If you’ve been in a comic shop, you’ve felt the impact of Diamond Comic Distributors.

Once the undisputed king of comic book distribution with a near-monopoly on the business, Diamond has been a staple in the comic shop and specialty retail industries for more than 40 years. This morning, the company filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland.

The move comes following late deliveries in recent months, the closure of a facility, and rumblings that strange things were afoot following several challenging years during which Diamond battled the COVID-19 pandemic and saw major publishers, including DC, Marvel, and Image Comics, migrate to alternate distribution channels.

The company, which runs Free Comic Book Day, PREVIEWSworld, and more, is exploring the sale of its other business units, including Diamond Book Distributors, Collectible Grading Authority, Diamond Select Toys, and its main comic, toy, and collectible distribution lines.

Stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available. Same Pop time, same Pop channel!

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book and Co-President of The International Toy Magazines Association (ITMA). He is also a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC), New York Comic Con, Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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