TopatoCo
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail, Webcomic merchandise |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Jeffrey Rowland |
| Headquarters | Easthampton , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jeffrey Rowland, Holly Rowland |
| Products | Apparel, stickers, webcomic-related merchandise |
| Website | topatoco |
The Topato Corporation (commonly known as TopatoCo) is a prominent online retailer that focuses on merchandise related to webcomics. Established in 2004 by artist and business owner Jeffrey Rowland, the company has become a key participant in the specialized market of webcomic-themed products.
History
Following a job loss in 2004, Jeffrey Rowland initiated TopatoCo to market apparel, stickers, and various items connected to his webcomics. Leveraging current cultural events like the 2004 presidential election, he successfully sold 1,000 satirical T-shirts within just one month. By 2007, Rowland broadened the company’s scope to include merchandise from other creators, centralizing their sales through TopatoCo.
Initially headquartered in Oklahoma, the business relocated to Easthampton, Massachusetts by mid-2005. In 2006, Rowland began working alongside his partner Holly, who became a co-founder and co-manager; they married in 2012 and continue to jointly oversee the enterprise.
Recognized as "arguably the largest and most well-known E-tailer of webcomic merchandise," TopatoCo takes its name from a character featured in Rowland's Wigu Adventures. The company’s strategy centers on providing free digital content while generating revenue through physical goods.
In 2013, Holly introduced Make That Thing, a Kickstarter fulfillment and management service originally operating independently but now incorporated into TopatoCo’s framework under the brand TopatoGO. This development marks the company's strategic diversification into crowdfunding fulfillment alongside its primary retail operations.
Clients
Among the earliest partners were Jonathan Rosenberg, Richard Stevens, John Allison, and Meredith Gran. In 2008, Rowland identified Dinosaur Comics and Dr. McNinja as significant clients. Other notable creators represented include Questionable Content, MS Paint Adventures, and Girl Genius. Due to rapid expansion in 2009, the company opted to turn down some prospective clients to preserve service quality.
List of creators
rowspan="4" |New Leaf Literary Holly BlackLeigh BardugoLiz Climo rowspan="4" |Night Vale PresentsThe Orbiting Human CircusWelcome to Night ValeWithin the Wires Oh Joy Sex Toy! Olive Rae Brinker Olivia Jaimes Phil Foglio & Kaja Foglio Post Everything Productions Richard Stevens Rosemary MoscoRyan North Sarah Jolley Sam Logan Shen (Andrew Tsyaston) Smallbu Animation This Modern World Tom Siddell Trudy Cooper, Doug Bayne twistCMYK Upright Citizens Brigade TheatreUrsula Vernon Will Flanary| Creator | Prominent Title(s) | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Abby Howard, Black Tabby Games | Scarlet Hollow | |
| Slay the Princess | ||
| Alex Schmidt | Secretly Incredibly Fascinating | |
| Andrew Hussie | MS Paint Adventures | |
| Anthony Clark | Beartato | |
| A. Senna Diaz | Dresden Codak | |
| Asymmetric Publications | Kingdom of Loathing | |
| Becky Dreistadt, Frank Gibson | Becky & Frank! | |
| Brandon Bird | ||
| Chris Hastings | The Adventures of Dr. McNinja | |
| Cohen Edenfield | Skulltenders | Includes KC Green, Jess O’Brien, and Amber Carr |
| Dave Kellett | Sheldon | |
| David Malki | Wondermark | |
| Dorothy Gambrell | Cat and Girl | |
| Erin McKeown | ||
| Evan Dahm | ||
| Gene Ambaum | Library Comic | Illustrated by Willow Payne |
| Unshelved | Illustrated by Bill Barnes | |
| Ian McConville, Matthew Boyd | Three Panel Soul | |
| Ian Worthington | Worthikids | |
| Jeffrey Rowland | Founder of Topatoco | |
| Jeph Jacques | Questionable Content | |
| Jessica Hayworth | ||
| Jess Fink | ||
| John Allison | ||
| John Hodgman | ||
| Jon Rosenberg | Scenes from a Multiverse | |
| Goats | ||
| Jonathan Coulton | ||
| Joey Comeau | A Softer World | Illustrated by Emily Horne |
| Julia Wertz | ||
| Kate Beaton | Hark! A Vagrant | |
| Kate Leth | Associated with Night Vale Presents | |
| KC Green | Gunshow | |
| KoiBeat | ||
| Kory Bing | Skin Deep | |
| Lucy Knisley | ||
| Machine of Death | Anthology edited by Ryan North, Matthew Bennardo, and David Malki | |
| Mattie Lubchansky | ||
| MC Frontalot | ||
| Michael Kupperman | ||
| Cassandra Clare | ||
| Alice Isn't Dead | ||
| Written by Julian Koster | ||
Created originally by Erika Moen |
||
| Rae the Doe | ||
Nancy
Continuation of the original 1938 Ernie Bushmiller strip with the same name | ||
| Girl Genius | ||
| The Story Must Be Told | ||
| Diesel Sweeties | ||
| Bird and Moon | ||
| Dinosaur Comics | ||
| The Property of Hate | ||
| Sam & Fuzzy | ||
| Shen Comix | ||
Created by Lindsay and Alex Small-Butera |
||
| Tom Tomorrow | ||
| Gunnerkrigg Court | ||
| Oglaf | ||
| Mission to Zyxx | ||
| Red Wombat | ||
| Dr. Glaucommflecken |
External links
- Articles with short description
- Webcomic publishers
- Culture of Massachusetts
- Massachusetts-based retail firms
- Retail businesses founded in 2004
- American enterprises established in 2004
- 2004 establishments in Oklahoma
- 5
- American companies established in 2004
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment