Says farewell to Diamond Comics Distributors
Source: Claypool Comics
After almost fourteen years and more than 300 issues — one of the longest runs in the history of independent comics — publisher Claypool Comics is telling the world of print, “Thank you and farewell.” After ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK #166 (shipping in February 2007), SOULSEARCHERS AND COMPANY #82 (also shipping in February), and DEADBEATS #82 (shipping in March), Claypool will cut back its line to DEADBEATS alone and put new adventures of that series’ vampire-haunted world on the Internet. Claypool’s trade-paperback comics collections (under the Boffin Books imprint) and back issues will remain available as long as supplies last.
Claypool’s shift from paper to bytes comes after a long struggle for sales. In November, 2005, Diamond Comics Distributors — the major distributor of comic books in the United States — gave Claypool some alarming news: Claypool wasn’t selling enough comics to meet Diamond’s guidelines for profitable distribution. Diamond and Claypool teamed up for a string of promotional efforts, including free comics for retailers, plus various flyers and posters. Claypool’s sales rose, but not far or fast enough. In July of 2006, after discussions with Diamond executives, Claypool publisher Ed Via and editor Richard Howell decided to publish DEADBEATS exclusively on the World Wide Web. The other titles will cease publication indefinitely.
Diamond has graciously guaranteed that the Claypool line will be allowed to finish out its run with enough time to bring both SOULSEARCHERS and DEADBEATS to exciting story resolutions, ensuring that long-time readers won’t be disappointed. ELVIRA — starring the famous video hostess in tales by Kurt Busiek, Paul Dini (in his first comics work), Steve Leialoha, Jim Mooney, Dave Cockrum, John Heebink, Neil Vokes, Mike Manley, and many others — will spend its final issues continuing its tradition of short story arcs and single-issue tales. To emphasize the momentousness of the event, the final issues of each series will feature “Countdown to the End” cover bullets.
SOULSEARCHERS — created by Howell and best-selling writer Peter David, with art by (among others) Amanda Conner, Dave Cockrum, Joe Staton, and Jim Mooney — features a team of comedically-inept supernatural investigators. Currently, the Soulsearchers are banned from operating their business in their home town of Mystic Grove, Connecticut; nevertheless, they’re tracking down a mysterious, mystical nexus that has been appearing at various places within the town limits.
DEADBEATS, the title moving online, features a gang of passionate vampires and the mortals who try to destroy them. Created, written, and penciled by Howell and inked by Ricardo Villagran, the book features a combination of horror and romance reminiscent of the classic television series Dark Shadows, with enough lusty eroticism to satisfy even the most dedicated Anne Rice fan. The cast of DEADBEATS is battling against an imminent doom predicted from the future, which will destroy almost everyone in Mystic Grove, human and vampire alike, and leave the town a place of despair and desolation. Readers can find new DEADBEATS adventures at the Claypool website (claypoolcomics.com), beginning early in 2007.
To facilitate the reformatting of DEADBEATS series and preparing the way for new readers, Claypool will be publishing an additional BEST OF DEADBEATS (exact title TBA) trade paperback collection in February 2007, reprinting the series’ most important issues. This volume will also feature new material and will be the perfect introduction to the DEADBEATS continuity.
Howell and Via founded Claypool in 1992. They began with SOULSEARCHERS, ELVIRA, and DEADBEATS, as well as the twelve-issue miniseries PHANTOM OF FEAR CITY by Steve Englehart and a variety of artists, including fan-favorite George Perez. The company’s focus on the supernatural anticipated such modern hits as Walking Dead, Fear Agent, and Hellboy.
Claypool’s Richard Howell says, “We’ve been working with Diamond to get our comics out to more stores in more quantity, but ultimately we had to surrender to reality: There’s too much competing product out there for the customer base, the retail base, and the distribution chain — and we’re a small, black-and-white line of offbeat, almost uncategorizable comics. Based on the commitment and intensity of our fans, we’re convinced that our books fulfill a need in the marketplace. We’re just not reaching enough of those readers — or reaching them consistently enough — in their current format. Moving DEADBEATS to the Internet will allow us to reach more levels of the potential readership, lower our overhead, and open new routes towards bringing Claypool-style narrative sensibility to those who’d value it.”
Diamond Vice President for Purchasing Bill Schanes adds, “We’d like to thank everyone at Claypool for all their efforts over the years and wish them the best of success with their future endeavors.”
Claypool Comics wants to extend its warmest wishes and gratitude to the many writers, artists, retailers, fans, and others who have helped Claypool over the company’s fourteen-year odyssey. Their loyalty and support have made Claypool one of the most respected publishers in comics, and Claypool’s staff hopes that they will continue to follow DEADBEATS online.
See you on the Net!
