Our story

Literati Press Comics and Novels began as an ambitious subculture publishing company founded in 2010 to herald innovative storytellers and strengthen the region’s literary and comics community. Today, we are a creators publishing company that offers mentorship, support, and representation for the most exciting voices in Oklahoma storytelling. Literati Press prides itself in advocating for promising projects that are commercially viable, advancing Oklahoma storytelling, and remaining artistically significant so as to foster greater cooperation between investors, influencers, and storytellers.

Literati Press is also a curated bookshop located in the historic Paseo Arts District in OKC. We specialize in progressive and cerebral fiction, sequential art, and nonfiction. We still retain our in-house titles, but also feature our favorite books from across the world and throughout the history of the written word.

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  • Novelist and comic book creator Charles J. Martin

    Charles J. Martin

    CREATIVE DIRECTOR

    Charles J. Martin founded Literati Press Comics & Novels in 2010 to give a platform to progressive storytelling in Oklahoma. In 2016, he took over as the gallery manager for the Paseo Plunge, later building out the Literati Press Bookshop which started with two modest bookcases by the front door and has since sprawled deeper and deeper into the building with no end in sight.

  • Editor Chloe Harrison

    Chloe Harrison

    MANAGING EDITOR

    Chloe Harrison has always loved a great story. Her reading tastes range from speculative young adult titles to cerebral, genre-bending adult fiction—the weirder the better. In an effort to put her penchant for correcting other people's grammar (sometimes against their will) to better use, Chloe completed a master’s degree in Publishing from Roehampton University London. When she's not reading or editing other people's stories, she's typing away at her own. As the Managing Editor of Brick & Mortar Press, Chloe would love to guide your book every step of the way from idea to the printed page.

  • ARTIST John Eric Osborn

    John Eric Osborn

    ART DIRECTOR

    John Eric Osborn is an Oklahoma-based artist/designer/teacher who has artwork in comic shops, schools, newspapers and stores throughout the country. He is the creator of the sci-fi graphic novel "Enigma Machine," the story of an ex-soldier and a robotic little girl and “Hiro Doggie: Space Corgi,” a canine/alien space adventure. He now works as the Art Director of Literati Comics.

  • Jerry Bennett Artist

    Jerry Bennett

    ART DIRECTOR
    WRITER/ILLUSTRATOR/TEACHER

    The co-creator of Glamorella’s Daughter and beloved mainstay of Oklahoma comics has become an important mentor for the state’s growing comic book community.
    He’s created work for Stan Lee, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Disney, and Dreamworks. Jerry is now focused on writing his own graphic novels focused on the middle grade audience.

  • Melissa Coast

    Melissa Coast

    BOOK BUYER

    After embarking on a 3 year adventure across the United States in their trusty RV, (and a brief hiatus thanks to Covid) Melissa, her husband, and their three kids found their haven in OKC, a place where they have forged wonderful connections and gained a true sense of home.

    Melissa pinged on the Literati Press radar with her fantastic Instagram series, @stickynote_bookrecs as well as her frequent trips to our shop. Eventually, we roped her into the crew to help with spare hours. We soon realized she was a voracious reader and loved talking, selling, and curating books. Her role expanded into lead book buyer in 2023.

  • Steve "Echo" Gooch

    Steve "Echo" Gooch

    EDITOR

    Steve just sorta showed up and started working at the Literati Press Bookshop one day a week in the fall of 2019, doing whatever needed to be done. Echo has a background in teaching and degrees in Playwriting, Comparative Literature, Early Childhood Education, and Philosophy. They sometimes publish zines and other things as Echo Vents Books. Echo has since started a new bookshop in Oklahoma City’s Film Row, but continues serving as an editor for Literati Press.

  • Kristen Grace

    Kristen Grace

    EDITOR AND BOOK CONCIERGE

    Kristen Grace is a journalist for 405 Magazine and Art Focus and a graduate from Oklahoma City University’s Red Earth MFA program. She has authored a picture book, The Stepmother Who Believed in Feathers, as well as Wings, a collection of feminist fairy tales, through Literati Press. She has recently published poems in Focus Magazine, Mid/South, Freezeray, Behind the Rain Anthology and other literary journals.

  • Nick Hermes - Artist

    Nick Hermes

    WRITER/ILLUSTRATOR

    The creator of The Black-Jack Demon is among the most accomplished artists working with Literati Press. He’s long career as an oil painter with a whimsical and humanist take on the Western mythos dove-tailed perfectly into his genre-busting and celebrated revenge tale releasing through Literati Press.

  • Brian "Buck" Berlin

    Brian "Buck" Berlin

    STRATEGIST

    Buck Berlin started reading comics in 1989 and hasn't stopped ever since. At 17, he started his first job at the place he loves most on earth, New World Comics. A short 5 years later, he bought the business he most loved. Over the years he learned how the industry worked and the finer points of comic book retailing. His years of experience make him an ideal chief strategist. Also, his favorite animals are goats.

  • Jorian Vaught

    Jorian Vaught

    ILLUSTRATOR

    Jorian comes to us with a background in printing that began when she was still in high school in Guthrie, Oklahoma. She went on to study illustration at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma. Her training as a caricature artist taught her not only how to draw human features, but also how to make people feel comfortable and open in her presence. Jorian’s art reflects a passion for shape and line and a sharp, carefree state of mind. Her playful compositions reflect the themes that recur in her favorite stories: comedy, emotional expression, and darkness overcome by the power of friendship and love.

  • Artist Greg White

    Greg White

    ILLUSTRATOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER

    Co-Creator of Aliengaged, Greg White has been a favorite artist of the store from our very beginnings. His OKC district designs fly off the shelves in poster, sticker, and coaster form; yet many don’t realize Greg also created one of the funniest sci-fi comedies on the market in Aliengaged with his best friend, Colin Ingersol.

    ”I'm passionate about the power of art to communicate new ideas, to foster empathy, and to bring about a greater sense of humor, beauty, and understanding among society.

    I bring my ten plus years of experience to create illustrative work for clients, as well as gallery work and commercial prints. My work includes illustrations for the New York Times Best Seller "It Starts with Food," multiple children's books, movie posters, comic books, corporate art, and murals. “

  • David Woods Graphic Design

    David Woods

    GRAPHIC DESIGNER

    Fellow Paseo Arts District merchant and gifted graphic designer, David Woods, has worked as a creative professional for over 20 years. His client roster boasts clients from around the globe and includes companies such as Polydor Records, CVS Health, The Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie Centers, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma and many more. As patient as he is intuitive and innovative, David consistently creates standout design focused on his clients' needs. “My goal is to make graphic design the easiest part of your day.

  • Justin Stier - Artist

    Justin Stier

    ILLUSTRATOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER

    Editor and designer of Storybook Shorts and Storybook Anthology, Justin’s established himself as one of the community’s most active illustrators.