Posted in: Comics, Image | Tagged: lunar, universal

TOLDJA: Image Comics No Longer Exclusive, Joins Universal Distribution

TOLDJA: Image Comics, no longer exclusive to Lunar, has joined Universal Distribution

Published Tue, 19 May 2026 12:53:09 -0500

Article Summary

Image Comics has ended its Lunar-only status, signing a non-exclusive distribution deal with Universal Distribution.
Universal now adds Image Comics to a lineup that includes DC direct and Marvel, Dark Horse, IDW, and BOOM via PRH.
Universal’s U.S. expansion builds on its Alliance Gaming acquisition, former Diamond staff, and retailer-friendly setup.
Image Comics is seeking wider reach beyond the direct market, targeting Europe and more U.S. gaming and hobby stores.

Six weeks ago, Bleeding Cool broke the news that Image Comics would be distributed by Universal Distribution, saying "Image Comics No Longer Exclusive, Coming To Universal Distribution". Today, ICV2 has run the "Exclusive" that "Universal Joins Lunar As Image Distributor". Possibly a definition of the word "exclusive" I was originally unaware of.

Image Comics Moving From Lunar Distribution To Universal For The USA? — Image/Universal/Lunar logos

Milton Griepp stated that "Universal Distribution has signed a non-exclusive worldwide distribution agreement with Image Comics for the specialty and hobby market, making it the only U.S. comic distributor offering a full line of the top periodical comic publishers. Universal will now offer DC Comics, Image Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment titles through direct relationships and Marvel, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, and other PRH clients as a sub-distributor."

Last year, Bleeding Cool broke the news that Canadian comic book and gaming distribution company Universal Distribution had signed a deal to offer DC Comics titles to American comic book retailers. And that this would be part of a new push by Universal to start distributing comics to the USA direct market, as well as to Canada, where they currently dominate. And using the infrastructure of Alliance Gaming, the distribution company formerly owned by Diamond Comic Distributors, they bought out of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy auction. I reported that Universal had a structure and system more similar to that of Diamond Comic Distributors, so retailers who miss that at Lunar Distribution might find it at Universal. Universal owns Alliance's warehouses and has retained its staff, as well as hiring Diamond's former highly respected Director of Retailer Services, Nance Romer, and Diamond's former Image Comics brand manager, now Universal VP of Purchasing and Publisher Relations, Tim Lenaghan.

Previously, Universal Distribution bought Image Comics titles for Canada, through Lunar Distribution, just as Diamond did back in 2023 and 2024. But Image did not have a direct deal with Universal in Canada, unlike some publishers and were exclusive to Lunar, by the terms of their contract. However, all contracts have term limits. The Image/Lunar deal was announced in May 2023. And three years is a very acceptable exclusive contract term.

I also wrote a piece for Publishers' Weekly (oh bloody hell, I still need to invoice for it) about the London Book Fair that mentioned Image Comics representatives had flown over to the show, but spent much of that time in nearby pubs, meeting British writers and artists and Diamond UK representatives, learning that Image Comics was looking for its distributors to expand the market for its comic books, away from the traditional English-speaking direct market, into stores across Europe and gaming/card stores across the USA. Which is what Universal Distribution would specialise in.

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