Saw that. So we have, what, a few weeks at best? Then I guess it's digital or nothing.
JD's Comic Book Thread
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Saw that. So we have, what, a few weeks at best? Then I guess it's digital or nothing.
Okay, the situation as far as I could gather is that several printers have stopped production, including the Canada-based printer that DC is using for most of their stuff. Also, several smaller publishers have already announced that they'd delay several releases to help comic shops cope. So it's not even like Diamond has much of a choice. They will still ship the products they already have in storage, so this week's new releases will most certainly still come on time, but from next week on, there will be no new physical copies to buy from the shops.
Now, it's time for the publishers to make a choice. They could either go all-in on digital, though they already run a high risk on piracy there, as well as losing a huge chunk of their readership who simply won't go digital, or they could also postpone the digital releases until a time when the physical copies can be shipped to stores again. With DC and Marvel, my guess is they'll postpone the release of their books tied into their respective universes, but pump out some new "digital-first" books. With Marvel, I could see them turning the Conan books (sans Savage Avengers), the Marvels line of books, the current and upcoming Punisher minis, into digital-firsts, DC could do this with several of their Black Label books, the Kids' and YA graphic novels, the anniversary spectaculars (April would see Joker and Catwoman), the current Amethyst mini, the current Batman mini by Ellis & Hitch, Mad Magazine, the Joe Hill horror books, etc..
Edit: Diamond founder Steve Geppi released a statement
Now, it's time for the publishers to make a choice. They could either go all-in on digital, though they already run a high risk on piracy there, as well as losing a huge chunk of their readership who simply won't go digital, or they could also postpone the digital releases until a time when the physical copies can be shipped to stores again. With DC and Marvel, my guess is they'll postpone the release of their books tied into their respective universes, but pump out some new "digital-first" books. With Marvel, I could see them turning the Conan books (sans Savage Avengers), the Marvels line of books, the current and upcoming Punisher minis, into digital-firsts, DC could do this with several of their Black Label books, the Kids' and YA graphic novels, the anniversary spectaculars (April would see Joker and Catwoman), the current Amethyst mini, the current Batman mini by Ellis & Hitch, Mad Magazine, the Joe Hill horror books, etc..
Edit: Diamond founder Steve Geppi released a statement
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Yeah, I'm thinking at leas the main universe stuff will not come out in digital. In general, when it comes to books and comics if there are both digital and physical versions they like to keep them in line with each other. So no physical version, probably means no digital version either.
On the one hand shops aren't having to buy product they have little way of selling. On the other hand shops have no new product to attract costumers (shopping for delivery, mail order, curbside service...).
Still no word I've heard regarding digital books.
Still no word I've heard regarding digital books.
A lot of shops still offer mailing service, in-person or curbside delivery. That said, as Steve Geppi's statement said, those shops have now to lean more into the books and merch they already have in stock.
On the digital books, it's been only a few hours since Diamond's announcement, so give the publishers a bit to consider their options.
Edit: That said, IDW is going to suspend their May publications, and Joe Field, the veteran comic retailer who came up with Free Comic Book Day, appeals to publishers, creators and readers to resist the urge to go digital.
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That kind of sucks, but I have a lot of back issues I bought on sale with Comixology to get caught up on.
Suspending digital sales is the right thing to do but it kind of screw Comixology and Comixology is Amazon. We'll see how they react.
Anyone who has a few extra bucks and their LCS is still operating in some fashion, try to give them a little support. Order a few trades or some back issues. They need every sale they can make.
Anyone who has a few extra bucks and their LCS is still operating in some fashion, try to give them a little support. Order a few trades or some back issues. They need every sale they can make.
Okay, quick update:
While some publishers like Humanoid are pausing their releases after the Diamond shutdown, others, like the British publisher Rebellion, home of 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, is still planning on holding onto their schedule, probably because those mags are also distributed to British newsstands which are still open.
Ryan Higgins of the California-based retailer Comics Conspiracy has proposed a deal between DC & Marvel and Comixology/Amazon, to give retailers the option to sell digital download codes with the promise of free physical copies as soon as available. He's drawn heavy criticism from other retailers, the most obvious being that Comixology/Amazon don't actually need local retail stores to offer such a deal to customers.
And despite the UK-division of Diamond shutting down even earlier than the North American division (this week, which means that I myself won't get this week's books until this is over), Manga publisher Kodansha, western home of Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Attack on TItan, and more, has just signed an exclusive distribution deal for the UK and Ireland, effective August 1.
While some publishers like Humanoid are pausing their releases after the Diamond shutdown, others, like the British publisher Rebellion, home of 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, is still planning on holding onto their schedule, probably because those mags are also distributed to British newsstands which are still open.
