• ICv2.com reports there was a "fantasy economy" at New York Comic Con, where nearly 70,000 attendees apparently spent their money freely.

"Inside these walls the ‘fantasy’ economy is perfect," retailer Bob Chapman told the website. "Outside the doors of the convention the economy sucks.”

Jossip, too, notes the apparent disregard for the recession.

• Tom Spurgeon says, in no uncertain terms, that Diamond's new minimum-order policy is wrong, and lays out the reasons why. You should go read his essay.

• Nat Gertler, publisher of About Comics, tells Indy Comics News how the new Diamond policy will affect his company's plans for the year: "We’re having to consider whether something that we would’ve released as three $10 paperbacks should maybe be one $20 paperback — it will get fewer readers and make us and the retailers less money, but it’s most certain to meet Diamond’s benchmark. Or a book that might have been a $10 paperback before this change might now be released as a $15 hardcover. Lucky for us, we’d already moved away from selling Diamond individual pamphlets, as much as I love that format."

• At NYCC, Radical Publishing announced it no longer will publish standard-sized single issues. Instead, its comics generally will be 48 pages, and carry a price tag of $4.99. Dynamite Entertainment, meanwhile, teased more $1 introductory issues.

• Johanna Draper Carlson questions ICv2's end-of-year sales figures for manga and comics periodicals.