What Korero Press does

Korero Press is a London-based independent publisher specialising in illustrated books on visual culture, with a catalog spanning vintage illustration, comic art history, Italian fumetti sexy (the Sex and Horror series), horror film art, graphic novels, art instruction, pop culture retrospectives, and Tiki culture. The company produces hardback collector-grade editions, paperbacks, limited portfolios, and deluxe boxsets priced between roughly £15.99 and £100, working with a roster of artists and authors that includes Rian Hughes, Patrick J. Jones, Graham Humphreys, Ivan Castro, Hikaru Hayashi, Erik Kriek, Carole Maurel, and Roberto Baldazzini. Notable titles include Rayguns and Rocketships (revised 2024), Estrus: Shovelin' the Shit Since '87 (2023), Arthur Ferrier's Pin-up Parade (2025, Eisner-nominated in 2026), Searching for Don the Beachcomber, The Monster Times: Revisiting a Legend (October 2026), and The Set-Up (March 2026).

The business operates four revenue streams: direct-to-consumer sales through a BigCommerce-powered e-commerce site with free UK shipping, wholesale distribution through Turnaround Publisher Services (UK/Europe), Independent Publishers Group (USA/Canada/Caribbean), and NewSouth Books via Alliance Distribution Services (Australia/New Zealand), plus Kickstarter campaigns for premium special editions and foreign rights licensing for translated editions. The customer base is horizontal, serving art collectors, professional and aspiring illustrators, comic and pop culture enthusiasts, and indie bookshops including Wacko Soap Plant, Quimby's, Gosh! Comics, and Freaks. Marketing is run through social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Pinterest, Instagram), an email newsletter, Kickstarter community campaigns, and editorial news content on the company website.

Korero Press is a privately held UK private limited company (Korero Press Ltd) with 1-10 employees, no disclosed external funding, no parent company or subsidiaries, and operates from London with a Tallinn-based GPSR EU Authorised Representative enabling continued EU sales. The firm has earned industry recognition through the 2026 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award nomination for Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips for Arthur Ferrier's Pin-up Parade.

Name

Korero Press

Legal name

Korero Press Ltd

Website

https://koreropress.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Korero Press is a London-based independent publisher of illustrated books on visual culture, producing hardback and collector editions on comic art, horror, vintage illustration, art instruction, pop culture, and Tiki culture for collectors, illustrators, and indie bookshops globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Adult/Seinen/Josei Comics Publishing (MPAJAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Independent book publishing
• Visual culture books
• Art instruction publishing
• Comic art retrospectives
• Limited edition boxsets

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Direct Consumer): Direct sales of published books through their e-commerce website. Products include hardback editions, paperback editions, limited boxsets, and art portfolios. Prices range from approximately £15 to £100 per item.
2. Wholesale/Distribution Sales: Sales through wholesale distributors for UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and other international markets. Distributors include Turnaround Publisher Services and Independent Publishers Group.
3. Crowdfunding Campaigns: Kickstarter campaigns for special editions and deluxe boxsets, such as Arthur Ferrier's Pin-up Parade and Searching for Don the Beachcomber. These campaigns offer exclusive bonus items not available after the campaign.
4. Foreign Rights Licensing: Licensing of translation rights for international markets as titles have proven popular with growing number of translations in multiple languages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Korero Press is an independent London-based publisher that produces high-quality illustrated hardback and paperback books, limited edition boxsets, and art portfolios dedicated to visual culture. The catalog spans art instruction, comic and fumetti sexy art collections (the Sex and Horror series), graphic novels, horror art, pop culture, music, and tiki culture titles. Books are sold directly through the company's e-commerce site and distributed worldwide via wholesale partners, with select deluxe editions funded through Kickstarter.

