Many of you may or may not be aware that Diamond Comic Distributors recently upped their minimum order guidelines for comics to be carried by them. Diamond, being the largest and virtually only comic distributor in the United States, has a monopoly on the industry. If small press is unable to make the minimum sales requirements, they will lose their only real means of offering their titles to stores across the country.

Unfortunately, with economic times in this country as turbulent as they are, Diamond’s decision isn’t something that should be held against them. They are a business and need to do what they can at the moment to stay profitable despite downward trends in the comic sales industry. But to give some perspective on the effects of this guidelines, some of the comics listed in the Diamond Top 300 List might not even meet this requirement.

Some popular titles that everyone today is more than well aware of that would have fallen by the wayside due to this guideline include both Bone and the original issues of 30 Days of Night. These mainstream works of popular fiction might never have seen the light of day. From the same perspective, well known artists and writers also may not have been given the exposure that has lead them to the positions they are in now. Imagine where Brian Michael Bendis would be right now if not for his early titles such as Jinx.

So what can be done to help remedy with this problem? The first comes from the consumer level. Everyone has a comic or two that they purchase on a monthly basis, more so out of habit than actually enjoying it anymore. So once a month, skip a book that hasn’t been enjoyable anymore and pick up something new, something that you’ve never heard of from a small press. Chances are, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with a story you weren’t expecting.

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