Origin of Wednesday as New Comic Day?

[Kelson]

This week's comics being on Thursday reminds me of something I've been wondering for a while now: Comics generally come out on Wednesdays now, and have for years...but I remember in the early 1990s going to the comic store every week on *Fridays* after school.

Was I just clueless at the time, picking up comics two days later than I could have, or has the day on which new comics arrive changed during the lifetime of the direct market? If it has changed, was there any particular reason? Did it happen when Diamond took over their last competitor?

[General grievous]

I don't know the answer to this question.

But I have always got my comics on a thursday. In ireland.

Our comic shops get them most wednesdays. But they have an agreement with the other comic stores not to sell them until thursday.

[ronaldj]

i know many stores that get their books here on tuesday but like was said don't sell them till wedsenday....

[ronaldj]

execpt when a holiday is in the week before and then they are a day late......??????????????

[Scott Mateo]

I worked at Diamond Tampa from 1993 until 1995 when they shut down our warehouse because Marvel and Image pulled out (going to Capitol City instead for distribution) and books have been coming down south from Atlanta ever since. During my time there, books always came in from Canada 11pm Tuesday nights to 1am Wednesday mornings. Our job was to have everything sorted and boxed up for all the distributors from central to south Florida. The locals would pick up their stuff directly from the warehouse, while those who were farther out (i.e. Miami) would get their books delivered to them by us in a pre-FedEx-esque truck with Spider-Man and Superman painted on it.

I do know we did not distribute to supermarkets or bookstores, so I have no idea how or whenever they received their comics.

[Bagged & Boarded]

I thought they used to come out on Fridays too Kelson. I remember my dad taking me when he got home for work. I would sit at the door and wait for him and if he didn't want to go the second he walked in I got made because we only had an hour until they closed.

[AfroFett]

Yes, comics used to come out on Fridays. All comic stores used to also be located at the top of a hill, in the snow. You kids don't know how lucky you are...

[Andrew72287]

Yes, comics used to come out on Fridays. All comic stores used to also be located at the top of a hill, in the snow. You kids don't know how lucky you are...

AfroFett

I'm sure there were no shoes back then either?

[AfroFett]

I'm sure there were no shoes back then either?

Andrew72287

We used kittens.

[Andrew72287]

I'm sure each household had only one set of kittens as well?

As for comics on Wednesday, I didn't really start paying attention to when comics come out until 6 or 7 years ago, and it's always been Wednesday.

[Bill Walko]

Weird... I have various memories of different comic days.

When I was a kid, the ONLY comic book store was near where my dad worked. And in the days of CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS and NEW TEEN TITANS baxter book and LEGION baxter book, I remember my dad getting new comics on TUESDAYS. I think that's when they came out. It was VERY important, because its when some books were ONLY available in comic shops!

Then, after I got my drivers' license, I do remember either Thursdays or Fridays as "comic book day."

When I worked in the mall, there was a comic shop, and I remember it was in the days of the post-Titans Hunt-- 1993 or so.... and I remember THURSDAY as a new comics day.

Then, when my friend's dad owned comic shop (mid-to-late 90s?), it was WEDNESDAY that new comics were sold. I remember hanging out at his shop Tuesday nights, as the UPS shipment of comics would arrive late that night-- like 10-11pm....

Since then, it's been Wednesdays.

anyone else??

[Matches]

It was different for different stores depending on which distributor they were using. When I was a teenager books came out on Thursday at one store and Friday at another.

Now that Diamond is essentially a monopoly it's pretty much standardized everywhere. It changed to Wednesdays sometime in the mid to late 90's.

[Bagged & Boarded]

It was different for different stores depending on which distributor they were using. When I was a teenager books came out on Thursday at one store and Friday at another. Now that Diamond is essentially a monopoly it's pretty much standardized everywhere. It changed to Wednesdays sometime in the mid to late 90's.

Matches

Off topic but does anyone know why Diamond is allowed to be a monopoly and how that came to be? I have heard stories but the source of those stories is often wrong about a lot of things so...

[Andrew72287]

Off topic but does anyone know why Diamond is allowed to be a monopoly and how that came to be? I have heard stories but the source of those stories is often wrong about a lot of things so...

Bagged & Boarded

I think it was ruled that it wasn't really a monopoly as they only shipped comics in North America and not books in general or something to that extent.

[Matches]

I think it was ruled that it wasn't really a monopoly as they only shipped comics in North America and not books in general or something to that extent.

Andrew72287

This is just a guess, but I'd suspect Diamond is considered a "book" distributor rather than a "comic book" distributor. Comics usually aren't a large enough fish to show up on the SEC's radar.

[Rassilon]

I'm sure there were no shoes back then either?

Andrew72287

I couldn't speak for Afrofett but I went Fred Flintstone style. My LCS gets them about an hour before close on Wednesday so you really can't get anything from him before Thursday opening but I can't really hold it against the guy, sheesh. Gots to give him the time to organize the pull files so we all pretty much always have Thursday as New Comics Day but this week I guess it will be late Thursday.