Recession Watch: More distribution woes, but movies shining
§ That story about how magazine/book distributor Anderson Media was trying to charge magazine publishers 7 cents an issue to distribute magazines is now playing out. Over the last few seeks, Anderson has closed...
Kibbles ‘n’ Bits Supplemental, 3/3/09
Well some more stuff rolled in, so we're rolling it right out:
§ Eddie Campbell has started blogging again after a long hiatus, possibly related to a TV pilot.
§ Journo Rich Johnston was laid...
Business bytes: Gemstone, Viz, Soft Skull, Kodansha, etc.
There's lots of economic news floating around this week -- most of it bad -- but here's the latest on what's going around. § Cuts at Gemstone Publishing, which publishes Disney licenses, EC reprints...
Rall’s open letter on the Brian Duffy matter
Editorial cartoonist Brian Duffy was recently let go from his job at the Des Moines Register; after leaving, he discovered that his artwork, which had been left behind, was not going to be returned...
BookScan redux
Okay, just a few after dinner cordials as we close the books on the annual Imbolc rituals:
§ Peerless Peggy Burns of D&Q has the last word on the indie sales matter, by...
More on Marvel earnings call
Sorry we were so brief on our report on Marvel's 4Q and year-end reports yesterday. You can read the earnings call transcript right here, and as usual, Publishing is mentioned only a few times:
For...
Business: Marvel hangs on in ’08, but down in ’09
Jim Milliot has a quick analysis of Marvel's year-end numbers:
Marvel’s publishing division finished 2008 with sales of $125.4 million, virtually flat with 2007 when revenue was $125.7 million. Operating profit slipped to $47.3 million...
Steve Geppi’s debt woes growing
In recent weeks, while news of Diamond's new trade policies has rippled through every level of the comics business, Diamond's owner, Stephen Geppi, has also been hit with several lawsuits for outstanding debts. While...
DC answers “After WATCHMEN, what’s next?”
In a nod to capitalizing on Google searches if nothing else, DC has unveiled a plan for giving newbies who enjoyed WATCHMEN a place to go, with special $1 editions of five titles:
• ...
Business bits
§ At PW Comics Week, Ada Price surveys s bunch of comics retailers o see how they're doing and the old "cautious optimism" line is used again. But "selectivity" may be the word we...
Meanwhile, in Occidental comics news
The January numbers are out, and while the sales estimates have yet to be tallied. John Jackson Miller suspects that January comics sales will not be the kind of thing that makes people click...
Manga industry update
§ While many folks were worried that Marc Weidenbaum's departure from Viz meant their original manga program was on hold, all indications -- including the fact that they are hiring an editor --...
