Salinas, Calif.-based Cold Cut Distribution, which specializes in back issues of independent comics, is for sale. The small, 13-year-old company is the only remaining direct-market competitor to Diamond.
According to the sale notice, the company isn’t closing, and will continue to process orders.
At Icarus Publishing, Simon Jones finds the news worrisome because Cold Cut did not inform client publishers of the intent to sell. He’s also still feeling the sting from distributor FM International, which effectively closed in January 2006.
“The rocky history of distributors past does not bode well for small vendors,” Jones writes. “(When FM International pulled its disappearing act, the roughly $2,000 in overdue invoices it owed Icarus evaporated as well. Cold Cut’s current tab with us … about twice that number.) Things are still early, and perhaps some reassuring communique to publishers is forthcoming. But to be honest, only a check for all amounts due ahead of this sale can assuage the butterflies in my stomach right now.
(Link via Johanna Draper Carlson)
July 11th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Hmmmm…are we getting closer to there being a literal monopoly?
July 11th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
this is not good for struggling indy artists
who need an outlet for their stuff.
Diamond tends to look down on the little
guy.
July 11th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
I bid $50.00 from a week’s worth of my lunch money. The smartest thing a guy could do is buy these guys, keep the overhead low, sign up everyone and anyone, and then file a lawsuit against Diamond, Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, etc. for conspiring to create a monopoly. They would get some “hush” money and be shooed away.
July 11th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
While they may still be processing orders, their stock has dwindled significantly.
As someone who in the past has relied on Cold Cut in keeping perennial sellers like Blankets, Maus, or Persepolis on our shelves at all times, I now have to look elsewhere for those books, because Cold Cut isn’t listing them anymore.