Ryan Higgins of the California-based retailer Comics Conspiracy has proposed a deal between DC & Marvel and Comixology/Amazon, to give retailers the option to sell digital download codes with the promise of free physical copies as soon as available. He's drawn heavy criticism from other retailers, the most obvious being that Comixology/Amazon don't actually need local retail stores to offer such a deal to customers.
And despite the UK-division of Diamond shutting down even earlier than the North American division (this week, which means that I myself won't get this week's books until this is over), Manga publisher Kodansha, western home of Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Attack on TItan, and more, has just signed an exclusive distribution deal for the UK and Ireland, effective August 1.
Another update:
Erik Larsen has publicly vowed not to release any new issues of Savage Dragon digitally until physical copies are available again.
Brand-new publisher AWA (who had really bad timing with their launch) meanwhile has plans to release a serialized version of their upcoming releases digitally exclusive to the platform WEBTOON, while also holding back digital release on platforms like Comixology until things go back to normal. Considering that AWA hasn't been around enough to establish a loyal readership, this move is quite understandable.
Erik Larsen has publicly vowed not to release any new issues of Savage Dragon digitally until physical copies are available again.
Brand-new publisher AWA (who had really bad timing with their launch) meanwhile has plans to release a serialized version of their upcoming releases digitally exclusive to the platform WEBTOON, while also holding back digital release on platforms like Comixology until things go back to normal. Considering that AWA hasn't been around enough to establish a loyal readership, this move is quite understandable.
The upside to this is that if/when printing resumes, he should be a little ahead of the game as he plans to continue producing comics.
Statement from Archie Comics:
A message from Archie Comics to our comic book retailer partners:
It is an understatement to say that these are challenging and uncertain times for everyone. We want to be as transparent and communicative as possible in regards to what we plan to do with our products over the coming weeks and months.
As noted in an earlier statement, we do not want to put an undue burden on retailers already facing shutdowns and limited-to-no distribution from Diamond. Some of the early steps we've taken to accomplish this include, but are not limited to, offering returnability on all of our products originally scheduled for release in March & April. We are now extending that to cover releases in the month of May.
We are also indefinitely delaying all of our planned releases for new direct-market focused comic book projects originally scheduled to launch in late-April through July. This includes our recently announced BETTY COOPER: SUPERTEEN and ARCHIE MEETS FLASH GORDON one-shots as well as future issues of ARCHIE & KATY KEENE, SABRINA: SOMETHING WICKED, SUPER DUCK, and the BETTY & VERONICA: THE BOND OF FRIENDSHIP OGN, as well as other, yet-to-be announced titles. The release schedules for these titles are fluid and will be re-evaluated at a later date.
With that said, we have three titles already in the pipeline that are too far down the path to pull back completely. This small selection of titles has already been printed, with copies mailed to our subscribers as well as select direct market retailers who have ordered custom variant covers. This includes SABRINA: SOMETHING WICKED #1 (on sale 4/1), COSMO THE MIGHTY MARTIAN #5 (on sale 4/1, final issue) and VAMPIRONICA: NEW BLOOD #4 (on sale 4/15, also a final issue).
As such, we will be releasing our full slate of 4/1 titles via our direct sale channels and digitally. These books are returnable via Diamond and we are able to service your backlist needs as well as provide limited front-list ordering directly from our warehouse if you wish to offer them to your customers. Please reach out directly to us via the usual communication channels and we can coordinate any orders as time and stock allows. VAMPIRONICA: NEW BLOOD #4, the final issue in the series, will be the last of our direct market-focused titles available digitally when it releases on 4/15.
While we will have already hit pause on all new direct-market focused titles, we will continue to publish our newsstand & subscriber-focused Classic Archie titles such as ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST, ARCHIE MILESTONES JUMBO COMICS DIGEST, BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST, B&V FRIENDS JUMBO COMICS DIGEST, and WORLD OF ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST as long as this option remains available to us. Our graphic novels and book market releases such as ARCHIE COMICS PRESENTS, our GIANT COMICS SERIES, and reprint titles such as ARCHIE & FRIENDS and BETTY & VERONICA: FRIENDS FOREVER will continue as digital titles, with print releases depending on printer and distribution channel availability. These are titles that primarily serve channels outside of the direct market, which are currently still operating, just at a reduced capacity.
We are aiming to strike a delicate balance between meeting the needs of our subscriber and digital customers while also reducing the burden on our partners in the direct market. Our goal here is to make sure that the direct market is not left out of our core titles while also maintaining a steady stream of content and material for our other audiences - as well as keeping our own business needs and operational requirements in mind.
As many of you know, Archie is a unique publisher in that we serve a number of channels. We will update our comic shop partners each week with any new information and are taking a close look at what we can move into the later part of the year to lessen the stress on comic shops during the pandemic, and to ensure notable releases for when things return to some semblance of normal.
