Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: diamond, hermes press, Steve Leaf

Hermes Press Hires Steve Leaf, Formerly Of Diamond for Over 30 Years

Hermes Press hires Steve Leaf as their new Sales Director, formerly of Diamond Comic Distributors for over thirty years

On the 17th of May, Bleeding Cool continued to report on Diamond Comic Distributors' layoffs. For example, Steve Leaf, former Assistant Manager at Diamond Comics, posted, "After 30+ years at Diamond Comic Distributors, I am seeking a new role and would appreciate your support. If you hear of any opportunities or just want to catch up, please send me a message or comment below. I'd love to reconnect." You can see how that slots in with the rest of the Diamond Comics Bankruptcy Timeline. Well, someone was reading. Today, Hermes Press, which was having difficulty getting back into Diamond's catalogue, told us that Steve Leaf was now Hermes Press Sales Director.

"Comic book industry veteran, Steven Leaf, has joined Hermes Press as Director of Sales. Leaf has been involved with comics and pop culture since his childhood and read his first comic book at the ripe old age of 6. He holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Georgia State University and was accepted for the inaugural class of the Joe Kubert School. In the early 1970s he was actively involved in the comics scene in Atlanta including the Atlanta Comics and Fantasy Fair, the original Atlanta ComicCon, and was a pioneer in bringing the direct market to the area.

"Having been involved in retail and sales for almost twenty years, he subsequently began working for Diamond Comics in retailer services before moving to purchasing, handling accounts for publishers including Dark Horse, IDW, Wizard Magazine, Archie Comics, Crossgen, Slave Labor Graphics, AC Comics, Abstract Studios, and Zenescope Entertainment for over thirty plus years. He also served as judge on the Eisner and Ringo awards. He is now bringing his decades of expertise to Hermes Press as our Director of Sales."

Congratulations, Steve Leaf… and Hermes Press, for that matter. And for Diamond Comic Distributors, and their new owners Ad populum, you let all that knowledge and experience go, to someone who will now use it all when dealing with every distributor.

You can use these Diamond, AENT, and Ad Populum tags to keep up with the latest on Bleeding Cool. Here's a timeline if you want to catch up…

• On the announcement of Chapter 11 on the 14th of January, Diamond started a 13-week bankruptcy process run by financial firm Raymond James, got financing to operate, and announced an auction for its assets.
• Those assets included Diamond Comic Distribution, Alliance Gaming Distribution, Diamond Select Toys, CGA and Diamond UK
• Universal Distribution was named the Stalking Horse bidder for Alliance Games and Diamond UK, which required a purchase commitment of thirty-nine million dollars, but with certain discounts and privileges for taking that position.
• The auction took place, and it went late. There was food and breakfast billed for.
• And Alliance Entertainment, or AENT, was named the top bidder for the assets of $72,245,000, though not for Diamond UK. This was widely announced, including by Diamond themselves.
• Then we learned that a joint bid by Universal Distribution and Ad Populum came second and was named the back-up bid, with a bid of $69,130,000. With Universal getting Alliance Gaming and Diamond UK, and Ad Populum getting Diamond Comics, Diamond Select Toys and everything else. Basic Fun was third with fifty million.
•  Bruce Ogilvie, AENT chairman, was invited onto a podcast with comic book retailers Dennis Barger and Jesse James after, apparently, watching my performance on the Beyond Wednesdays podcast in which he talked about AENT and Diamond.
• A court hearing with the Honorable Judge Rice in Courtroom 9-D at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland at 10 am was intended to ensure the legality of the bid and the process.
• But instead, over that weekend, the debtors declared that they had chosen the back-up bid from Universal and Ad Populum instead of AENT, despite AENT having bid more. No reason was given.
• AENT filed a lawsuit regarding this decision.
• It took the bankruptcy court to reverse that decision and state that AENT, with the higher bid, had won, though they would have to withdraw their lawsuit.
• AENT has terminated their winning bid and purchase.
• Universal Distribution and Ad Populum were back in the running
• Diamond declared "business as usual" but the courts threatened Chapter 7 over late paperwork.
• AENT sued Diamond, claiming fraud
• Diamond says it's all in hand and went back to court, wanting to be owned by Universal and Ad Populum.
• Sale of Diamond to Universal and Ad Populum was approved by the courts.
• Though Ad Populum paid more than we thought.
• Podcast blamed/credited with the current state of affairs
• Diamond tells Skyrush to stop claiming they won CGA.
• As part of court filings, Diamond released details for every comic store on account.
• We have some finality.
• Ad Populum and Universal Distribution officially acquire Diamond and related assets.
• The layoffs have begun.
• And continue.
• Diamond Select Toys has closed
• Diamond try and reassure retailers over ComicSuite
• Courts withdraw Chapter 7 bankruptcy threat
• We look at the future of Diamond Previews again
• PRH pulls out of Diamond entirely
• Well, not entirely, the UK can stay.
• Hermes Press says Diamond doesn't want to distribute their comics anymore… or anyone's.
• But Diamond pushes back on that, as they publish a new Previews.
• And they assure comic book stores that everything is going to be fine. Honest.
• Then send a letter to publishers which looks like it isn't
• Now they are looking for more money and longer to pay it back.
• Dynamite would like half a million now, please.
• Udon and Manga Classic have now cancelled all Diamond orders.
• Then so did Drem Productions
• And PRH starts to close their special retailer joining offer
• Diamond gets a fourth wave of funding and deadlines.
• Philbo Distribution launches.
• Alliance Entertainment hire seven senior Diamond staffers.
• Universal Distribution rumoured to be hiring Diamond staffers to enter the US market.
• Massive Distribution expands within Lunar
• Diamond has cancelled all their PRH orders.
• There are problems with Ad Populum's first payments to comics publishers
• Ad Populum sues AENT alleging breaches of confidentiality and staff poaching.
• Ad Populum still ghosting publishers.
• Bankruptcy timeline revealed it began in July 2024
• Diamond ends cash on delivery sales
• Hermes Press hires Steve Leaf

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