Category Archives: Marketing

Diamond’s Previews Catalog is Going All Digital in July

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Previews Catalog

There’s been a lot of questions as far as the future of Previews after the purchase of Diamond Comic Distributors by Ad Populum/Sparkle Pop. (new) Diamond has announced that the Previews catalog will now be digital-only starting in July available from Joomag.

Previews is the catalog released each month that features upcoming items that can be ordered. It is not only an easy way for shops to decide what to purchase but also is used by comic fans/buyers/purchasers/collectors to determine what they’ll purchase. Some shops provide it for free while others charged for it.

The digital catalog will be available through Joomag and there will be no printed catalog. Currently, the digital version is available through Joomag but must be purchased for $3.99. This new digital only version will be available free of charge.

It’s unknown exactly what will be listed with so many publishers no longer distributing through Diamond or have paused distribution through them.

The catalog will be available at Previewsworld.com through Joomag for free (good). They will also provide retailers with signs and QR codes to make it easier for customers to find the new digital catalog (we’re mixed on this). There will be links with ordering information (we’ll wait and see on that).

Overall, it’ll be interesting to see and there’s opportunity here to do something innovative and interesting. We have our doubts we’ll actually see any of that.

Check out the announcement below:

As part of ongoing operational transitions, the July 2025 edition of Diamond Comic Distributros’ PREVIEWS catalog will be digital-only and free via Joomag, with no printed catalog produced this month.

Links to the catalog will be provided in Diamond Daily and on PREVIEWSworld.com when the July 2025 data files go live on Friday, June 20.

While the format may look different, the core experience remains the same. You and your customers will still find full product listings, publisher features, and preorder tools — all accessible online at PREVIEWSworld.com via Joomag free of charge.

Additionally,titles solicited in the online catalog will carry live links that enable your customers to obtain ordering information via PREVIEWSworld.com before submitting their PREVIEWS Customer Order Forms your store.

PREVIEWS Customer Order Forms will also be digital-only and will continue to be available to your customers on PREVIEWSworld.com for download as both a PDF and a text file.

Please Note:

  • Your July complement of PDFs, text files and other retailing tools will be available from the Retailer Services Website on June 20.
  • Please place your July initial order via the Retailer Services Website by 4:59 AM on Friday, July 25.

We know PREVIEWS is a vital part of your sales and planning process, and we’re committed to promoting the digital edition to ensure it drives engagement and orders.

Here’s how we’re supporting it:

  • Promoting the digital catalog across PREVIEWSworld.com, email, and social media.
  • Highlighting featured titles and PREVIEWS Exclusives throughout the month.
  • Providing retailers with downloadable signage and assets they can print and display in-store — including a QR code to help customers access the catalog easily.
    (Links to these tools will be provided on June 20.)     
  • Inviting vendor partners to promote the catalog and their products through their channels — and to ask their creators to do the same.

The more promotional muscle we can all put behind this digital version, the better it will perform for everyone.

Again, the catalog will go live via Joomag Friday, June 20.

We’ll keep you informed as we evaluate future catalog formats. In the meantime, we’re focused on doing everything we can — and we know this works best when we’re working together to maintain momentum, visibility, and orders.

Thank you for your continued support!

(via The Beat)

MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo sports a Venom inspired helmet

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Monster Energy has revealed a monstrous collaboration with Venom and HJC Helmets, debuting at the Thailand Grand Prix.  

This weekend, MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo is embracing his inner alien with a new helmet inspired by one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, Venom, as Quartararo battles it out for top spot at the Chang International Circuit. 

Quartararo’s HJC Rpha-1 helmet was meticulously designed and hand-painted in Italy by the renowned Starline Designers.  

The design features Venom’s signature features – including his famous razor-sharp toothed grin and snake-like tongue – in a glossy finish that contrasts with the matte black base. The detail work required to achieve this finish is exceptionally difficult to execute; to make sure Quartararo stays race-ready the designers created three helmet masterpieces.  

The helmet design also incorporates Quartararo’s racing signatures with Venom’s tongue wrapping around his race number “#20” at the back and Monster Energy’s iconic M-Claw glowing green.  

Fans themselves can experience the thrill of being Venomized like Quartararo and try the helmet on virtually thanks to a new Venom Helmet Instagram filter. They can even get their hands on the real thing in December when HJC will release a retail version of the helmet priced at $649. 