Product overview

Korero Press is an independent publisher dedicated to visual culture, producing illustrated books across multiple categories. Their product portfolio includes art instruction books (figure drawing, lettering, oil painting techniques), comic and fumetti sexy art collections (Sex and Horror series, covering Italian adult comics from the 1960s-1980s), graphic novels (Horizontal Collaboration, The Set-Up), horror art books (Graham Humphreys, Jayme Cortez, Sylvia Ji), pop culture titles (Ron English, Nigel Molesworth, pin-up art), music/cocktail culture books (Estrus Records, Tiki culture), and vintage illustration compilations (Rayguns and Rocketships, Custom Lettering of the '20s and '30s). The company publishes works by a roster of artists including Rian Hughes, Patrick J. Jones, Hikaru Hayashi, Ivan Castro, and Graham Humphreys, among others. Books are sold directly through their e-commerce store and distributed via Turnaround Publisher Services (UK/Europe), Independent Publishers Group (USA/Canada), and NewSouth Books (Australia/New Zealand). Some titles are funded through Kickstarter campaigns. The company was nominated for a 2026 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Arthur Ferrier's Pin-up Parade.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Monster Times: Revisiting a Legend A 176-page hardback book celebrating the groundbreaking 1970s horror, sci-fi and fantasy newspaper The Monster Times, covering its 48-issue run from 1972 to 1976 with exclusive interviews and cultural analysis.
• Searching for Don the Beachcomber Hardback biography of Donn Beach, the father of Tiki culture and inventor of the Tiki bar, by Tim 'Swanky' Glazner (208 pages, 230mm x 250mm).
• Arthur Ferrier's Pin-up Parade Three-volume deluxe hardback boxset collection of vintage 1940s-1960s British pin-up art by Arthur Ferrier, with introduction by Rian Hughes.
• Rayguns and Rocketships (Revised edition) Compilation of vintage science fiction book cover art from the 1940s-1950s, compiled by Rian Hughes with foreword by Steve Holland and afterword by Philip Harbottle (480 pages, 152mm x 229mm).
• Estrus: Shovelin' the Shit Since '87 Hardback book documenting the complete story of US garage rock record label Estrus Records, featuring designs by Art Chantry (256 pages, 228mm x 300mm).
• Drawing the Female Figure Art instruction book for manga, hentai and comic book artists covering female figure drawing, body proportions, poses, and techniques (176 pages by Hikaru Hayashi).
• Sex and Horror: The Art of Alessandro Biffignandi Second volume in the bestselling Sex and Horror series featuring Italian fumetti sexy cover art by Alessandro Biffignandi from the 1960s-1980s.
• Sex and Horror: The Art of Emanuele Taglietti First volume in the bestselling Sex and Horror series featuring Italian fumetti sexy cover art by Emanuele Taglietti from the 1970s-1980s.
• The Goblin Den Limited edition 12-page portfolio of fantasy art by Brazilian artist Sabu depicting adventurers in a subterranean goblin lair.
• Hung, Drawn and Executed: The Horror Art of Graham Humphreys Hardcover book showcasing horror film poster art by Graham Humphreys, known for work on The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
• Drawing from Photos: Problem Solving & Interpretation Art instruction book by Patrick J. Jones on capturing human anatomy using photographic reference, with 10 step-by-step chapters and foreword by Steve Huston.
• Horizontal Collaboration Graphic novel by Carole Maurel and Navie depicting World War Two Paris home front. Award-winning collaboration.
• The Set-Up: Poetry in the Ring Graphic novel adaptation of Joseph Moncure March's narrative poem about a Black boxer, illustrated by Erik Kriek.
• Logo-a-gogo Book by Rian Hughes on graphic design and logo culture.
• Mondo Erotica: The Art of Roberto Baldazzini Collection of erotic art by Italian comic creator Roberto Baldazzini over his 30-year career, inspired by Pop Art, Art Nouveau, and film noir.
• Sex and Horror: Volume 4 Fourth volume in the bestselling Sex and Horror series featuring Italian fumetti sexy covers, including Jacula, Oltretomba and Vampirissimo titles.
• Sex and Horror: The Art of Roberto Molino Fifth volume in the bestselling Sex and Horror series featuring Italian fumetti sexy comic book covers by Roberto Molino.
• The Anatomy of Style (Revised Edition) Revised and updated figure drawing guide by Patrick J. Jones with foreword by Kiri Leonard. Comprehensive guide to drawing the human figure.
• Nightmare on One Sheet Book by Graham Humphreys showcasing his horror film poster art, Book 2.
• Macabras - The Art of Jayme Cortez Book on Brazilian horror comic artist Jayme Cortez by Fabio Moraes with introduction by Paul Gravett.
• Terror - The Art of Jayme Cortez Book on Brazilian horror comic artist Jayme Cortez by Fabio Moraes with introduction by Paulo Monteiro.
• The Lore of The LuWOW Book on cocktail adventures and Tiki bars by the founders of the London Tiki bar LuWOW.
• The Home Bar Guide to Tropical Cocktails Cocktail guide by Kelly Reilly and Tom Morgan for tropical cocktails.
• Custom Lettering of the '20s and '30s Book by Rian Hughes on custom lettering styles of the 1920s and 1930s.
• The ABC of Custom Lettering Book by Ivan Castro on custom lettering techniques with foreword by Ken Barber.
• Lettering to the Max Book by Ivan Castro on letter drawing principles and techniques.
• City of Pleasure: Paris Between the Wars Book by Alexandre Dupouy on Parisian culture and entertainment between the World Wars.
• Day of the Dead and Other Works Book featuring works by artist Sylvia Ji, known for her distinctive style blending traditional techniques with contemporary themes.
• Death and the Eternal Forever Book of paintings by pop artist Ron English, featuring works inspired by art history and pop culture.
• The Lost Diaries of Nigel Molesworth Book featuring diaries of Nigel Molesworth character by Geoffrey Willans with illustrations by Uli Meyer (152 pages).
• Sex and Horror: The Art of Fernando Carcupino Volume in the Sex and Horror series featuring Italian fumetti sexy covers by Fernando Carcupino.
• Please Don't Call Me: Graphic Design and Other Hang-Ups Book by Sugiuchi featuring posters, logos, packaging, and ephemera on graphic design.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eisner Award nomination 2026 for Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Turnaround Publisher ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary wholesale distributor for UK and Ireland markets. Handles orders, fulfillment, and distribution to bookstores and retailers in the region. Contact: [email protected], Ph: 020 8829 3000, Fax: 020 8881 5088.
• Independent Publishers GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary wholesale distributor for USA, Canada and Caribbean markets. Handles order fulfillment and distribution across North America. Orders: (800) 888-IPG1 (4741), (312) 337-0747.
• NewSouth Books through Alliance Distribution ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary wholesale distributor for Australia and New Zealand markets. Handles distribution and fulfillment in the region. Ph: +61 (2) 4390 1300, Email: [email protected].
• KickstartercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrowdfunding platform used for special edition publications. Successfully funded Arthur Ferrier's Pin-up Parade and Searching for Don the Beachcomber through Kickstarter campaigns, offering exclusive bonus items.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Titan Comics: Mid-sized publisher of graphic novels, art books, film/TV tie-ins, and pop culture titles. Overlaps with Korero on horror art books (e.g., Graham Humphreys territory), graphic novels, and licensed pop-culture properties, though at materially larger scale.
• Dark Horse Comics: Major comics and graphic novel publisher with a strong art-book and archival program (Dark Horse Books/Deluxe). Comparable in graphic novels, horror genre presence, and collector-edition hardbacks, but operates as a much larger incumbent with film/TV licensing synergies.
• Taschen: Major art and illustrated book publisher producing high-quality, collectible illustrated volumes on art history, design, pop culture, and erotica. Comparable in collectible hardback format, art-book positioning, and adult-themed sub-lines, but operates at much larger scale globally.

