Posted By Dan Greenfield on Mar 25, 2020 | 7 comments

One of our favorite publishers is facing the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic…

I’m an enormous fan of TwoMorrows Publishing and in all likelihood you are too.

We have a rich partnership with them, regularly excerpting at 13th Dimension some of the most interesting articles and features from mags like Back Issue, Alter Ego and The Jack Kirby Collector, as well as essential books like Hero-A-Go-Go! and Comic Book Implosion.

But now the company is in a bit of a jam. Earlier this week, Diamond announced that next week it would temporarily suspend shipping new books because of the coronavirus crisis. Companies like Marvel and DC will be hurt by this, but they’re likely to survive. Smaller companies, however, face an even greater challenge.

Right now, to help things along, TwoMorrows boss John Morrow has instituted a 40 percent off sale on all print mags, except new and upcoming releases and subscriptions. (And they all include a free digital edition for immediate reading. The sale is basically being done on a day-to-day basis, so act now if you’re interested.)

But there’s more to it than that — and John has a message to the company’s fans about where things stand and what you can expect. — Dan:

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By JOHN MORROW

Things are topsy-turvy at TwoMorrows right now in light of Diamond Comic Distributors temporarily shutting down, but here’s where things stand for us.

Basically, for the short term at least, our survival will rely on mail order and digital sales. That’s why I’ve just launched a 40% Off Magazine Sale, to boost mail orders and get us through the difficult next few weeks. We’re fully operational, and any in-stock items listed on our website will be shipped immediately. So if you’re able, please place an order online to help us weather the crazy days ahead. For easier ordering, download our new 2020 Digital Catalog by clicking here.

Copies of our World of TwoMorrows 25th Anniversary book are scheduled to arrive here within a week, at which point we’ll immediately start shipping them to everyone who directly ordered from us and through Kickstarter. The Limited Hardcover Edition of WOT is only available from us, not through comics shops, but we’ll also have plenty of softcover copies available.

Like other publishers, we rely on Diamond and comics shops for the majority of sales of our new releases, so the shutdown is really going to hurt us (as it will comic shops). Diamond’s copies of World of TwoMorrows, Alter Ego #164, Back Issue #120, BrickJournal #62, and RetroFan #9, won’t get to stores until the shutdown is over. But just like the WOT book, our mail order customers won’t miss out on those—we will fill webstore orders as soon as our copies arrive in the next three weeks, and subscribers will also get their copies on schedule, as long as the post office stays open.

A word of warning: For anyone planning to buy BrickJournal #62 or RetroFan #9 at Barnes & Noble, it now appears none of the copies we are sending them will make it to B&N store shelves, and will be destroyed. So the only way to get those issues is through your local comics shop once they reopen, or directly from TwoMorrows. Because of this, we expect these two issues will sell out quickly after release, so don’t delay pre-ordering them.

Lastly, we have several publications ready to go to press as soon as Diamond is ready to receive new shipments. We will adjust our upcoming release dates then, but know that work continues here on all your favorite books and magazines, thanks to our dedicated editors and contributors.

For 25 years, we’ve had the most loyal, supportive fans in the industry, and when this storm passes (and it will soon), with your help, we’ll still be here producing the industry’s best publications about comics, Lego, and pop culture.

Best regards,
John Morrow, publisher
TwoMorrows Publishing
919-449-0344
www.twomorrows.com

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MORE

— DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS to Temporarily Halt Shipments. Click here.