See Monster Energy athlete Fabio Quartararo’s new drip during the Thailand Grand Prix with qualifying starting Friday 11:50 PM EST. Sony Pictures’ Venom: The Last Dance is now in theaters.

Dragon Ball Hero Goku Takes Flight in Iconic Saiyan Form at 98th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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On Thanksgiving Day, Goku, one of anime’s most recognizable characters, returns to Big Apple, but in a brand new form.  Earth’s mightiest warrior from the global hit anime franchise Dragon Ball will fly in his iconic Saiyan form in the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In a new pose sporting jet black hair and his signature orange martial arts uniform, Goku will debut as a brand-new featured character balloon on November 28, 2024 in the iconic holiday tradition. Goku will greet millions of excited Parade spectators with an expressive smile and salute—marking the 40th anniversary  of Dragon Ball.

Measuring a stunning 70.5-feet long, 33-feet wide and 41.5-feet tall, the new Goku will be easy to spot during his inaugural flight from Central Park West to Herald Square, home to Macy’s famed flagship store. He’ll be led along the way by skilled balloon handlers to the thunderous applause and excited roars of the millions of live spectators and viewers across the country.

Akira Toriyama’s original “Dragon Ball” manga series launched in 1984 in Shueisha’s “Weekly Shonen Jump” and gave birth to the global Dragon Ball phenomenon. Produced and adapted by Toei Animation, the Dragon Ball anime franchise has achieved worldwide success—taking its place in mainstream pop culture and boasting a multi-generational fan base. With  the addition of the new original anime “Dragon Ball DAIMA,” the franchise now spans six episodic series, including “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z,” “Dragon Ball GT,” “Dragon Ball Z Kai,” and “Dragon Ball Super,” and 21 feature films as well as numerous mobile and video games, trading card game and an ever-expanding catalog of licensed merchandise and location-based entertainment.

Dragon Ball 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Spider-Man returns to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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This Thanksgiving, Spider-Man makes his grand return to the streets and skies of New York City! Set to debut during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28th, Marvel and Macy’s will premiere an all-new Spider-Man balloon, inspired by and in honor of the iconic art style of comic book legend John Romita Sr.

For the first time in a decade, Spider-Man will bring Marvel back to one of New York City’s most iconic events, celebrating Marvel and Spider-Man’s roots in New York, the home of Marvel and its 85-year comic book history.

As an unparalleled Marvel artist and art director, John Romita Sr.’s art and creative vision of Spider-Man remains one of the most globally recognized versions of the character to date. While many incredible artists brought Peter Parker/Spider-Man to life over decades, John Romita Sr. created some of the most definitive eras Spider-Man, including many of Spidey’s classic cast, rogues gallery, and love interests like Mary Jane. For this iteration of Spider-Man, artisans from Macy’s Parade Studio collaborated closely with Marvel to bring John Romita Sr.’s iconic design to life.

Spider-Man was co-created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, first appearing in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962. After going on to headline his own comic book series, Amazing Spider-Man, and many others, Spider-Man became a cornerstone of the Marvel Universe. Since his first appearance, New York’s friendly neighborhood hero has gone on to become one of the most globally recognized characters in history, starring in comic book series, video games, films, television, animation, toys, and beyond. Amazing Spider-Man continues to be one of the top-selling comics in the comic book industry.

Spider-Man first debuted in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1981, later making his debut as Marvel’s first larger-than-life balloon in 1987. Spidey quickly became a favorite of Parade watchers and fans at other events for over a decade. After the original balloon was retired, Spidey made his return to the Parade in 2009, running as part of the Parade until 2014.

The 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air Thursday, November 28th in the U.S. on NBC and stream on Peacock.

