Nothing shipping to stores after this week.
Read below

https://www.newsarama.com/4953...onavirus-report.html

It's not an essential business. All comic and card stores and most newsstands that don't also sell groceries are closed in NY, as well as in a few other States. There is no distribution to shuttered storefronts. Will they be able to re-open down the line is the question?

I think it might be even more grim than that. From what I have read elsewhere it is not only that stores are not getting product, but Diamond distributors is not even accepting new stuff from the comic companies. So will marvel and DC shut down ? They can't produce new monthly comics if they don't ship out...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tommy C, March 24, 2020 08:48 AM

Ideally, this would be where a 2nd distributor would step in and challenge Diamond.

Unfortunately, that's not likely to happen in the current ecomomy.

I imagine the presses will shut down for awhile, again comics aren't an essential business so they'll likely have to shut down for some time.

Diamond is still currently filling backorders from current stock though, for the time being. But not many comic stores need new 'old' books.

Discussions have speculated that 25% of the comic shops won't come out of this alive.

I know there are many show vendors who claim they will be out of business soon. Geek culture in general is a tough business, made tougher by the virus.

Ed

While the comic publishers (Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, IDW particularly) are signing exclusive distribution deals with Diamond, any alternative would find it difficult to survive. They couldn't compete by offering niche titles.
That said, Knockabout in UK seem to manage.

They are saying that this week is the last week that new comics will be shipping to stores.

In 80 plus years of comics being produced, going back to the 1930s, there has never been a month, even during WW II, where new comics were NOT released. That may happen in April 2020. No new comics.

Obviously DC and Marvel won't be producing new things if they can't print and ship them to a distributor to sell. They are not going to have them sit in a warehouse. And the warehouse (Diamond) won't accept the comics.

A few months ago there was an article about how Disney said that Marvel Comics (the comics themselves, not the movies) are not making any money, and Warner Bros. said the same about DC Comics.

Maybe this is the end.

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:
Ideally, this would be where a 2nd distributor would step in and challenge Diamond.

Unfortunately, that's not likely to happen in the current ecomomy.

I imagine the presses will shut down for awhile, again comics aren't an essential business so they'll likely have to shut down for some time.

Diamond is still currently filling backorders from current stock though, for the time being. But not many comic stores need new 'old' books.

Discussions have speculated that 25% of the comic shops won't come out of this alive.

I know there are many show vendors who claim they will be out of business soon. Geek culture in general is a tough business, made tougher by the virus.

Ed

I'm sure there are many books already printed sitting in warehouses. Hopefully when things turn around they'll be able to pick up and distribute the backlog and get caught up.

I don't know that having a competitor would help in the current climate as they'd likely be in the same boat. But were that an option this scenario illustrates the problem with putting all your eggs into one basket. From what I see Diamond really has a stranglehold on the industry.

I've been in close contact with several shop owners and this is likely the final step in the end of single issues of comics. Most shops make more profit off of toys, tee shirts and comics collected in trade format then single issues. It is why the variant issue is so important to them now, it is the only way to pad the little profit margin in purchasing single issues to sell. The general mindset of store owners is that Marvel and DC will come back with stories but in trade format only.

Well, I can't imagine Diamond intentionally trying to put itself out of business. I think the problem is pretty straight forward, comic book distribution is logistically impossible right now. It really does not matter if you have 1 distributor or 10.

This modern method of distribution to specialty shops is why this will be the first time in history that we see this. Prior to these monopolies comics would be sold in many stores that functioned as necessity outlets because they also sold food, supplies and gas.

The real question is how many comic shops will be able to weather the storm?

My favorite semi local shop comic book shop just announced that this is it. They are closing at the end of April.

If a comic store doesn't get in new comics for several weeks, that is a death sentence. People will stay away. They will not return.

I go to a local deli, and this past Saturday he had only 1 customer come in for take out, due to fear of the the virus. He may be shutting the doors soon, after being there since 1943. That's what he told his regulars.

This in article from the Hollywood Reporter . . .

DC released a lengthy statement saying in part comics with sales dates between 3-18-20 and 6-24-20 will be fully returnable at their expense and that DC is "exploring a multi-distributor model moving forward to provide us with the flexibility needed during this crisis to get new content to our readers on an on-going basis".

So even though this is hopefully a once in a life time situation and Diamond may not have had any choice in the matter, they might wind up being the big loser if DC and Marvel go in-house before they can come back.

Not surprisingly, "Free Comic Book Day" has been postponed (although not cancelled) until a later time.

Yes, no new comics were released this week. First time ever, from what I recall.

With regard to the statement by DC, how do they intend to release 3 months' worth of comics ? Will they do this all at once ? In other words, if this is all over by June, will stores get all of the April, May, and June books together ?

And what are smaller companies (IDW, Dark Horse, Dynamite, etc.) going to do ? Go out of business ? How can any company take a hit of 3 months plus, and survive ?

I don't think the government will bail out the comic book industry, like they did for the Detroit auto companies years ago !

Newbury Comics is completely shut down, even on line.

It is a very bleak time for comic book shops. This past two years most of my favorites have closed. I called up a friend who closed his shop last year and in his circle of shop owner friends local support has been strong with regulars buying statues, figures and back issues online in order to keep their favorite shops open when (if) things get back to normal. Many predict this will be the fall of Diamond as the only supplier.

I just did a google search, and there are a whole slew of articles about comic stores closing, permanently, as a result of what has happened the past few weeks. Very sad.

As much as it would be good to see, I don’t this as the downfall of Diamond, who else has the capital or system to get into the market?

Not sure how they are going to do this, but DC has made an announcement for April 28

https://www.newsarama.com/4986...comics-april-28.html

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
Not sure how they are going to do this, but DC has made an announcement for April 28

https://www.newsarama.com/4986...comics-april-28.html

You beat me to it, Tommy! I had just copied the link. I know that comic book shops are excited for this. When I owned a shop and was at the mercy of Diamond, I wished another company would step up. With Diamond losing DC hopefully other comic publishers will follow!