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Mail-Order Comics Giant DCBS Weighs In on CORONAVIRUS Financial Effects, DIAMOND's Response, & Expectations from DCThe coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone, and put a squeeze on the entire comics industry, causing North American distributor, Diamond, to suspend delivery of all comics for the month of April (and possibly beyond). Newsarama has spoken to several retailers about the effects, and now we speak with one of the biggest: the mail order giant Discount Comic Book Service (DCBS).Founded back in 1999 by Christina and Cameron Merkler, DCBS is arguably one of Diamond's largest retail clients. The Fort Wayne-based retailer ships an estimated 35-50,000 units each week, and have 4,400 regular monthly customers - and all of their comics come from Diamond.The Merklers founded DCBS in their basement back in 1999, drawing on their vast personal collection and their own backgrounds in big box store retail and accounting. Within five years, they grew out of that basement and into their first warehouse. By 2008, they expanded to a larger location and launched their sister site, InStockTrades.com. Over the years, DCBS has acquired other retailers such as Mail Order Comics and Tales of Wonder, and now have warehouses in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Memphis, Tennesssee - the Memphis location situated in a 30-mile radius of two of Diamond's three U.S. warehouses. Between the two locations, they employ 42 people.With all that's going on, Newsarama spoke with Christine Merkler about what she's seeing, what they're doing, and what they expect to happen in the coming months for themselves, their customers, their employees, and the industry at large.Newsarama: Christine, when did you first realize that what would become the coronavirus pandemic would affect your business, and the comics industry as a whole so significantly?Christina Merkler: The moment I heard that California had instituted the shelter-in-place order I knew business was about to change drastically.Nrama: Have you noticed an immediate change in sales these past two weeks, compared to historical norms?Merkler: At DCBS we have not. We are still receiving requests for adding books that were missed and March pre-orders are on target for last month and last year at this time. InStockTrades had normal sale weeks the last 2 weeks.Nrama: What shipping companies does DCBS use, and how have they been in this pandemic?Merkler: We use FedEx primarily and USPS for PO Boxes and non-contiguous U.S. states. All involved have been picking up as normal.Nrama: What steps has DCBS done to protect its employees and its customers?Merkler: Because we are a small team environment, we always encourage our employees to stay home when they are not feeling well. We gave the team a Friday off a couple of weeks ago, and wiped down every bin, cubbie, work table and floor surface in the warehouse. Since then, we have instructed the employees to wipe down the scanners and work surfaces after each use and follow the CDC guidelines for washing hands, etc.Nrama: How do you feel about the communication that publishers, distributors, and shipping companies have had with you as a retailer in this crisis?Merkler: We believe the communication has been relatively slow and the answers are not necessarily what retailers want to hear.We understand that the publishers are continuing to work on this, as the environment keeps changing, but it is difficult to be patient. It is important for us to remember that some companies have a handful of employees and can make decisions quickly and without much approval. Other companies have several layers of oversight and approval required before stating anything, which slows communication.Nrama: DC has been one of the standouts at not addressing retailers or the public during this pandemic. Have you spoken to them individually about this?Merkler: We have been in communication with DC and they have told us they are working on a plan.Nrama: What is DCBS' plan for next week, April 1, since Diamond says they're not shipping out comic books?Merkler: Our current plan is to ship all customers scheduled to ship next week with the current items in their open invoices. We will not be receiving 4/1 releases, so those will not be included. We do know that they have been printed and are in Diamond's warehouse, so we will receive those releases as soon as Diamond goes back to total fulfillment.Nrama: Let me back up a bit. Diamond is the near-exclusive distributor for most comics and some graphic novels, but other distributors are selling some comic books and graphic novels. Does DCBS have other distributors, and how are they doing in all of this?Merkler: Diamond is the only distributor we use.Nrama: What are your personal projections for how this ends up three to six months from now?Merkler: I believe that three to six months from now the comics industry will look nothing like it did two weeks ago.My hope is that all of us make it out of this, because without a strong direct market there is not a strong comics industry. I am certain that every part of the supply chain will be re-evaluating their business and will put measures in place to make sure they are prepared for any event of this magnitude going forward. Every small business will re-prioritize and evaluate every level of their business, from suppliers and shipping companies, to product mix and number of employees needed.
