Diamond Halts Shipments of All New Comics Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

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zarm106
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Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:32 pm

Diamond Halts Shipments of All New Comics Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

Post by zarm106 »

Steve Geppi, Chairman & CEO of Geppi Family Enterprises and Founder of Diamond Comic Distributors just confirmed the news with the following statement, in which he confirms that product intended for sale in April and beyond will not ship to stores in Northern America. This week will be the last for the foreseeable. While Diamond UK will now not receive anything at all. He tells us;

This information has been confirmed by cbr.com; bleeding cool; and comic book.com.

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2020/03/23 ... this-week/
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Keith Mayo
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Re: Diamond Halts Shipments of All New Comics Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

Post by Keith Mayo »

The current situation in the comics hobby.

Your mechanic gives your car the full treatment, checking every system. When he's finished he tells you the car will probably break down soon from the transmission falling out. You continue to drive it and have no noticeable problems and figure the mechanic was trying to rip you off with an unneeded transmission replacement. The next day, your engine blows up. Was the mechanic right about your car breaking down even though he gave the wrong reason for the breakdown?

For some time there have been those in the comic book community telling us the industry was heading for a fall. Reasons given were bad stories/art, social justice/identity politics entering the ranks of creators and/or the apathy the publishers display towards the fans. Today with the announcement from Diamond that they are ceasing their distribution of new comics for an unknown period of time looks like it combined with LCSs being closed due to the Beer Bug may be the actual reason for the death of the comics industry. Were the prognosticators of doom wrong because they miscalled the actual catalyst of the demise?
The industry cheerleaders who have poo-pooed the "Comics are dying" crowd will tell us this situation is temporary and all is not lost, and they may be right, but I see the majority of LCSs closing for good and never reopening. Most LCSs were on the brink of closing (for a myriad of reasons) prior to the Beer Bug, so much so that as a former small business owner I can't see how they'll survive another month or so of a zero income stream.

I guess we will see what the future holds. The comics industry will have to change and adapt to the new norm, and don't kid yourself - there will be a new "normal" when this is all over. Life as we knew it will be forever changed in ways that we can't as of yet see, but it will change. I have several friends around the country who own small comic book shops. I get the majority of my information from them and will report back here when there's something new to add to the story. All I can say right now is this:

If your LCS is still open you would do well to go there and spend some money to help them stay afloat. Nerds my age remember watching the spinner racks disappear from the Mom & Pop stores, 7-11s, grocery and drug stores. We experienced the crisis of the 90s too. They say the third time's the charm. Let's hope "they" were wrong.
"It's the very essence of our democracy". - Batman, S1 Ep 11
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zarm106
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OFFICIAL: Diamond ‘Targeting’ Mid to Late May to Restart Distribution

Post by zarm106 »

Diamond Comic Distributors has confirmed that they intend to resume distribution of comics and other products in mid- to late-May, based on current data and internal projections.

https://www.newsarama.com/49864-officia ... ution.html
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TBolt
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Re: Diamond Halts Shipments of All New Comics Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

Post by TBolt »

Comics took themselves out of dime stores, etc by going to direct distribution, huge mistake that they are now paying for. Any industry that can't survive a 1-2 month revenue loss is on rocky ground anyway. AMC theaters is in trouble too. All theaters may go the way of the dinosaur too and they will blame it on the pandemic not the high prices and the loss to streaming services. For sure some stuff will be shut down longer and just may not survive.
To the Bat-Elephant!!
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