Vault Comics
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Comic book publishing |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Damian Wassel, Adrian Wassel, Nathan Gooden |
| Headquarters | Missoula , United States |
| Owner | Aethon Books (controlling interest since 2025) |
Vault Comics is a U.S.-based publisher focusing on horror, fantasy, and science fiction comics, with a strong commitment to diversity and properties that extend across various media platforms. Operating as a privately held family enterprise, Vault's main office is located in Missoula, Montana.
History
Established in 2016 by siblings Damian and Adrian Wassel along with their cousin Nathan Gooden, Vault drew inspiration from the business models of publishers such as Image Comics and Vertigo Comics. In 2025, Aethon Books, a book publishing company, acquired a controlling interest in Vault.
Creators
Prominent talents linked to Vault include Tim Seeley, Ashley A. Woods, Magdalene Visaggio, Cavan Scott, Donny Cates, Brandon Sanderson, and Jen Bartel.
Notable titles
Among Vault’s catalog is Vampire: The Masquerade, adapted from the well-known tabletop role-playing game. The creative team comprises writers Tim Seeley, Blake, and Tini Howard; artists Devmalya Pramanik, Nathan Gooden, David W. Mack, Aaron Campbell; colorist Addison Duke; and letterer AndWorld. This series earned a 2021 Eisner Award nomination for Best Lettering.
Dark One, a fantasy graphic novel series by author Brandon Sanderson, was released by Vault in May 2021 as the initial installment of a planned trilogy. It is currently being adapted into a fantasy drama television series through collaboration between Sanderson and FremantleMedia North America.
Other significant works include Donny Cates’s limited three-issue run Reactor (2017–2018), Heathen (2017–2020) by Natasha Alterici and Ashley A. Woods—which is in development for a feature film—and Magdalene Visaggio’s six-issue series Vagrant Queen (2018) along with its 2020 follow-up Vagrant Queen: A Planet Called Doom. The television adaptation of Vagrant Queen aired on SyFy in 2020.
The ongoing series Money Shot, written by Tim Seeley, launched in October 2019. In July 2020, Vault debuted Shadow Service, a magical detective series created by Cavan Scott and Corin M. Howell—marking Scott’s first creator-owned comic.
Vault’s longest-running publication is Wasted Space, which has been in print since 2018. In 2022, they began issuing the ongoing title Door to Door Night by Night, scripted by Cullen Bunn with artwork by Sally Cantirino.
The year 2025 saw the introduction of the Vantage line at Vault—compact, budget-friendly reprints of popular comics similar to DC Compacts or Marvel Premiere editions. Initial offerings include Witchblood, Money Shot, and These Savage Shores, with additional titles planned for subsequent releases.
Awards and nominations
Jen Bartel received the 2019 Eisner Award for Best Cover Artist partially due to her contributions to Vault's Submerged.
Indian creators Ram V, Sumit Kumar, Vitorio Astone, Aditya Bidikar, and Tim Daniel earned the 2020 Ignyte Award for Best Comics Team for their work on Vault's These Savage Shores.
Letterers at Vault Comics, including Jim Campbell and Deron Bennett, have been nominated multiple times for the Eisner Award.
The Unfinished Corner, created by Dani Colman with illustrations by Rachel "Tuna" Petrovicz, was shortlisted for the 2021 National Jewish Book Award and won the Graphic Novel Diversity Award (Youth) from the VLA.
Sources