Marvel Comics and Penguin Random House Publishing have entered into an exclusive worldwide multi-year sales and distribution agreement.
Penguin will distribute Marvel's new comic titles and graphic novels to the Direct Market. The new deal goes into effect beginning this October. Under the new agreement, retailers can order Marvel products direct from Penguin. Marvel's Previews catalog and comic book solicits will be available in July and distributed by Penguin Random House. Early solicits will be available for order starting on May 26.
"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 who 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," President of Marvel Entertainment Dan Buckley said. "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. We thank Diamond for their many years of support and partnership as we continue our relationship with them in other areas."
"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," President of Penguin Random House Publisher Services Jeff Abraham added. "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 PRH with Marvel's renowned universe of stories and characters, we expect to reach even more fans of its artists and writers throughout the world."
Marvel is not the only comic publisher to switch its distribution model. DC Comics announced last year that it would distribute its product solely through Lunar Distribution, after severing ties with Diamond Comic Distributors.