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DC Comics made James Tynion IV a writer; Image Comics made him a businessman
Tynion's Tiny Onion, now his own comic book imprint, began as a newsletter - in part to help the Something is Killing the Children writer to promote his work
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Having worked on a couple of iconic superheroes, James Tynion IV's origin story is a little bit harder to nail down than, say, Batman's. Part of that is because Tynion acts in a lot of capacities these days - not just as the scribe behind books like Something is Killing the Children and The Department of Truth, but also as the creative manager of the Tiny Onion brand. However, when it comes to the business end of his job, Tynion is able to point to one moment in his career that could act as a suitable origin.
That is, his time working on an Image Comics book.
Popverse's own editor-in-chief, Chris Arrant, sat down with Tynion at C2E2 2026. During their wide-ranging discussion, Tynion brought up that he enjoyed "doing the business side of my work," which he points to as starting with 2020's The Department of Truth #1.
"Basically," said the author, "Anytime you do an Image Comic, you essentially have to become start operating like a small business. I was handling the payout to all of my collaborators and making sure that the books were coming out on time and figuring out how I wanted to push the marketing of all of that. That's part of why I started a newsletter."
(In case you aren't aware, the newsletter Tynion started was called Tiny Onion, now also the name of his own imprint of comics such as smash-hit horror offering Exquisite Corpses.)
"[There were] all of these things that I was doing to build this entire ecosystem around me as a creator," Tynion continued, "I was realizing, 'Okay, if I had more resources, where would I put all of those resources?' So once I had the opportunity, I really kicked my business up a few notches and bring on a full-time staff that could help me do a lot of the things."
"I was like working 12 jobs myself," Tynion concluded, smiling, "And now I am only working five jobs myself."
You can watch Popverse's interview with James Tynion IV from C2E2 2026 below:
Get ready for what's next with our list to upcoming comics and how to buy comics at a comic shop.
About C2E2
Comics, cosplay, gaming, authors, and anime abound in the only pop culture convention in the heart of Downtown Chicago! We've gathered your favorite celebrities, unique exhibitors, incredible comic creators, and larger-than-life literary authors into one place to celebrate the fandoms you love. From the halls of Artist Alley to the depths of the Show Floor, our goal is to provide a space of creativity and fun, but most importantly, one that cultivates a sense of belonging, safety, and inclusiveness.
Dates
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Chicago's McCormick Place
United States
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