[Editor's note: Newsarama spoke with Dark Horse's Mike Richardson about the following and other topics last week before allegations about longtime editor Scott Allie resurfaced. Dark Horse Comics subsequently issued a statement on that topic that can be read here.]
In a world where 澳洲幸运5🧸开奖号码历史查询:DC has separated fro꧅m Diamond Comic Distributors and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:comic book release date is now two𓂃 releas🔯e dates, Dark Horse Comics CEO Mike Richardson said that his company is sticking with Diamond exclusively for comic book periodical distribution. He also recognizes the sales impact of the book market, along with the outreach impact of comi⛎c stores.
"There's no drastic decision that we’re making now," Richardson said. "We're going to contin🦋ue with Di💜amond in the Direct Sales market, and we're going to continue with Random House in the book market."
Dark Horse entered into an agreement for Random House to become its book trade distributor in 2013. That distribution agreementꩲ has been a great boon to Dark Horse.
"I'd say our trades are 70% of our sales now," Richardson said. "I think wh🐈en we jumped to Random House, we put about 200 books back into print🦄. They've done a spectacular job selling our books."
Richardson has no interest in distributing Dark Horse periodi𒅌cals through Lunar or UCS, the two new entities distributing DC comic books to comic shops.
"As a publisher, no," Richardson said. "My retail divis☂ion has talked with them.﷽"
Richardson is referring to the four full-service comic book retail stores he still owns and ope🅠rates called T🀅hings From Another World.
He opened his first comic book store in Bend, OR in 1980, before Dark Hor♕se became a publisher in 1986. One of his four remaining♔ stores is just outside the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in Los Angeles.
Richardson knows the CO🐎VID-19 world and distribution disruption has presented difficulties, but he’s see﷽ing a light at the end of the tunnel.
"The individual, traditional comic book is a challenge🐟 these days," he said. "We're starting to see some decent numbers on the individuals come back. And I think with DC stepping out, that’s a blow to Diamond.
"[Diamond CEO] Steve Geppi seems to have a handle on what he&rsq🌃uo;s doing, and we continue to work with Diamond, but we're going to watch. I have a long relationship with Steve and Diamond, and look, they've helped so many stores stay in business over the years. It’s important to keep comic book stores alive."
Richardson sees c𒆙omic storeౠs as the gateway to new readers.
"Brick-and-mortar really is our chance to promote comics," he said. "We can expose a huge🦩 amount of new p♋eople to comics as walk-bys in our Universal store every year."
And to release date? A traditional Wednesday had become a DC Tuesday and everything-el🌱se (including Dark Horse) Wednesday. For his part, Richardson 🔯would like a unified date.
"Having stood behind the counter, I like to get them all 🔯at once, as early in the week as possible," he said. "I like to get stuff out without having to go through the process twice. Any release date is a big process at retail."
