Not too long ago, Devil’s Due went through different distribution methods when its Hack/Slash Reanimator book was rejected by Diamond. Yesterday, Devil’s Due announced it is leaving Diamond and distributing all of its comics through other means including Haven Comic Distributors, which has slowly been snagging distribution deals with other companies.
“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 econom 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.”
In a time when small publishers are struggling increased cover prices, an economic crisis that causes wallets to be a little less giving, this could make it really hard for a company like Devil’s Due to survive.
“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.
For now, fans and retailers can get Devil’s Due comics from Haven Distributors, Graphic.ly, iVerse, and comiXology.
3 Comments
Isolated incident or tip of the iceberg?
I’ve heard a lot of negative and positive about Diamond. I guess it’s just like any other business and you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
I happen to have friends who’ve done work for this loser and they still haven’t received a dime and it’s been 2 years for them too. DDP is broke as a joke for putting out crap titles plain and simple. Meanwhile the better profile titles were paying for it all. D%^klock robbed Peter to pay Paul.
Word on the street is that he is currently in court as we speak about ready to have his ass handed to him for not paying artists/writes and licensors. Scum like this needs to go downa and thank the lord his time is coming.