Diamond Revamps Terms

Diamond Comics Distributors announced last week a small but potentially major change that could have a significant effect on small press houses and self-publishers. The terms under which Diamond agrees to distribute comics call for a sales benchmark of $1,500 retail value, which for the average $3 indie comic is about 500 copies. While Diamond has in the past filled orders on items it accepted for solicition even when they did not meet the benchmark and frequently bent the rules for books they considered of merit to the market, the company will now cancel any orders that do not meet sales standards. The standard appears to extend to "offered again" solicitations. Setting a solid sales standard may help improve the market by keeping books that can't sell 500 copies from getting distribution. But it also could cut off great books that need time to build their audience. Many on the Web cite Love & Rockets, Cerebus and Bone as books that would not have made it out of the starting gate under these rules.

IGNATZ NOMS: The nominees for the 9th annual Ignatz Awards were announced. The nominees were chosen by a panel of comics artists that comprised Jennifer Daydreamer, Shaenon Garrity, James Kochalka, Jeff Parker and Dan Zettwoch. The winners will be decided by votes cast by attendees at the Small Press Expo Sept. 23-24 in Bethesda, Md. The winners will be announced in a ceremony at 9 p.m. on Sept. 24.

OUTSTANDING ARTIST

• David B. for "Epileptic" (Pantheon) and "Babel" (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Jeffrey Brown for "Bighead" (Top Shelf Productions)
• Roger Langridge for "Fred the Clown" (Fantagraphics)
• Seth for "Clyde Fans, Book 1" (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Craig Thompson for "Carnet de Voyage" (Top Shelf Productions)

OUTSTANDING ANTHOLOGY OR COLLECTION

• "Above and Below: Two Tales of the American Frontier," by James Sturm (Drawn & Quarterly)
• "Dead Herring Comics," edited by Actus, (Actus Independent Comics)
• "Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man," by John Porcellino (La Mano)
• "Fred the Clown," by Roger Langridge (Fantagraphics)
• "Hutch Owen: Unmarketable," by Tom Hart (Top Shelf Productions)

OUTSTANDING GRAPHIC NOVEL

• "Bighead," by Jeffrey Brown (Top Shelf Productions)
• "Carnet de Voyage," by Craig Thompson (Top Shelf Productions)
• "Cinema Panopticum," by Thomas Ott (L'Association, Fantagraphics)
• "Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return," by Marjane Satrapi (Pantheon)
• "Why Are You Doing This?" by Jason (Fantagraphics Books)

OUTSTANDING STORY

• "Dogs and Water," by Anders Nilsen (Drawn and Quarterly)
• “Dumb Solitaire,” from Love and Rockets #11 and #13, by Gilbert Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
• "Homme De Le Bois," from The Frank Ritza Papers, by David Collier (Drawn & Quarterly)
• "The Legend of Wild Man Fischer," by  Dennis P. Eichorn and J.R. Williams (Top Shelf Productions)
• "Onion Jack," from Superior Showcase #0, by Joel Priddy (AdHouse Books)

PROMISING NEW TALENT

• Joshua W. Cotter, for "Skyscrapers of the Midwest" (AdHouse Books)
• Rebecca Dart, for "RabbitHead" (Alternative Comics)
• Vanessa Davis, for "Spaniel Rage" (Buenaventura Press)
• Andy Runton, for "Owly" (Top Shelf Productions)
• Karl Stevens, for "Guilty" (Karl Stevens Publishing, dist. by Alternative Comics)

OUTSTANDING SERIES

• "Bipolar," by Tomer Hanuka, Asaf Hanuka and Etgar Keret (Alternative Comics)
• "Deadpan," by David Heatley (Self-published)
• "Finder," by Carla Speed McNeil (Lightspeed Press)
• "Love and Rockets Vol. II," by Los Bros Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
• "Skyscrapers of the Midwest," by Joshua W. Cotter (AdHouse Books)

OUTSTANDING COMIC

• "Dogs & Water," by Anders Nilsen (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Love & Rockets #13, by Los Bros. Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
• Love & Rockets #12, by Los Bros. Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
• Or Else #1, by Kevin Huizenga (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Worn Tuff Elbow #1, by Marc Bell (Fantagraphics)

OUTSTANDING MINICOMIC

• Couch Tag #2, by Jesse Reklaw  (Self-published)
• Dance, by John Hankiewicz (Self-published)
• Monday, by Andy Hartzell (Self-published)
• Ouija Interview #3, by Sarah Becan (Self-published)
• Phase 7, by Alec Longstreth (Self-published)