Direct peers

• Insight Editions: Independent publisher of pop culture, film, music, and art books including horror film retrospectives and collectible boxsets. Closely matches Korero's pop-culture + horror art niche, premium gift-format positioning, and boxset/crowdfunding playbook.
• Gingko Press: Independent art and design book publisher focused on graphic design, illustration, comics, and counterculture. Directly comparable editorial niche (graphic design titles like Logo-a-gogo, illustration compilations, and visual culture retrospectives).
• Fantagraphics Books: Independent US publisher specializing in comics, graphic novels, and visual culture archival books. Directly comparable business model: niche editorial curation, collectible hardback editions, specialty bookstore distribution, and artist-driven catalog (Editions equivalent to Korero's Rian Hughes/Patrick J. Jones roster).
• Last Gasp: Long-running underground comics and art book publisher/distributor based in San Francisco. Comparable niche positioning in underground and adult comics, lowbrow/pop-surrealism art, and specialty bookstore distribution.
• Nobrow Ltd / Nobrow Press: Independent UK-based publisher of art books, comics, and graphic novels with strong illustration and design aesthetic. Closely comparable as a small independent visual-culture publisher producing premium illustrated hardbacks with curated artist rosters.
• Feral House: Independent publisher of unconventional, subcultural, and counterculture non-fiction and visual culture titles. Comparable niche-editing philosophy (esoteric cultural topics, adult/controversial material, small-team independent operation) and direct-to-consumer distribution.

Regional players

• La Fabbrica: Italian visual culture publisher producing illustrated books on design, photography, art, and Italian pop culture heritage. Directly comparable editorial scope (Italian art, comics, design retrospectives), overlapping with Korero's fumetti sexy content sourcing and Italian artist roster.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KoreroPress
• Facebookfacebook.com/koreropress
• Instagraminstagram.com/koreropress
• Pinterestpinterest.com/koreropress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Korero Press