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With Further Ado #237: Start-Ups & Second Acts in Geek Culture

With Further Ado #237: Start-Ups & Second Acts in Geek Culture

Posted on by Ed Catto

One of the many great things about Geek Culture is the opportunity for “second acts”.

There’s an old gag that posits 97% of all comic fans want to work in comics, and the other 3% are lying. There’s probably a lot of truth in that.

I would guess the numbers aren’t as high for something like the music industry, for example. I love listening to music, but I have no talent and little aptitude to create music. I even hum off key.

This weekend, Saratoga Springs celebrated the annual Chowderfest. It’s an incredible time, as just about every restaurant and bar erects a Pop-Up to serve their own version of chowder. This annual event attracts so many locals as well as folks like us, who traveled there for the festivities. There were so many people enjoying this event. Along with so many tasty chowders. There were also long lines, more than a few hoisted beer mugs and lots of smiles. Continue reading “With Further Ado #237: Start-Ups & Second Acts in Geek Culture” →

Free Comic Book Day is Tomorrow – Back Where It Belongs

Free Comic Book Day is Tomorrow – Back Where It Belongs

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day. This has traditionally been the biggest day of the year on the comic book retailers’ calendar. The free comics that are available at local comic shops encourage the offering of sales, promotions, parties, signings, and all forms of revelry. Historically, Free Comic Book Day has been the first Saturday in May, but in the past two years it has been moved to later in the year due to the concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the cool parts about FCBD for consumers is that not only are there free comic books to get, but there are usually some terrific deals on back issues and also collectibles at the shops. It is also important to remember that while the free comic books are no cost to the consumers, the retailers most definitely have a cost to pay for the comics.

Almost all comic publishers are participating in some form. Some comics are reprint material that is intended to give readers a glimpse of what the comic is about. Some are all new special stories and some are previews to upcoming events or books that the publisher is planning for this year.

Click Here to find a Local Comic Shop in your area.

In the spirit of planning, we offer this post which highlights the comic books that will be available this year on Free Comic Book Day. This will let you know which books are of interest to your sensibilities. Check out the list of seventeen of the announced free comics below:

 

Free Comic Book Day 2022: Avatar The Last Airbender/The Legend Of Korra #1
Dark Horse Comics

Both your favorite avatars return in two all-new stories from Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra! Dive into the fun for Free Comic Book Day, and expect excitement, familiar faces, and a hefty helping of shenanigans!

Exclusive Original Material

PCS Notes: This is a welcome release of new material in this property. It is a slightly surprising in the best way.  

Free Comic Book Day 2022: Avengers / X-Men #1
Marvel Comics

OF DEVIATION AND MUTATION / BLOODLINE / LET’S TALK ABOUT KRAKOA
Written by Kieron Gillen with art by Valerio Schiti, JUDGMENT DAY will see the Avengers try desperately to avert a war between the Eternals and the X-Men. Fans will get their first glimpse at the conflict in FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: AVENGERS/X-MEN with a prelude story by Kieron Gillen and artist Dustin Weaver. Also coming this summer will be the X-Men’s second annual HELLFIRE GALA! Last year, mutantkind terraformed Mars and announced a new team of X-Men… what do they have in store for the Marvel Universe this time around? Find out in a lead-in story by X-MEN scribe Gerry Duggan and artist Matteo Lolli! FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: AVENGERS/X-MEN #1 will also mark the exciting debut of a new hero that Marvel has big plans for this year! Meet BLOODLINE in an introduction story by writer Danny Lore and artist Karen Darboe!

PCS Notes: This is one of those preview comics that we talked about earlier. You probably want to get your hands on this.

Free Comic Book Day 2022: The Bone Orchard Mythos #1
Image Comics

A troubled writer books a secluded cabin on a serene lake in an attempt to get away from his struggling marriage and his impending deadlines. But what he can’t know when he arrives is that he is already in the cabin. In fact he may have always been there.

Face-to-face with his own demons, the writer discovers the first terrifying pieces of The Bone Orchard Mythos a sprawling new horror interconnected universe from the Eisner Award winning team behind Gideon Falls and Primordial, Andrea Sorrentino and Jeff Lemire!