OUTSTANDING ONLINE COMIC

• Ballad, by deadmouse (http://www.moderntales.com)
• Copper, by Kazu Kibuishi (http://www.boltcity.com)
• Dicebox, by Jenn Manley Lee (http://www.jennworks.com)
• The Perry Bible Fellowship, by Nicholas Gurewitch (http://www.thepbf.com)
• Superslackers, by Steven Manale (www.superslackers.com)

OUTSTANDING DEBUT NOMINEES

• "676 apparitions of Killoffer," by Killoffer, Typocrat Press
• "Action Philosphers: Self Help For Stupid Ugly Losers #1," by Ryan Dunlavy & Fred Van Lente
• "American Music: A-Z," by Ben Towle
• "Big Fat Whale's Sea Anomie," by Brian McFadden
• "Conversations #2," by James Kochalka & Jeffrey Brown, Top Shelf Productions
• "The Dada Alphabet," An Absurdist's Primer, Freese, Milloway & Wood
• "Dr. Dremo, Vol.1," DC Conspiracy
• "House of Twelve's Rashoman," by Cheese Hasselberger, House of Twelve
• "Matriculated," by Phillip Chan, Digital Pimp Productions
• "Merde," by Steve Ahlquist, Chris Reilly & Ben Towle
• "Owly, Vol. 3," by Andy Runton, Top Shelf Productions
• "Pale Fire," by MK Reed
• "Strange Detective Tales: Dead Love #2," by Jesse Bausch & Jim Callahan, Oddgod Press
• "Stupid and Unkind," by Robin Enrico
• "Superf*ckers #2," by James Kochalka, Top Shelf Productions
• "The Surrogates #2," by Robert Venditti & Brett Weldele, Top Shelf Productions
• "True Porn, Vol. 2," edited by Robyn Chapman & Kelli Nelson, Alternative Comics
• "Will You Still Love Me If I Wet The Bed?" by Liz Prince, Top Shelf Productions
• "Zed: Setting the Scene," by Duane M. Abe, Corkey Comics

BEST PRESS RELEASE OF THE DAY: The following comes from Kyle Baker Publishing and, alas, seems to confirm the death of Plastic Man even as it celebrates the company's top creator, Kyle Baker:

KYLE BAKER SIGNS EXCLUSIVE WITH KYLE BAKER PUBLISHING

Press Release

Kyle Baker Publishing announced today it has finalized an exclusive agreement with the legendary cartoonist and graphic novel pioneer Kyle Baker, granting the cartoonist an unprecedented degree of creative control and profit participation.

“KBP is an amazing publisher. I’ve had a great working relationship with them for years,” says Baker. “They’ve done an incredible job with NAT TURNER and the CARTOONIST books. When I saw what they had planned for 2006, I was ready to sign on the dotted line.”

As much praise as Baker has for his publisher, a good deal of the credit for the company’s meteoric success rests with Baker, who has created for KBP such terrific characters as NAT TURNER and, well, KYLE BAKER.

“Yes, it’s safe to say that Kyle Baker drawing Kyle Baker is the perfect fit between character and creator,” observes Kyle Baker Publishing president Elizabeth Glass. “Kyle Baker is the character Kyle Baker was born to draw.”

While sources are hesitant to divulge specific dollar amounts, it has been verified that Baker’s new contract grants him one hundred percent of all profits.

“That’s including toys,” notes Glass, gesturing at the prototypes of the Baker Family Play Set, photos of which appear in the current issue of THE BAKERS, which debuted in stores last week. “We really didn’t want to give him toy or DVD participation, but he was adamant. Basically he gets everything. Him and his family. The DVD looks great, by the way. He will make a shitload of money when that thing drops this winter.”

The current friendly atmosphere is a marked difference from a few months ago, when public battles over missed deadlines and out of control budgets nearly resulted in Baker’s being ousted from the two KBP titles he currently draws.

Baker first butted heads with the suits when he impulsively delivered a 48 page manuscript for a 32 page book, NAT TURNER #1. He followed this up by delivering THE BAKERS #1 late, also with an extra 16 pages too much.

Glass shakes her head, remembering those days. “You can’t do stuff like that, come in a month late with an extra 32 pages! You know what that costs? People get fired over ____ like that! Who sells 48 pages for $3? That’s crazy stuff! Anyway, the books are getting great reviews, and we’re doing numbers any indy would give his left nut for. So he was right.

“Also, his schedule has been lightened considerably, with that DC book out of the way. So now he can really focus on NAT TURNER and THE BAKERS. In stores now, so cop ‘em!”