Comic Book Retailers React to Dark Horse Going Exclusive With PRH

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Yesterday, Bleeding Cool shared the information that Dark Horse Comics was dropping exclusive distribution to comedian shops from Diamond Comic Distributors to Penguin Random House Publisher Services, as well as Diamond owner Steve Geppi’s response which was, principally, “we’ll miss the one % that was Dark Horse.” A variety of comedian e book retailer homeowners and workers gathered to talk about the change on Facebook… this is a few of their backwards and forwards.

Brian Hibbs proprietor of Comix Experience in San Francisco: “If you hadn’t heard in any other case, Dark Horse is shifting all periodical distribution to Penguin Random House as of 6/1/2023 – Diamond will then be wholesaling like they do with Marvel (AKA: your value as a retailer goes up by ~5% of margin when you persist with Diamond)… Anyway, I assumed this letter from Geppi was *astonishingly* petty (that third paragraph, wow!), and, if I had been a remaining DCD writer, I’d positive be questioning what they’re saying about YOU behind your again. Diamond has now had ~3 years now to repair their underlying issues with delivery and prices and stock management and messaging, since DC mentioned they had been leaving. They’ve had about THREE DECADES of outlets complaining to the Upper Management Team about delivery (I’ve the receipts of emails to VPs, sure I do) — and so they have STEADFASTLY refused to do a rattling factor about it. Even MODEST adjustments would have resolved most of it. But they’ve carried out f-ck-all. I *need* a wholesome Diamond comics, and I means means means means means would *reasonably* purchase allllll of my comics product from them (centralization brings a number of efficiencies) however *Diamond* made that inconceivable, sorry. Don’t blame different folks in your incapability to change, yo.”

Randall Armstrong Manager at South Tampa Comics: “Wooooooo! Down with Diamond and their ridiculous overcharging on their delivery. All I would like now’s Boom and Image to transfer over and we’re in enterprise!”

Marc Arsenault of Sparkplug Books & Alternative Comics of Portland, Oregon: PRH was just a little tough at first. And sure I do imply the packing points. They have properly overcompensated based mostly on my expertise. It’s arduous to argue with the candy low cost and lack of month-to-month minimums. Oh yeah and the e book commerce business commonplace free delivery. The shifting into the twenty first Century shorter advance ordering/FOC instances can be a welcome change. Screw Diamond. Come on Image, bury the beast and transfer on over.

John Harter of Waterfront Comics, Suisun City, California: The 4 factors I misplaced from Marvel shifting to PRH has greater than been offset from the 10-15 % I used to be paying to Diamond for delivery.

Richard Evansof Bedrock City Comics, Houston, TExas: I am unable to think about ever wanting to revert to a time when all ordering was carried out via Diamond, particularly after realizing the amount of cash we now have saved by diversifying distributors. At this level the extra suppliers that enable us to order their merchandise elsewhere the higher. Congrats to Dark Horse.

Brian Hibbs: Our total margins on comics product have dropped considerably since DC left Diamond. Glad your expertise is completely different.

Mark Dickson, former comedian retailer ownerin Chillicothe, Ohio: Diamond ought to have consolidated Alliance Games dist/Comics dist collectively a very long time in the past. Alliance nonetheless has free freight on $$$ orders. If a retailer had sport product going out on a Monday, then comics might be included free of charge delivery. And all coming from the identical warehouse. That would have helped retailers tremendously. At least one likelihood per week to get free freight comics. This would have solely labored if some warehouses we’re shut down and all merchandise be in the identical areas. Corporate coverage is to wait and react when issues come up. So if a hearth begins and the home is burning down you run round like loopy making an attempt to put the fireplace out. In company considering it is a value saving measure. Don’t change the coverage till completely vital. But one other means of doing enterprise is to change when issues begin and discover a resolution earlier than the fireplace begins. Diamonds home is burning down proper now, it stays to be seen if will probably be saved or be a complete loss.

Brian Hibbs: no, what the SHOULD have carried out is listened to retailers like me who patiently and thoroughly defined to the VPs at Diamond how delivery labored all over the place else, and the way we had been shifting our enterprise away with no change, and precisely spelled out simply how a lot THEY had been dropping from it because of this. Like I mentioned, I’ve the receipts….

Few folks have suffered from the age-old recommendation, that’s, pay attention to Brian Hibbs about stuff.

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https://bleedingcool.com/comics/comic-book-retailers-react-to-dark-horse-going-exclusive-with-prh/

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