PCS Notes: Yeah. This looks like some good stuff. Continue reading “Free Comic Book Day is Tomorrow – Back Where It Belongs” →

Marvel Announces Exclusive Agreement to Distribute Marvel Comics and Graphic Novels With Penguin Random House

Marvel Announces Exclusive Agreement to Distribute Marvel Comics and Graphic Novels With Penguin Random House

Posted on by Bob Harrison

And the times continue to be changing. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Diamond Comics Distributors was the exclusive distribution outlet for all monthly comics and most book format products in the US. That has changed. The shutdown of distribution caused by the lockdowns last March exposed a single point of failure weakness in the distribution. Since then, DC Comics has left Diamond all together, and many smaller distributors have come up with different distribution plans.

Today Marvel Comics announced that they are going to be using Penguin Random House as their exclusive distributor. This adds a layer of abstraction between Diamond and Marvel. Diamond will continue to service the direct market comic shops as a wholesaler, but this allows for other wholesaler agreements as well as the possibility of direct distribution to the retail locations.

As always these decisions are financially driven. Publishers saw their revenue affected by the real world pandemic and are looking for the best ways to insulate themselves from that in the future.

You can read the full press release from Marvel below:

New York, NY – March 25, 2021 – Marvel Comics and Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS), a division of Penguin Random House, the renowned trade book publisher, today announced an exclusive worldwide multi-year sales and distribution agreement for Marvel’s newly published and backlist comic books, trade collections, and graphic novels to comics shops, known as the Direct Market. PRHPS officially begins its distribution to Direct Market retailers for all Marvel titles starting October 1.

Penguin Random House Publisher Services will begin Marvel’s Direct Market distribution this October. New Marvel comics will continue to be available on Wednesdays at comic shops everywhere.

After a thorough analysis of the market environment, Marvel has chosen PRHPS as its distribution partner to create a sustainable, productive supply chain and enhanced infrastructure for Marvel publications that will benefit comics retailers and fans alike for years to come. Penguin Random House is known for its state-of-the-art multi-ranging services that enable independent booksellers to increase efficiency and profitability.

“Marvel’s entire history is built on telling great stories. And as we’ve seen for decades, those stories go hand in hand with equipping the comic shops who share them. Marvel and Penguin Random House stand by that vision, and we are excited to build and expand those opportunities for our talent, retailers, and fans,” said Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Entertainment. “Comics are the core of the Marvel Universe, and we are confident this new partnership will continue to grow and evolve this resilient industry. We look forward to advancing our capabilities with PRHPS to serve our fans and the Direct Market. We thank Diamond for their many years of support and partnership as we continue our relationship with them in other areas.” Continue reading “Marvel Announces Exclusive Agreement to Distribute Marvel Comics and Graphic Novels With Penguin Random House” →

With Further Ado #114: Give Comics Hope Promotes Modern American Optimism

With Further Ado #114: Give Comics Hope Promotes Modern American Optimism

Posted on by Ed Catto

The Thrill ISN’T Gone

The weirdness – and tyranny –  of COVID-19  wasn’t supposed to last this long. I will admit I thought It would all be over by this fall.

I miss in-person comic cons. The lack of conventions is a drag. I always enjoy pawing through long boxes and looking lost treasures. I love seeing the cool vintage collectibles and new toys. But what I really miss are the people. I miss the buzz of the fans. Their unique, positive excitement is, I would argue, unique to Geek Culture. It’s different from fans going to a concert or a big sports game. Although each of those types of events have their own enthusiastic fans, it’s an entirely different flavor than what you would find at comic conventions.

Maybe people are nicer to one another? Maybe they are more excited? Maybe it’s that shared joy that comes from finally finding your own tribe?  I’m not sure, but whatever it is, I miss it.

I miss the old normal of comic shops too.  In my neck of the woods (The Finger Lakes Region of New York State) they are all open again. Finally. But there’s still a stilted caution that is a part of every visit. Everyone’s a little more cautious. Everyone lingers a little less. Everyone finds some excuse to cut short their visits.

Publisher’s schedules are getting backing to normal. I’m hearing positive news, anecdotally, that some publishers are actually doing pretty good right now. That’s encouraging news.

On the other hand, so many comic shops are still struggling. They’ve had to pivot, to adapt and to get ready for the new reality, and it hasn’t been fun.

