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Just got this in my inbox and thought I'd pass it on as much as possible. It seems Jeff Mason's comic company Alternative comics is still suffering from the effects of the distributor LPC going under, the sam problem that nearly brought Top Shelf to its knees. Like Top Shelf, Alternative Comics produces some damn fine books - Peanut Butter and Jeremy's Best Book Ever a great fun, so If you've been meaning to try something new for a while now, now might be the time...
OPEN LETTER – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alternative Comics needs your help!
Please buy our books from your local comic book store to help Alternative Comics survive!
Dear Comics Fans:
I’m Jeff Mason making a direct appeal to you, our faithful readers, in a time of serious financial difficulty. If you could find a way to buy some of our books listed below, you would greatly help in our time of financial crisis. Please check off the books you want below and then buy these books from your favorite retailer. You can also use the checklist in the back of your copy of Alternative Comics #2 that was given out by your local comic book store on Free Comic Book Day. If your retailer does not stock our comics and books, they can use this form below as a way to order our in-stock titles form any of our distributors.
Alternative Comics is suffering some very dire cash flow problems and I am turning to you for help. In the spring of 2002 our book trade distributor, LPC, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy owing Alternative Comics a lot of money. I had hoped that I could weather the storm by taking money from my savings and by borrowing on credit until receiving the agreed-upon 42% of what LPC owed us. Now over two years later, LPC is still in bankruptcy proceedings and I am completely out of savings and credit.
In the past (prior to LPC) I had ample working capital – I had great credit terms with my various printers. Now (post LPC) I have absolutely no working capital and must pay up front to print every book.
For each publication, I now wait for all of the retailer advance orders to come in to Diamond, then I contract Diamond to assign the payment they'd pay to me to my printer to print the book. This contractual agreement costs money and cuts into our razor thin margin.
Lack of cash on hand has also caused me to have to shrink print runs on some books. This increases the cost per unit of each book, and speeds the looming reprint costs.
I've been increasing my publishing schedule over the last two years, and in hindsight, I expanded too quickly. Alternative Comics is moving forward with a much more reasonable, much more foresighted publishing schedule, with some really amazing projects in the works!
Alternative Comics’ cash flow problems have been the only reason for not yet reprinting Bipolar #1 and Humor Can Be Funny as well as having been the only reason a number of books have been arriving late or re-solicited.
I am asking you to please buy Alternative Comics books from your local retailers. In my fanciful imagination, the best result would be for retailers to quickly sell out of all Alternative Comics books in inventory to customers and hurriedly place nice reorders with distributors.
Alternative Comics has no staff other than myself, so I am unable to handle orders directly. I ask that readers buy from your local comic book retailers, and retailers to buy from your favorite distributors.
The single most important variable for our publishing efforts is the number of comics or books advance ordered by retailers. Retailers decide their advance orders of books based on what you, the reader, let them know you want to buy. Currently, we have the following books scheduled for release in September 2004. These books are in all of the distributors’ catalogs right now. If you want to get copies of these books, please let your local comic book retailer know!
JUL04 2534, A Few Perfect Hours and Other Stories by Josh Neufeld (Xeric Winner), $12.95
JUL04 2535, Escalator by Brandon Graham, $12.95
JUL04 2537, SLOWPOKE: America Gone Bonkers by Jen Sorensen, $12.95
JUL04 2538, Turtle, turtle by Jed Alexander, $11.95
JUL04 2539, Waterwise by Joel Orff (Featured Item), $14.95
If you can find it in your hearts to help Alternative Comics, I will be eternally grateful.
