[2] The company is known for its licensed comic book adaptations of films, television shows, video games, and cartoons.

Adams selected one, 30 Days of Night, and paired him with artist Ben Templesmith for a comic adaptation as a three-issue series, beginning in August 2002.

[3] In 2007, IDT Corporation purchased a 53% majority interest in IDW from the company's founders, removing Garner & Oprisko, while reducing Adams & Robbins to minority owners collectively at 47%.

[5] The company's first traditional comic series, 30 Days of Night, created by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith started a seven-figure bidding war between DreamWorks, MGM, and Senator International, with Senator winning and Sam Raimi attached to produce.

The company's other licensed comics include Topps' Mars Attacks, Sony's Underworld, FX's The Shield, Fox's 24[9] and Angel; Universal’s Land of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead; and Konami’s Silent Hill,[10] Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, and Speed Racer.

Joe comics license in May 2008 (previously held by Devil's Due Publishing) and released three new series under editor Andy Schmidt,[14] from writers such as Chuck Dixon, Larry Hama, and Christos Gage.

[19] In January 2011, IDW Publishing announced a new Dungeons & Dragons comic series, under license from Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast.

[24] September 6, 2011, for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, IDW Publishing teamed up Charlie Foxtrot Entertainment and released the graphic novel Code Word: Geronimo, written by retired Marine Corps Captain Dale Dye and Julia Dye, drawn by Gerry Kissell with inker Amin Amat.

[25] Code Word: Geronimo reached #22 on Diamond Comics top 100 list its first month after release.

[27] In March 2012 IDW Publishing announced it would release new comics based on Judge Dredd and The Crow.

[33] In April 2017, IDW Publishing acquired a license from Lucasfilm to produce a range of all-ages Star Wars comics.

[39] In May 2019, a sequel mini-series was announced: Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Chapter II: Painscape.

[45] Between April and May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, IDW was forced to furlough and then lay off several employees, including Managing Editor Denton Tipton, Associate Publisher David Hedgecock, Senior Graphic Artist Gilberto Lazcano, Senior Graphic Designer Christa Miesner, and Brand & Marketing Manager Spencer Reeve.

[49] In September 2021, IDW announced that its partnership with Diamond Comic Distributors would switch to Penguin Random House.

Joe by the end of the year, but would continue publishing other Hasbro licenses, including My Little Pony and Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons.

[52] On April 27, 2023, IDW cut 39% of their staff and became privately-held by delisting from the New York Stock Exchange; the company also restructured its C-suite and experienced an almost 50% drop in its share price.

[59] A 2007 film adaptation based on Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith's 30 Days of Night starred Josh Hartnett and Melissa George, was directed by David Slade, produced by 2002 Spider-Man director Sam Raimi and distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Netflix announced a television adaptation of Locke & Key created by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, which premiered on February 7, 2020.