FANTAGRAPHICS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT WITH DIAMOND

[MattBrady]

Press Release

Diamond Comic Distributors is pleased to announce it has cemented an exclusive distribution deal with Fantagraphics Books to exclusively distribute their products to comic book, game, and specialty store market outlets worldwide.

As a result of this exclusive arrangement, Diamond customers will receive an increased discount on Fantagraphics titles, which were formerly available primarily at an F discount (lower of 45% or Standard Discount), but will now be offered at an E discount (lower of 50% or Standard Discount). Furthermore, this new relationship will allow Diamond to stock the full range of Fantagraphics titles in deeper quantities, resulting in increased fill rates for retailers. Another bonus to stores already carrying a wide selection of Fantagraphics Books will be the ability to combine shipping with other product ordered through Diamond, effectively cutting retailers’ expenses on shipping (as opposed to ordering direct from the publisher).

Diamond and Fantagraphics Books have had a longstanding relationship in the comic book specialty market, going back over 25 years of distributing Fantagraphics’ award-winning graphic novels and comics. Fantagraphics Books has become the leading publisher of alternative or “art” comics in North America. The company was a vocal proponent of comics as an authentic artistic expression since 1976 when it began publishing The Comics Journal, a magazine devoted to the history and aesthetics of cartooning. By the early 1980s, Fantagraphics found itself at the forefront of the burgeoning movement to carve out a place for comics in popular culture next to fiction, film, and music. Fantagraphics has gained an international reputation for the consistency of its high editorial and production standards and the range of its publishing program — from Charles Schulz and Jules Feiffer to Daniel Clowes and the Hernandez Brothers.

“This new relationship with Diamond in the Direct Market will better serve retailers in every way,” said Fantagraphics Publicity Director Eric Reynolds. “They will get a better discount, better shipping rates, and have our entire backlist available for immediate reorder. It will also free up some resources here to focus more concertedly on the direct market.”

“We’re pleased that Fantagraphics has decided to expand our relationship and entrust us with such critical parts of their business,” said Diamond Vice President of Purchasing Bill Schanes. “We look forward to working with Fantagraphics as they truly embody the true art and expression that is the comics and graphic novels medium.”

Additionally, Diamond was also awarded the rights to exclusively distribute Fantagraphics Books products to the Canadian book market under the banner of its sister company, Diamond Book Distributors. Fantagraphics will continue to be represented to the U.S. book market by W.W. Norton & Co.

[whoME?]

this is a shocking and massively hypocritical move on Fantagraphics' part. it seems to go against everything Fantagraphics has said they stand for.

it's gonna be hard to take Groth & Co.'s ranting against the mainstream seriously now.

[Stormbreaker]

This is certainly an interesting move on the part of Fantagraphics. On the one hand, it does seem slightly hypocritical, considering Gary Groth's distaste for mainstream comics and their various mechanisms. On the other hand, this seems like a great opportunity for more people to get their hands on their products. I guess they felt that the ends justified the means, which I don't have a problem with here because I wouldn't mind being able to actually get The Comics Journal without having to mail order it (I've never been able to find it in any bookstores [of various sizes]. I was only able to get some when I interned out there two years ago).

[artjunkie]

Last time I checked, Fantagraphics Books was a business whose purpose is to get its products into the hands of its consumers so that those starving cartoonist could have their work read by anyone who would enjoy it and hopefully make a decent living doing so. Hypocrisy is only really defined by which side of the issue you ultimately stand. As a consumer I could give a ____ less about someone’s grandstanding against the “mainstream” and then deciding to use a “mainstream” distributor when that “mainstream” distributor ultimately helps them reach their target consumers, one of which is me. For me to bitch about better availability of my beloved Love & Rockets books (which is so sorely hard to find anymore)…well, that would just be plain stupid and totally missing the point.

[hondo]

It does seem kind of hypocritical for Fanta to work so closely with Diamond, as, has been pointed out, most of the product that they distribute is Marvel / DC superhero spandex themed. The junk food of the medium.

As a reader and collector for most of my life (33 of my 41 years), I grew up reading superheroes. Like most of us, I still read some and love them. As I've matured, so have my tastes, as has the diversity of what publishers are offering. What business model moves more comics / graphic novel material than any other ? I think I'm safe in saying that it's Diamond.

Yes, Diamond promotes superheroes heavily, but they are at the very least the single biggest wholesale source for this industry and it helps by offering retailers better terms and combined shipping, esp now with shipping costs rising.

I've long admired Fantagraphics and them playing such a large role in helping to promote the artistic possibilities of what the medium is capable of beyond the super domination of spandex to the hardcore fanboys, myself included. The product that they offer is some of what I would not only carry but actively promote to show the general public the vast array of what can be classic, widely appealing, cutting edge, and thought provoking, like art is supposed to be.

Just off the top of my head, they offer work by such greats as Robert Crumb, Kim Deitch, Hank Ketcham, Charles Schulz, Dan Clowes, Peter Bagge, Los Bros Hernandez, Bill Griffith, E. C. Segar, Harold Foster, Windsor McKay and many more that escape me at the moment. There's almost nothing they offer that I am at least somewhat interested in.

Hopefully this will help Gary Groth and the gang. If more retailers would show more stuff like this I think they'd be surprised at the sales they could get out of it.