Oni announces the Oni 2024 Comic Shop Starter Kit featuring Invasive #1 Ashcan, Exclusive Swag, “Cheat” Cards, and more

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Oni Press is giving top retail accounts an unexpected surprise this week with the Oni 2024 Comic Shop Starter Kit – a special retailer delivery stock with a multitude of surprises in service of the upcoming Oni 2024 wave of titles, beginning with INVASIVE #1 by Cullen Bunn and Jesús Hervás  that is headed to FOC this coming weekend: 

  • INVASIVE #1—an adrenaline-racing excursion into surgical horror from Eisner Award nominee Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun, Basilisk) and blockbuster artist Jesús Hervás (The Empty Man)—in December;
  • JILL AND THE KILLERS #1—a razor-sharp teenage thriller from Olivia Cuartero-Briggs (Mary Shelley Monster Hunter) and Roberta Ingranata (Witchblade) in January;
  • CEMETERY KIDS DON’T DIE #1—a near-future descent into a virtual world with killer consequences from Zac Thompson (Hunt for the Skinwalker) and Daniel Irizarri (XINO) in February;
  • NIGHT PEOPLE #1—an uneasy odyssey into the provocative and surreal periphery of the American underworld from award-winning novelist and screenwriter Barry Gifford (Lost Highway, Wild at Heart) and writer Chris Condon (That Texas Blood) with artists Brian Level (Poison Ivy), Alexandre Tefenkgi (The Good Asian), Artyom Topilin (I Hate This Place), and more in March;
  • AKỌGUN, BRUTALIZER OF GODS #1—a fearlessly unrelenting reinvention of the barbarian mythos from creative powerhouses Murewa Ayodele (I Am Iron Man) and Dotun Akande (Moon Knight: Black, White & Red) in April.

Packed with retailer-exclusive offerings and looks ahead at Oni 2024‘s five propulsive new monthly comic series that fully embrace the potential of the comics medium to invert, collide, and reinvent the foundational genres of horror, science fiction, crime, fantasy, and beyond, the Oni 2024 Comic Shop Starter Kit is the first of many tools Oni Press will be offering retailers in the weeks and months to come to get fans and readers engaged about the must-read titles that lay ahead: 

INVASIVE #1 ASHCAN 

Preview the year’s most unsettling horror hit with this “black, white, and bled” preview edition of the upcoming series – plus character designs, covers, and more! 

INVASIVE #1 ASHCAN 

INVASIVE #1 BOX CUTTER

Perform your own special kind of surgery on this week’s inbound shipments with this retailer-exclusive INVASIVE #1 promo box cutter! 

INVASIVE #1 BOX CUTTER

ONI 2024 RETAILER “CHEAT” CARDS

From the surgical horror of INVASIVE #1 in December to the sword-wielding barbarian fantasy of AKOGUN, BRUTALIZER OF GODS #1 in April, get the inside track on all five upcoming ONI 2024 titles with these specialty “cheat” cards, giving retailers everything they need to know about the titles!

ONI 2024 RETAILER "CHEAT" CARDS

ONI 2024 DOUBLE-SIDED PROMO POSTER 

Promote ONI 2024’s upcoming titles in your store with this double-sized promo poster showcasing all five books on one side…and, on the other, Oni’s slate of great graphic novels for the New Year with titles like Laura Pickle’s I FEEL AWFUL THANKS, Jay Stephens’ DWELLINGS, LySandra Vuong’s COVENANT, and more!

DC goes compact with DC Compact Comics – $9.99 Graphic Novels

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DC has announced a new line in their graphic novel slate: DC Compact Comics. Featuring a 5.5″ x 8.5″ standard book trim for trade paperback novels, the new format pulls bestselling, new-reader-friendly titles from DC’s evergreen library as the first books offered in this new lineup of compact editions of adult graphic novels. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, among others, will go on sale beginning in June 2024, retailing at $9.99 US, to launch DC’s new program.

The format is more focused on the manga crowd who are used to this format as well as casual readers like you might find at bookstores, airports, and train stations. The initiative is squarely aimed at expanding the comic market as opposed to catering to the current readership. To watch out for is the second wave of releases and if DC uses the releases to get readers to explore comic shops or DC’s own services like DC Universe.

The new line will showcase DC stories across many genres, including science fiction, thrillers, horror, fantasy, adventure, and mystery. Featured among the DC Compact Comics launch titles in 2024 are DC’s recent Hugo Award-winning sci-fi graphic novel Far Sector by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell, along with perennial classic graphic novels like Catwoman: Trail of the Catwoman, Batman: Hush, Batman: The Court of Owls, and more.

