Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: diamond, universal
Now Universal Distribution is to be setting up in the USA as well, to take over where Diamond left off, whatever happens?
We’ve heard this a few times, but this weekend seemed to solidify rumours into something more. Universal Distribution is the Canadian distributor to comic book shops that distributes everyone, regardless of their Diamond deal, from DC to Marvel, to Image, to IDW, to Dark Horse, to Valiant, to Antarctic, to Dynamiyte, to Boom, to Vault, to Keenspot… you get the idea. They are basically what Diamond used to be, but in Canada, they are non-exclusive. They are also the stalking horse bidder to buy up chunks of Diamond Comic Distributors as they have declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a first bid that would take up Alliance Games Distribution and Diamond UK.
But it seems that they may want more than that. And if they don’t buy Diamond’s American operation, they may well just set one up themselves. I have been told that they are seriously planning on opening up operations over the border, as well as in Canada, which may prove even more necessary as the currently-on-hold tariffs from the USA to Canada kick in.
What that might mean for DC and Image Comics’ exclusive Lunar deals or Marvel, Dark Horse, Boom and IDW’s exclusive Penguin Random House deals, I don’t know. Will Universal only be allowed to continue distributing them in Canada – or in the UK if they buy Diamond UK, I don’t know. How awkward would it be if Universal Distribution, after having bought Alliance Games Distribution, was working in the same building and warehouse as the remains of Diamond Comic Distributors if Universal doesn’t buy them? It feels like something has to give.
But also, I have talked to some small press publishers this past week, who are quite happy to tell people that they have signed a deal to be distributed by Universal. And if they people they talk to want to mistake that for the LA film studio, well, they are quite happy with that…
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