its French-related catalogue includes works by David B., Baru, and Emmanuel Guibert, while its Japanese publishing has included the influential cartoonists Jiro Taniguchi and Suehiro Maruo. These selections place the company within the tradition of publishers that broaden the readership for alternative, literary, and auteur comics through carefully selected translations. At the same time, Coconino Press has maintained a substantial commitment to Italian production. The creators associated with its catalogue include Gipi, Davide Reviati, Francesca Ghermandi, Davide Toffolo, Sergio Ponchione, Igort, Zuzu, Vincenzo Filosa, Simone Angelini, Filippo Scozzari, Massimo Mattioli, Altan, and Ratigher. The list includes multiple generations and styles of Italian cartoonists, indicating that the publisher's domestic programme is not limited to one visual school or demographic audience. A notable element of Coconino Press's international activity is its partnership with Fantagraphics Books, an independent comics publisher based in Seattle. Together they are associated with the Ignatz Series imprint. The partnership gives Coconino Press a connection to an international editorial platform and reinforces its role as a participant in the circulation of independent comics across national markets. The available reference material does not document the identity of the founder, subsequent ownership changes, financial performance, leadership succession, or a detailed chronology of individual publications. It also does not establish a current corporate parent or provide an official website. Accordingly, the documented history is best understood as the history of an Italian comics publisher whose defining characteristics are its Bologna origin, its 2000 founding date, its broad programme of translated comics, its support for Italian creators, and its collaboration with Fantagraphics on the Ignatz Series.

• 2000

  Coconino Press is founded in Bologna

  [1]Coconino Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Coconino Press is established in Bologna, Italy, as a publisher of comic books.

An author-focused Italian comics publisher positioned around literary, alternative, independent, and internationally translated graphic storytelling.

• Comic books and graphic novels

  Translated international comics

  Coconino Press publishes Italian translations of comics by creators from the United States, Canada, France, Japan, and other countries. The documented catalogue includes works by Daniel Clowes, Jason Lutes, Simon Hanselmann, Adrian Tomine, Seth, Chester Brown, David B., Baru, Emmanuel Guibert, Jiro Taniguchi, and Suehiro Maruo. This programme is a central part of the publisher's international editorial identity.

• Comic books and graphic novels

  Italian comics and graphic novels

  The publisher's domestic catalogue includes works by a wide range of Italian cartoonists, including Gipi, Davide Reviati, Francesca Ghermandi, Davide Toffolo, Sergio Ponchione, Igort, Zuzu, Vincenzo Filosa, Simone Angelini, Filippo Scozzari, Massimo Mattioli, Altan, and Ratigher. These publications represent the company's support for Italian author-driven comics across multiple generations and styles.

• Comics imprint

  Ignatz Series

  The Ignatz Series is an imprint associated with Coconino Press through its partnership with Seattle-based Fantagraphics Books. It represents the publisher's participation in an international comics publishing initiative and connects its Italian activities with Fantagraphics' independent comics network.

• Partnership with Fantagraphics Books for the Ignatz SeriesStrategy

  Background

  Coconino Press developed a publishing partnership with Seattle-based Fantagraphics Books, linking the Italian publisher to an international comics imprint.

  Action taken

  The two publishers partnered around the Ignatz Series, extending Coconino Press's international publishing and translation-oriented profile.

  Aftermath

  The partnership is documented as part of Coconino Press's international activity and reinforces its connection with independent comics publishing beyond Italy.

  Source

1. 1Coconino Pressen.wikipedia.org