Diamond Comics has announced that Zenescope, publisher of the Grimm Fairy Tales line of adult-oriented comics, has become a Deluxe Publisher with the distributor. The expanded relationship will see Zenescope with preferred placement in Diamond’s Previews catalog beginning in August 2023.
More from Diamond’s announcement:
Zenescope will be joining AfterShock Comics, Titan Comics, ABLAZE Publishing, Frank Miller Presents (FMP), Opus Comics, and Massive Publishing in Diamond Comic Distributors’ Deluxe Tier of publishers. The Deluxe Tier features preferred coverage in the PREVIEWS catalog and expanded support on the PREVIEWSworld website.
In a statement announcing the deal, Zenescope Publisher Dave Franchini and Geppi Family Enterprises Chief Purchasing Offer Tim Lenaghan elaborated on why now was the right time for the move:
“For the last 18 years, Zenescope has enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Diamond Distribution that has helped with our success in the Direct and Book markets,” said Dave Franchini, Zenescope Publisher. “And now, with the move to the Deluxe Tier, we look forward to many more years of continued growth and success together.”
“Zenescope has been a longtime partner for Diamond, and a staple of the Direct Market for as long as I can remember,” said Tim Lenaghan, Chief Purchasing Officer for Geppi Family Enterprises. “We’re thrilled to have them join the Deluxe Vendors and look forward to many more years of working with them.”
The news for Diamond comes less than two months after the distributor’s largest account, Image Comics, jumped ship for Lunar Distribution, the distributor founded by online retailer DCBS in 2020 during the Diamond shutdown.
If Diamond is looking to maintain relevance with most of the major publishers having gone elsewhere, Zenescope may not be the boost they’re hoping for. Primarily known as a publisher of cheesecake-y, ‘sexy’ versions of public domain female characters, Zenescope certainly has its audience, though it feels like one that’s shrinking as more women and younger readers get into comics. Still, every little bit counts for Diamond.
Look for Zenescope titles to be front and center in the August Previews catalog.
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Wow. Diamond must be hurting pretty bad for this to happen. Another shocker is Aftershock who hasn’t seen growth in a long time and announced bankruptcy earlier this year.
In other words, if you distribute through Diamond and you’re NOT at this tier, you should really rethink whether you should even be in business.
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