Damn yo! I’m so freaking tired! UGH!
Yeah, no writing done for this week. Well, Zach and I have gone over chapters to a horror project I did back in 2012 and we’ve been doing that every sunday. So, technically, I did some proofreading . . . of a 13 year old project 😜
So, yeah, this is something every creative has to face: The Day-Job consumes so much time and energy and just feels too drained to do anything. I am getting hours at least, which means a paycheck, and things are being paid. All apart of adulting, get ready young readers, it will come for you soon 🫵
So what random topic will I fill in space this week? I’ve been listening to a new podcast called “Timeline Scavengers” which goes through each scene in the Marvel MCU and reviews them in chronological order. And do they have a Bluesky . . .
https://bsky.app/profile/timelinescav.bsky.social
Yup and I’m following them now too, because why not? They must be migrating from X like many, many other people (James Gunn is on Bluesky? Following!). This has been a very interesting and chill podcast to jump on board. The only downside is that it makes me want to watch the MCU and I do not have the time at the moment. Well, I might have the time but I feel marathoning the MCU is something you have to plan for. And you cannot just watch one movie, you must watch them ALL!
Speaking of Marvel and comics, I’ve been looking up comic book news out of curiosity and apparently Diamond Comic Distribution is declaring bankruptcy. Diamond has been the only distributor of American Comic books since the 90s. I was aware that DC jump ship from Diamond in 2020 and I had no clue that Marvel left and now indie big boys Image, Boom, and Dark Horse are also jumping ship.
Imagine being the sole provider of a media for decades then losing that monopoly? It is amazing to me that Diamond had so much control of the industry for so long. Honestly, I have not been buying new comics in a couple years. The last new thing I bought was out of curiosity, Hellverine, which is the story of Wolverine gaining the Ghost Rider’s powers. Like we need to make Logan any more OP then he already is. Space-metal bones, super spicy death claw, and healing factor is not enough for everyone’s favorite mutant. Let’s give him the powers of Hell itself on top of it, why not?!
So, anyway, I am not shedding any tears over Diamond’s downfall. Honestly, it is oddly satisfying seeing a corporate giant that has had a stranglehold on an entire industry lose its grip. Now, I’m hoping the various publishers are going to different distributors so we can have some competition in comic books. Otherwise, if this is just a case of an even bigger corporate giant taking control of another industry, it is dangerous and very scary.
Now, the big question is, what will become of Diamond? Who really knows, the company I work for has declared bankruptcy in the past and it is still around. I know next to nothing on how bankruptcy works, I know the different chapters mean different procedures and outcomes. Chapter 11 is the lesser bad take of bankruptcy as far as I know, so Diamond could still exist but nothing is guaranteed.
Looking through the news feed on Diamond, there will be an auction being held as of writing this blog on 3/24/25. And I am curious but not motivated enough to find who is bidding for what. Apparently, Todd MacFarlane, of Spawn fame, is a rumored bidder. That would be interesting, an artist who started small at Marvel, jumped ship with his buddies to found Image, could potentially be in charge of a comic book distributor that has been in control of the industry since the 90s, the decade he became a famous creative.
Honestly, I’m actually hoping MacFarlane does win in the auction and Spawn merch becomes standard advertisements in every comic distributed under his control 😆. The man is an ambitious capitalist, not at Walt Disney’s level, but MacFarlane has made it big in the comic industry and I could see him buying up all of Diamond’s Assets.
So, out of super curiosity, my favorite indie comic publisher is Valiant and I was wondering if they were still being distributed by Diamond. And the answer is nope, they moved on to a distributor called “Alien Books” which is an awesome name since so much of the Valiant universe has X-O. This happened back in June 2023 so wow! I stopped following comic books for a couple years and everything just changes all at once 🫨
I am a little sus about Valiant because they have not updated their website at all since 2023. Seriously, their schedule is still showing the most recent books being from 2023. Does Valiant even exist anymore, what is happening? Okay, Alien Books’ site is more up to date on Valiant releases. Okay, that’s good and OMG! A reprint of X-O Man of War Issue #1 1992 release?! If I get that, then I have no need to crack open my original copies 😎 This is why I stopped collecting comics, I have no room for this stuff and yet I see all this Valiant and I want it all! OMG!
Valiant Entertainment
https://valiantentertainment.com/
Alien Books
Anyway, I’ve spent enough time looking into this topic. Comic books are an addiction that I cannot afford to fall back into, space wise. Seriously, I want a TARDIS to put all of my comic boxes and graphic novels in. There are boxes and boxes of comics staring at me right now . . .
Good Luck and this Diamond (https://www.diamondcomics.com/) was breakable!
—Buck
PS: Last I looked at my excel spreadsheet of what I own comic book wise, 5000+ comics and right now 32 boxes of that are staring at me. And there are more . . . so much more. Am I ever going to have the time to read any of this? I guess time will tell ⌚
PPS: So the Hellverine comic is kind a cool but it's your typical dark gritty modern day comic. Not a bad thing but dark and gritty stuff hasn’t been anything I’m into lately. Probably why the Captain America Brave New World movie was so appealing to me, I like campy and hopeful stuff no matter how cheesy it might be. Oh and spoiler alert, Hellverine is not Wolverine. Check out the first issue or whole series to find out more 😉
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