Posted in: Comics | Tagged: banned, Ben 10, boom, censorship, Comics, comics censorship, Dexter's Laboratory, diamond, graphic novels, idw, powerpuff girls, Regular Show Comics, samurai jack, tmnt, uk
TMNT, Samurai Jack, Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Dexter's Laboratory And Regular Show Comics Banned From The UK
Sigh.
It emerges that, despite being successfully distributed and sold for months in the UK, recent lines of licensed comics have, apparently, only been licensed for North American distribution. And everyone kinda forgot. Until now.
British retailers have been informed that, as of now, they will not received any of their orders for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Animated), Samurai Jack, Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10 or Dexters Laboratory from IDW, and none of Regular Show from Boom.
This doesn't mean the chops can't sell them, just that Diamond is no longer able to distribute them outside of North America.
What happens now? I'll tell you what happens. Most UK stores stop selling them. Others, usually the bigger stores, do deals with US stores to sub-distrubute those comics to the UK, against Diamond's strict terms and conditions of trade. Which means extra postage, shipping and handling costs, so Brits pay a premium and get their comics late. And everyone turns a blind eye. And someone digital distribution remains exempt.
This is what has happened with IDW's Doctor Who comics of late which, seems ridiculous. It is rumoured that as part of Titan Comics' deal for new Doctor Who comics, that they have integrated the Doctor Who license for the UK, even maybe taking the monthly Doctor Who Magazine from Panini which has maintained the UK Doctor Who comics licence for decades, for an integrated UK/US licence for their new Doctor Who comics. Because otherwise you'll have a British publisher with British staff and British creator, putting together a Doctor Who comic that they can't sell in Britain.
This will also affect Free Comic Book Day, with the Kaboom Summer Blast gold level comic (which retailers have to order to be part of the event) featuring Regular Show.