Looks like DC has come up with a solution to get comic books out to shops. Check out the full retailer press release below:
Dear Direct Market Retailers:
A couple of weeks ago we told you we were working on a solution-focused plan to address the current climate and help us all get back to the business of selling DC comic books, graphic novels, and collectibles in these difficult times, including the exploration of a multi-distributor model that would help to mitigate any further disruption to getting product into the hands of readers. We’d now like to share the details of our plan and next steps for its execution – which took into account your feedback, the market outlook, and the resources available at our disposal.
Current Orders
First, because of the global distribution disruption, all orders placed with Diamond Comic Distributors for in-store dates of 4/1, 4/8, and 4/15 have been cancelled with Diamond. You will need to resubmit orders for DC’s upcoming titles. To that end, instead of simply “lifting and shifting” the same scheduled titles for each of the missed in-store dates, we’ve made changes to the publishing schedule. The new schedule is designed to allow each of you to begin ordering a limited amount of DC product at first, and then ease back into the number of books that represents a normal release schedule from DC when your business can accommodate it.
Updated Publishing Schedule
We are making new comics available to order now for release the week of April 27th into the direct market. Below is the list of comics that will be available for you to order over the next three weeks. Once you receive your first order, you can release it on or after Tuesday 4/28/20.
New Comics available for sale on Tuesday 4/28
• Batman #89 (3rd Printing) – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Batman Giant #4 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Daphne Byrne #4 (of 6) – CLICK HERE for product information.
• The Dreaming #20 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Nightwing #70 (2nd Printing) – CLICK HERE for product information.
New Comics available for sale on Tuesday 5/5
• Batman and the Outsiders #12 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• DC Super Stars Facsimile Edition #17 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• The Flash #753 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Green Lantern Season 2 #3 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Hawkman #23 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• House of Whispers #20 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity #4 (of 9) – CLICK HERE for product information.
New Comics available for sale on Tuesday 5/12
• Harley Quinn #72 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Justice League #44 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Justice League Odyssey #20 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Lois Lane #10 (of 12) – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Metal Men #6 (of 12) – CLICK HERE for product information.
Distribution Options
To assist with the immediate distribution of DC titles during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, we’ve secured the assistance of two distributors to help facilitate orders of and shipping of our revised publishing schedule. Lunar Distribution and UCS Comic Distributors have agreed to work with us to distribute these new comics. Your orders will need to be placed no later than 4/21 to ensure receipt of goods by 4/28, and the orders can be released on or after 4/28. Reorders can be placed after the 4/21 date but are not guaranteed for receipt by 4/28.
To help facilitate the fastest processing of order fulfillment for the week of April 27th, we strongly recommend ordering with one of the distributors based on your location in order to ensure receipt of product by 4/28 in the U.S. Unfortunately, orders cannot be guaranteed to reach destinations outside of the U.S. by 4/28.
• Within the United States
CLICK HERE to order product from Lunar Distribution if your store is located in the following states:
Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Hawaii
Iowa
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
North Dakota
Nebraska
New Mexico
Nevada
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
CLICK HERE to order product from UCS Comic Distributors if your store is located in the following states:
Alabama
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Maryland
Maine
Mississippi
North Carolina
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Virginia
Vermont
West Virginia
Washington D.C.
• Within Canada
CLICK HERE to order product from Lunar Distribution if your store is located in the following provinces:
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
Ontario
Saskatchewan
CLICK HERE to order product from UCS Comic Distributors if your store is located in the following provinces:
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
Quebec
If your store is located anywhere else in the world, outside of North America, we recommend the following:
o Diamond Comic Distributors (comics, graphic novels, collectibles) (please be sure to check their order processing status)
o UCS Comic Distributors (comics, graphic novels)
o Lunar Distribution (comics, graphic novels)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What happens/happened to the books in the orders that I have previously placed, since I cannot receive product at this time?
A: Your orders have been cancelled; you’ll need to re-confirm your orders by 4/21/20 for the product being released on 4/28/20. Retailers in countries outside of the United States cannot, unfortunately, be guaranteed to receive their product by 4/28/20.
Q: So, wait, DC product is now available for release on Tuesdays?
A: Yes. We have synced up release dates across all our retail channels.
Q: Can I just continue to order my DC product from Diamond?
A: Yes. Please call your Diamond Comics rep to confirm product availability.
