The Phoenix Comic
The Phoenix Comic is an Oxford-based indie publisher producing a weekly print comic magazine for children aged 7-14, monetized through direct-to-consumer subscriptions alongside digital workshops, e-commerce merchandise, and an annual community festival, with subscription delivery extended to the USA.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersOxford, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Phoenix Comic does
The Phoenix Comic, operated by David Fickling Comics Ltd, is a UK-based independent children's comic publisher founded in 2011 and headquartered in Oxford. The company produces a weekly print comic magazine targeted at children aged 7-14, featuring original characters and storylines, and positions itself as a screen-free alternative for the kids' entertainment category. The customer base is direct-to-consumer, serving individual subscribers (children and their parents) and schools across the UK and select international markets including the USA.
The product surface has expanded beyond the core weekly magazine to include Phoenix Comic Club — a digital learning platform with video tutorials and printable guides — paid interactive Digital Workshops priced at £6.99 per 60-minute session, a branded e-commerce merchandise shop, and an annual community festival (Phoenix Fest). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via a subscription model with 6-month (£74.99) and 12-month (£144.99) tiers, plus a £1 trial for 6 issues, with international delivery supported to the USA.
The revenue model is anchored on subscription revenue, supplemented by workshop fees, merchandise sales, and digital advertising spend on Google and Meta platforms. Operations are lean — 1-10 employees — consistent with an indie publishing operation rather than a venture-backed media company. No external funding rounds have been disclosed, and the business has been built organically over 13+ years.
The Phoenix Comic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Phoenix Comic
- Legal name
- David Fickling Comics Ltd
- Website
- https://thephoenixcomic.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Phoenix Comic is an Oxford-based indie publisher producing a weekly print comic magazine for children aged 7-14, monetized through direct-to-consumer subscriptions alongside digital workshops, e-commerce merchandise, and an annual community festival, with subscription delivery extended to the USA.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Phoenix Comic industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Comic Magazine Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s & All-Ages Comics Publishing (MPAJAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Comics, Manga & Serialized Reading Platforms (BPAMAJAJ), Children’s Comics, Graphic Novels & Manga Publishing (MPAJAFAH)
Keywords
Where The Phoenix Comic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oxford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Phoenix Comic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Weekly physical magazine delivered to subscribers' doors. Revenue generated through trial offers (6 issues for £1), 6-month subscriptions (£74.99), and 12-month subscriptions (£144.99). Auto-renewing Direct Debit and recurring card payments collected in advance.
- Digital Workshops: Interactive 60-minute online workshops hosted by Phoenix comic artists, priced at £6.99 per session. Ticket sales via Eventbrite platform.
- E-commerce Shop: Merchandise shop (thephoenixcomic.shop) selling comics and related products to subscribers and customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Trial Offer - 6 issues for £1 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 6-Month Subscription - £74.99 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 12-Month Subscription - £144.99 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Digital Workshop - £6.99 per session |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Phoenix Comic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Phoenix Comic publishes a 36-page weekly print comic magazine subscription for children aged 7-14, delivered to subscribers' doors with original British comic content, drawing guides, and creative competitions. The magazine is bundled with the Phoenix Comic Club digital platform, which provides free video tutorials and printable drawing guides led by professional comic artists, plus paid interactive digital workshops and an online merchandise shop.
Product overview
The Phoenix Comic operates primarily as a weekly print and digital magazine subscription service for children aged 7-14, featuring comics, drawing guides, serialized adventures, and creative competitions. The core product (The Phoenix Weekly Magazine) is supplemented by the Comic Club digital platform which includes How To Videos and Printable Guides taught by professional comic artists. Additional offerings include Digital Workshops (live interactive sessions), Phoenix Fest (annual event), and the Phoenix Shop (merchandise). The product portfolio ranges from physical magazine delivery to digital learning tools and in-person events, targeting young readers interested in reading, writing, and drawing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Phoenix Weekly Magazine A 36-page weekly comic magazine subscription for children aged 7-14, delivered to subscribers' doors, featuring original comics, drawing guides, serialized graphic novels, comedy content, animal adventures, and creative competitions.
