DC gets random

In what could quite possibly be a phenomenal boon for acceptance of graphic novels in mainstream media, Publisher's Weekly is reporting that DC has reached a distribution deal with Random House Publisher Services. This change comes after a 20 year relationship with Warner Books/Hachette, and will take place in Spring 2008. The new deal will not affect the distribution of comics, as DC will continue to use Diamond Comics Distributors. The deal was made mostly to allow DC to better break into smaller markets for selling graphic novels. The industry has changed so much in the 20 years DC has, and graphic novels have undertaken a new importance in mainstream media. “Years ago when we jointly published some books with Warner Books, the sales force didn’t really get the graphic novel category,” he explained. “It was hard to get the sales reps to understand the product. That’s just not a problem anymore. These days the awareness and understanding of category makes it a different a game.” Hopefully, with this new deal in place, there will be more graphic novels written, and you'll hear about a lot more that normally go underground. DC in the Random House!