Moments ago at the retailer's summit occuring in Chicago before C2E2 begins, Diamond Comics, the sole distribtutor of weekly comic book issues floated the idea of moving the release day for comic book issues to Tuesday. Our main on the inside, John Siuntres of Word Balloon was at this panel and reported that Diamond floated the idea continginent on if the comic book retailers would be willing to pay 5 dollars a week more. The put the idea to a show of hands to the retailers in the audience and Tuesday releases narrowily won out.
Additionally, DC Comics VP of Sales Bob Wayne said at an earlier panel in the day that he would try and get Warner Brothers to release DVDs to comic books stores at the same time as they do to retail stores like Best Buy, in an effort to provide another product for comic book stores to sell. DVDs release on Tuesdays. Wayne also suggested that they may make alternate DVD covers especially for those comic retailers in an added way to make the comic book stories be able to compete with Best Buy.
Now it sounds as if this is all speculation and discussion amongst Diamond and the retailers, but it poses an interesting question – do you the comic buying audience care if comic books are released on Tuesdays or Wednesdays?
And what of Wayne's suggestions? Are movies the way to "Save" comic book stores?
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Some rights reserved.
But… but… "how long ’til Wednesday?"
The day new comics come out is pretty unimportant as long as they come out consistently on that day… but… you know… I like Wednesday… 😡
But I’ve been making all my sacrifices to Odin, I can’t start making them to Tyr!
NO! WTF?! They better not. Wendsday will always be comic day. ThAt’s been the schedrule for years. It will be hard for companys to, cause they have to ajust. Even though same number of days, there’s consistancy of wendsday
I don’t like this.
I’ve been in a few comic book shops with movie rentals. In fact I work in one. It’s a nice add on. I don’t think it’s a savior though.
Is there an advantageous reason in moving new comics day to Tuesdays? A DC animated release comes out once every 4 months… I can’t see that as a driving force to making this change. I’m not against it… I just wanna understand the thought process.
the Tiki
When you get your comics in the mail, you find it doesn’t matter. But when it comes to the movies, that’s an interesting idea. Not sure if it will "Save" the store. I don’t know if advertising that they sell movies now will bring in new people, and I’m not sure if someone in the store that goes there regularly will buy a DVD at full retail price (the way most stores sell there comics/trades/etc.) but it is an interesting idea and a good discussion to have.
I like them on Wednesday. Its comes at a good time in the middle of the week. Its not a really big deal but its good to leave the stress behind for an hour or two in the middle of the week to go to the comic store and chat and read comics. I guess I could always still just go on Wednesday.
It used to be Fridays, didn’t it? I’m sure it was Thursday sometime in the 80s. Seems fine. Who wouldn’t want their crack fix one day earlier? But I’m not sure I see the benefit to retailers here. Well, if they get special DVDs that day, maybe. But does one day earlier actually equal more comic sales?
I agree. Movies are not the savior for comics. I go to a shop for comic books…not movies or music or video games. People are not going to go to a comic shop just because they have a new movie release…I think that changing around days will just cause more confusion than anything.
That will be not Wednesday though…
How Long ‘Til Tuesday? has a nice ring to it.
As long as they are still coming out, I do not have any real preference as to the day. So we all go a different day, so what?
Does this mean we get Tuesday Comics? 😀
My only gripe with this would be that I’m off on Thursdays and Fridays (holdin’ down the fort on the weekends…woo hoo?).
I love having two solid days to read and discuss my books right after they come out. It makes working Sat and Sun bareable. I dont want to get in on the conversation two days late, but I guess I would eventually adjust.
Bah! Change, what an annoyance! 🙂
I HAVE WRITTEN TO MANY SONGS REFERENCING WEDNESDAY AS COMIC BOOK DAY!!!
They have no right to re-write my music!
Does anybody think this is related to the Amazon/Diamond glitch?!?!?!?!?
I wouldn’t mind. I live in a small town and commute to work. I could get my comics at the LCS and get all my shopping done on the same day.
And then Australian comic buyers get their comics on Wednesday
I guess I’d prefer to get my comics in the middle of the week
I don’t care but how does this help retailers?
Yeah, I’m with @tiki – what’s the upside to Tuesday other than video releases? It’s not like we get a DC or Marvel disc every week. What, once a quarter maybe. We need Wood on the case, damn it! Numbers, man, numbers!
so is this supposed to boost sales of comics? I don’t think comic and dvd releases days go hand in hand
the day the books come out doesn’t matter to me as long as they’re out on schedule. changing the day just because of dvds seems irrelevant to me.
Not that it matters when they come out, but how does this benefit the market besides the DVD stuff? Jason Wood, where are you?!?!? 🙂
I cannot for the life of me figure out how this would matter at all. DVDs are not going to do anything, and why would retailers pay more to get their comics on Tuesdays instead of Wednesdays? I personally don’t care when comics come out, but how does this actually matter?
Wowee! I wonder how Wednesday became The Comic day anyway? I always assumed it had something to do with Tuesday being new CD & DVD release day, and Friday being new movies in theaters. Maybe this move is to completely synch up all these items’ release?
