COMIC BOOK MARKET COLLAPSES: ‘PENCILS DOWN’

It’s “pencils down,” as the market for comic books collapses because of the coronavirus.

Following the announcement by Diamond Comic Distributors that it has stopped shipping on all comic books and with shops closing due to government-mandated lockdowns and quarantines, a number of professionals from the comic book industry have taken to social media to let it be known that they have been told to immediately stop work on all current projects.

Here’s how writers and others in the industry have responded:

PENCILS DOWN- The Comic Book Industry Collapsed In Less Than Two Weeks https://t.co/tlzWMrCB56 via @YouTube
— Hammel (@Hammel73315138) March 28, 2020

(Not) a Quick: This is an important question, asked by @THR. Will the #CoronaCrisis force the Comic Book Industry to go fully digital? My answer is that yes it would, but it would lead to gigantic fall of physical Comic books as a whole.https://t.co/F7RvOvT4Ea
— You are (not) a Mech (@youarenotamech) March 28, 2020

Absolutely. At best it’s a bunch of angry, entitled whiners who have been throwing an extended temper tantrum because they’ve gone from having 100% of the comic book industry cater to them to only having 95% of the comic book industry cater to them.
— James T. King (@JamesTKingP1) March 28, 2020

The comic book industry is poised to take a massive hit after Diamond Comics Distributors announces plans to stop shipping new issues in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Details — https://t.co/cYPem41784
— Nerdcore Movement (@NerdCoreMOV) March 28, 2020

How to support local shops while comic book shipments are delayed – Los Angeles Times https://t.co/NIOZnWzvlK
— Andy Khouri (@andykhouri) March 27, 2020

Just read the Diamond News. This is a HUGE blow to the industry. This has the potential to put already struggling stores under forever. https://t.co/Gam5UvGuty
— Adam Reck (@arthurstacy) March 23, 2020

Okay, I thought I could bear self-isolation. I thought I could bear the lockdown. I thought I could bear not having McDonald’s. But NO NEW COMICS anymore might actually break me.

Diamond Comics to Stop Receiving Shipments of New Comics. . .
https://t.co/CbnBmWBDug
— Tony (@TonyVnrs) March 23, 2020

And check out the video below from the folks over at YellowFlash2: