The shoe has dropped. After months of rumors, Image Comics has announced they will be moving to Lunar Distribution for their direct market sales.
Image was previously at Diamond and was their biggest account after the departure of Marvel and DC.
The move will be effective starting in September.
UPDATE: Just to clarify a few things here, Diamond Books will remain Image’s bookstore distributor. In addition, Diamond will act as a wholesaler, purchasing the books from Lunar, so retailers who wish to do so can still purchase their Image comics and graphic novels from Diamond. Diamond currently acts as a wholesaler for Marvel, IDW and Dark Horse, as well.
Steve Geppi, Diamond founder, and Chairman, President & CEO of the Geppi Family Enterprises, sent out his own statement about the move:
Over the past 30 years, Diamond’s collaboration with Image has been a source of inspiration and motivation. We have cherished the opportunity to work closely with such a remarkable group, sharing goals, dreams, and overcoming challenges together. While their announcement today marks a new chapter in our partnership, I am delighted that Diamond will continue to play a vital role as a key source for Image Comics to the Direct Market.
I would like to express my gratitude to Image for the trust and support they placed in us throughout our partnership. Our team has worked diligently to provide exceptional products, service, and exceed expectations.
As always, we remain passionate about what we do and dedicated to delivering excellence for the Direct Market and our partners. Our resolve to provide innovative solutions and exceptional service remains stronger than ever.
At Emerald City this year, top Image execs including publisher Eric Stephenson, VP Matt Parkinson and DM sales director Alex Cox were seen at the Lunar breakfast and it was no secret that they had been meeting with Lunar head Christina Merkler’s team.
According to insiders, some of Image’s board had remained loyal to Diamond, even though their infrastructure was considered slow to react to new market forces.
PR with comments from the players below. Developing.
Image Comics is pleased to announce a worldwide exclusive distribution deal with Lunar Distribution, effective with September on-sale titles (which will open for order on the Lunar site for retailers on Wednesday, June 14), for Direct Market/comic shop distribution.
Previously exclusive to Diamond Comic Distributors, Image Comics will join DC as one of Lunar’s largest periodical publishers and will work in partnership with Lunar to share further communications with the Direct Market, including “next steps” details, to ensure a seamless transition for comic shop retailers.
“First and foremost we want to thank Steve Geppi, Chuck Parker, and everyone at Diamond for their ongoing service and all that they’ve done for Image over the years. For over three decades, they have been at our side, supporting our books from the moment we founded our company back in 1992,” said Todd McFarlane, President of Image Comics. “Every Image comic published, since our inception in ’92, has been distributed to thousands of retail outlets by Diamond, and they have played a very important role in our company’s evolution.”
“We have enjoyed our relationship with Diamond over the decades and we have made some wonderful friends there, so this decision has been a difficult one,” added Erik Larsen, Chief Financial Officer at Image Comics, who served as Publisher at Image from 2004-2008. “It was not a move that we made lightly, though, and ultimately, the change was made because of the benefits to readers and retailers who are our real customers. There are services Lunar will provide that will make it easier for stores to buy our titles, and for fans to find our books. This is a big win for them, and we hope this new partnership is as strong and long-lasting as the previous one. We wish Diamond nothing but the best as we look toward the future.”
“We leave with nothing but the deepest respect for Steve, Chuck and all of the folks at Diamond, both past and present,” said Jim Valentino, Image’s Vice President and former Publisher at Image from 1999-2004.
“This is a big change, but we will still be working with Diamond in other capacities and look forward to maintaining those relationships with the Diamond team for years to come,” noted Eric Stephenson, the company’s current Publisher and Chief Creative Officer. “Lunar is an impressive new player in the Direct Market, and we are eager to work with them on the next phase of our development, as well as joining DC in leading the industry toward what we believe are positive changes for everyone.”
Christina Merkler, Co-owner at Lunar Distribution stated: “We are thrilled to announce our exclusive worldwide distribution deal with Image Comics. We are constantly seeking innovative ways to expand our reach and bring exceptional content to our retail accounts around the world. This partnership will allow us to further expand our offerings and provide unparalleled access to the most exciting and sought-after titles in the industry. We look forward to working closely with Image and continuing to provide top-notch service to our Direct Market accounts.”
Lunar Distribution was first launched in 2020, when it became the home distributor to DC, and provides distribution services to the Direct Market with an emphasis on quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Retailers interested in learning more about how to set up an account with Lunar can visit: https://www.lunardistribution.
I assume Image simply makes/saves more money with this move. A retailer friend once told me (about a year after DC moved) that Lunar’s shipping costs are so expensive (relative to the amount ordered) that ordering DC books was about a break-even proposition. Maybe this addition of bulk may make Lunar better for retailers but it will also make Diamond shipping worse. I guess my point is that, from a retail perspective, this is almost a lateral move. If I were a retailer, I would’ve been happier with a PRH move (50% discount and free shipping).
Since I’m not a retailer, I may be wrong about all of this. Regardless, if I were a medium/small publisher, I might start coming up with a backup plan for my comics distribution.
Could somebody explain the supposed ‘services’ Lunar can provide, that Diamond supposedly cannot? In what way is Diamond slow to react to ‘new forces’? What kind of ‘new forces’? I cannot think of a single point where either PRH or Lunar’s services are superior to those of Diamond considering the functioning of their websites, how to order books, the many ways of keeping track of these orders, and the way the orders are invoiced. Yes, their shipping costs suck, but besides that, I see no clear improvement provided for retailers by either Lunar or PRH in the by now 3 years that this story has been unfolding. So if it’s the shipping costs that’s the problem (and it IS a valid concern, which DOES reduce the ability of books getting into readers hands) just say so. But don’t act as if Lunar or PRH are any improvement otherwise, because they’re not.
we are a comic store here for over 20 years. With Lunar we get a 50% discount on all comics. With Diamond we got 45% even though our monthly order was about $4000. We of course welcome that extra 5% profit. Our shipping cost from Lunar is .half of Diamond’s, same weight. We get product a week before street date. With Diamond it was the day before street date, sometimes late if there was a delay. With Diamond we had to pay a monthly mystery shoppers fee of $5.00 to pay alleged mystery shoppers checking if stores are selling comics before the release date.
Michiel – I’m not a retailer, but in talking with my LCS owner, he has been very impressed with how Lunar ships their books. PRH has apparently been better after their disaster of a start, but still not as good as Lunar. Diamond – like any monopoly – was extremely hit or miss in that regard.
Plus, more broadly, I think Lunar’s owners (DCBS) have a better pulse on the direct market than Diamond. I think Diamond did do some good for the industry at times, but they also did what any unregulated monopoly does. They got lazy.
The only “improvements” they have made since 2020 is because they finally have competition.
Sweet.
Smart move for Image , at Lunar , we have an actual sales rep that phones us. They are miles ahead of Diamond and PRH , as far shipping books in the right manner, damages are so rare with them. They also offer the best discounts, not even close. Also the re-order’s are fast, and if in stock, ship with your next boxes
Comments are closed.