Give Comics Hope is a new initiative that’s looking to make a difference.  Their premise is straightforward:

Give Comics Hope is an ambitious charitable initiative that calls on all members of our community to rally together to provide vital aid to comic book shops. Continue reading “With Further Ado #114: Give Comics Hope Promotes Modern American Optimism” →

Press Release: Boom! Studios Extends Comic Book Returnability for Retailers

Press Release: Boom! Studios Extends Comic Book Returnability for Retailers

Posted on by PCS Staff

BOOM! Studios has been extremely active in its efforts to support Local Comic Shops who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, they announced that they are extending and enhancing their Retailer Support Services Program. As the retail direct market for comic books continues to struggle with limitations resulting from lack of product and shutdowns, the efforts that BOOM! is making are clearly intended to help that marketplace.

Press Release:

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 20, 2020) – BOOM! Studios today announced historic new benefits to their BOOM! RETAILER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM, the industry-leading initiative to aid comic book shops worldwide affected by the current health crisis, that will take effect beginning September 2.

The BOOM! RETAILER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM will initially deliver the following benefits to qualifying accounts pending details being finalized with Diamond Comic Distributors:

Full Returnability Through December: BOOM! Studios will extend the industry’s best returnability program, the BOOM! Guarantee, in an unprecedented manner by making all items that ship between September 2, 2020 through December 30, 2020 fully returnable via affidavit in order to allow retailers to order with confidence. Any retailer not already enrolled in the BOOM! Guarantee can sign up for free right here.

  • Full Returnability Through December: BOOM! Studios will extend the industry’s best returnability program, the BOOM! Guarantee, in an unprecedented manner by making all items that ship between September 2, 2020 through December 30, 2020 fully returnable via affidavit in order to allow retailers to order with confidence. Any retailer not already enrolled in the BOOM! Guarantee can sign up for free right here.
  • More Monthly “Thank You” Variant Covers: BOOM! Studios will now provide at least two new, previously unannounced “Thank You” variants every month through December 30, 2020 free to qualifying Diamond accounts. These variants will appear on two different series each month and will ship one-per-store. Diamond accounts must be eligible to receive free promotional material in order to receive these variants. This move now doubles the commitment BOOM! Studios previously announced.
  • BOOM! First Look PDFs: BOOM! Studios will provide downloadable PDF previews of all major launches before FOC that retailers can share with customers via e-mail, social media and more to ensure fans are informed and excited to place their pre-orders for the best new series of 2020.

Boom Studios’ BOOM! RETAILER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM, announced in March 2020, is the industry’s first comprehensive set of initiatives to bring comic shops an unrivaled slate of discounts, returnability, and sales tools including extensions and expansions of previously announced benefits, as part of their commitment to ensuring comic shops remaining a thriving part of every community.

“Comic shops are the lifeblood of the industry and this artform, so this is the next step in offering even more support to our retail partners during this time,” said Filip Sablik, President of Publishing & Marketing, BOOM! Studios. “These new benefits in the BOOM! RETAILER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM allow retailers to grow sales on their best-selling series – like Something is Killing The Children, Once & Future, and Seven Secrets – while also ordering without risk on their next guaranteed hits, including We Only Find Them When They’re Dead, BRZRKR, Mighty Morphin, Power Rangers and Dune: House Atreides, with even more tools to engage their customers.”

Diamond Comic Distributors and BOOM! Studios will be sharing more information directly with retailers as soon as it is finalized to clearly outline how to receive these new benefits from the BOOM! RETAILER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM.

For continuing news on the BOOM! RETAILER SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM stay tuned to boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

Creators are Caring for Comic Shops

Posted on by Bob Harrison

With the mass chaos and uncertainty that the physical comic book industry is in as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis, comic book writers and artists are finding unique ways to try to help comic shops. As we have detailed earlier, comic professionals are also affected by this pandemic in real financial terms. As their income streams dry up and “pencils down” orders are given, the community searches for ways to survive.

We are confident that the medium of sequential art will not go away, but it may emerge from this crisis altered. Will it be for the better? It is impossible to tell. In the meantime, the community is trying to support each other.

Today, we want to highlight some of the innovative efforts to support both creative talent and comic shops.

Love and Capes Returns

We told you in an interview earlier that cartoonist Thom Zahler has been working on the new Love and Capes: The Family Way series, and selling small print run single-issues at conventions. IDW will be collecting and printing a Trade Paperback this summer, but with all conventions on hold, Thom came up with an inventive way to get the story and get new inventory into the hands of comic shops that are still open in whatever form.

He is offering a way for comic shops to order the individual issues directly from him, and is, even, offering a way for the issue covers to be customized. Comic Shops can get all the details and links to the order forms on Zahler’s website. Orders are being taken until Friday 4/17 at Noon!!

