Coronavirus knocks out direct market - Diamond stops deliveries

[iron chimp]

So the direct market has actually been gaining readers and sales consistently for the last two decades? I'm not talking about short term bumps, or even the few years of growth we got out of the New52.

I did a quick check at comichron and yeah, there's been gains here and there. Overall trajectory still looks pretty lackluster. Pretty much each spike, far as I can see, coincides with a Event and the gains don't last long.

It's not a healthy market.

No i didnt say that. You said decline... i said no its not. Glad we agree.

In 1998 there was no comixology, not everything was traded, and comichron have zero idea how much dcbs and the other huge discounted operatione shift because the extrapolate from a selection of lcs shops, and piracy was in its infancy. So by the time you add 10% digital, dcbs etc, and people who moved from floppies to trades its way outperforming all other areas of publishing.

It could always be better. The more people who buy, the more choice we all have. But comics are way outperforming books and magazines.

[Ascended]

No i didnt say that. You said decline... i said no its not. Glad we agree.

Ah okay, we just got tripped up on words. For a second I thought you had some data I didn't know about.

I can't speak for magazine sales. Never looked at any of those. But I'm not surprised they're having a rough time too. I think the only area of print that seems to actually be on solid ground, just from what I hear, are novels. Not sure if even that is true though, it's just something I heard in passing.

[skyvolt2000]

I
But this is what I'm talking about. Other distribution models are being held back for the benefit of a dying market. Every time DC has tried to break into new formats, retailers and Diamond have thrown a fit, afraid of losing readers they never had in the first place, and it's hobbled publisher's efforts.

I'd like to see publishers call Diamond's bluff. Go ahead, stop stocking DC on the shelf. See how long you can last with no Batman to sell. I don't want businesses closing, but I'm tired of seeing the industry being held hostage by a market that, at best will just stumble on barely generating respectable profit, and at worst die completely. Keeping retailers and Diamond happy is only good for the short-term, but will prove to be dangerous in the long run if publishers don't start getting serious about building their brand in other markets.

Dc did what ARCHIE has done with digests-reprints and a new story. We saw retailer run to Wal-mart and buy up those books.
A new 8 page Duke Thomas story in batman collected-is that scary. Reprints of stories whose floppies are STILL at certain stores unsold or in bins. That got store owner scared.

Here is what the pandering to retailers is doing-Everybody being held up because a store might not stock their books. So if we go by the 2017 number of comic book stores which was 2306. Lets play with a number of 2,000 stores.

https://www.comichron.com/monthlycom...0/2020-02.html

Humaniod Publishing
Ignited 7 1238 copies
Omini 5 1060 copies
Strangeland 6 saw 728 copies
Image
Savage Dragon 244 saw 3790
Lion Forge
Seven Days 5 1480
Vault
Finger guns 8K
Cult Classic Creature Feature 1322
Vagrant Queen 855
Action Lab
Zombie Tramp saw 4145
Going to the Chapel 4 saw 1239
Archie
Archie meets B52 6485
Archie Winter Wonderland 1585
Scout Comics NONE of their books were above 2397. Ahoy comics same thing.

Now if we go by the logic every store ordered ONE copy. Yet if we have 2000 stores that identity as comic book stores-looks like some stores didn't order books.

Look at Humaniod's lineup-seems a LOT of stores did not support them. My store ordered at least 3-4 copies of every book. Same with Going to the Chapel (a book I bought), Cult Classic (bought it too) and Savage Dragon. I would suspect my store ordered more copies than anybody including Midtown.

They would ALL be in their right to say "Pencils up and digital until further notice." Especially Archie who saw many of their books NOT sold in stores.
These folks are losing money pandering to stores that in all reality didn't support them.
IDW, Boom and others have license franchises. What money are they going to lose for books that are AUTOMATIC purchases for libraries, schools and other places?

[skyvolt2000]

Ah okay, we just got tripped up on words. For a second I thought you had some data I didn't know about.

I can't speak for magazine sales. Never looked at any of those. But I'm not surprised they're having a rough time too. I think the only area of print that seems to actually be on solid ground, just from what I hear, are novels. Not sure if even that is true though, it's just something I heard in passing.

In the case of magazines some of them get returned after so many months.

Novels are just there forever until someone moves them to another store or bulk sale them to a Half Price books.

Pretty much with both what you in the store is generally all you get. Especially if we are talking places like Wal-mart. Everything you see on the shelves is all they have.

[blackbolt396]

Dc did what ARCHIE has done with digests-reprints and a new story. We saw retailer run to Wal-mart and buy up those books.
A new 8 page Duke Thomas story in batman collected-is that scary. Reprints of stories whose floppies are STILL at certain stores unsold or in bins. That got store owner scared.

Here is what the pandering to retailers is doing-Everybody being held up because a store might not stock their books. So if we go by the 2017 number of comic book stores which was 2306. Lets play with a number of 2,000 stores.

https://www.comichron.com/monthlycom...0/2020-02.html

Humaniod Publishing
Ignited 7 1238 copies
Omini 5 1060 copies
Strangeland 6 saw 728 copies
Image
Savage Dragon 244 saw 3790
Lion Forge
Seven Days 5 1480
Vault
Finger guns 8K
Cult Classic Creature Feature 1322
Vagrant Queen 855
Action Lab
Zombie Tramp saw 4145
Going to the Chapel 4 saw 1239
Archie
Archie meets B52 6485
Archie Winter Wonderland 1585
Scout Comics NONE of their books were above 2397. Ahoy comics same thing.

