Comic publishers are scrambling as to what to do with releases with COVID-19 spreading. Some have stopped releases while others are offering returnability as well. Archie Comics has released the below statement to retailers.
In it, the publisher has three titles that are too far in release to stop and will be done so physically and digitally. Other titles will be delayed into the future. The publisher is also offering returnability for a limited time.
You can read the full statement to retailers below:
It is an understatement to say that these are challenging and uncertain times for everyone. We want to be as transparent and communicative as possible in regards to what we plan to do with our products over the coming weeks and months.
As noted in an earlier statement, we do not want to put an undue burden on retailers already facing shutdowns and limited-to-no distribution from Diamond. Some of the early steps we’ve taken to accomplish this include, but are not limited to, offering returnability on all of our products originally scheduled for release in March & April. We are now extending that to cover releases in the month of May.
We are also indefinitely delaying all of our planned releases for new direct-market focused comic book projects originally scheduled to launch in late-April through July. This includes our recently announced Betty Cooper: Superteen and Archie Meets Flash Gordon one-shots as well as future issues of Archie & Katy Keene, Sabrina: Something Wicked, Super Duck, and the Betty & Veronica: The Bond of Friendship OGN, as well as other, yet-to-be announced titles. The release schedules for these titles are fluid and will be re-evaluated at a later date.
With that said, we have three titles already in the pipeline that are too far down the path to pull back completely. This small selection of titles has already been printed, with copies mailed to our subscribers as well as select direct market retailers who have ordered custom variant covers. This includes Sabrina: Something Wicked #1 (on sale 4/1), Cosmo the Mighty Martian #5 (on sale 4/1, final issue) and Vampironica: New Blood #4 (on sale 4/15, also a final issue).
As such, we will be releasing our full slate of 4/1 titles via our direct sale channels and digitally. These books are returnable via Diamond and we are able to service your backlist needs as well as provide limited front-list ordering directly from our warehouse if you wish to offer them to your customers. Please reach out directly to us via the usual communication channels and we can coordinate any orders as time and stock allows. Vampironica: New Blood #4, the final issue in the series, will be the last of our direct market-focused titles available digitally when it releases on 4/15.
While we will have already hit pause on all new direct-market focused titles, we will continue to publish our newsstand & subscriber-focused Classic Archie titles such as Archie Jumbo Comics Digest, Archie Milestones Jumbo Comics Digest, Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest, B&V Friends Jumbo Comics Digest, and World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest as long as this option remains available to us. Our graphic novels and book market releases such as Archie Comics Presents, our Giant Comics Series, and reprint titles such as Archie & Friends and Betty & Veronica: Friends Forever will continue as digital titles, with print releases depending on printer and distribution channel availability. These are titles that primarily serve channels outside of the direct market, which are currently still operating, just at a reduced capacity.
We are aiming to strike a delicate balance between meeting the needs of our subscriber and digital customers while also reducing the burden on our partners in the direct market. Our goal here is to make sure that the direct market is not left out of our core titles while also maintaining a steady stream of content and material for our other audiences – as well as keeping our own business needs and operational requirements in mind.
As many of you know, Archie is a unique publisher in that we serve a number of channels. We will update our comic shop partners each week with any new information and are taking a close look at what we can move into the later part of the year to lessen the stress on comic shops during the pandemic, and to ensure notable releases for when things return to some semblance of normal.
Please be safe and stay healthy. Do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions on how we can help you through these difficult times. This is a conversation and we want to remain in contact with you.
