Diamond Comics Distributors, iVerse team up for digital comics plan for comic shops

DALLAS — The 2011 ComicsPRO annual members meeting has yet to officially begin, and already the first announcements that will affect comic book retailers are beginning to hit.

The first is the announcement that iVerse Media and Diamond Comics Distributors are teaming up to offer digital sales of comic books through brick-and-mortar comic book shops.

The announced plan calls for for day-and-date digital editions to sell exclusively at comic shops for a 30-day window, retailing at about $1.99.  “Digital Plus” editions – digital copies available with the purchase of a hard copy – are expected to sell for $.99.

Retailers will need an internet connection and a printer to participate; billing will be done through Diamond Comic Distributors.  Retailers with websites will also be able to sell a wide range of digital back issue comics and graphic novels, according to the release from iVerse.

“Digital comics are creating opportunities for publishers to grow the comic market. Our task, as we see it, has been to structure a program that empowers comic retailers to play a role in this growth and, at the same time, make money selling digital content,” said Diamond Executive VP and COO Chuck Parker in a news release. “We think we’ve accomplished that with this initiative, and we look forward to feedback from retailers and publishers alike to help us succeed in this endeavor.”

iVerse and Diamond hope this partnership allows existing comic book retailers to sell digital editions regardless of technical savvy.

“We are proud to be helping Diamond develop systems which will immediately enable comic shop retailers at any level of technical ability to easily sell digital comics,” iVerse CEO Michael Murphey said. “We are also very excited about the potential of this new venture to create many creative print-to-digital and digital-to-print promotional possibilities.”