Press release (from a publisher in trouble):
DEVIL'S DUE PULLS DISTRIBUTION FROM DIAMOND
Re-aligns Book Store Distribution, Opens Direct Line to Retailers, Focuses on Digital Business
Devil's Due Publishing has pulled its distribution of comics and graphic novels from Diamond Comic and Diamond Book Distributors, effective today. The Publisher will soon be announcing its new book store distribution partners, and will offer product direct to comic book retail outlets, as well as distribution through Haven Comic Distributors.
"For almost over a year Devil's Due has been in an unwinnable situation wherein Diamond garnishes our revenues to pay back returns and fees it claims are owed from 2008 and 2009, making it impossible for us to keep up with payments to talent, printers, and other expenses while maintaining a stable business," said Josh Blaylock, president of Devil's Due, who was forced to wind down the company's publishing rather than ramp up as it originally planned to do when hit with a rough economy in 2008. "We've exhausted every resource to get on track, with a primary focus on catching up with talent payments first and formost, but when Diamond controls the money flow, that becomes impossible."
The decision did not come lightly, adds Blaylock, "Of course this is the last thing a company wants to do in the Diamond dominated comic book industry, but it is necessary if we are going to be able to ever again be able to turn the money faucet back on. I am hopeful that we will be able to work something out with Diamond in the future. Until we verify a number of questions regarding sales from late 2008 through the present, DDP will be utilizing other avenues of distribution to move back stock, as well as limited releases of select new material.
To order direct, DDP encourages customers to contact the numbers and emails below.
Haven Distributors
1-877-HAVEN-50(1-877-428-3650)
http://www.havendistro.com/
Devil's Due Direct Sales: j.blay@devilsdue.net
Book Store Distribution : Coming Soon
It also welcomes fans to purchase digital downloads on Graphic.ly, iVerse through the iTunes App store, and comiXology, the latter of which currently has over 100 comics available at https://comics.comixology.com/#/devils_due including the never-released-in-print Hack/Slash - Mercy Sparx: A Slice of Hell crossover special: https://comics.comixology.com/#/series/4592, as the sales from these companies are going in large part towards paying off moneys owed to licensors and talent.
About Devil's Due
Proliferators of comic culture, Devil's Due carries a diverse line-up of original, creator-owned and licensed properties. Whether in Los Angeles or its homebase of Chicago, DDP is known for partnerships with and projects in development for film and television with 20th Century Fox, ABC Family, Relativity Media, New Line Cinema, Starz Media, Rogue Pictures, DiBonaventura Productions and more.
Devil's Due started in 2000 when founder Josh Blaylock left the apparel licensing industry to form a boutique creative solutions company with a publishing arm. That was until the comic book operation exploded. Devil's Due continues to be a pioneer in the industry with expansion into digital comics for the iPhone and mobile devices, collaborations with major motion picture producers and music artists.
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