In response to the coronavirus crisis, DC is exploring distributors in addition to Diamond Comic Distributors to get product to comic stores, the company said in an e-mail to retailers from “the DC Team” on Saturday. “Because we anticipate that continued disruption to business operations will create regional volatility, DC is exploring a multi-distributor model to provide us with the flexibility needed during this crisis to get new content to our readers on an ongoing basis,” the letter said.It appears that DC is also trying to find ways for Diamond to re-activate its distribution network, which has been shut down for the past week (see “Diamond Halting Distribution of New Product”). “In the short-term, we continue to engage in active conversations with Diamond to help us solve the distribution issues that have arisen and hope to get new product to stores that want or need it as soon as possible,” the retailer communication said. “We will provide additional information about how we’ll make that happen in the coming days.”DC also said that comics shipped between March 18 and June 24 will be fully returnable.DC had been quiet since the U.S. shutdown began, as competitors beginning with Image and Dynamite (see “Image, Dynamite Taking Returns”), and then followed by Marvel (see “Marvel Cuts Wholesale Prices”) and mid-level publishers such as BOOM!, IDW (see “BOOM!, IDW Announce Retailer Support Measures”) and Dark Horse (see “Dark Horse Announces Covid-19 Publishing Plans”) announced various retailer support measures. The slow response led some to question “where is DC Comics during this pandemic (see “Peter DeFelice of Pyramid Comics and Cards on Covid-19 and Retailing”).Diamond has had distribution rights for periodical comics to the comic store channel since the mid-90s, when then-DC Publisher Paul Levitz struck a deal with Diamond (which included an option to purchase) in response to Marvel’s purchase of Heroes World. Marvel had acquired Heroes World, a regional distributor based in New Jersey, to handle its comic distribution to the Direct Market. The moves by Marvel and DC began a paradigm shift that created a distribution landscape in the comics business that has been stable for a quarter century. That stability, it appears, may soon end as a global pandemic leads companies to re-visit their core assumptions about how business is done.
The Coronavirus crisis impacts all of us. To help support the comics business community that makes our mission possible, we’ve assembled this clearinghouse resource for financial aid, training tools, and other information. We’re continuing to monitor the situation surrounding the outbreak and will provide updates and resources for retailers here on an ongoing basis. If you see something we haven’t listed yet, please let us know by emailing [email protected]. For updates on other Comics Businesses around the United States and the world, check out CBLDF’s Retailer Spotlight on COVID-19.We’re going to get through this, together.
Tax Relief Resources [NEW 3/20: Avalara.com created this comprehensive round up of state and federal tax relief resources with links and detailed guidance. Read it here. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Join us for a live and unfiltered conversation with Steve Geppi, CEO of Diamond Comics Distribution. He'll talk about how we got here and where the comics industry is going next as well as taking live questions from our panel of industry pundits and retailers from around the world.
Due to production delays created by the COVID-19 outbreak, Diamond will skip publication of the May edition of PREVIEWS (#380).Instead, Diamond will publish a May/June edition of PREVIEWS (#380/#381).The catalog will include all items originally intended for May solicitation, plus new items solicited in June. All items in the catalog will carry item codes with a JUN20 prefix.The catalog is currently scheduled to arrive in stores May 27.
San Diego Comics will be closing at the end of the May, owner Bob Bellman told his customers on Facebook this weekend. "Because of the COVID-19 virus, Diamond will not be distributing any new books until May 20th," he wrote. "I can't hold out that long." Diamond shut down new comic distribution in late May, and is planning a resumption of shipments later this month (see "Diamond to Resume Weekly New Product Distribution").San Diego Comics has been in business since 1992, according to the San Diego Reader. It was founded by Greg Pharis, whose Golden State Comics was one of the very early comic stores in the San Diego area, founded in 1976. This is the second long-lived California comic store to close as a result of the coronavirus crisis; Lee’s Comics in Mountain View, California announced that it would not re-open after shutting down in March (see "First Bay Area Store Casualty").
sdcomicfest Paying our last respects to @sandiegocomics with one last bin dive. They will be here with half off everything in the store today, Friday and Saturday will be their last day.