Fans can reach out to their Local Comic Shops and encourage them to order the new content.

#Creators4Comics

An event is going over in the Twitterverse. Over a hundred comic creatives are auctioning off artwork, books, and experiences through the #Creators4Comics. The auctions will end on Monday 4/20. The funds raised will be donated to The Book Industry Charitable Foundation, an organization that supports independent booksellers, including comic shops. Continue reading “Creators are Caring for Comic Shops” →

With Further Ado #88: Nimble Innovation

With Further Ado #88: Nimble Innovation

Posted on by Ed Catto

I wish this was an April’s Fools story, but it is not.

In Mike Gold’s column here on Monday, Brainiac on Banjo, he talked about how comic shops, like so many other businesses, are struggling during the surreal new reality that the Coronavirus has unleashed. It’s a scary time for these entrepreneurs.

But we need to keep business issues and life-threatening issues in perspective.  We’re just a few weeks into it. Public figures are now contracting the virus, and many of us now know real people who have contracted it. I have two friends fighting the good fight against COVID-19 in the hospital right now. One’s outlook is pretty grim, I am afraid.

So my heart aches in so many ways. The prospect of a collapse, or at best a terrible shakeout of Geek Culture is one the scary things of which I am fearful. USA TODAY even noticed. They started a recent article with a look at a fanboy turned retailer in Pennsylvania:

YORK, Pa. – Brian Waltersdorff has been strolling the aisles of Comic Store West in York, Pennsylvania,  since 1986. He was the store’s first customer.

Fast forward 22 years, he found himself buying a portion of ownership into the store. This past January, he bought out his partners for sole ownership of his childhood comic book shop. 

“First-year businesses always have problems. I didn’t think it would happen (here),” he said. “But here we are.” 

Waltersdorff is one of several comic book shop owners across the country who are battling an unprecedented level of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak. 

The restrictions on movement have been catastrophic for him – as they have for most small business owners. However, the comic book industry is navigating a different sea of change: its main supplier has completely shut down its distribution chain.

 

Comic Shops, have, for the most part, been run and owned by strong-willed entrepreneurs who have financially skated near the edge. Likewise, publishers and companies that create Geek Culture ephemera have done the same.

In that column this past Monday, Mike Gold wrote, “Only a very few publishers are owned by massive mega-corporations such as AT&T, Amazon, and Disney. The rest are owned by very hard working Mom ’n’ Pop cockroach capitalists who depend upon these shops.”

TwoMorrows Publishing wrote candidly about how tough it is to sell magazines when your distributor and retailer outlets are closed.  So they are offering a 40% sale to keep the lights on. Continue reading “With Further Ado #88: Nimble Innovation” →

With Further Ado #80: Digging for Treasure

With Further Ado #80: Digging for Treasure

Posted on by Ed Catto

I’m all about buried treasure lately. Next week I’ll tell you about my wild ride that led to the PIRATES book, soon to be published by Clover Press & Yoe Books.  But this week, I want to write about my travels to the exotic and mystical land called New Jersey, and my adventures in three comic shops and the treasures I found.

The Joker’s Child

The Joker’s Child, a long-lived comic shop nestled in the northern part of New Jersey, used to be my hometown store when I lived there. I brought my daughters, the Catto Girls, there when they were little. They are all grown up  now, and I was back in town to help celebrate one daughter’s bridal shower.  Tempus Fugit!

Continue reading “With Further Ado #80: Digging for Treasure” →

Public Service Announcement: TODAY IS HALLOWEEN COMICFEST!!!

Public Service Announcement: TODAY IS HALLOWEEN COMICFEST!!!

Posted on by PCS Staff

Today is Halloween ComicFest. What is that? It is a daylong celebration of spooky comics you can find at local comic shops across the country. Many publishers issue special free comics for this day and it is the fall version of Free Comic Book Day.

Be sure to check in with your LCS today. They likely have a celebration planned. Some have costume contests and comic pro signings. There are usually great comic and merchandise deals to be found.

This is really a fun day to get together with other comic fans and enjoy the spooky season. It is an important day to support your LCS as well. This is one of the few times of year that the small businesses that sell us comic goodness can hope for a better than average number of customers.

So, throw on a costume. Head down to your comic shop and support a small business and the comic industry at the same time. Reply in the comments with your pictures of celebrating Halloween ComicFest.