Even as the Diamond mess drags on, more distribution options fr comics are opening up. Here’s a couple of recent developments:
Independent Publishers Group (IPG), a 50-year old book distribution company, will now offers terms just for comics shops. The move is due to what they call “swift growth in high impact manga, graphic novel, RPG, and comic publishers on our distribution roster.”
Terms for shops include both returnable and non returnable tiers, both with a $100 minimum order. The returnable tier includes 45% Discount, Free Freight, Net 30, and first order gets an extra 3% discount (48% total).
Nonreturnable terms are 50% Discount, Free Freight, Net 30, and first order gets an extra 3% discount (53% total)
They will also offer dedicated marketing services, including a seasonal “IPG Impact” catalog, spotlighting 20 frontlist titles – all manga in the first example.
IPG has been carrying more and more graphic novel publishers over the year. Their current roster includes NBM Publishing, Kodama, One Peace Books, SHP Comics, Dead Sky Publishing, IPI Comics, Outland Entertainment, Ponent Mon, Black Panel Press, Korero Press, ZeroZero Entertainment, and Invader Comics.
While we’re not retailers, these seem to be pretty competitive terms for a solid line-up of material. We chatted with an IPG rep at ALA back in June, and they had been inundated with interest from publishers with Diamond going away. But the company was also excited about the growth in the graphic novel market, so this sounds like a positive development on all fronts.
Retailers who want more details or to open an account should contact sales@ipgbook.com
Another new distribution player on the scene is Philbo Distribution, which launched their first catalog last month. They already have a lengthy list of publishers they are carrying on a non-exclusive basis, and they just added Terry Moore’s Abstract Studios, home of Strangers in Paradise, Echo, Rachel Rising and Motor Girl. Philbo will be offering the new Strangers in Paradise Omnibus in their September catalog with a December on sale.
This news is of some interest to me because I’ve often thought of Abstract Studios as a perfect example of the kind of tiny but high quality publishing operation that Diamond fostered. While a lot of small publishers are struggling to find distribution with existing options – like IPG, above – working at capacity, a creator with a strong following like Terry Moore was bound to find a home.
Philbo is carrying many other publishers including
10 Ton Press
AC Comics
AT Comics
Advent Comics
A Kid and a Comic
Antarctic Press
Blind Squirrel Comics
Committed Comics
Dren Productions
Edge Comics
Fairsquare Graphics
Get Your Medz
Grok! Comics
Hermes Press
Homebrewed Comics
Knuckle Supper Studios
Monarch Comics
Midnight Comics
Monstrous Books
Oniric Comics
Phantom Blade Productions
Philbo Publishing
Rogue Matter
Scratch Comics
Second Sight Publishing
Silverline Comics
Spero
Xion Studios
Zenescope
In addition they carry Heavy Metal magazine.
A lot of tested material in there…and a lot of things i never heard of frankly. But at least they are getting a shot.
Philbo has come under criticism from some retailers because they only offer a 40% discount leaving a very slim margin of profit – but CEO Phillip Russertt says it is what it is. As another option for publishers, their even offering their own catalog, PHILVIEWS, with a familiar design.
I hope to do a deeper dive in the near future on the various distribution options that have sprung up in the wake of Diamond’s essentially disappearing from the scene, including more on Philbo and a few other companies that have sprung up.
The last time I placed an order with IPG I was told the $100 minimum is after discount (so $200 retail value if non-returnable). The time before that, it was $100 retail value. So some clarification might be needed.
Is this the same IPG that published the “Official DC Index’s” in the 1980’s?
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