Diamond Comic Distributors Halts Shipments of New Comic Books

Final Crisis? Diamond Comic Distributors Halts Shipments Of New Comics In Response To COVID-19 Shutdowns
Mar 24, 2020, 01:29pm EDT
Rob Salkowitz - Senior Contributor

The COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly being referred to as an “extinction-level event” for certain kinds of businesses and industries, and nowhere is that closer to the truth than the fragile network of small businesses that sells comics at retail. In addition to all the other issues and uncertainties facing small retailers everywhere, this direct market, thought to comprise roughly 2000 shops in North America and hundreds more worldwide, relies on a single distributor, Baltimore-based Diamond Comic Distributors, to coordinate weekly shipments of new product from dozens of publishers.

On Monday, March 23, Diamond announced it would suspend shipments of new products “until further notice,” in response to a myriad of economic, regulatory and public health concerns related to the COVID-19 situation. In other words, retailers will have no supply of new product, and publishers will have very limited channels to bring their periodicals to market, formalizing what already looks to be an existential crisis for an industry that generated roughly $1.1 billion in sales in 2019 and serves as a primary IP foundry for today’s movie, television, video game and licensing industries.

Economic circumstances really forced Diamond’s hand. With increasing numbers of retailers subject to closure by government shut-down orders, uncertainties throughout the supply chain, shipments on the way to stores that couldn’t receive them, and concerns about the welfare of the company’s own warehouse workers, Diamond realistically had few options.

MajorHoy wrote:Diamond Comic Distributors Halts Shipments Of New Comics In Response To COVID-19 Shutdowns

Mbast1 wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:Diamond Comic Distributors Halts Shipments Of New Comics In Response To COVID-19 Shutdowns

I saw that, and today saw stories about digital distribution being halted. I would guess it's an effort not to drive people from the shops.

cosmicbook.news wrote:As of now, it seems "pencils down" is only affecting the indie comic book market, as reportedly, both DC Comics and Marvel have told their creators it's business as usual and to keep working on new comic books, which may mean DC and Marvel will release them digitally as presently there really is no way to distribute comic books physically, plus most of the shops are closed.

MajorHoy wrote:I haven't seen anything about overall digital distribution also being suspended yet.

Mbast1 wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:I haven't seen anything about overall digital distribution also being suspended yet.

I think, after reading more, that you're absolutely right. Seems like some independent companies are also dropping digital distribution but that Marvel and DC are not.

DC's Weekly Comics to Continue Digitally During DIAMOND Stoppage
By Chris Arrant, Editor
March 29, 2020 12:40pm ET

DC plans to continue digital distribution of its weekly comic books despite the stoppage of its print comic books' release due to the Diamond Comic Distributor's shutdown, according to the publisher's Director of Marketing Services Adam Phillips. In DC's private Facebook page for Direct Market comics book retailers, Phillips confirmed the decision - and explained their reasoning.
"Here's where we are on digital. All our data shows the digital consumer and the physical consumer are two different audiences. For now, we're going to continue to release digital comics, but will revisit this if the pipeline for physical distribution continues to be challenged and disrupted," Phillips posted.

tony ingram wrote:DC have at least said that when they are able to ship physical copies again, everything solicited from March to July will be returnable. Marvel seem totally uninterested in the plight of retailers.

tony ingram wrote:Marvel seem totally uninterested in the plight of retailers.

Mbast1 wrote: . . . I used to see books sometimes released to bookstores before comic shops, and other exclusives to non comic stores. It's weird.

Bleeding Cool wrote:Confirmed: Diamond Comics Makes Plan to Return to Distribution in May
Posted on April 17, 2020 |  by Rich Johnston

The following letter was sent by Diamond Comic Distributors to retailers and publishers today. It lays out plans for Diamond Comics to return to distribution of new comic books to comic book stores, where shops are open to take in new stock. Bleeding Cool previously reported that Diamond were allowing deliveries to retailers' home addresses if their business addresses are closed up. Previously Bleeding Cool scooped the news of May 17th as a date that Diamond Comics was planning to restart distribution again. The following letter confirms this, stating mid-to-late May as the current intended date. But this will take some ramping up first, and everything currently planned for publication will need a reshuffle.

Barry_Allen wrote: . . . Me, I haven't been to my local comic shop for about two months; also here in Italy all publishers have stopped distributing in comic shops since then and you guys, have you been able to reach your LCS last days to check these "new" Dc comics' output?

DC Comics continues to get comics to retailers through Lunar Distribution and UCS Comic Distributors. Alterna Comics and Scout Comics have announced they will get their products to retailers directly. Other publishers appear to be waiting until Diamond Distribution starts shipping again. Diamond plans on making May 20 their next new comics Wednesday. Marvel Comics has announced they will have new comics available again starting May 27.

Barry_Allen wrote: . . . and Wonder Woman # 755 . . .

tony ingram wrote:Diamond must be getting concerned. They've had a virtual monopoly for so long, they seemed unassailable. Evidently not.

tony ingram wrote:Diamond must be getting concerned. They've had a virtual monopoly for so long, they seemed unassailable. Evidently not.

MajorHoy wrote:And I don't think they can try and buy out their competition as they may have done in the past, but only time will tell.

MajorHoy wrote: I also wonder what may be hurting Diamond more: other options for distribution or digital comic books, especially the digital options like Marvel Unlimited that only charge a flat monthly fee rather than a per-an-issue fee.

Barry_Allen wrote:It seems there will be more problems for the revenues of the Diamond group of companies,
this time in distribution in the book channel; in fact, according to Milton Griepp website, Diamond Books Distributors has lost 5 (small) publishers in recent weeks, which they all signed with Simon & Schuster . . .

Barry_Allen wrote: . . . and someone wrote, do you remember *Heroes World Distribution* (owned and operated by Marvel in 1995/1997 and whose role as Marvel's exclusive distributor was a failure from the beginning)?

MajorHoy wrote:
Yeah, I remember Heroes World.  They did a lot of mail order stuff and had some comic book stores originally. I use to go to one of those stores at the Livingston Mall in New Jersey: I think it was the first comic book shop I ever had been to (back in the late 1970s).