In addition to the numerous tours and special events being postponed or cancelled over the growing Coronavirus Pandemic, the changes continue to face the folks in the comic book industry. I’ve already shared the news about “Free Comic Book Day” being postponed (HERE) and that Dynamite Entertainment was offering up a pile of digital comics via ComiXology (HERE) and now comes news that I guess we should have anticipated as far as weekly provisions go. Read on.
CORONAVIRUS EFFECTS ON DISTRIBUTION:
As everyone knows, the world faces ever-increasing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its effects on the comics & collectibles and tabletop gaming industries have been felt far and wide. We are hearing from thousands of retailers that they can no longer service their customers as they have in the past, many of them forced to close by government action or resort to in-person or curbside delivery. Even those still open are seeing reduced foot traffic in most cases, a situation that seems likely to worsen with time.
Our publishing partners are also faced with numerous issues in their supply chain, working with creators, printers, and increasing uncertainty when it comes to the production and delivery of products for us to distribute. Our freight networks are feeling the strain and are already experiencing delays, while our distribution centers in New York, California, and Pennsylvania were all closed late last week. Our own home office in Maryland instituted a work from home policy, and experts say that we can expect further closures. Therefore, my only logical conclusion is to cease the distribution of new weekly product until there is greater clarity on the progress made toward stemming the spread of this disease.
Continue reading Diamond Comic Distributors Founder Steve Geppi Statement On Distribution
