Comic-book trade challenged by Internet, recession

Geppi's wholesaler, Diamond Comic Distributors, has faced its own problems. The company "had a rocky year," according to a Publishers Weekly piece published in October -- "a move to a new warehouse in the spring coupled with a switch to a new software platform led to major problems with orders shipping improperly and lost books."

Diamond and comic publishers are trying to adapt -- putting out graphic novels and selling comics over mobile phones and other digital media. Even so, "concerns about digital caused a lot of unrest among retailers - and may again," the Oklahoman newspaper reported at a comics convention last this year. When Diamond scaled back distribution of the Classics Illustrated series last year, the president of the Classics publisher shot back in a press release: "That this is another example of a knee-jerk reaction to the tough economic environment everybody is struggling with to get through."