EXCELSIOR! Now announcing #StanLeeUniverse with @TheRealStanLeeYou are not allowed to view links. Register or Login$GNUS #GNUS #GeniusBrands #NASDAQ $nasdaq #stanlee #kartoonchannel
Genius Brands Will Control New Joint Venture Drawing from Over 100 Original Stan Lee CreationsBEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Through a groundbreaking joint venture between Genius Brands International (“Genius Brands”) (NASDAQ:GNUS) and Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment, an agreement has been struck to create Stan Lee Universe. Stan Lee Universe will assume worldwide rights, in perpetuity, to the name, physical likeness, physical signature, live-action and animated motion picture, television, online, digital, publishing, comic book, merchandising and licensing rights to Stan Lee and his IP creations past*, present, and going forward.
IDW Publishing is undergoing a change in leadership, with Chris Ryall stepping down as president, publisher, and chief creative officer to launch a new publishing venture dedicated to developing new creative voices.Ryall had been in the position since December 2018, when he returned to the company six months after stepping down as chief creative officer and editor-in-chief.In an additional statement, IDW chairman Howard Jonas, “Chris has been instrumental in IDW Publishing’s success, and we thank him for the passion and commitment he brought to the company,” adding, “With Chris’s departure, IDW will be restructuring and expanding its operations, and we will name a new management team very soon.”
Well. This news is a bit sooner than we'd all intended--so if I didn't get a chance to notify some of you directly as I'd hoped, apologies--but hey, there's always a big announcement on Tuesday leading into #SDCC, right?
Last week, I saw @vellichorvictim ask why they see more guides to pitching GN projects than periodicals for comics and if there were any guides of that nature. So, figured I could put together a few pointers for them and anyone else who might be interested! 1/25
Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise, is pleased to announce that it has signed a distribution agreement with Mad Cave Studios to exclusively distribute their products to comic book specialty markets worldwide. Diamond was also awarded the rights to exclusively distribute Mad Cave’s new releases to the North American book market under the banner of Diamond Book Distributors.Mad Cave Studios is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded by Mark London in 2014, driven by madness and committed to providing quality entertainment with a fresh take in an array of genres. Mad Cave focuses on uplifting the comic community by supporting the underrepresented and writing stories that resonate with unapologetically authentic audiences. From horror and fantasy to sci-fi and adventure, Mad Cave Studios has a comic for every kind of reader. An unquestionable passion for creating comics and an undeniable commitment towards maddening creativity underscores Mad Cave’s drive to provide high-quality entertainment for today’s comic book reading audience.“Mad Cave is truly excited to be partnering up with Diamond Books in an effort to establish ourselves in the book market and continue expanding in the direct market,” said Mad Cave Studios Publisher, Chris Fernandez.CEO & CCO, Mark London adds, "Our true goal here is to offer graphic novels and comics that thrill and excite; for the youth that thinks differently today. We are publishing for those not afraid to be independent, who find freedom in the unexpected, and who will always fight to be the true versions of themselves.”Mad Cave Studios boasts an ever-growing library of work, with comic books and graphic novels ranging from horror to fantasy to sci-fi and everything in between. Honor and Curse, written by Mark London with art from Nicolás Salamanca and colors from Tekino, tells the tale of a skilled and ambitious shinobi with dreams of leading his warrior clan, when an evil mountain spirit from his past inhabits his body and turns him into an unstoppable force of nature incapable of remorse. Knights of the Golden Sun, written by Mark London with art from Mauricio Villarreal, is a biblical epic set during the four hundred years that separate the Old Testament from the New Testament. In this period, neither man nor angel can hear God’s divine message, and a power struggle erupts among the Archangels and the Fallen over who will control the Father’s throne. Battlecats, also from Mark London, is a medieval fantasy comic set in Valderia – a majestic world shaped by its rich history and diverse feline cultures – which is protected by the Battlecats, an elite team of warriors sworn to protect the throne against the forces of evil.“We are excited to begin a partnership with Mad Cave Studios and see great market potential in their books,” said Geppi Family Enterprises’ Chief Purchasing Officer, Tim Lenaghan. “Their continued effort to provide top-quality products that are both timely and relatable is an asset we value. We’re greatly looking forward to working with them to promote and sell their line of books.”
