Let’s get this out of the way up front: despite claiming the “#9 revenue generator” spot on a list of comic book publishers, and touting that “The Revolution Begins” via a press release, DSTLRY missed a completely obvious joke about The Beatles’ “Revolution 9.” But whatever, congrats to them, I guess.
More seriously the publisher revealed at last Wednesday’s (October 16) Retailer Day at New York Comic Con that according to a firm called Prana: Direct Market Solutions, DSTLRY “now ranks as the #9 revenue generator for comic stores across all publishers,” per PR provided to Comic Book Club.
“When we launched DSTLRY, we promised ‘The Revolution Begins,’ and this is proof we meant it,” said David Steinberger, co-founder and CEO of DSTLRY. “Landing as the #9 revenue generator is no accident—it’s the product of our creators, our retail partners, and our fans.”
So, what does this actually mean if you don’t speak corporate? Prana’s data is pulled from Brian Garside’s Manage Comics POS (point of sale) systems. The data was analyzed from 27,000 pull list subscribers across 177 stores, and then measured publishers against each other by Average Retail Dollars Per Store. Short version, this is actual sales to actual customers, sorted by amount of money spent on a store-by-store basis.
While not by any means insignificant, I will mention that DSTLRY’s print offerings are on premium stock with a larger trim size (they’re pretty lovely, across the board) and therefore cost a bit more than your run-of-the-mill floppy. A cursory glance through several recent titles shows some cost $8.99 to $10, meaning if the average comic is $4-$5 at this point, DSTLRY needs to only sell half as much to rank as high.
That said? The comics are roundly very good, and starting up a publisher and getting to this rank in a year is no small feat. And they seem to know that.
“We’re just getting started. Ranking #9 in our first year is exciting, but it’s not the finish line,” said Chip Mosher, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer. “This success belongs to our creators, who are crafting groundbreaking stories, and the retailers who believed in our vision. The revolution we promised is well underway, and there’s so much more to come.”
Comic Book Club Live Info:
Discover more from Comic Book Club
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.