The initial DC Compact Comics launch in 2024 will offer the following titles at $9.99 US:

  • Watchmen (9781779527325) by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons
  • Batman: The Court of Owls (9781779527271) by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo
  • All-Star Superman (9781779527257) by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely
  • Far Sector (9781779527295) by N.K. Jemisin, Jamal Campbell
  • Wonder Woman: Earth One (9781779527332) by Grant Morrison, Yanick Paquette
  • American Vampire Book One (9781779527349) by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, Rafael Albuquerque
  • Batman: Hush (9781779527264) by Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee
  • Joker (9781779527318) by Brian Azzarello, Lee Bermejo
  • Harley Quinn & the Gotham City Sirens (9781779527301) by Paul Dini, Peter Calloway, Tony Bedard, Guillem March, Andres Guinaldo
  • Catwoman: Trail of the Catwoman (9781779527288) by Darwyn Cooke, Ed Brubaker

Chicago Sky Hosts First Ever WNBA Marvel Super Hero Day

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In collaboration with Marvel, the Chicago Sky will host the first ever Marvel Super Hero Day on September 3 against the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena at 2 p.m. CT, presented by Magellan Corporation. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

The Sky will be the first professional women’s sports team and first ever WNBA team to celebrate a Marvel Super Hero Day. The first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a limited edition Shuri Black Panther bobblehead and up to 10,000 fans will receive a souvenir poster featuring star Sky players and Marvel characters. The bobblehead is Marvel’s first-ever Shuri Black Panther bobblehead to be created in collaboration with a professional sports team. Sunday will also feature Marvel activations and contests throughout the game. See attached for poster and bobblehead graphic. The deal was facilitated by AthLife, Inc, Marvel’s longtime sports representative.

The Guardians of the Galaxy blaze a new trail through a dark corner of the cosmos in a new trailer

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Next month, the Guardians of the Galaxy enter uncharted depths of space in a new comic run by writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, the superstar duo behind Steve Rogers’ bold ongoing adventures in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, and drawn by artist Kev Walker, known for his recent acclaimed otherworldly artwork on Predator. Fans can get their first look at this exciting new era in a thrilling comic book trailer, featuring never-before-seen artwork!

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 introduces an overwhelming new cosmic threat to the Marvel Universe, one that emerged from the very heart of the team: GROOTFALL. This mysterious phenomenon will push Marvel’s beloved team of intergalactic super heroes to the Manifold Territories: an uncharted, lawless area of Marvel space filled with never-before-visited planets and undiscovered alien species. The Guardians have brought to their lowest depths and their found family is fractured like never before. Tying to outrun their tragedy, the Guardians rise as the Folds’ only chance at salvation. Can they rediscover their heroism and humanity on the bleakest frontier? Can they forgive the failures of their past? Or will they fade into the dark, eternally unforgiven? In the new trailer, fans can see the lineup of the new run in action including Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Nebula, and Mantis. They can also glimpse the devastating effects of Grootfall and witness the true, galaxy-bending might of what the Guardians are up against…

Check out the trailer and variant covers now and see the Guardians of the Galaxy’s bold venture into a new frontier when Guardians of the Galaxy #1 hits stands on April 12!

Start the year by paying to work for Bad Idea

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Help Wanted

The offer is probably already over based on the enthusiasm of their fandom, but Bad Idea sent an email this morning with the offer to work for the company… by paying them $1,000.

The first five people who responded to the email with some information had the opportunity to purchase a job with the comic publisher which is known for their rather unique promotions.

While there’s some interesting legal questions concerning this promotion, the “gainful employment” at Bad Idea includes:

  • An official job title.
    Pick your own from a selection they provide!
  • Your name and title in the masthead of BAD IDEA comics.
    Qualifying credit for professional badges at San Diego Comic-Con & more!
  • Your own BAD IDEA business cards.
    The thick paper kind!
  • Actual work but the easy kind.
    Proof and do notes on a section of an actual upcoming comic!
  • One year employment guaranteed.
    Put it on your resume!
  • A recommendation letter.
    Leave armed with a vague but positive letter, just like the real thing!

Valiant’s Book of Shadows #1 gets a trailer

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Face down an ancient threat with his hands on the Book of Shadows in this exclusive trailer reveal!

The epic Valiant blockbuster series Book of Shadows featuring the first-ever team-up of the supernatural protectors of the Valiant Universe debuts on July 27th. SHADOWMAN. PUNK MAMBO. ETERNAL WARRIOR. DOCTOR MIRAGE. PERSEPHONE. But will they be enough to stand against the fearsome foe, Exarch Fane?

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