Q: Does my discount through Diamond stay the same through these new distributors?
A: Your current discount terms will stay the same through Lunar Distribution and UCS Comic Distributors.
Q: Do my credit terms through Diamond stay the same through these new distributors?
A: If you are currently extended credit terms through Diamond, DC will expeditiously review your new credit terms through each distributor on a case-by-case basis.
Q: Are my comics and periodicals still returnable through 6/24 in-store, even through these additional distributors?
A: Yes! Keep in mind you can only return the product to the distributor from which you ordered it.
Q: What is DC doing specifically for the retailers who are unable to order books? Will I be able to get these 4/28 books in the future?
A: If you can accept deliveries you may order 4/28 product. If you want these books in the future, you’ll be able to place them on reorder.
Q: Ok, so what about digital books?
A: Digital releases of print periodicals will return to “Same Day Digital” cadence, released the same day as the print editions.
Q: How or where do I order new DC Direct collectibles?
A: Due to the extended shipping timelines for collectibles, DC will send out communication when details are available.
Q: Is there someone I can call if I’m having trouble placing my order?
A: Each distributor’s order entry page will have information about how to contact them for help.
Q: What are available resources that I could use to help me get back on my feet?
A: You can apply for assistance with the BINC Foundation (COMICBOOK UNITED FUND)
Q: Ok, this was A LOT of information. Can you just summarize everything for me?
A: 1) We’ve cancelled all orders placed through Diamond Comic Distributors for product originally slated for 4/1, 4/8, and 4/15
in-store dates.
2) A reduced slate of new DC product will be available in the market for sale the week of 4/27.
3) We’ve added two additional distribution options to help mitigate the regional inconsistencies in product availability that we anticipate will continue to happen.
4) We are syncing up availability for DC product across all retail channels.
ICYMI
The following graphic novels and collected editions saw a limited release in the weeks of 4/1, 4/8, and 4/15. Check with distributors on availability.
Tuesday April 21st
• Superman: Up in the Sky – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Superman: The Golden Age Vol. 5 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Ex Machina Compendium One – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Absolute Daytripper – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Hellblazer by Garth Ennis Omnibus – CLICK HERE for product information.
Tuesday April 14th
• DC Poster Portfolio: The Complete Year of the Villain Portrait Variants – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Famous First Edition: New Fun #1 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Anti/Hero – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans Go! Box Set – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Batman Vol. 12: City of Bane Part 1 – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Book Three – CLICK HERE for product information.
• New Gods by Gerry Conway – CLICK HERE for product information.
Tuesday April 7th
• Batman: Last Knight on Earth – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Freedom Fighters: Rise of a Nation – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Gotham High – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Justice League of America: A Celebration of 60 Years – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Swamp Thing by Nancy Collins Omnibus – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Transmetropolitan Book Three – CLICK HERE for product information.
• Wonder Woman Vol. 2: Love is a Battlefield – CLICK HERE for product information.
None of the “CLICK HERE” links seem to work
Anthony copied and pasted as plain text, didn’t bring over the URL links. They just take you to DC’s website at https://www.dccomics.com/comics but directly to the page that provides the details.
Yes. Sorry. Working. Did the story from my phone. Sorry didn’t get the links to work before posting.
I’m glad none of those books are on my pull. This is gonna go very poorly.
A business, any business, will do whatever it needs to do within the bounds of law – to survive. Good/smart move by DC
This is shitty. Its going to be brutal to try to keep up with. From a spec persepctive though, I bet all of these books get hot (short term at least) due to the huge number of people who have no open LCBS at the moment
Am I reading it correctly that basically everyone’s orders for Batman 92 (a heavily preordered book with the Artgerm cover and 1:25 punchline) have been canceled? Since all diamond orders are canceled for books that were scheduled 4/1-4/15.
They are not canceled. They have been pushed back until diamond starts shipping again
Are you sure?
“ 1) We’ve cancelled all orders placed through Diamond Comic Distributors for product originally slated for 4/1, 4/8, and 4/15”
April 1st comics are already at Diamond. Anything that comes out after April 1 will be routed through the new distributors. That what I was talking about. New orders will be placed with the new distributors.