Please be safe and stay healthy. Do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions on how we can help you through these difficult times. This is a conversation and we want to remain in contact with you.
And DC Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras released a statement to DC's freelancers:
To Our DC Talent Community,
Everyone here at DC is thinking of you and the challenges that you’re all facing in this current crisis. I want to stress that DC is fully open for business. Our editorial teams and support staff are working remotely for the foreseeable future but that will not interfere with our day-to-day operations.
Our main concern, of course, is your well-being and that of your families. No matter where you are in the world, take care and don’t hesitate to reach out. We realize that there may be unexpected challenges ahead and I want you to know that we are here to help.
No one knows, of course, how long this current situation may last. For now, this is our new normal. And as we transition to a company working from home, we gain the flexibility to overcome any challenge. Most importantly, we remain incredibly excited about the stories we will create together.
Best,
Bob
A message from Archie Comics to our comic book retailer partners:
It is an understatement to say that these are challenging and uncertain times for everyone. We want to be as transparent and communicative as possible in regards to what we plan to do with our products over the coming weeks and months.
As noted in an earlier statement, we do not want to put an undue burden on retailers already facing shutdowns and limited-to-no distribution from Diamond. Some of the early steps we've taken to accomplish this include, but are not limited to, offering returnability on all of our products originally scheduled for release in March & April. We are now extending that to cover releases in the month of May.
We are also indefinitely delaying all of our planned releases for new direct-market focused comic book projects originally scheduled to launch in late-April through July. This includes our recently announced BETTY COOPER: SUPERTEEN and ARCHIE MEETS FLASH GORDON one-shots as well as future issues of ARCHIE & KATY KEENE, SABRINA: SOMETHING WICKED, SUPER DUCK, and the BETTY & VERONICA: THE BOND OF FRIENDSHIP OGN, as well as other, yet-to-be announced titles. The release schedules for these titles are fluid and will be re-evaluated at a later date.
With that said, we have three titles already in the pipeline that are too far down the path to pull back completely. This small selection of titles has already been printed, with copies mailed to our subscribers as well as select direct market retailers who have ordered custom variant covers. This includes SABRINA: SOMETHING WICKED #1 (on sale 4/1), COSMO THE MIGHTY MARTIAN #5 (on sale 4/1, final issue) and VAMPIRONICA: NEW BLOOD #4 (on sale 4/15, also a final issue).
As such, we will be releasing our full slate of 4/1 titles via our direct sale channels and digitally. These books are returnable via Diamond and we are able to service your backlist needs as well as provide limited front-list ordering directly from our warehouse if you wish to offer them to your customers. Please reach out directly to us via the usual communication channels and we can coordinate any orders as time and stock allows. VAMPIRONICA: NEW BLOOD #4, the final issue in the series, will be the last of our direct market-focused titles available digitally when it releases on 4/15.
While we will have already hit pause on all new direct-market focused titles, we will continue to publish our newsstand & subscriber-focused Classic Archie titles such as ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST, ARCHIE MILESTONES JUMBO COMICS DIGEST, BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST, B&V FRIENDS JUMBO COMICS DIGEST, and WORLD OF ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST as long as this option remains available to us. Our graphic novels and book market releases such as ARCHIE COMICS PRESENTS, our GIANT COMICS SERIES, and reprint titles such as ARCHIE & FRIENDS and BETTY & VERONICA: FRIENDS FOREVER will continue as digital titles, with print releases depending on printer and distribution channel availability. These are titles that primarily serve channels outside of the direct market, which are currently still operating, just at a reduced capacity.
We are aiming to strike a delicate balance between meeting the needs of our subscriber and digital customers while also reducing the burden on our partners in the direct market. Our goal here is to make sure that the direct market is not left out of our core titles while also maintaining a steady stream of content and material for our other audiences - as well as keeping our own business needs and operational requirements in mind.
As many of you know, Archie is a unique publisher in that we serve a number of channels. We will update our comic shop partners each week with any new information and are taking a close look at what we can move into the later part of the year to lessen the stress on comic shops during the pandemic, and to ensure notable releases for when things return to some semblance of normal.
Please be safe and stay healthy. Do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions on how we can help you through these difficult times. This is a conversation and we want to remain in contact with you.
And DC Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras released a statement to DC's freelancers:
To Our DC Talent Community,
Everyone here at DC is thinking of you and the challenges that you’re all facing in this current crisis. I want to stress that DC is fully open for business. Our editorial teams and support staff are working remotely for the foreseeable future but that will not interfere with our day-to-day operations.
Our main concern, of course, is your well-being and that of your families. No matter where you are in the world, take care and don’t hesitate to reach out. We realize that there may be unexpected challenges ahead and I want you to know that we are here to help.
