Once upon a time, I used the Diamond website (previewsworld.com) as the spine for my Comics Guide. Diamond listed seven publishers separately (BOOM, DC, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW, Image, Marvel) and all the other publishers under a lump heading ("Comics and Graphic Novels"). Books, magazines and toys were listed separately, as well.
As you can imagine, when DC went exclusive with Universal Distribution, Diamond stopped listing them. (Unless you had an account at Diamond where you bought comics from them, in which case you could see a list and order DC -- which Diamond would buy from Universal, presumably.) We were down to six separate listings, but still, everything could be found at Previews except DC. Universal doesn't really have a list that I've found, so I've been using a list from a sub-distributor, Lunar.
Now that, too, is about to change. Image has gone exclusive with Universal, so we can expect that listing to go away pretty soon. As for the remaining five separate listings, two of those have already gone away for other reasons.
What those reasons are, I cannot say. But Dark Horse and IDW are now lumped in with the other publishers in "Comics and Graphic Novels." When Image goes, that will leave just BOOM, Dynamite and Marvel (which shares distribution with Penguin Random House) as separates.
I expect BOOM and Dynamite pay for the privilege (possibly in the print product). Marvel probably does, too, but maybe not -- as the biggest draw, they might get special treatment. If payment is a factor, that might explain why DH and IDW have been downgraded.
But that's all speculation. Meanwhile, Lunar lists its other clientele as shipping earlier than Diamond does. (I usually go with Diamond, as they seem more accurate.) I don't know of any publishers who are specific to PRH, but there are some I never see, so that may be the case. Those I never see are tiny, so I just ignore them and rely on Diamond.
But for how long? Because this is the biggest news (well, for me, anyway):
Every Wednesday, Diamond has traditionally listed everything from the Big Seven (now the Big Four, soon to be the Big Three) two weeks early, and "Comics and Other Publishers" a week early. That is to say, this last Wednesday (May 31), I expected to get the full list for June 6, and a partial for June 14.
On May 31, I did get the full list -- the "Comics and Other Publishers" list (with DH and IDW) as it joined BOOM, Dynamite, Image and Marvel, which I had received on May 24. But as for June 14: Crickets. It's Friday, and not a peep on Previewsworld on what to expect after Wednesday, June 6.
This is awful for me on a personal level, because I can't get a head start on the Comics Guide I would normally post on June 9. But in a larger sense, what does it mean on Diamond's end? Without Image (and DC, and the bulk of Marvel), are they going to become a niche distributor? Without those big accounts, can they even survive? Does their reticence mean there are other shoes about to drop, in the sense of other publishers jumping ship to Universal or PRH?
I don't know, of course. But this abrupt change of course must mean something. And whatever it is, it doesn't bode well for Diamond.
Replies
I have to admit that this kind of thing is beyond me. I buy comics the way I have been for nearly half a century: I go to the store and buy the ones I want unless they're sold out. I've never never a lot of thought as to how they got there.
I had very little idea about distribution until the Internet arrived, but even so, it's a lot of shadows on the cave wall.
My LCS still buys what they can from Diamond because they like the existing ordering system. Of course they have to buy the rest where they are available.
Hopefully, if Diamond anticipates going belly up, they will remember their loyal customers and (1) give them warning, followed by (2) encouragement to the new distributors to provide lists similar to what they have done.
This may be unrealistically hopeful on my part.
I have somehow managed to live nearly six decades without really understanding how much of anything works.
Captain Comics said:
Hopefully, if Diamond anticipates going belly up, they will remember their loyal customers and (1) give them warning, followed by (2) encouragement to the new distributors to provide lists similar to what they have done.
My God, man, I want to live in that world.
I have somehow managed to live nearly six decades without really understanding how much of anything works.
Yeah, me too.
My brother-in-law is a MacGyver, who can build a six-foot smoker out of spare parts, re-tile his kitchen in an afternoon, and create a Monarch butterfly habitat out of whole cloth. Me, I can't hang a picture on the wall without going all Archie, and tearing down the wall, exploding my car and setting fire to the neighbors' house.
Supposedly, though, comics is a thing I know. And I know a bit. But not all, especially distribution. I post in the hopes that my fellow Legionnaires have information I don't.
I said something to the owner of my LCS last Wednesday about Image pulling out of Diamond. He said there's some sort of retailer distribution meeting coming up in Dallas soon and he plans to attend. His daughter, who also works in the store, said, "I thought you weren't going to go to that?" He must have changed his mind.
She just didn't want to be stuck in the store by herself when he goes.
Jeff of Earth-J said:
I expect BOOM and Dynamite pay for the privilege (possibly in the print product). Marvel probably does, too, but maybe not -- as the biggest draw, they might get special treatment. If payment is a factor, that might explain why DH and IDW have been downgraded.
That was always my understanding. Publishers paid for the privilege to be up front.I swear I read it somewhere, but I could be misremembering.
Hopefully, if Diamond anticipates going belly up, they will remember their loyal customers and (1) give them warning, followed by (2) encouragement to the new distributors to provide lists similar to what they have done.
My LCS lost their sales rep without warning from Diamond, and then proceeded not to have one for a few years. I don't know if Diamond will jack if everything fails for them