Saladin Ahmed, the critically acclaimed writer of Ms. Marvel, is starting his own creator-owned digital comics imprint called Copper Bottle. This new line of books is all written by Ahmed, with art by some of the best artists working today.
Saladin Ahmed hit the literary scene in 2012 with his novel Throne of the Crescent Moon, which was nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards and won the Locus Award. In 2017, Ahmed entered the comics field with a Black Bolt series for Marvel; the book won an Eisner Award for Best New Series. Ahmed has written for Marvel since, on books such as Exiles, The Magnificent Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales: Spider-Man. Beyond comics and novels, Ahmed has published short stories and poetry, and has worked across a variety of mediums such as television and podcasts. Saladin Ahmed has, in a few short years, already carved out a distinctive body of work, and now he is ready to begin the next phase in his career with his own line of creator-owned digital comics, called Copper Bottle.
In the first post on Copper Bottle’s website, Ahmed outlined his vision for the line, as well as how it will work. Copper Bottle will be the exclusive home for all of Ahmed’s creator-owned work moving forward. Ahmed has also promised insights into his creative processes, as well as a look at his influences; he envisions Copper Bottle as a place to communicate with readers, one less “toxic” than other social media channels. Copper Bottle will be a subscription service: for a fee (not yet disclosed) fans will get a weekly drop of new material, all written by Ahmed and illustrated by some of today’s top artists; the books will be accessible through email or on the site.
Ahmed revealed the origins of the name as well, tracing it back to the legend “The Fisherman and the Djinn,” where the fisherman uses his wits to trick a djinn back into a copper bottle. The story, with its mix of the mundane and the magical, and its emphasis on humans making a stand, fit perfectly with Ahmed’s vision. Finally, he promised information about the forthcoming books, including TerrorWar.
Over the last five years, Saladin Ahmed has built an impressive body of work, tackling both Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales, two of Marvel’s most iconic teen heroes. Ahmed has built on the works of Kamala and Miles’ creators, honoring what came before but forging a new path forward. Copper Bottle represents a gigantic leap for Ahmed, and its business model could revolutionize the creator-owned comics field.
Ahmed’s announcement comes as other comics creators such as James Tynion IV, Nick Spencer and Jonathan Hickman are taking steps to release their own creator-owned comics independently through Substack. Saladin Ahmed’s new creator-owned imprint Copper Bottle will debut soon, giving fans weekly doses of new material from this exciting writer.
