Marvel And Penguin Random House Partner Up In Exclusive Distribution Deal
Marvel Comics has partnered with Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS), the supply chain division of Penguin Random House, on an exclusive multi-year distribution agreement. Beginning in the Spring of 2023, PRHPS will be Marvel’s primary Book Market distributor for collected editions and trades. The deal will effectively end Marvel’s 12-year distribution deal with Hachette.
After following DC’s exodus and leaving Diamond Distributors for PRHPS last year, Marvel Comics was in a supply chain issue. Their single-issue comics and six-issue trades were distributed by PRHPS, yet their heavy collections and omnibuses were still being distributed by Hatchette. This deal effectively makes Penguin Random House the company’s now one-stop distributor stop for Marvel’s bookstores and direct market, making them the first-ever publisher in history to do so.
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“Marvel’s entire history is built on telling great stories. And as we’ve seen for decades, those stories go hand in hand with equipping the comic shops that share them. Marvel and Penguin Random House stand by that vision, and we are excited to build and expand those opportunities for our talent, retailers, and fans,” said President of Marvel Entertainment Dan Buckley, at the time of the first announcement. “Comics are the core of the Marvel Universe, and we are confident this new partnership will continue to grow and evolve this resilient industry. We look forward to advancing our capabilities with PRHPS to serve our fans and the Direct Market.”
“This is an exciting time for comics, and we’re thrilled to partner with Marvel in taking the next steps to support the growth of the marketplace, together with our Direct Market retail partners,” replied Jeff Abraham, President of Penguin Random House Publisher Services. “Based on the foundation of our relationships with physical retailers, we’re confident in the significant growth of the comic book industry and welcome the opportunity to further collaborate with and invest PRHPS’ resources in the Direct Market. Combining the standard-setting supply chain and sales capabilities of Penguin Random House with Marvel’s renowned universe of stories and characters, we expect to reach even more fans of its artists and writers throughout the world.”
Due to supply chain struggles, retail stores have desperately sought ways to fill comic orders, and have been willing to purchase Marvel comics via third-party distributors at higher costs. Ironically, Diamond, the very distribution company both Marvel and DC left behind due to their Covid-19 supply chain issues, has been one of the supplementary wholesalers in the industry willing to fill these orders. Diamond’s orders… are, of course, ironically coming in through PRHPS.
Penguin Random House Publisher Services are the primary book trade distributor for DC, Archie Comics, IDW, and Darkhorse. Their exclusive bookstore distribution of Marvel Comics titles begins April 1st, 2023.
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Source: Marvel, Publisher’s Weekly