I think think my weekly schedule will keep my comicbook day on Wednesday, though I may not be able to resist the urge of getting my books on release day.
Most other media is released on Tuesday, but I’m not sure how that directly benefits LCSs. Sure, some comic shops would do well selling DVDs, but others wouldn’t. Ironically, a Tuesday release day might matter more as comics move toward digital distribution, making Tuesday be the day you get your iTunes and your iComics, setting up a new tradition. And thereby cutting out Diamond and the LCS entirely.
Also, Tuesday, Wednesday, it makes no difference to me.
Sweet! One day early.
I blame this on Josh’s baby.
Maybe it’s just me but most people I know don’t buy many DVDs anymore so why combine 2 dieing markets. There has to be more to it than that.
Ooooh yay! Finally I’ll be able to ask "how long ’til Wednesday?"
I wonder whether having shipping dates closer to the beginning of the week affects overseas shipments.
Ha, I doubt Wood will be able to escape whatever dingy Chicago Bar that Neseman has him trapped in tonight, probably have to wait till tomorrow at the earliest for his thoughts.
Um…do people still buy dvd’s from best buy (or from anywhere for that matter?)
On a biased and selfish level, I don’t like the shift to Tuesday, especially since I’m booked on those days, BUT I can see this going either way. Only time will really tell.
@Gabe: LMFAO! XD@!!! Seriously? I do NOT know a single person who buys dvds from bestbuy. We have one main up here in the pacific coast of WA. (The others are going out of business for several reasons) and I rarely browse there due to their ridiculous prices. With Frys Electronics, all other tech/electronic stores are literally shoved off to the side so this DVD add on to comic shops here is almost certain to be fruitless. Variant Cover DVD’s is NO way to compete with the Giant that is Frys, but hopefully in other states this will prove to be a very lucrative idea. I just hope the owners at Zanadu realize this going in. They seem like great guys and I’d really hate to see them getting squashed by the suits of the corporate world. They’re really dirty up here. Seriously, they’re cutthroat. I wish I was kidding about it too…
wow…it would be really weird to get my comics on tuesday. But is trying to emulate DVD’s really the way to go?
As long as I get my weekly fix, I really don’t care.
Awesome. that means we will get them here on Thursday. Allowing me to head directing to the pub after work on friday afternoon instead of to the comic store than to the pub
Yea I don’t want this. It would fuck up my whole week. Plus I record my podcast on Wednesdays for a fucking reason! Plus I know my retailer wouldn’t pay extra for a day earlier. I’m against it.
i get paid on Wednesdays 🙁 some of the small press stuff I like to buy will be gone if they start shipping on tuesday
I guess this makes last summer’s DC series "Wednesday Comics" even more collectible…
Eh, I can schedule my classes around it. Might be nicer to get comics earlier in the week.
It’s all the same to me. Though, I wonder, does that mean the Pick of the Week Podcast would be recorded and/or uploaded a day earlier?
Tuesday;s are no different then wednesday’s for me. I’ll still be able to buy the books. Still have to schedule my classes differently now though.
When I was younger it was Fridays, then it moved to Thursdays for a short time., and it has been Wednesdays for years now. Tuesdays will be weird for about 3 weeks, then it will be normal.
Personally, I liked Fridays the best.
Oh yeah, definitely. Plastic movies surely save paper comics.
Wait, waitwaitwaitwait… the DC vice president of sales is a B. Wayne??
(I’m like the 400th person to point that out, aren’t I?)
I don’t mind either way.
Never was around to see the shift from Friday to Wednesday. Although come to think of it, to start the weekend off with comics sounds much better. It makes sense economically, especially if DC wants to release any DVD’s with the comics as well.
Although now isn’t much of a good time. I got class this winter literally from 10am-10pm sooo….How about we do this next year?
I dont know when(if ever) this will be implemented, but I just remembered that starting next september I wont be getting my comics till friday, I have a class in New York on saturdays so I figured a good way to pass the time on the train would be to read my comics! So this whole situation is moot for me!
Technically if they release new comics Tuesday, they’ll still be at the store Wednesday right?
So if you like new comics on Tuesday get them Tuesday, if not just get them Wednesday.
They move it to Thursday though, and we get all pitchforky and torchy then.
1 day earlier. Sounds good to me. IFANBOY: We will expect our Video Podcast one day earlier too.
If they can do this, then why every time there is a holiday the books come out on Thursday even when the holiday is not on the same week?
How long ‘Til Tuesday?
Oh hush. Keep it down now. Voices carry.
I don’t think this is a huge deal for most. I actually think it would be cool if it were Friday, but hey that’s me.
The movie thing is just noise to me… although we are talking alternate covers, which are one of my weaknesses.
This really doesn’t make much of a difference to me. I’ll make it work, just like I’ve made Wednesday work 😛
I find it a little strange that retailers are pushing DVDs to save the comic industry when anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that more comic stores are opening than closing – despite the recession. Anyone have any solid info to back this up or debunk it?
@Noto You so beat me to that joke.
