[3] In 1976 Groth founded Fantagraphics Books, Inc. with Catron and Kim Thompson, and took over an adzine named The Nostalgia Journal—quickly renaming it The Comics Journal.

It disparaged formulaic superhero books and work for hire publishers and favored artists like R. Crumb and Art Spiegelman and creator ownership of copyrights.

Groth's first editorial in The Nostalgia Journal[10] began a lengthy feud[11] with Alan Light, founder, and at that time, publisher of The Buyer's Guide for Comics Fandom.

[12] Fandom: Confidential, Ron Frantz's history of the WE Seal of approval program (WSA),[13] outlines Groth's confrontations with Light at conventions and via late night collect calls.

[16] Groth's 1991 Comics Journal editorial "Lies We Cherish: The Canonization of Carol Kalish",[17] which criticized what he saw as the unwarranted hagiographies for then-recently deceased former Marvel Comics Vice President of New Product Development, whom Groth characterized as "selling cretinous junk to impressionable children",[18] caused controversy within the industry,[19] including outrage by Kalish's friend and colleague, writer Peter David.