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Diamond Comics Auction Deadline Is Tomorrow… Did Todd McFarlane Bid?

The Diamond Comics Auction bid registration deadline is tomorrow... did Todd McFarlane make a bid to buy Diamond?

Published Tue, 18 Mar 2025 11:57:08 -0500

Article Summary

Deadline looms for Diamond Comics Auction bid registration; big names may be in play.
Todd McFarlane rumored to eye Diamond Comic Distributors; will he shake up the industry?
Alliance Games and Diamond UK have Canadian bids; the rest remains a mystery.
What does future hold if McFarlane takes over? Image, DC, and distribution dynamics explored.

Tomorrow, the deadline for registering bids for auction for the assets of Diamond Comic Distributors are up for auction, is up. "19th of March, 5 pm ET, the deadline by which all qualifying bids (except a credit bid by the Lender) must be actually received by the Debtors and their advisors." Then the auction will occur on the 24th of March at Raymond James & Associates. Potential buyers must submit Qualifying Bids and attend the auction in person or via representative.

We know of stalking horse bids from Canadian company Universal Distribution for the profitable Alliance Games and Diamond UK parts of the company, but the rest is a mystery. But this last week, I have heard repeat mentions of another very big Canadian name in comics indeed, one Todd McFarlane. Co-founder and President of Image Comics, creator of Spawn, co-creator of Venom, and founder of McFarlane Toys. And it is that last credit that may have inspired such interest in buying an international pop culture distributor. Todd McFarlane has liked to control as much of his output as possible, might that include distribution as well?

But then what else? If Todd McFarlane buys the entirety of Diamond Comic Distributors and makes it an ongoing concern for comic book distribution, will Image Comics leave Lunar Distribution and return to Diamond? Todd McFarlane also has the toy license from DC, might he bring back parts of DC Comics to Diamond as well? Could all those traditional Diamond distributed publishers do similar? Or would they baulk at a competing publisher being in charge of their own distribution?

Diamond Comics Auction Deadline Is Tomorrow... Did Todd McFarlane Bid? — Spawn covers of Diamond Previews

Todd McFarlane has not replied to enquiries made over the past few days. The auction of Diamond Comic Distributors, in the light of its declaration of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, will be held at the offices of Raymond James & Associates, Inc., 320 Park Avenue, 12th Floor, New York next week.

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