On Kevin Smith’s Friday night live stream of Fatman Beyond, Jim Lee was a guest. Starting just before the 24th minute, Jim said they were holding Batman 92 until things return to normal. Since 230,000 copies have been ordered and it’s such a big book, they want to make sure everyone can get it at the same time.
So you can now get your DC comics on Tuesdays?! Are we going to have to make two trips to the shop now when things get going again? Why this crazy change?
AND If you want first printings you better hope your shop is open to order and receive their books. Otherwise, good luck on reorders which equal later printings. Ugh. This is ridiculous. What a mess.
And I’d think a lot of people who do spec (or are just really picky, like I am) like to look at their books before they buy them for condition. Right before my shop closed they did curb-side. Which was nice but you had to take what they put in your pull box and you couldn’t really check anything else out that made it to the shelf. I don’t know. It’s just a giant mess right now and I feel all these stop gap attempts are going to make it worse.
Here’s what the esteemed Brian Hibbs thoughts about it-
So, here’s an attempt to help explain why @DC is making all of the wrong moves with their latest announcement. I especially hold Jim Lee DC, DC’s current publisher, accountable for this. Hank, Nancy, I also have to call you out here. You three are the visible leadership. Time to answer this.
1) Most of the country is shut down, and WILL NOT be ready to open on the date of 4/28 that DC says they’ll be shipping comics again. In San Francisco, we’re at a minimum of first week of May, and I’m fairly certain we won’t be allowed to open to walk-in business without semi-extreme rules until well into June.
2) DC, itself, is in Burbank California, and they’re not able to go into the offices themselves…. again, probably well into June, and, again, there will probably be significant rules in place from California about who can do what and when and how — possibly mandatory temperature checks, etc. The *notion* that they’re expecting us to be “open” when *they* aren’t is horrifying to me.
3) The “distributors” that DC has picked are NOT. It is Midtown and DCBS, the #1 & #2 *retailers* of comics. These are COMPETITORS to the overwhelming majority of Direct Market retailers. There is nothing in place to protect competition, there’s no guarantee of sales or (more importantly) payment-terms.
4) We’ve been given FOUR DAYS to set up accounts and get right with our new Overlords (being in Cali, we’re “assigned” to DCBS.) Sorry, you can’t unleash an entire new way of doing comics in that short of a time span. I have genuine and serious questions about being forced to do business with an entity that I personally consider a “bad actor” in comics, and to hand them key business documents like my resale license. Where’s our contract?
5) Margins are shitty enough that making a profit in comics retail is pretty hard to begin with, and everything is magnified and multiplied when all you can do it mail order. It’s even harder for me in SF, where my cost-of-rent and cost-of-labor are considerably higher than most of my peers. I’ve been doing the best mail order I can (probably pretty shitty) from https://comix-experience.myshopify.com/, but the BEST CASE HERE is that I am working three times as hard, for no more than one third of the revenue. And that’s with $20 graphic novels being the primary thing we’re doing. I absolutely, positively, in no way can *profitably* sell $4 periodicals via mail order — that’s not the business we are in.
Please, understand, I’ve got the credit card info and (emphatic) permission-to-charge from most of our pre-order customers… but without the walk-in, this is IN NO WAY enough cash flow to even pay for the labor to handle it. Let alone COGS, let alone rent and utilities, etc.
And that’s assuming that everything goes PERFECTLY… which, History has already told us, IT ABSOLUTELY WON’T
6) DC is asking us to ABANDON Diamond. They claim they’ve “cancelled all orders” (though, honestly, can they even do that?), and that we have to buy from Midtown and DCBS. Diamond and Steve Geppi specifically have acted as the “bank” of the Direct Market, saving and protecting the great mass of retailers again and again and again.. Do I have some problems with DCD’s operation? Sure: I’d be an idiot not to — but on the balance they’ve done more to preserve DM retailers than ANYONE EVER, so “walking away” from them in this time of challenge is completely entirely a non-starter for me
ESPECIALLY FOR DCBS. Are you crazy? They are literally our enemy. Why not ask Amazon to distribute to us?
7) The very notion of changing to a Tuesday release is pure “fuck you” to the channel that, I’m pretty damn sure is two-thirds of the mechanism of their cash-flow.