I thought the States was considering canceling mail on Tuesdays… has that decision been made while I was gone and it wasn’t deemed necessary to put in the news? If it hasn’t, I’m reasonably sure that the postal service has more pull than the comics industry, so shouldn’t that affect when comics come out as well?
In the UK we don’t get them until Thursday now anyway, so if it moves to Tuesday, we’ll FINALLY be on Wednesday comics!!!!! Woo hoo!!!
I like comics breaking up my week. A nice little highlight midway through, allthough, I rarely get to really dive into them until the next day anyway. Hmmm…
Wednesday still feels right.
@iiiplace – I’m pretty sure that everything that rhymes with Wednesday also rhymes with Tuesday.
Somebody better make a Jason Wood signal!
as an mail order customer I like the idea of maybe getting my comics on the Saturday after comics come out rather than the Monday.
Thursday’s always been comic book day to me, since this is when I usually get up the city, so it’s no big change to me. It’s still the end of a long tradition though.
I’m afraid I don’t understand the reason why this is considered… Can someone expound?
I built my teaching schedule around being able to pick up comics early on Wednesday. Damn. Aside from that, I don’t care what day they release the books.
Given the fact that comic shops often charge roughly 50% more for DVD’s (and trades, and statues, and issues, and everything else) than other stores (Best Buy, Amazon, DCBS, etc), I don’t see how DVD releases at comic shops will have any effect on issue sales. Consumers aren’t going to start paying $22 for DVD’s just because they are in a comic shop instead of Walmart, so DVD’s at shops shouldn’t entice any new customers.
It’s probably not that big a deal what day new comics are released on (although Wednesday is the best day in the week to look forward to new stuff IMO), but I’m more adverse to the idea of DVDs being lumped into comics. This goes for gaming being thrown into comics shops as well. I understand retailers have to bring in revenue somehow, but this oil and water approach is exactly the kind of thinking that continues to push me to online and mail order comics and trade buying aside from the rising prices of monthly comics. There are plenty of examples of LCS’s that have figured out how to have a store that caters to true fans of the medium while maintaining their overhead and offering a true comics communal experience.
I’ve started to realize that I’m more plugged into the online community aspect of comics than any conversations or interactions I may have with my local retailer (of which I have none), so the ‘social’ aspect of the LCS is lost to me. It’s tough for retailers these days–sucks, but it is.
I’m fine either way. Wednesday breaks up the week better, though.
Movies wouldn’t "save" comic shops but they might just help a little just as long as retailers are willing to take the risk and offer movies on a discounted price on the week or release like Best Buy and Walmart.
As for new releases moving to tuesday I have a big problem with it. I am a college student and I work in a comic shop, my schedule is designed around me not going to school on wednesday and if they change things I am screwed for the next 8 months.
But oh will its business and you have to evolve or die. I hope Comic shop owners are open to change because god knows the need the help right now.
@deezer The USPS is now considering and as far as I can tell from the news ceasing delivery on Saturdays and not on Tuesdays. Tuesdays has the least quantity of mail, but seems to have disappeared from the conversation, my guess is because it would effect many businesses.
@junoro- any holiday that the printer and/or UPS takes off affects the production and shipping schedule. That’s what caused the no comic week in December, a combination of Christmas and Canada’s Boxing Day.
@ deezer-no, we’re getting rid of Saturday for postal service, and UPS already doesn’t ship on Saturday so no affect.
@ all- again, unless DVD’s include anime and big-screen releases like Iron Man, or Marvel and DC are going to pump out more animated material, the synergy only occurs 4-8 weeks a year, since the Big 2 tend to stick to a DVD/quarter release. And Diamond is asking retailers to pay $5 more for the privilege, which may not be much but it’s the principle. Ultimately it dosen’t matter (except maybe to my shop which is closed Tuesdays), and Diamond will do what it wants regardless of what retailer opinion is. I just think there’s more to the story.
I’m happy about this. Wednesday is my bingo night so it’s difficult to gett through all my comics.
Oh Betty White, you’ll bury us all.
I maybe make it my LCS on a Wednesday 40-50% of the time anyway. No big.
DVDs, on the other hand – sure, just as long as they don’t become a loss leader for the comic shops. I’m not going to buy the latest WB blockbuster at my LCS when I can get it at a big box store down the road for close to half the price. Comic shops have one thing they all (for the most part) do well, and that’s sell comics. Throwing in other stuff you can get somewhere else, even if it’s related, probably won’t work. And comic shops can’t compete in pricing with the big boxes or, to a lesser extent. the local record/DVD shop.
I’ve been wanting books on Tuesday for years now.
I like it in the middle of the week. Gives me something to do…
Wednesday. Makes Hump-day, hump-de-hump
Change!?! NOOOOOOOOOO!
’til Tuesday? Hush hush. Keep it down now.
I want Saturday.
Is the extra cost for shipping/printing reasons or for more profit? And do LCSes need more overhead?
Hmm is pretty much all I have to say. Or should that be hurm?
So they expect people to pay for a 15-20 dollars for a DVD and then pay for comics in a bad economy, it doesn’t add up.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me. I have my "file" at my local shop that I don’t even pick up until Saturday.
I wish they came out Friday.