Hermes Press reports that Diamond Comic Distributors is "effectively halting distribution" of comic books
Hermes Press has told its customers that Diamond Comic Distributors has "laid off most of their employees, effectively halting distribution of our products and many others." Their statement reads as follows:
"For the past 20 years, Hermes Press has used Diamond Comics for distribution to comic shops and websites like Amazon. In January, Diamond declared bankruptcy but continued to operate. This past weekend, as some may be aware, Diamond laid off most of their employees, effectively halting distribution of our products and many others. Good news - we are still waiting on final arrival of George Wilson, Phantom 34, and the Dark Shadows Paper Doll book (expected next week). We have always received the products before Diamond, before shipping out to their distribution center for fulfillment on their end. This is why those who ordered directly from us generally get their products before those elsewhere. Now for the bad news - if you ordered any of these titles or future titles from Amazon especially, or other sites, they will not be fulfilled for an undetermined amount of time as we look for a new distributor. As of now, the only way to get our books will be directly through our website. We know this isn't ideal for everyone, but it is the only current option while we work through this change.
"If you are a comic book shop and want to get our products, please reach out to [email protected] directly to discuss options on getting direct shipment and pricing from us. We want to help in any way we can as we know you are also moving through this transition and trying to fill orders. We need your help and support now, more than ever. We are still sending books to the printer and receiving products, and we plan to continue for a very long time. If you need to pre-order titles, especially those arriving in the near future, please do so at www.hermespress.com and use code MEMORIAL25 for 25% off your order, good through May 27 at 11:50 p.m. (est). We appreciate your support and look forward to getting books into your hands shortly. Please note there may be a delay in email responses as we work through shipping, we are a small team who loves what we do and sometimes it just takes a little time. Thank you for your patience. "
Hermes Press exclusively produces books and comic strip reprints focusing on the art and artists of the comics, cartoon and comic strips, pulp magazines of the 1920s and 1930s, art books covering science fiction, and popular culture. Popular titles include The Phantom, Dark Shadows, Johnny Hazard, and the work of Frank Thorne as well as titles such as Bear With Me, Abby Curled Up on a Roll, The Lazy Goth, and more. They exhibit at San Diego Comic-Con every year.
Tomorrow, Diamond Comic Distributors is due to release solicitations for all the publishers they handle, and the new Diamond Previews catalogue is arriving in comic stores. What happens next, right now, we don't know. You can use these Diamond, Ad Populum, Penguin Random House and bankruptcy tags to keep up with the latest on Bleeding Cool. Here's a timeline if you want to catch up...