8) They could have not chose a more half-ass and broken way of releasing comics — the ONLY way to make money doing periodicals is to depend on the “economies of scale”. Just WRITING THE ORDER for the five comics nomatively on-sale on 4/28 would cost me more money than I could ever hope to realize from them. That wouldn’t even begin to account my costs to receive those books, the labor to handle sub, the additional new labor to send those books out…..Same for the following three weeks.
9) And what about the SHIPPING COSTS on this tiny slate of garbage? If it’s more than “free”, then our already low margins are shot to shit
I REMEMBER HEROES WORLD — the COSTS of doing business with a fraction of the sales of a universal distributor makes it so you can NOT sell that line profitably for most retailers.
9a) I STOPPED RACKING MARVEL COMICS DURING HEROES WORLD, AND MY SALES WENT UP
(this
10) Seriously? This is your “re-launch” slate? DAPHNE BYRNE, THE DREAMING, second prints, and some Wal-Mart comics? What the serious fuck is wrong with you DC? YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDEFINE DC FOR THE NEXT DECADE, and your choice is clear out the pile of mediocrity the editors have already committed to? SERIOUSLY? You having that little faith in what DC can be says more to me than almost anything else.
11) If they do this, my only possible response can be “well, I guess most new DC periodicals are subs only”. This will cut ~60% of their sales at Comix Experience, forever. Listen: every single copy of HAWKMAN or JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY, and probably upwards of ninety percent of their output that I order for the rack is a PURE GIFT TO DC COMICS. I’ve LONG THOUGHT I should stop subsidizing Marvel and DC’s excess for, realistically, something like 90% of thier output…. and you actually want to give me a clean, simple and actionable reason? REALLY?
12) In even the best possible world (and we’re not — this is a DARK timeline, yo), mainstream superhero comics are supported by the faith of the retailers on the balance. Is your faith in DCBS and Midtown so absolute? IS IT REALLY?
13) The business model of Midtown and DCBS is largely based on massive discounts, and undercutting the asking price of the cover price. Changing that would seem to be a incredibly dangerous idea, in what will almost certainly be lower demand on the other side of this. If you ask me, going the other way with Minimum Asked Pricing (MAP) is the much smarter way to go. The people who are the new “distributor” should not be the people who also sell for 40%+ off. Not if you want to have physical stores representing your output.
14) Non-American accounts are just thrown to the wolves? Really? REALLY?
15) There is no world in which creating “haves” and “have nots” is ever a good idea. #EverEverEverEver
16) I’m calling it now, in terms of how it actually plays out: Heroes World 2: Electric Fuckaloo. Those who do not learn History, etc etc
17) I’ve learned this last month: I DO NOT WANT TO BE A MAIL ORDER BUSINESS. It is a horror-show, and a low-margin one at that. Just trying to EVEN VAGUELY “compete” with a “free shipping” at $50 means sometimes I’m just giving away 20% or more of my profit on shipping, depending on the size/shape of the books. It is FLATLY impossible to pay RETAIL rent and wages in California, DC’s home state, on that velocity and volume. Can’t be done.
18) We are not “open”. We are not allowed to be “open” in California. Most states that sell the MOST COMICS are not allowed to be open. DC is not allowed to be “open” in California. There is no way for me to legitimately sell comics to anything other that preorders (which sure as fuck should be the minority for any legitimate retailer, if you ask me, if you want “comics” to be here in another decade)). SO WHY IS DC RELEASING COMICS???????????
I’m not on board. In fact, I am so not on board that this would permanently poison my relationship to DC Comics, and impact their long-term sales here unless they change their direction…. not just within my individual store, but everything I can ever do when I interact with both my peers and the consumers I serve.
I would truly regret that.
After number 2 it’s just a long soapbox rant.. he’s not esteemed, he comes off as a bitter angry person.. maybe he should find a new profession to pay the bills.
I couldn’t even read this. I thought you had written this before I saw the first sentence, and thought anyone who’d write this out belongs in an insane asylum lol.
I would not be so quick to dismiss Brian Hibbs’ reaction as a “bitter angry rant” or the words of someone “who belongs in an insane asylum”. I don’t know the man, but I think he has some very valid points. Furthermore, it’s okay to express anger, especially when you have skin-in-the-game. IMO, DC’s response/plan is a sh*t show. Why are they side-stepping Diamond? What kind of loyalty is that? (And I am not defending Diamond b/c I have heard they have some issues that need fixing, but c’mon!).