- Phoenix Comic Club Digital learning platform offering free video tutorials and printable drawing guides taught by professional Phoenix comic artists. Covers animals, environments, monsters, people, Phoenix characters, and advanced drawing skills, with content organized into categories for step-by-step learning.
- Digital Workshops
- Phoenix Shop
- Phoenix Fest
Quantifiable outcome
- Weekly magazine delivery model ensures consistent reader engagement
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Phoenix Comic
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Phoenix Comic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
The Phoenix Comic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- CDS Global LtdminorSubscription management and payment processing partner handling Direct Debit collections, subscription customer service, and delivery logistics for The Phoenix comic.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Phoenix Comic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Reading Eggs: Subscription-based online reading program for children ages 2-13 with educational positioning. Comparable as a parent-paid subscription learning platform targeting early readers and competing for the same household budget.
- DC Thomson: Scottish publisher of The Beano, The Dandy, and other children's comics and magazines. Comparable as an established UK publisher of weekly children's comic magazines with original characters and merchandising extensions.
- Rebellion Developments: UK comic publisher (2000 AD, Roy of the Rovers) and games studio. Comparable as a UK-based independent comic publisher with serialized graphic novel IP and reader subscription products.
- Shonen Jump: Weekly serialized manga magazine published by VIZ Media (Shueisha) with digital subscription model. Comparable as a weekly subscription comic magazine targeting younger readers with serialized content and creator-driven IP.
Emerging players
- Epic!: Digital subscription reading platform for kids 12 and under with ebooks, audiobooks, and educational videos. Comparable as a subscription-based children's reading and learning platform competing for parental subscription dollars.
- Art for Kids Hub: YouTube-based drawing tutorial channel for children featuring step-by-step artist-led lessons. Comparable as a children's drawing education offering with artist-led video content similar to Phoenix Comic Club's tutorial format.
- Storybird: Digital storytelling and reading platform for kids and classrooms. Comparable as a children's creative reading and writing platform with educational positioning and teacher adoption pathways similar to Phoenix's classroom use case.
Direct peers
- Viz: Long-running UK adult comic magazine. Comparable as a subscription-based British comic publication with original characters and recurring revenue model, though aimed at an older audience.
- The Beano: The UK's most iconic weekly children's comic magazine, published by DC Thomson. Direct competitor serving the same 7-14 demographic with weekly humor comics, original characters, and digital extensions (Beano.com).
- 2000 AD: UK weekly comic magazine published by Rebellion, featuring serialized graphic novels and original characters. Comparable as a UK-based weekly comic subscription publication with original IP and a dedicated fanbase.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Phoenix Comic social profiles
Digital presenceThe Phoenix Comic compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Phoenix Comic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Phoenix Comic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Phoenix Comic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Phoenix Comic M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Phoenix Comic
What does The Phoenix Comic do?
The Phoenix Comic publishes a 36-page weekly print comic magazine subscription for children aged 7-14, delivered to subscribers' doors with original British comic content, drawing guides, and creative competitions. The magazine is bundled with the Phoenix Comic Club digital platform, which provides free video tutorials and printable drawing guides led by professional comic artists, plus paid interactive digital workshops and an online merchandise shop.
Is The Phoenix Comic a public or private company?
The Phoenix Comic is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Phoenix Comic founded?
The Phoenix Comic was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Phoenix Comic based?
The Phoenix Comic is headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Phoenix Comic make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are digital Workshops and E-commerce Shop.
Who are The Phoenix Comic's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Reading Eggs, DC Thomson, Rebellion Developments and Shonen Jump. Emerging players are Epic!, Art for Kids Hub and Storybird. Direct peers are Viz, The Beano and 2000 AD.
Does The Phoenix Comic have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Phoenix Comic.
What industry is The Phoenix Comic in?
The Phoenix Comic's product category is Children's Comic Magazine Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAGAI, Children’s & All-Ages Comics Publishing, with a secondary code of BPAMAJAJ, Digital Comics, Manga & Serialized Reading Platforms. Its NAICS code is 459210.