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Diamond Comics Distributors has announced that it will extend Free Comic Book Day, planned to take place May 2, will now proceed as Free Comic Book May, in which free FCBD releases will be distributed throughout the month instead of on a single day, to minimize risk of exposure to coronavirus, which has prompted many governments and municipalities to limit public gatherings of 10 or more people.
"To minimize the impact on our primary distribution operations, prioritizing the distribution of weekly new comics and restocks, a number of FCBD titles will be included with each regular weekly shipment for the next several weeks. These titles will be invoiced at no charge, as we extend the billing out approximately 90 days, to the first week in August. The books may not be in separate boxes from the rest of the shipment, except when full cases are shipping," reads a statement from Diamond's Steve Geppi sent to retailers on Wednesday (via ComicBook).
"With a longer period to utilize the books before being invoiced, retailers will be free to use the books in whatever manner suits their individual marketing needs, beginning May 2, 2020."
"We anticipate stores needing to be creative in how they hold events, perhaps having to distribute the books in new ways or to smaller groups of customers than the single big day you typically experience," Geppi's statement continues. "To that end, we will be referring to the event as “Free Comic Book May” and retailers can use their online Comic Shop Locator Service / FCBD profiles to update customers on their plans."
A separate statement from Geppi further clarifies that Diamond's distribution centers have undergone strict protocols to minimize the potential spread of Coronavirus.
"As we became fully aware of the Coronavirus and its impact, we immediately stocked each of our Diamond Comic Distributors and Alliance Game Distributors distribution centers with gloves for the employees and implemented enhanced cleaning policies, as recommended by the CDC and other authorities," reads the statement. "We have monitored the health and activities of those teams, and advised employees of what procedures they should take if they have any symptoms of illness.
"Through professional organizations who host webinars and conference calls with the CDC and other experts, we have been in constant contact with those who can best direct us in how to handle this situation. We are also working closely with our employment agencies and local authorities, continuing to monitor the distribution centers’ best practices to ensure the safety and security of our supply chain and our ability to consistently deliver product to the retailers who need it." |
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