Why can’t DC and Marvel, as the 2 biggest comic publishers, come together and develop a taskforce/plan with Diamond to re-open? You know, actually show some UNITED comic industry L-E-A-D-E-R-S-H-I-P! Why can’t they try to take into consideration some retailer concerns along with the fact that states will be re-opening at different times?
Again, it all comes down to what I perceive is a “lack of leadership” all around in this industry. That alone has me second-guessing if I want to continue throwing my hard-earned $ to the big 2 publishers when things truly resume. I love comics and have been collecting for over 40 years, but do I want to support companies who can’t work together to help re-start the industry in a positive way for everyone involved – publishers, distributors, retailers and consumers. The sad answer is “not really”.
I want DC, Marvel and Diamond to act together (not in silos like the states have had to) to take steps to ensure the long-term health of THEIR (and OUR) industry! Do they VALUE this industry? Do they want to see it SUCCEED long-term? If so, the big boys need to step up to the plate and act as a team. Believe me, I know there will be no perfect plan, and there will be hardships for all parties involved, but DC’s half a$$, “new distributors who are actually comic shops”, different selling day, “who cares which states/retailers are open & which are not” approach is misguided. I do not intend to buy DC’s products (assuming I am even able to) until they come up with a more unified plan. On the flip side, I applaud Jim Lee’s charitable sketch program…kudos to him. But I think he & the DC team need to seriously re-visit the drawing board on this matter.
“Why are they side-stepping Diamond? What kind of loyalty is that?”
Loyalty? There is no loyalty when the business partner you’re dealing business with has stopped paying you, owes you back payments and has done nothing but sit and wait for someone else to come up with any type of solution.
I just find the irony about Hibbs now, the guy who says flippers or speculators aren’t welcome in his store is now crying “not fair” when a publisher decides to go with companies that are willing to step in and take over distribution (who also happen to sell comics themselves) since their current distributor has already publicly announced financial and cash problems. Do they have advantage if they’re buying at even larger discount? Sure, but they’re also increasing their costs to become a distributor which is far more complex than I think most realize. IDK though, life’s unfair. The controlling monopoly is the single point of failure in our current situation and I’m willing to bet most distribution companies don’t want to touch the comic industry.
Hibb’s no matter if you respect him or not, comes off as a cry baby (at least from what I’ve read). He’s just ranting and that’s not helping the problem. He just wants to point the finger and blame someone else. What more can you expect though? Comics are not a necessity to life. They’re fun and they’re entertainment, but when it all comes down to living and staying alive, they’re the last thing on my list of wants or needs. That’s my two cents..
Some of the paper could be used to line face masks. That could keep you alive.
Heh, maybe but I unless it’s newsprint, most comic book paper now doesn’t seem like it’s that breathable.. probably assist in suffocating you.. but yeah, at least you didn’t die of COVID, you died of lack from oxygen instead.. 😉
I hear what you are saying, Poyo, but I don’t necessarily agree. A LOT more companies/folks than Diamond are or will be experiencing financial problems related to the current situation. Again, how about the industry “leaders” develop a plan with the current players in place to “right the ship” (and perhaps/hopefully eventually collect their monies owed)? Does it help any of the publishers to see Diamond go bust? Or does it make more sense to work with Diamond to try & salvage the situation? IMO, we need a sense of uniformity & consistency when things roll forward again…not everyone doing their own thing. In fairness to Diamond (and I am not advocating for them), this is a unique & unprecedented situation, and there has been little guidance (too early?) on when/how non-essential businesses can resume. And any guidance forthcoming will likely be inconsistent state-to-state.
Also, “the controlling monopoly (a.k.a. Diamond) is the single point of failure in our current situation” is such a HUGE statement. I certainly don’t know the inner-workings of Diamond. And having one distributor without competition is, agreeably, not ideal. But, I believe this situation reaches FAR BEYOND the current issues (financial or other) with Diamond. Sure the model that has been in place may need to be “fixed”, but I think we need to tackle the larger issue of wide-spread business disruption caused by the pandemic first.
Also, I totally sense your dislike of Hibbs. But if it was someone other than him expressing these same opinions, would you feel any of them have merit?
“Also, I totally sense your dislike of Hibbs. But if it was someone other than him expressing these same opinions, would you feel any of them have merit?”