Thank you,
Jeff Mason
Publisher – Alternative Comics
Alternative Comics In-Stock Inventory:
(All books are For Mature Readers unless otherwise listed)
8½ Ghosts by Rich Tommaso,
OCT032023,
$3.95
9-11: Emergency Relief anthology,
STAR14976,
$14.95
A Fine Mess #1 by Matt Madden,
STAR16707,
$3.50
A Sort of Homecoming #1 (Of 3) by Damon Hurd and Pedro Camello,
AUG031946,
$3.50
A Sort of Homecoming #2 (Of 3) by Damon Hurd and Pedro Camello,
OCT032024,
$3.50
A Sort of Homecoming #3 (Of 3) by Damon Hurd and Pedro Camello,
DEC032049,
$3.50
Aim to Dazzle #1 by Dean Haspiel,
STAR18706,
$3.50
At The Seams by Ed Brubaker,
APR970889,
$2.95
Bipolar #2 by Tomer and Asaf Hanuka & Etgar Keret,
FEB031705,
$2.95
Bipolar #3 by Tomer and Asaf Hanuka & Etgar Keret,
AUG021800,
$2.95
Bipolar #4 by Tomer and Asaf Hanuka & Etgar Keret,
FEB031703,
$2.95
Cusp by Thomas Herpich,
STAR17617,
$3.95
Fancy Froglin’s Sexy Forest by James Kochalka,
STAR19473,
$12.95
Fantastic Butterflies by James Kochalka,
STAR16427,
$14.95
further Grickle by Graham Annable,
STAR20266,
$14.95
Gongwanadon by Thomas Herpich,
APR042245,
$4.95
Grand Gestures by Robert Ullman,
STAR18392,
$3.95
Grickle by Graham Annable,
STAR13433,
$14.95
Hi-Horse Omnibus volume 1,
DEC032043,
$11.95
Hickee anthology volume 1,
STAR17747,
$12.95
Hickee anthology volume 2 #1,
JUL031924,
$4.95
Lemon Kids #1 by Steven Weissman,
DEC981048,
$2.95
Magic Whistle #1 by Sam Henderson,
JAN981201,
$2.95
Magic Whistle #2 by Sam Henderson,
MAY980959,
$2.95
Magic Whistle #3 by Sam Henderson,
NOV981083,
$2.95
Magic Whistle #4 by Sam Henderson,
OCT001841,
$2.95
Magic Whistle #5 by Sam Henderson,
JUL011796,
$2.95
Magic Whistle #6 by Sam Henderson,
JAN022172,
$2.95
Magic Whistle #7 by Sam Henderson,
JUN021977,
$2.95
Magic Whistle #8 by Sam Henderson,
OCT022291,
$2.95
Magic Whistle #9 by Sam Henderson,
DEC032045,
$11.95
The Masochists by Nick Bertozzi,
STAR16817,
$14.95
Mermaid by James Kochalka,
FEB981117,
$2.95
Monica’s Story by Jon Lewis, James Kochalka, and Tom Hart,
NOV981084,
$2.95
My Uncle Jeff by Damon Hurd and Pedro Camello,
STAR19971,
$3.95
Never Ending Summer by Allison Cole,
DEC032044,
$11.95
Opposable Thumbs #1 by Dean Haspiel,
MAY011908,
$4.95
Peanutbutter & Jeremy’s Best Book Ever (all ages) by James Kochalka,
SEP031997,
$14.95
Peanutbutter & Jeremy: Nest & Window Exchange by James Kochalka,
STAR16762,
$2.95
Quit Your Job by James Kochalka,
STAR16112,
$6.95
RabbitHead by Rebecca Dart,
FEB042052,
$4.95
Rosetta anthology volume 1,
STAR16769,
$19.95
Rosetta anthology volume 2,
DEC032046,
$19.95
Rubber Necker #1 by Nick Bertozzi,
STAR18999,
$3.50
Rubber Necker #2 by Nick Bertozzi,
STAR19000,
$3.50
Rubber Necker #3 by Nick Bertozzi,
STAR18942,
$3.50
Rubber Necker #4 by Nick Bertozzi,
NOV031971,
$3.50
Salmon Doubts by Adam Sacks,
MAR042170,
$14.95
Spectacles #1 by Jon Lewis,
MAR970730,
$2.95
Spectacles #2 by Jon Lewis,
MAR970728,
$2.95
Strum & Drang: Great Moments in Rock ‘n’ Roll by Joel Orff,
STAR18518,
$6.95
Subway Series by Leela Corman,
STAR16775,
$9.95
Sunburn by James Kochalka,
JUL001552,
$2.95
Sweaterweather (all ages) by Sara Varon,
STAR18948,
$11.95
Titans of Finance by Josh Neufeld and R. Walker,
STAR16777,
$3.50
Triple Dare #2 by James Kochalka, Tom Hart, and Nick Bertozzi,
MAY021760,
$2.95
True Swamp: Stoneground and Hillbound by Jon Lewis,
JUN011872,
$4.95
True Swamp: Underwoods and Overtime by Jon Lewis,
JUL001551,
$4.95
Urban Hipster #1 by David Lasky and Greg Stump,
DEC022415,
$2.95
Urban Hipster #2 by David Lasky and Greg Stump,
DEC022416,
$2.95
The Vagabonds #1 by Josh Neufeld,
APR031923,
$2.95
When I’m Old and Other Stories by Gabrielle Bell,
STAR18175,
$12.95
The White Elephant by Damon Hurd and Christopher Steininger,
MAR042172,
$8.95
Yellow Baby #1 by Jed Alexander,
MAY031912,
$3.95
Jeff Mason - Publisher
Alternative Comics
Web: http://www.indyworld.com/altcomics
Forum: http://www.talkaboutcomics.com/index2.php?c=28#alt
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