No one knows, of course, how long this current situation may last. For now, this is our new normal. And as we transition to a company working from home, we gain the flexibility to overcome any challenge. Most importantly, we remain incredibly excited about the stories we will create together.
Best,
Bob
Gail Simone has set off a new push for a Marvel/DC crossover after the COVID-19 pandemic is over. After her initial tweet several other creators have chimed in with their ideas.
The IGN article features several of the tweets with people's ideas for the crossover.
Gail Simone wants Vision/Mr. Miracle by Tom King, Thor/Wonder Woman by Donny Cates and , Superman/Spider-Man by Brian Micheal Bendis. Tom Taylor wants to do a story with Harley Quinn and Deadpool teaming up against Thanos and Darkseid, Christos Gage wants to do Devil Dinosaur/Kamandi, Scotty Snyder wants to do Batman vs everybody, and one of DC's editors, Chris Conroy, wants to do Gorilla Groot.
I've never been able to check out any of the old DC/Marvel crossovers, so I would love to see this happen.
The IGN article features several of the tweets with people's ideas for the crossover.
Gail Simone wants Vision/Mr. Miracle by Tom King, Thor/Wonder Woman by Donny Cates and , Superman/Spider-Man by Brian Micheal Bendis. Tom Taylor wants to do a story with Harley Quinn and Deadpool teaming up against Thanos and Darkseid, Christos Gage wants to do Devil Dinosaur/Kamandi, Scotty Snyder wants to do Batman vs everybody, and one of DC's editors, Chris Conroy, wants to do Gorilla Groot.
I've never been able to check out any of the old DC/Marvel crossovers, so I would love to see this happen.
Well, at least they could reprint the old ones. Some where bad, but there were real gems there. I consider JLA/Avengers my personal favorite comic book ever, and even the Amalgam Universe was wacky fun.
But I'll play that game. New ones I'd like to see, you could do:
Young Justice/Young Avengers
Lobo vs. Guardians of the Galaxy
The Outsiders/The Defenders (or, smaller scale, Black Lightning/Luke Cage)
Suicide Squad vs. Thunderbolts
Flash/Daredevil written by Mark Waid
The Question vs. The Illuminati
Steve Orlando's Justice League of America/X-Men
Maybe I'll think of more, but these came to mind.
Edit: Oh, just thought of this, go really weird and do Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld vs. Conan.
But I'll play that game. New ones I'd like to see, you could do:
Young Justice/Young Avengers
Lobo vs. Guardians of the Galaxy
The Outsiders/The Defenders (or, smaller scale, Black Lightning/Luke Cage)
Suicide Squad vs. Thunderbolts
Flash/Daredevil written by Mark Waid
The Question vs. The Illuminati
Steve Orlando's Justice League of America/X-Men
Maybe I'll think of more, but these came to mind.
Edit: Oh, just thought of this, go really weird and do Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld vs. Conan.
Further updates:
- Dark Horse won't release new comics digitally until print distribution resumes
- In their weekly mailer to retailers, Marvel states: "As soon as Marvel and DCD have the proper knowledge on what the future likely holds during these trying times of a Global Pandemic, we will update the FOC dates and On Sale Dates. We assure you there is a larger scale plan being worked on for the upcoming shipping schedule and thank you for your patience."
So much for fact, now I'm going to speculate/interprete: That statement by Marvel reads to me like they are putting pressure on Diamond to resume distribution, maybe threatening to start their own distribution system and abandoning Diamond completely.
- Dark Horse won't release new comics digitally until print distribution resumes
- In their weekly mailer to retailers, Marvel states: "As soon as Marvel and DCD have the proper knowledge on what the future likely holds during these trying times of a Global Pandemic, we will update the FOC dates and On Sale Dates. We assure you there is a larger scale plan being worked on for the upcoming shipping schedule and thank you for your patience."
So much for fact, now I'm going to speculate/interprete: That statement by Marvel reads to me like they are putting pressure on Diamond to resume distribution, maybe threatening to start their own distribution system and abandoning Diamond completely.
That mention of dates reminds me of something I've been confused about for a while. I noticed a while back while looking around on the Marvel Wiki that they have two different dates for each comics, a publish date and a release date, with about 3 months or so between them. So what exactly are they?
My guess is that's about the cover dates. As Stan Lee once told it (or tried to remember correctly, and Kevin Smith put him straight, that interview film was weird like that), way back when comics were still mostly sold at newsstands and the local market's magazine rack, they used to add three months to the one an issue was released to its cover date, so, say an issue released in March would have May or June as its cover date. They did that to give the impression that this was a really fresh release, probably more to fool the workers at the newsstands than the actual readers.
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