The new Previews catalog comes out next week, and since there's a number of new Stargate SG-1, Robocop, and other fans here at the site these days it's time once again to take a bit of a look at how the comic book industry works and some of the important dates looming in our immediate future for those of you who are new to comics.  It's very important for Stargate SG-1 fans to let local comic retailers know that they want to get these comics, and here is some information to help you do that.  Please feel free to copy and paste this information to wherever you think fans will need to know. 

Update:  the Previews catalog and other weekly shipments may be delayed to Thursday, May 29 in some locations this week due to the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. Contact your local store for more info.

• Wednesday, May 28 (or Thursday, May 29) - the order cycle begins as the new Previews catalog begins to ship to comic shops worldwide:  What is Previews?  It's a large catalog that contains artwork and info for essentially all of the comic books that are scheduled to come out in 2 months time.  So the Previews that will be in stores May 28 contains information on comics scheduled to be released beginning in August.  Previews is an advance order tool for all comic book retailers and many of their customers.  Many if not most comic shops accept preorders, and though you typically won't be required to buy a copy of the catalog for yourself to place an order, be aware that it is the scheduling, ordering, and informational mechanism on which much of the comic book industry turns.  You'll see it mentioned alot on this site and many other comic-related sites that talk about upcoming projects.  It is very important, particularly for an independent publisher like Avatar, for our readership to place preorders or otherwise let the local retailers know that you want these books so they have some gauge as to the demand for them and can order from our distributor accordingly.  This is not to say that the book will only be available via preorder, we hope some retailers order extra copies for their shelves, but it is often difficult for them to know how to order a new series, so you can't always count enough extra copies being available in your local area.  That's why getting as many people to preorder the book as possible is so extremely important, that point can't be overemphasized. The key information here is:  Most local stores will start accepting orders for the Stargate SG-1 Convention Special on Wednesday, May 28 (or Thurs. May 29 in some stores).
• Saturday, June 14 - orders due, this order cycle ends:  On June 14 (consult your local retailer on this date, it may vary for your local shop), orders for August-shipping comics (which include the Stargate SG-1 Convention Special, Frank Miller's Robocop #2, and the rest of our August-shipping releases) will officially come to a close.  Your retailer will have to have your orders in hand by that time so he can place his own order to our distributor. 

So:  There is about a two and a half week window between May 28 and June 14 when showing your support with your local retailer for Stargate SG-1 and the rest of our August releases is of paramount importance.  Again, this is not to say that it's not important the rest of the time, but during that 18-day period, supporting the release of our first Stargate SG-1 comic is very key.  Please let you fellow fans know about this if you can.  Thanks again for all the comments, feedback, and support on all the boards and sites out there.  You can send feedback directly to the editor of our upcoming Stargate SG-1 comics, William Christensen, at stargate@avatarpress.net.  (Please note that Christensen is currently out of the office until June 2, promoting the Stargate SG-1 comic line in the UK at the Bristol convention among other things) Here is a permanent link to the information in this post.
[ posted Sunday, May 25, 2003 9:29:20 PM  |  permanent link to this item ]