Time Bomb Comics Ltd

What Time Bomb Comics Ltd does

Time Bomb Comics Ltd is a UK independent comic book publisher headquartered in Birmingham, England, founded in 2007 by Steve Tanner as a personal creative venture and operating as a private limited company without external institutional investment. The company publishes ongoing anthology series (Flintlock, Brawler, Bomb Scares), licensed properties (Harker detective comic; Spectrum and Project SWORD from the Gerry Anderson library), and standalone graphic novels across genres including historical adventure, horror, detective, and sci-fi.

The business makes money primarily through direct consumer sales — physical and digital comics sold via the company's own e-commerce store at timebombcomics.com and crowdfunding pre-orders on Kickstarter, which is the primary go-to-market motion for new releases (e.g., Flintlock Book 5 funded at 1,379% of target, Harker Kickstarter at ~400% with five stretch goals unlocked, Flintlock Book 6 at nearly 1,000%). Supplementary revenue comes from licensing royalties on Anderson Entertainment IP, wholesale distribution through UK newsagents (Quantum magazine), and digital retail via Comixology, with select titles placed at WHSmiths.

The company serves comic book enthusiasts across multiple persona segments — indie/anthology readers, historical fiction fans, detective/mystery readers, Gerry Anderson franchise followers, and horror anthology consumers — with products priced £4.00–£42.00 across single issues, collected editions, and bundled offerings. Operations are run by a four-person editorial and publishing team led by Steve Tanner as Publisher-in-Chief, with no proprietary technology beyond standard e-commerce, digital distribution, and email/newsletter infrastructure (Substack).

Name

Time Bomb Comics Ltd

Legal name

Time Bomb Comics Ltd

Website

https://timebombcomics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Time Bomb Comics Ltd is a bootstrapped UK indie comic publisher selling original and licensed graphic novels directly to readers via Kickstarter, its own store, newsagents, and digital platforms. It serves niche comic enthusiasts across historical, horror, detective, and sci-fi genres, with a four-person team led by founder Steve Tanner.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Comic Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Western Comic Books Publishing (Superhero, Indie) (MPAJAGAB)

Keywords

• Independent comic publishing
• Graphic novel publishing
• Comic book anthology
• Indie comics publisher
• Licensed comics publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Comic Sales: Sale of physical and digital comic books and graphic novels through their own e-commerce store. Products include single issues, collected editions, and anthologies at various price points.
2. Crowdfunding Pre-orders: Kickstarter campaigns for new titles and volumes, offering pre-order pricing with exclusive rewards and stretch goal extras. Primary GTM motion for new releases.
3. Licensing Royalties: Licensed publications including Gerry Anderson properties (New Captain Scarlet, Space Precinct, Terrahawks) through Anderson Entertainment partnership, and Harker from original creators.
4. Wholesale Distribution: Distribution through newsagents (UK), WHSmiths, Comixology (digital), and other retail partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Time Bomb Comics is an independent UK-based comic book publisher that creates, publishes, and distributes original and licensed comic book series and graphic novels. The catalog spans multiple genres including historical adventure (Flintlock), horror (Bomb Scares), detective fiction (Harker), and licensed sci-fi anthologies (Spectrum/Gerry Anderson). Releases are funded primarily through Kickstarter crowdfunding and sold via direct e-commerce, digital platforms (Comixology, Kindle, Apple Books), and physical retail (UK newsagents and WHSmiths).

Product overview

Time Bomb Comics Ltd is an independent UK comic book publisher offering a portfolio of ongoing anthology series, licensed properties, and one-shot graphic novels. Their flagship titles include Flintlock (historical 18th Century anthology), Brawler (diverse creative anthology), and Bomb Scares (horror anthology), alongside licensed series such as Harker (detective comic) and Spectrum (Gerry Anderson anthology). The company publishes through their own online store, digital platforms including Comixology and DriveThru Comics, and physical retailers including newsagents and WH Smiths. Most titles use Kickstarter crowdfunding for launch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flintlock
• Brawler
• Bomb Scares
• Harker
• Spectrum
• Quantum
• Rotten Under the Snow
• The Clockwork Cavalier
• Dick Turpin and the Vengeful Shade
• Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague
• Project SWORD
• Ragamuffins
• Defiant: The Legend of Brithnoth
• Harker: The Black Hound
• Peter Pan

Quantifiable outcome

• Harker Kickstarter raised nearly 400% of original target with 5 stretch goals unlocked
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AccentUKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccentUK co-founder Dave West brought WesterNoir to Time Bomb Comics. Collaborative publishing relationship for Western/Noir genre titles.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Titan Comics: Major UK comic publisher with broad genre coverage and significantly larger resources. Direct comparison point as the #1 UK Publisher in the 2021 Tripwire Awards where Time Bomb placed #2.
• BOOM! Studios: Major indie comics publisher with licensed IP (e.g., Power Rangers) and creator-owned titles; comparable in licensing strategy and diverse genre slate.
• Image Comics: US-based creator-owned comics publisher; the global archetype for indie/creator-driven publishing, directly comparable to Time Bomb's creator-focused model.
• Dark Horse Comics: Long-established independent comics publisher with strong licensed IP portfolio (including licensed film/TV properties); comparable licensing approach to Time Bomb's Gerry Anderson deal.
• IDW Publishing: Independent comics publisher with deep licensed IP catalog and creator-owned imprints; relevant comparable for licensing-driven indie publishing at scale.
• Rebellion (2000 AD): UK-based publisher of 2000 AD and creator-owned imprints, with strong newsagent and specialty retail presence comparable to Time Bomb's Quantum distribution.

Direct peers

• Ablaze: Independent comics publisher focused on creator-owned and translated works with multi-genre coverage. Comparable in scale and editorial approach to Time Bomb's anthology-led portfolio.
• Markosia Enterprises: UK-based independent graphic novel publisher focused on creator-owned titles with genre coverage across sci-fi, horror, and fantasy; comparable small-scale UK indie publishing operation.
• AWA Studios: Creator-owned comics publisher with broad genre coverage (thriller, horror, sci-fi, fantasy). Comparable mid-sized indie with similar genre breadth to Time Bomb's portfolio.
• Magnetic Press: Independent comics publisher specializing in translated European and creator-owned graphic novels; comparable in niche indie positioning and curated anthology catalog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TimeBombComics
• Facebookfacebook.com/TimeBombComics
• Instagraminstagram.com/timebombcomicsuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/time-bomb-comics

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 Time Bomb Comics Ltd