Fieldmouse Press's goal is to advance the medium of comics by publishing new and underrepresented voices. A core belief of theirs is that comics should be a place for every person and story.[1]
History
Veteran comics critics Daniel Elkin, Alex Hoffman, Rob Clough, and Ryan Carey announced a new, non-profit publishing company, Fieldmouse Press, in September of 2019. The company's first publishing project, SOLRAD, launched in 2020. SOLRAD publishes comics criticism, essays, interviews, and new comics. Since 2021, Fieldmouse Press has published international and American comics. Fieldmouse Press is committed to expanding the appreciation of the comic arts through its dedication to publishing comics and literature.[2]
Impacted by Trump's Tariffs
Because of the steep increase in tariffs on all imported goods from China to the United States, the cost of Fieldmouse Press bringing their Winter 2025 Season of books to readers skyrocketed. This put the future of Fieldmouse Press at risk. Fieldmouse Press' publisher, Alex Hoffman, notes
Picture from Fieldmouse Press' Instagram representing their feelings on the tariffs.
“Our Winter 2025 Season has already been printed and is currently on a freightliner in the Pacific Ocean. We expect it to arrive in port in late April. We are now expected to pay an additional 54% tariff in order for those books to get released from customs and sent to our warehouse. As a small publisher, we do not have the financial reserves to absorb these additional costs, and we need the art community’s help to weather this storm.”[3]
To offset the unexpected costs, Fieldmouse Press launched a GoFundMe Campaign with a goal of $10,000 to help pay the costs of tariffs and keep Fieldmouse Press going steady. After receiving support from other small press publishers like Glacier Bay Books and Silver Sprocket, Fieldmouse stopped accepting donations on its GoFundMe.[4] Instead, they directed people to support their Winter Season 2025 crowdfunding campaign where they raised $7,700.
Board of Directors
Daniel Elkin is the executive director of Fieldmouse PressDaniel Elkin; Executive Director of Fieldmouse Press
Elkin has lived in the Nevada County area for the past 20 years. Twenty years of his career were dedicated to being a high school English teacher at Bear River High School and Britney Prep Charter High School. Currently, Elkins is the Communications and Engagement Director at the South Yuba River Citizens League, the owner and marketing director of Elkin Education Marketing, and the executive director of Fieldmouse Press. He also acts as the publisher and editor-in-chief of SOLRAD, the online literary magazine for comics.[2]
Alexander Hoffman is the publisher of Fieldmouse Press and the publisher of SOLRAD literary magazine. He is also the acting secretary and treasurer.
He has been a comics critic for over a decade. Hoffman is the publisher of a collaborative podcasting project called "ENEMIES OF THE STATE."[2]
Rob Clough is the executive editor.
Clough is a long-time volunteer with comic nonprofits and has almost two decades of experience being a comic critic. He brings Fieldmouse Press an abundance of connections needed for successful fundraising. [2]
Jules Bakes is a member of the board of directors.
Bakes is a freelance critic with nine years of experience hosting events, supporting students abroad, managing social media, and more within the Fellowships office at Yale University.[2]
Dr. Francesca Lyn is a member of the board of directors.
She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her project, "The Fragmentary Body: Traumatic Configurations in Autobiographical Comics by Women of Color," was the recipient of the 2019 John A. Lent Scholarship in Comic Studies, an award presented by the International Comics Art Form to a substantial research-based writing project about comics.[2]
Rachel R. Miller is a member of the board of directors.
Based out of Columbus, Ohio, Miller is a writer, editor, and scholar. Currently, she is a Presidential Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate at The Ohio State University. She formerly served as the Assistant Editor of Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society.[2]
Ryan Carey is a member of the board of directors.
Carey is a comics critic with years of experience writing for Daily Grindhouse, SeqART, The Comics Journal, and his own site, Four Color Apocalypse. [2]
Finances
All finances are self-reported by Fieldmouse Press for the 2024 fiscal year. The total revenue for the 2024 fiscal year was reported to be $14,957, which was generated from contributions, gifts, and grants. Total expenses come from their program at a total of $8,476. Their total assets for the year were $6,481, and total liabilities were $0. [5]
Publishing Program
Formats
Fieldmouse Press is a publisher of comics and literature. Throughout their catalog, there are both printed copies and eBooks. Prices of printed copies range from $8 to $30, whereas eBooks range from $4 to $15.[1]
Subscription Service
Fieldmouse Press offers a subscription service for its publications called "The Fieldmouse Subscription." Every year, Fieldmouse Press publishes two seasons of books, which get sent directly to subscribers. This allows subscribers a way to get new books published by Fieldmouse Press before anyone else. There are four types of subscriptions available. A seasonal subscription, a three-book minicomic subscription, and gift subscriptions of both options.[1]
SOLRAD
SOLRAD Logo
SOLRAD is a nonprofit online literary magazine dedicated to the comic arts that is published by Fieldmouse Press. SOLRAD promotes comics journalism from respected critics and essayists, new comics by emerging and established creators, and a safe space to build community and engage the public. A partner of SOLRAD is the Nevada County Arts Council, which has helped contribute to the growth of the literary magazine.[6]
Distributor
White Squirrel Logo
Fieldmouse Press books are distributed by White Squirrel LLC. White Squirrel was founded in 2016 by Andrea Demonakos. Demonakos herself is a fan of comics, illustration, and animation. Her passion for these topics led to the creation of White Squirrel, which has grown to 100 clients through word of mouth alone. Over the last year, White Squirrel has shipped over 110,000 packages to their customers. [7]
Notable Titles
French Girl by Jesse Kercheval
French Girl is Jesse Kercheval's debut graphic memoir. The graphic novel explores the relationship between Kercheval and her mother, her childhood, and her own motherhood. It's told in a series of stories as a reflection on the material and immaterial ways our families affect us. French Girl won a Washington Post top graphic novel of 2024.
Hot House by John Hankiewicz is a comic about a man and a woman who live in a house together but rarely interact. Both of them complete mundane tasks around the house. However, as time goes on, reality consumes them and they confront past selves, dust storms, and an environment that is unknown, yet familiar. Hot House was a Comics Journal 2024 Best Comic of the Year and an Irish Times Best Graphic Novel of 2024.
Flea by Mara Ramirez
Flea by Mara Ramirez is the most recent publication by Fieldmouse Press. The comic tells the story of Flea, a young queer woman who wants to be heard. Alternating between scribbles and naturalistic drawings, Flea explores perceptions of herself and reality in an attempt to feel 'real'.
Submissions to Field Mouse Press
Currently, Fieldmouse Press is closed to submissions. However, they reopen again for submission on November 1st, 2025. In general, Fieldmouse Press looks for high-quality fiction, nonfiction, and poetry comics that have a clear voice and artistic vision. Their editors solicit works from a variety of sources, including translation and localization of comics that have never before been published in English. Fieldmouse Press is interested in a variety of comic projects, including books meant for young adults and general adult audiences. Currently, they are not interested in projects intended for early readers or children. Fieldmouse Press also has a very strict policy against the usage of Artificial Intelligence. [1]
Summary
Fieldmouse Press is a nonprofit publisher of comics and literature. They have impacted the comics community by not only expanding the appreciation for comics as an art form but also by publishing works from underrepresented creators.
