Oni Press to publish graphic novel history of Dr. Opal Lee. Sweet Shop app launches in beta. A beloved Indian publisher has lost thousands of original comics in a fire.

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Episode Transcript:

Oni Press to publish Opal Lee graphic novel.

Sweet Shop app launches in beta.

Indian publisher loses 600,000 comics in fire.

This is Comic Book Club News for November 11, 2025.

Oni Press To Publish Graphic Novel History Of Opal Lee:

This February, Oni Press will publish First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth as part of a yearlong celebration of Opal Lee’s hundredth birthday.

Written by Angélique Roché with art by Alvin Epps, Millicent Monroe, and Bex Glendining, the book was created with the “support and involvement” of Dr. Lee and her granddaughter, Dione Sims. In addition to telling the life story of Lee, it also includes back matter with insights on Juneteenth, on the occassion of 46 years after it was first recognized as a holiday in Texas — and a mere five as a national holiday.

Said Dr. Opal Lee via press release, “This book tells our history in a way young people love — and it’s rooted in the truth. It’s a powerful tool to get them reading and learning.”

First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth will hit stores on February 2, 2026.

Sweet Shop App Launches In Beta:

DJ Khaled voice: another one. Or, to be more specific, yet another digital comics shop has launched, with Sweet Shop entering an invite-only beta, pending approval on app stores. The best part, beyond 24 publishers already in the app? Per the press release, “As part of their commitment to the hard work of creators and publishers, Sweet Shop does not accept AI comics.”

This last part isn’t necessarily news, as Sweet announced that “AI need not apply” back in July of 2024. However, it’s nice to hear them reaffirm that commitment nearly a year and a half later, now that they’re ready to launch. In fact, back last year they noted that they’ve “enabled Cloudflare’s new AI Firewall, which will help us block bad actors. We’ve boosted our bots.txt to block all AI scrapers we know.” And not only that, despite admitting that some functions using AI might be cool, it’s not worth the cost. So, “We’re not going to do some shady opt-out surprise. We will not host generative AI comic work. We’re going to be so human, it’s gross.”

Publishers on the app currently include Image Comics, Kodansha, Fantagraphics, Dark Horse, IDW, Manga Mavericks, Ignition Press, and Panick. While Marvel and DC have yet to join Sweet Shop, given their respective stances against AI, maybe they can find common ground? I don’t know, I just work here.

You can check out Sweet Shop yourself (or at least join the waitlist) at sweetshop.app.

Indian Comic Publisher Loses More Than 600,000 Comics In Fire:

Indian comic book publisher Amar Chitra Katha has lost more than 600,000 books in a massive fire in its Mumbai warehouse.

Per the BBC, the comic publisher has been known for releasing stories on “religion, mythology, and history” since 1967. Mostly aimed at children, the outlet describes the books as playing “a vital role in cultivating a love for reading among children.”

However, after an electrical fire broke out on October 1 and raged for over four days, 600,000 copies of Amar Chitra Katha and sister publication Tinkle, as well as special edition box sets and merchandise were irrevocably lost.

Perhaps even worse, 200 hand-drawings from the 1960s and ’70s, and other original printing materials, were also consumed in the fire. While the publisher has digital copies, the head of marketing for the publisher described the lost materials as “priceless.”

Amar Chitra Katha usually sells 4.5 million copies of books a year, and these 600,000 copies were earmarked for events like book festivals and comic cons. However, the company does note they also have over 1,500 books available digitally through their app. Just not the irreplaceable, lost art.

For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. And we also don’t accept AI comics! Just saying.

Got tips or stories you’d like us to cover? Email us at comicbookclublive@gmail.com.

For more comic book news, reviews, and interviews, check out comicbookclublive.com.

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