3AM

What 3AM does

3AM, operating under the legal name 3Apples Media, is a privately held, founder-owned independent comics and manga publishing company founded in 2005 in Bakersfield, California, with a staff of 1-10. The company publishes a small catalog of graphic novels and manga — most notably the 16+ B&W title Peaches and Cream by creator Miu and the planned general-audience color book Tailwinds — produced by a self-described collective of comic industry veterans operating on a quality-over-quantity philosophy. Its technology footprint is minimal: a content-website/e-commerce storefront (3applesmedia.com) with no mobile app, no public API, and no proprietary digital publishing platform; product distribution is physical print only. The company's go-to-market is event-driven and direct-to-consumer: books are sold at major U.S. comic and anime conventions (Further Confusion, Kawaii Kon, Anthrocon, Anime Expo, Comic-Con International) and through the company website, targeting older-teen and adult readers of manga and indie comics. Revenue mechanics consist of one-time retail book sales; pricing on known titles is listed as TBA. Creator acquisition runs through an open submission pipeline ([email protected]) accepting pitches from artists, writers, and artist-writer teams. There are no disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, partnerships, awards, or regulatory actions in the available record.

Name

3AM

Legal name

3Apples Media

Website

https://3applesmedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

3AM (3Apples Media) is a privately held, founder-owned independent comics and manga publisher based in Bakersfield, California, selling print titles directly to older-teen and adult readers via conventions and its website.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Comics and Manga Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAFAH

Children’s Comics, Graphic Novels & Manga Publishing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Children’s Publishing (Picture Books, Middle Grade, YA)

SECONDARYMPAJAKAD

Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Sales & Merchandising (Publisher Stores, Bundles)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Print & Digital Distribution (Wholesalers, Subscription/Newsstand)

Keywords

• Independent comics publishing
• Manga publishing
• Graphic novel publishing
• Creator-friendly publishing
• Comic book printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bakersfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Comics and manga book sales: Publishing and selling graphic novels and manga directly to consumers through conventions and the website. Revenue from retail book sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

3Apples Media is an independent comics and manga publisher that produces and sells graphic novels directly to readers. The company is run by comic industry veterans and operates a quality-over-quantity model, publishing works from creators like Diana X. Sprinkle and Miu, including titles such as Peaches and Cream (B&W manga) and Tailwinds (color book). Distribution is handled through the company website and major comic conventions.

Product overview

3Apples Media is a comics publishing company that produces manga and comic books primarily aimed at the older teen market. The company publishes works from independent creators including Diana X. Sprinkle and Miu. Their product lineup includes manga-style publications like Peaches and Cream and color books such as Tailwinds, with content ratings noted for mature themes. The company operates on a quality-over-quantity model, selecting stories they personally enjoy reading.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peaches and Cream A 16+ rated black-and-white manga published by 3Apples Media. The story follows two girls who fall in love with their best friend and features mature themes. Created by Miu.
• Tailwinds A general audience full-color comic book published by 3Apples Media, originally scheduled for Summer 2010 release. Suggested retail price listed as TBA.
• Saiko and Lavender A comic work by founding creator Diana X. Sprinkle, published under the 3Apples Media imprint.
• Monsters of Rock A manga-style comic by creator Miu featuring mature-themed content, published under the 3Apples Media imprint.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Yen Press: Manga and graphic novel publisher carrying both mature and all-ages titles, comparable in product mix and target audience to 3Apples Media's catalog.
• Fantagraphics: Independent publisher of graphic novels, comics, and manga-adjacent works with an artist-centric ethos, closely aligned with 3Apples Media's quality-over-quantity, creator-first approach.
• Tokyopop: Pioneering English-language manga publisher specializing in translated and original English-language manga titles, directly comparable to 3Apples Media's manga publishing focus for older teen and adult readers.
• Oni Press: Independent comics and graphic novel publisher with creator-friendly reputation and convention presence, directly comparable to 3Apples Media's indie publisher positioning.
• Antarctic Press: Small independent comics and manga publisher with convention-driven distribution and a creator-friendly model, directly comparable to 3Apples Media's scale, channel mix, and target audience.
• BOOM! Studios: Independent comics publisher known for creator-owned titles and strong convention presence at events like Comic-Con, structurally similar to 3Apples Media's indie publishing and convention strategy.
• Seven Seas Entertainment: Independent manga publisher with a strong catalog of mature, seinen, and josei titles, highly comparable to 3Apples Media's older-teen and mature-themed manga positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Dark Horse Comics: Established comics and manga publisher with a deep creator-owned catalog, comparable as a larger incumbent that shares the indie-friendly publishing ethos.
• Viz Media: Largest English-language manga publisher, offering manga and graphic novels including mature-rated titles. A scaled incumbent in the same niche 3Apples Media targets.
• Image Comics: Creator-owned comics publisher with an extensive indie-style catalog, comparable as a broader incumbent serving the same independent-creator ecosystem 3Apples Media operates in.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3apples-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 3AM