Every once in awhile there’s big news I can’t help but trip over and read. First there is the news about Diamond deciding not to publish distribute any new comics during the last week of the year. There are many view points about this decision I can understand. Times are hard and sales of comics historically go down this week because their target audience tends to spend their time at home or on vacation. I don’t know about you but that seems like taking the easy road. Does it not make more sense to put out new comics and see which ones would do well next year?
That’s where a group of artists got together and decided to do just that. The Indy Comic Book Week was started as a call to action to challenge writers and artists to self publish new material for that week, and offer it to their local stores. From their site:
“This is a perfect storm that opens up those new release shelves for the independent community. We don’t have to be set aside to the small publisher shelf for once and can stand tall in the spots that the big, national publishers usually take. Not only is this an opportunity for creators, it’s a great opportunity for the reader as well. Instead of picking up their usual books, they can check out something new, different, and most likely something local.
So, I’m putting forth this idea to the comic book community. Let’s turn “No Comic Book Week” into “Indy Comic Book Week”. Creators, let’s step up and put those books together. This is our chance to show the world that our books and creations can stand strong on those shelves as well as any major publication. It doesn’t have to be a 22-page full color affair; it can be a small black-and-white ashcan. But it has to be new, it has to be a product of your own creation, and it has to be awesome. Then talk to your local comic shops about putting your book on those shelves for the week of December 30th. Comic book readers, go to your local comic shops and tell them you want to see “Indy Comic Book Week” on the new release shelves. Tell them you want to see something new and different on those shelves. Comic book retailers, show some support for your local creators by filling those new release shelves with great indy books and hopefully open up your patrons to something new that they would not have read otherwise.”
This is a group of people who know an opportunity when it knocks.
Just a note on one point.
The news about ‘Diamond deciding not to publish any new comics during the last week of the year’ isn’t really all that big a deal or such big news — given that Diamond doesn’t publish anything at all at any time of the year anyway, with the exception of their PREVIEWS magazine. Diamond is a distributor, not a publisher. What they’ve decided to do is not distribute any books during that week. More than likely this was arranged with the major publishers; DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, et al.