Last month Lunar Distribution announced a deal with AHOY Comics, making it the third publisher to be distributed by Lunar. Today it adds a fourth as Z2 Comics announced today that it will be offering its products through the Lunar Distribution Network.
Readers will recall that Lunar opened up shop last year to distribute DC Comics following the pandemic-caused Diamond shutdown. This Z2 Comics / Lunar Distrubtion deal can be seen as yet another blow to the once-dominant Diamond Comics Distributors, who following last year’s DC’s departure lost their other biggest publisher, Marvel Comics, to Penguin Random House earlier this year.
Music-based comics publisher Z2 has been ramping up production in the past year including a wave of new hires. Much like AHOY, however, Z2 is not completely severing ties with Diamond, but is not taking any chances regarding any potential future distribution calamities.
Let the speculation begin on the next comics publisher to join Lunar.
You can read the full details of the Z2 Comics / Lunar Distribution in the press release below.
Z2 Comics has established itself as not only the frontrunner of music-related comics and graphic novels, but one of the premier entertainment brands in all of publishing. Starting today, Z2’s products will also be offered through the rapidly expanding Lunar Distribution network, the exclusive distributor of DC Comics, as well as other smaller independent publishers.
CEO and publisher Josh Frankel says “As we have grown, we have been actively considering all avenues for stores to carry our product; beginning with our move to Simon & Schuster for the book trade and the announcement of our direct sales channel. I have long admired Christina and Cameron’s incredibly sophisticated mail order business, so it was no surprise when they moved into distribution and managed to land some incredible publishing partners. We are thrilled to be in such good company, and to put our products in such good hands.”
Lunar Distribution co-owner Christina Merkler says “We are very happy to add Z2 to the Lunar family and look forward to continued growth with our new publishing partner.”
Starting with the company’s November releases, books are made available to retailers to order through Lunar Distribution at a flat 50% discount, alongside Diamond Comic Distributors and Simon & Schuster, as well as direct from Z2. Additionally, Z2 will offer its September and October titles on FOC through Lunar Distribution in the coming weeks.
“Since I started at Z2, I have been in constant awe of the steady growth the team here has been able to accomplish. As we look forward to opportunities for further growth, I am most excited about are with comic shops and their customers” says Z2’s director of retail sales Devin Funches. “The team at Lunar has proven to be a trustworthy partner for both publishers and retailers in the time they have been in business, and their rapid expansion is a testament to that. We are thrilled to partner with them to offer our products at a competitive discount and expert shipping capabilities.”
For more information contact Z2’s retail sales and marketing team of Devin Funches and Jeremy Atkins at [email protected], and Lunar Distribution at [email protected]