Now if we go by the logic every store ordered ONE copy. Yet if we have 2000 stores that identity as comic book stores-looks like some stores didn't order books.

Look at Humaniod's lineup-seems a LOT of stores did not support them. My store ordered at least 3-4 copies of every book. Same with Going to the Chapel (a book I bought), Cult Classic (bought it too) and Savage Dragon. I would suspect my store ordered more copies than anybody including Midtown.

They would ALL be in their right to say "Pencils up and digital until further notice." Especially Archie who saw many of their books NOT sold in stores.
These folks are losing money pandering to stores that in all reality didn't support them.
IDW, Boom and others have license franchises. What money are they going to lose for books that are AUTOMATIC purchases for libraries, schools and other places?

Slow clap.

[iron chimp]

Dc did what ARCHIE has done with digests-reprints and a new story. We saw retailer run to Wal-mart and buy up those books.
A new 8 page Duke Thomas story in batman collected-is that scary. Reprints of stories whose floppies are STILL at certain stores unsold or in bins. That got store owner scared.

Here is what the pandering to retailers is doing-Everybody being held up because a store might not stock their books. So if we go by the 2017 number of comic book stores which was 2306. Lets play with a number of 2,000 stores.

https://www.comichron.com/monthlycom...0/2020-02.html

Humaniod Publishing
Ignited 7 1238 copies
Omini 5 1060 copies
Strangeland 6 saw 728 copies
Image
Savage Dragon 244 saw 3790
Lion Forge
Seven Days 5 1480
Vault
Finger guns 8K
Cult Classic Creature Feature 1322
Vagrant Queen 855
Action Lab
Zombie Tramp saw 4145
Going to the Chapel 4 saw 1239
Archie
Archie meets B52 6485
Archie Winter Wonderland 1585
Scout Comics NONE of their books were above 2397. Ahoy comics same thing.

Now if we go by the logic every store ordered ONE copy. Yet if we have 2000 stores that identity as comic book stores-looks like some stores didn't order books.

Look at Humaniod's lineup-seems a LOT of stores did not support them. My store ordered at least 3-4 copies of every book. Same with Going to the Chapel (a book I bought), Cult Classic (bought it too) and Savage Dragon. I would suspect my store ordered more copies than anybody including Midtown.

They would ALL be in their right to say "Pencils up and digital until further notice." Especially Archie who saw many of their books NOT sold in stores.
These folks are losing money pandering to stores that in all reality didn't support them.
IDW, Boom and others have license franchises. What money are they going to lose for books that are AUTOMATIC purchases for libraries, schools and other places?

Theres over 500 books a month published - of course a shop cant support everything by having it on the rack - thats just ridiculous. Get a copy of previews, get a pull list at your local shop, and they will gladly order your book. Enough people get a book on their pull list and the shop will soon realise... oops underestimated demand for this book, best get some for the racks too.

It really isnt hard.

[Digifiend]

They're already in some shops - in bubble wrap!
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-c...n-bubble-wrap/

[skyvolt2000]

My store has listed some of the new DC books for pulling today.

He has not listed the FOC books from DC. One of those I did FOC before all this.That would be 7 books I would have to get.

[Kevin Street]

I feel like DC's distribution is a Schrodinger's Cat situation at this point. Are they going exclusive with UCS and Lunar, or are they still distributed by Diamond and those other guys? As long as we don't see any actual comics both options could be true, or maybe if we wish hard enough we can make one more likely than the other. Guess that means I'm wishing for Diamond to still carry DC comics, because that's probably the only way I can buy them.

[Digifiend]

Forbidden Planet UK has bypassed Diamond, will have April 1st and 8th DC books next week!
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/forb...s-for-may-6th/

[fin5]

How did Forbidden Planet get the books and not other stores

[skyvolt2000]

Forbidden Planet UK has bypassed Diamond, will have April 1st and 8th DC books next week!
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/forb...s-for-may-6th/

Texas stores will be allow to reopen to the public on Friday at 25% capacity.

So lets see if this had an effect on Diamond, DC or Marvel since the second largest state is lifting restrictions.

[DragonPiece]

We now know what comics are coming out the first 2 weeks of June, arccording to the latest FOC dates: https://twitter.com/RyanHigginsRyan/...03350031642689

DC's highly anticipated title featuring the real debut of punchline, Batman 92 is finally being released the first week of June for one. Death Metal is also being released the following week. A lot of other big titles listed like Catwoman 80th special, levithan checkmate and more.

[fin5]

I saw some great news this week from bleeding cool. I dont know if there comic book stores are open or you can get them online.like my comic shop.com

[Kevin Street]

DC actually has a comic shop tracker Google Maps thingie where you can find the shops that are still open: https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2020/0...c-shop-tracker

Don't know how accurate it is overall, but the results looked right for my city.