No, cause honestly most of his arguments past point #2 can be thrown out the window in my opinion. Doesn’t matter if it was Hibbs or someone else.
This all boils down to, survival of the fittest. Times are changing and unfortunately under this pandemic, it’s causing for much faster change. The fittest who can adapt quickly with real solutions will survive while people like Hibbs who to me are just ranting about “fairness” will fail.
And back on working with Diamond, well, I’m not sure myself of all the details of what’s going on with them and their contracts with publishers but from what we assume from public statements, I can only say it seems Geppi threw in the white towel super early. A week into this whole ordeal they publicly claimed no payments to publishers and they were already in a cash crunch. I don’t know about you but if I was a publisher, I’d start looking for a new distributor based on Diamond’s handling of the whole situation and financial issues and the fact they likely still owe me money. Why invest in a business that might not even be able to pay you? I think this pandemic has exposed the already pre-existing issues Diamond has, probably been around for years.
We can go on about this problem goes outside of comics but right now I’m just focusing on the Diamond and comic industry situation.
Agree with your last comment. My thoughts were intended to focus on the comics industry & related parties only.
For me, this really just boils down to one thing though.
Nobody asked for this to happen and the only thing I think we could all agree on is, times are changing and unfortunately they’re changing fast. Our past daily lives won’t be the same for quite some time after this.
But those who can adapt and are willing to change, even if it’s not the best solution (cause let’s get real, no one or single solution is going to please everyone), will survive. That’s pretty much the only thing they can do. Either you’re going to have to adapt or fold. Whatever local shops do, whether they’re brick store only, brick and online and or online shops only, they need to do what’s best for them and their employees if they have them. Sitting around to wait for the best solution to come about will likely doom them. Sure DC’s move to go with other distributors isn’t ideal for most but it is a solution to start getting product out to the shops that are in a capacity to start ordering and selling again (probably most do online or can offer curbside since there will be social distancing measures in place). To me, that’s a win for them and for those who really can’t live without their comics.
This is a reason MyComicShop can resume operations in Texas starting next week or so. They’re not open to public. They operate out of a warehouse with online orders and shipping only. It’s going to be easy for them to implement social distancing and sanitizing guidelines for their employees working to fulfill orders.
I said the same thing about survival of the fittest on reddit and was downvoted to hell, probably by people who have never set foot in a comic store in their life lol.
I think the point absolutely is that people like to whine about “fair” or not fair. To me, and a huge thing I might add, is that we cannot be arbiters of fair or decide which instances of unfairness need a huge soapbox for a select few. This is not one of them. It’s like the people who whine Alan Moore or Jack Kirby got a raw deal and want to make it their life’s mission to bring it up at every turn; does it really matter? Is it a cause that helps humanity to picket for two dopes who had no common sense, or are there far bigger things and they should’ve manned up and fought for what was their 40 years ago? That’s what it really boils down to for me.
None of these people (least of all Hibbs) care about my job or my life, so I don’t think I should have to care about them just because they found a way to shout louder and brainwash everyone into their petty concerns. It’s hard all over, and whether it’s the retailers or the Hollywood writers striking, I have no sympathy for those that want to pretend their own self interest, right or wrong in principle, is anything that the rest of the world agree on.
“I said the same thing about survival of the fittest on reddit and was downvoted to hell, probably by people who have never set foot in a comic store in their life lol.”
Probably by people who don’t fully understand how the real world works. Sadly the world is a cruel place and the universe is full of complete chaos. There are no guarantees in life..
I’m sure comics, for the creators and store owners, are more than just fun and entertainment. It is their living and the way they ‘stay alive’, so to speak. I fully understand that there are plenty of other ways for them to make a living, but just blowing off their current occupation as unimportant is not a viable solution, imo. Just saying.
You took my whole statement out of context. My intention was not to say ones career or current profession (in comics) is not important (which I didn’t imply in any shape or form). I stated when it’s life or death situation (and sort of implied my own stance when I said.. “but when it all comes down to living and staying alive, they’re the last thing on my list of wants or needs”). Please don’t twist my words around or shove words into something I did not imply.
I’ve read the commentary and I have to agree with much of what Hibbs was quoted as saying ..
A comic shop should be, and generally is, a destination .. where like minded folks can some in and physically see and feel the products .. where a parent that collected or still collects, can bring that 10 year old in and get them into the sheer joy of the material .. where folks are surrounded by the color and the experience of a wide variety of product, a place that a mouse click or a Walmart will never, ever replicate ..
