Tag: comic book stores

Press Release: Boom Studios Reaffirms Committment to Comic Shops with New Day One Program

Press Release: Boom Studios Reaffirms Committment to Comic Shops with New Day One Program

Boom! Studios has been out front throughout the disruption to weekly comic book shipping firmly in support of Local Comic Shops.  Today, they announced their plans to help with the restart of the physical comic book economic machine.

In the wake of yesterday’s announcement from Diamond Comic Distributors that shipping new comics will resume in a few weeks, publishers are beginning to reveal their plans for moving forward. As you can see below Boom! Studio’s plan involves various degrees of returnability, incentive variants, discounts, and enhanced communication.

Boom! has taken massive steps forward in the past year or so in terms of enhancing the comics that they are producing. This program will go a long way toward solidifying the positive reputation of the company in the minds of the retailers, who are the ones who take the financial risk in ordering comics to put on their shelves.


Press Release:

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 29, 2020) – BOOM! Studios today announced the new DAY ONE RETAILER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM, an industry-first plan to immediately support comic shops and their communities worldwide.  Every comic shop will have their own “Day One” – the date they reopen their doors to their communities and engage with new customers. BOOM! Studios has committed to arm their retail partners with clear advance information in support of every comic book store having a successful Day One. In that spirit, the groundbreaking program from BOOM! Studios was announced alongside the award-winning publisher’s new single issue comics release schedule beginning May 20th (a full release schedule through the end of June can be found here).

Continue reading “Press Release: Boom Studios Reaffirms Committment to Comic Shops with New Day One Program”

Breaking: Diamond Comic Distributors Sets May 20 Target to Ship New Comics

Breaking: Diamond Comic Distributors Sets May 20 Target to Ship New Comics

We have received word that Diamond Comic Distributors will restart their new comic delivery process for new sales on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. That is three weeks from tomorrow.

A letter has been sent to retailers announcing the news, and Diamond CEO Steve Geppi will be going live on YouTube later today (5:30 EDT) to give an update and answer questions.

The slate of books has not been confirmed, but early reports do indicate that DC Comics books will be part of the first shipment. A final list of books is expected to be provided by Friday of this week.

The state of comic shops ability to be open for business in three weeks is still very much in doubt in some areas of the country. Some states are beginning to lifts non-essential business closures, but many still remain in place with no timelines of lifting them announced. How this affects them we will need to continue to monitor.

 

Brainiac On Banjo #079: The Future of Comics?

Brainiac On Banjo #079: The Future of Comics?

In these disease-ridden times, it is quite natural for us to be preoccupied with matters of life, health, and continuity. But it is equally logical to assume that someday this will pass, and most all of us will be around the celebrate.

Well, I hate to be a buzzkill, but on that much anticipated day… that’s when we step into deep pile of fresh economic bat-dung. Lots of people are going to be hurting bad for money – I’m writing this on Sunday, so I can’t check out my retirement fund, and that is a relief. I suspect almost as many are going to be hurting for jobs.

This hurts all of us, but it likely will be devastating to Mom ’n’ Pop stores, cockroach capitalists, and to self-employed folks of all stripes. In other words, I’m talking about the network of maybe a couple thousand (on a good day) comic book stores. Therefore, I’m also talking about the future of the “smaller” comics publishers, their staffs, writers, artists, and the related backroom activities like distributors necessary to keep everything moving. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo #079: The Future of Comics?”

Brainiac On Banjo #039: The Great Devon Avenue Comics Hunt

Brainiac On Banjo #039: The Great Devon Avenue Comics Hunt

I often wonder how new readers come across comic books. I wonder if new readers come across comic books.

Back in those thrilling days of yesteryear, my main supplier was a drug store about an eighth of a mile from my place. I already was into the stuff due to my sister’s persuasion, but this drug store also was an eighth of a mile from my grammar school and I was there plowing through the racks each and every Thursday by 4:00 PM. There were two other such drug stores within a half mile radius.

Damn near every Saturday my pals and I would bop on down Chicago’s Devon Avenue, hanging out, goofing off, lagging baseball cards, and stopping at seven different comic book racks during our half-mile trek — six independent drug stores and, of all things, a bicycle shop that for some reason (read: enforced inducement) was our major source of Charlton Comics. They received them en masse, in bulk, and infrequently. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo #039: The Great Devon Avenue Comics Hunt”