As part of efforts to step up outreach to the comics shop market, Penguin Random House Publisher Services and Marvel have released a 12-minute video update for retailers. Featuring Marvel president Dan Buckley, PRHPS president Jeff Abraham, and the PRHPS comics sales and marketing leadership, the 12-minute video FAQ presentation is intended to introduce retailers to PRHPS’s comics sales leadership team and answer questions about the new, exclusive direct market distribution agreement between Marvel and PRHPS.
In the video, Abraham emphasizes that retailers can still order Marvel comics from Diamond Comics Distributors, which previously distributed Marvel to the direct market, and will now act as a direct market wholesaler for Marvel periodicals and graphic novels. In addition to introductory remarks by Buckley and Abraham, the video presentation includes segments featuring David Gabriel, Marvel v-p of print and digital publishing, and Tyne Hunter, newly appointed associate director of comics sales at PRHPS.
Gabriel outlined a list of traditional comics distribution services long familiar to comics retailers that PRHPS will continue to offer: continued support for the traditional Wednesday on-sale date, weekly final order cutoff, delivery of the monthly Marvel Previews, and variant covers, which are special alternate cover art for certain comic book issues based on order level.
Hunter notes that she’s worked at PRH for 7 years and has processed orders from the direct market for the last five. She enthusiastically encouraged retailers to sign up for an account, “no opening orders required right now,” citing PRH’s free shipping and listing contact information for PRH’s new, dedicated comics services and sales team. Retailers are encouraged to sign on by May 7, and ordering for the fall will begin May 26.
Addressing comics shop retailers, Hunter said: “I wound up working with you guys and learning from you and falling in love with this channel and this market. You are the most passionate retailers out there. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me and the team, we are committed to the direct market.”