Mail order cannot and never will replace the interaction with a B&M .. where folks run into each other and strangers sometimes will strike up a conversation about some new movie, or some new character .. where folks can converse with an Owner about the hobby we all know and love ..
My fear is that, with things like they are, when we all come out on the tail end of this thing, there will be less of us left in this B&M business .. and, the Industry will be much poorer for it .. not just financially, but emotionally ..
I’ve drove this car since the 1980’s, thru the thick and the thin, and, it’s been pretty thin at times .. many shops are on life support now .. and, while in some ways I applaud DC’s move, it’s a band aid on a bullet wound ..
Best post of the day goes to Uncle Willie. Well written and hits the mark….
I’m just an old man that has watched, in my lifetime, the changes that took place as mail order and large Retailers inexorably came to rule the landscape .. and, in that time, a piece of real America fell by the wayside, piece by piece, bit by bit .. and a large part of our Soul fell as well ..
We are faced with something that we don’t have much control over, it makes it uncertain and scary .. yes, things will improve, but what will it look like at that point .. ??
Roll with the punches, that’s all you can do ..
I will say this .. over the last month or so, since the State Non-Essential shut down, I have personally been uplifted and gratified by the outpouring of support from so, so many of my long term Customers .. who have called or texted me and said “If you let me, I’ll come in and buy some stuff, or I’ll pick up any pull and holds I might have ..”
Yes, I have flouted the Shut Down in those cases .. it’s a quandary on what to do, but many of these people I call Customers are friends and maybe close to a Family as well .. I had a 15 year loyal Customer in today that selected about $200 in goods, I know he did not have to do that, but he did .. I thanked him deeply and he said, “No, man, thank you ..”
So, if you know these shop owners, if these are folks you regularly see, if you have a connection, take a moment out of your day and, if nothing else, call or text them that you support them .. even if you can’t get in and buy something .. these people are the fabric of this hobby .. trust me, it will mean a lot to them ..
I support you Willie. I think I’ve said it numerous times as well, I’d love to buy from you if I could. We need more shop owners like you for sure.
It’s not the final solution in what DC is doing but I think it’s a start and path forward. Bandaid solution, yes but what can they do? They’re in the business to move product as well. There’s no one telling them they can’t start shipping product to a distributor who can start shipping to shops that are in such a capacity to open, fulfill orders, etc. The shops who can open shouldn’t have to wait for every other shop to be 100% functional in order to start their own business back up.
Do I like the B&M shops myself? Sure, I like striking up the conversations, I like pick out the books I want to buy. I had a great relationship with the Capstone owner before he closed up shop several years ago. Most of the staff at Dragon’s Lair are great, they’re all friendly and usually pretty knowledgeable. But I’m also aware now that things are changed and normal won’t be back for quite sometime. Even if B&M shops can open in the next month or two, it won’t be the same as before. Not for quite a while.
If people think our lives are going to quickly turn back to the way they were before March of this year, sadly I think you got another thing coming. Normal is on vacation and it’s going to be a really long vacation.
Publishers are not shipping out products by choice. Many of the printers have shut down. The primary distributor is closed. Brick and mortar stores are going to suffer as a result. And for a while until the age of social distancing is down. I love going into comic shops, love the banter, the conversations, and knowledge, problem is people can’t get out right now. So while I agree with you on your sentiments about what a comic shop should be, it just can’t be that way right this minute. As a result some great stores, some mediocre stores, and some down-right bad stores will close down. I do hope you are well and would do anything to help keep you going Uncle Willie. We all like you around here. Like what you have to say. And hope you stay safe and come through the tough times right now strong.
Well, Mr Poyo .. shops that can be open will not be 100% functional based on the tiny degree of product DC is attempting to get out .. it’s just as simple as that .. at least on the comic end of things .. the paltry list of releases speaks for itself ..
A cohesive, inclusive to all Publishers plan needs to be put forth, otherwise, it’s a piecemeal effort that’s more of a token than even a partial solution ..
DC/Warner and Marvel/Disney have plenty of money, if there is a need to supplant Diamond from the equation, let DC and Marvel lead the charge in finding a temporary or even a permanent solution .. just try and make it inclusive to as many Publishers as possible and insure that it is truly an independent Distributor that has no skin what so ever in the Retail side of things ..
