A Creator-First Publishing Vision
Straight Edge, the talent management and IP development agency founded by former Dengeki Bunko editor-in-chief Kazuma Miki, has officially announced its new manga imprint, Straight Edge Comic (SEC). Designed to plan, edit, and publish original manga in a horizontal format, the label aims to begin serializing its first batch of titles in 2027 under a strict "Creator First" ethos.
To establish its editorial foundation, former STUDIO ZOON editor-in-chief Kento Kaji has joined the firm as a manga editing adviser, focusing on talent acquisition and production pipelines. Meanwhile, Kazuma Miki—whose editorial track record includes juggernauts like Sword Art Online, A Certain Magical Index, and The Irregular at Magic High School—will personally manage overall production and cross-media adaptation strategies.
Rethinking Compensation and Media Mix
What sets Straight Edge Comic apart from traditional publishing workflows is its restructured approach to financial risk and author compensation. The imprint is introducing a sliding royalty scale that increases proportionally with volume sales, along with profit-sharing incentives for freelance editors on breakout hits. Crucially, creators whose multi-chapter storyboards fail to pass editorial review will still receive financial compensation for planning and development costs, mitigating early-stage risk for artists while preparing their next pitches.
While digital distribution across major online platforms serves as the entry point, the initiative aims to issue physical print editions for successful titles. Furthermore, Straight Edge Comic has established early ties with one of Japan's major advertising groups to handle marketing, promotional campaigns, and fast-tracked anime adaptations for flagship series.
