James Tynion IV reinvigorates New York

Comics are usually a solitary business. One person writes, one person draws, and most of the actual career-building happens through scattered emails, convention tables, and luck. That’s why this James Tynion IV story matters. It isn’t just about a star writer doing well. It’s about one of the biggest names in modern horror comics using his clout, money, and infrastructure to rebuild a missing piece of New York’s comics scene — an in-person indie gathering that largely vanished after the pandemic. ### What actually changed? The concrete news is a new event: Brooklyn Expo of Comics, or BEC, set for November 14 and 15, 2026, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Williamsburg. Tynion is part of the group behind it, alongside publisher Bryce Gold and former Z2 Comics executive Courtney Menar. The event is the first major project from a new nonprofit called BODEGA — short for Brooklyn Organization Dedicated to the Endurance of the Graphic Arts. (forbes.com) ### Why does New York need this? Because the city had a hole. Comic Arts Brooklyn used to be the obvious home for indie and alternative comics in New York, but it went on indefinite hiatus after the Covid-era collapse of in-person events. New York still had giant commercial shows, especially New York Comic Con, but that is a different machine — louder, pricier, and much less focused on small-press discovery. BEC is being pitched as the thing that fills that specific gap. (forbes.com) ### Why is Tynion the one doing it? He has the profile to pull it off. Tynion is not just another respected writer. He’s one of the biggest creator-owned comics names of the last few years, with hits like *Something Is Killing the Children*, *The Department of Truth*, and *The Nice House on the Lake*, plus a long run through DC on books like *Batman* and *Detective Comics*. That gives him reach with readers, retailers, artists, and press — basically the whole ecosystem. (forbes.com) ### What is BODEGA supposed to do? More than stage one convention. The nonprofit’s stated goal is to support and sustain comics and graphic arts in Brooklyn and the broader New York area. Tynion has framed it as a larger umbrella that can put on BEC every year but also create more events and resources for artists in the city. That matters because one-off festivals are useful, but durable institutions are what actually keep scenes alive. (forbes.com) ### Where does Tiny Onion fit in? Tiny Onion is Tynion’s own production company, and it shows how he’s been building infrastructure instead of just publishing books. The company already operates as a broader studio and merch platform around his creator-owned work. BODEGA feels like the civic version of that same instinct — not just making comics, but building the machinery around comics so more people can make a living in them. That last part is partly inference, but it lines up with how both projects are described. (forbes.com) ### Is this just a convention story? Not really. It’s a power story. Comics has spent years watching creator-owned talent become more entrepreneurial — building studios, newsletters, direct sales channels, and adaptation pipelines. Tynion is one of the clearest examples of that shift. What’s new here is that he’s turning some of that creator power outward, toward a local cultural institution instead of only his own line of books. (shoptinyonion.com) ### What’s the catch? A new festival is still just a plan until people show up. November is months away, and event launches are fragile — especially in a crowded convention calendar. But the early signs are serious: BEC has a set date, a venue, an organizational structure, and a stated lineup target of more than 100 artists. That is a real build, not a vague announcement. (forbes.com) ### So what’s the bottom line? The interesting thing here isn’t that James Tynion IV is successful. Everybody in comics already knew that. The interesting thing is that he’s trying to convert personal success into scene-building. If BEC works, New York gets more than a new weekend show — it gets a new center of gravity for indie comics. (forbes.com) (aiptcomics.com)