“Well, Mr Poyo .. shops that can be open will not be 100% functional based on the tiny degree of product DC is attempting to get out .. it’s just as simple as that .. at least on the comic end of things .. the paltry list of releases speaks for itself ..”
Exactly. That’s why I agree, it’s a start for some.
“A cohesive, inclusive to all Publishers plan needs to be put forth, otherwise, it’s a piecemeal effort that’s more of a token than even a partial solution .. ”
As a whole, yes. Retailers depend on all of the publishers since they depend on more than just DC or Marvel to pull in revenue and profit for their business. But I could argue that DC doesn’t give two cents a care of what Marvel is doing, or any other publisher for that matter. Should they care? To an extent they should as the whole industry is like one ecosystem that needs other parts to survive but will they? Probably not since they’ll do what’s best for their business first.
I have said it repeatedly…DC & Marvel need to lead the charge here. It’s not brain surgery…they have the deeper pockets and the most to lose among publishers. Nice to hear Uncle Willie feels the same way.
Unfortunately, DC & Marvel’s inability to work together and provide some sense of unified direction for the comics industry speaks volumes. As a result, the industry will be like the 50 States…seriously lacking a consistent plan and no national leadership whatsoever.
Hopefully someone at DC and Marvel reads the comments here and starts to get a clue.
Stranger things have happened — we had snow in MA today…that doesn’t happen very often in April…so much for Spring!
There is no spring this year. It has been delayed until 2021.
Honestly, it’s much cooler here in Central Texas than it normally is. I like to think that everyone staying home and manufacturing plants that aren’t essential is partially to credit. I know this COVID-19 is bad news for humans, but honestly, it’s doing mother earth a favor in a sense.
“But I could argue that DC doesn’t give two cents a care of what Marvel is doing, or any other publisher for that matter. Should they care? To an extent they should as the whole industry is like one ecosystem that needs other parts to survive but will they? Probably not since they’ll do what’s best for their business first.”
The one thing that should be considered is the continued health of the Comic Business above all .. regardless of inter-rivalries between companies .. Marvel/Disney .. DC/Warner could likely lose the Comic Industry fully and not feel a whole lot of financial pain ..
Thus, these two Companies, who know they are the market leaders, should prove their commitment to our genre by working together ..
A cartoon Mouse built Disney ..
A Man in a Cape built DC ..
A kid in a Spider Costume built Marvel ..
If they were willing to devote even a tiny fraction of the Film & TV income just over the last 10 years to the very things that made them what they are today, there would be a light at the end of this long tunnel .. because, it is in their best Business Interest to do so ..
Sadly, though, I’m afraid you’re likely right ..
I agree with probably 90% of what Hibbs had to say, even if his tone is unproductive.
I’m not going to bother ordering from LunarMidtownDCBS. DC said I can leave my orders with Diamond and that’s what I’ll do. I have plenty of gripes with Diamond. Any retailer would. But I’ll stick with them anyway.
I’m in the top 10% of image accounts (told to me by an Image rep last fall). And I’m in the top 15% of Marvel accounts (revealed when Marvel mistakenly emailed the purchase history of all 2800 accounts in the wrong attachment a few months ago). Don’t know where I rank with DC but I get a 55% discount so I’m somewhere in the top half. I’m not a BSD like Hibbs, but DC takes my calls, and when I spent an hour on the phone with DC earlier in the week, I certainly didn’t come away thinking this would be the “plan”.
For all the issues I’ve had with Diamond, their logistics capabilities are unmatched. I don’t believe Geppi is even close to broke. I don’t believe Diamond is in any true peril at all. I’ll skip these weekly nonsense shipments from LunarMidCbs, and wait on “real” shipments when the time comes.
If my shop opens again three weeks before Diamond starts shipping, so be it. I have 150,000 back issues I can sell. I’m far more concerned about Diamond restarting three weeks before me and burying me in stale product.
Until then it’s back to getting collections graded and priced. Today I found a high grade run of GI Joe 1-120 that I forgot I bought it 2017. It’s like Christmas in March! April? May? Anyone know what month it is?
Lol. It’s March 51 I think. I have been going through my long boxes. Getting them out of storage. Pulled 7 long boxes this week. It’s amazing what I have found.