EditorIDW Publishing seeks an experienced Editor to plan, coordinate, and edit content for the publication of several comic book series. The ideal candidate will interact with many departments within the company, creators, licensors, and the creative team to produce the publication on time and with accuracy. Therefore, solid communication (both written and verbal), multitasking, and organizational skills are critical to success.Requirements: BA in Journalism, English, Writing, Art, Design, or related field. Demonstrated level of literacy and competency. Experience managing style and method of standards for creative products. 4-5 years of experience working in an Editorial department.Preferred: Excellent organizational, verbal, and written communication skills. Strong knowledge of and interest in the comic-book industry. Ability to maintain strict monthly schedules on comic-book titles. Strong problem-solving capabilities. Acute attention to detail. Superior line- and copy-editing skills. Strong Mac skills, including Word, Excel, Keynote/PowerPoint; Photoshop a plus.Key Responsibilities: Manage 6-8 comic-book titles per month, including but not limited to: Developing story ideas and proposals with writers, hiring a creative team, and working with the team to ensure deadlines are consistently met. Ensuring licensor or creator approval at all stages, including proposal, script, cover art, solicitation copy, b&w art, color art, and final lettered PDFs. Manage all other tasks associated with producing titles that meet creators’ and licensors’ approval and prepare titles for printing. Develop new titles and new talent. Work directly with licensors to develop and manage titles and approvals. Attend regular production and Editorial meetings and maintain constant status updates for all your projects for the Editor-In-Chief and Managing Editor. Convention attendance as required by Publisher or Editor-In-Chief, which may include traveling. Develop and maintain positive working relationships with licensors, creators, retailers, press, and co-workers. Brainstorm with the Editorial group on new directions or creators for existing licensed books, new creator-owned titles, and potential new licenses to pursue. Assist the Marketing department with the development of press releases and marketing materials. Play a role on the Editorial Review Committee, vetting creative proposals and available properties. Prepare monthly comic-book solicitations and cover images for your titles. Other duties as needed.Additional Information: This position can be based out of the San Diego, CA or Los Angeles, CA offices. To apply please send a cover letter and resume to [email protected] with “Editor Applicant” in the subject line.
New York, NY – March 25, 2021 – Marvel Comics and Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS), a division of Penguin Random House, the renowned trade book publisher, today announced an exclusive worldwide multi-year sales and distribution agreement for Marvel’s newly published and backlist comic books, trade collections, and graphic novels to comics shops, known as the Direct Market. PRHPS officially begins its distribution to Direct Market retailers for all Marvel titles starting October 1.After a thorough analysis of the market environment, Marvel has chosen PRHPS as its distribution partner to create a sustainable, productive supply chain and enhanced infrastructure for Marvel publications that will benefit comics retailers and fans alike for years to come. Penguin Random House is known for its state-of-the-art multi-ranging services that enable independent booksellers to increase efficiency and profitability.“Marvel’s entire history is built on telling great stories. And as we’ve seen for decades, those stories go hand in hand with equipping the comic shops who share them. Marvel and Penguin Random House stand by that vision, and we are excited to build and expand those opportunities for our talent, retailers, and fans,” said Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Entertainment. “Comics are the core of the Marvel Universe, and we are confident this new partnership will continue to grow and evolve this resilient industry. We look forward to advancing our capabilities with PRHPS to serve our fans and the Direct Market. We thank Diamond for their many years of support and partnership as we continue our relationship with them in other areas.”
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