Private | |
Industry | comics |
Founded | 1982 |
Headquarters | Hunt Valley, Maryland, US |
Key people
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|
Products | comic book distribution |
Revenue | $500 million |
Number of employees
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540 |
Website | www |
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is the last remaining comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide, since the end of the comic book distributor wars in the 1990s. They transport comic books from both big and small comic book publishers, or suppliers, to retailers. Diamond dominates the direct market in the United States, and has a distribution monopoly structured by exclusive arrangements with most major US comic book publishers, including Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, IDW Publishing,Image Comics, Marvel Comics, and more.
Diamond is also the parent company of Alliance Game Distributors, Diamond Book Distributors, Diamond UK, Diamond Select Toys, Gemstone Publishing, E. Gerber Products, Diamond International Galleries, Hake's Americana & Collectibles, Morphy's Auctions, the Geppi's Entertainment Museum, and Baltimore magazine,
Diamond is the publisher of Previews, a monthly catalog/magazine showcasing upcoming comic books, graphic novels, toys, and other pop-culture merchandise available at comic book specialty shops. The publication is available to both comic shop retailers and consumers.
In 1982, Baltimore-based comics retailer Steve Geppi founded Diamond Comic Distributors. Diamond became the successor to direct market pioneer Phil Seuling's distribution dream when it took over New Media/Irjax's warehouses in 1982. Diamond further bought out early-distributor Bud Plant Inc. in 1988, and main rival Capital City Distribution in 1996, to assume a near-monopoly on comics distribution, including exclusivity deals with the major comic book publishers.