Just testing out designs and stuff… blog scheduled to start in January 2026.
Is it annoying to read things over a subliminal grid? Here’s some text to test:
The Comics Journal #118, page #13:
COMICO OWES
PRINTER $700,000
Sleepeck Printing Company, which prints Comico’s line of comics which include Jonny Quest, Grendel, Elementals, the Robolech line, and Others, claims that Comico, widely perceived throughout the comics industry as one of the most financially stable independent publishers, is over $700,000.00 in arrears, and that the two companies have negotiated a legal agreement whereby Sleepeck has a security interest in Comico. According to Sleepeck’s financial comptroller, Bob Gardner, the signed security interest in Comico is a legal mechanism that guarantees Sleepeck priority over other creditors in attaching Comico•s assets should the publisher become insolvent or go out of business. Theoretically, if Sleepeck were to sue Comico to collect the money Gardner claims they owe Sleepeck. the security interest muld expedite their legal claims. According to Gardner, Comico accrued the debt over approximately the last year, over the course of which time negotiations over the security interest took place.
Comico recently left Sleepeck, who had been printing their books for five years, after the printer delayed an October 16 shipment, which included Elementals #18, Jonny Quest #17, Robotech: The New Generation #19, and the promotional handout Comico Aftracrions #9. In a new-s story in Comics Buyer’s Guide #730, Comico spokesman Bob Schreck is quoted as saying: “In recent months, Comico has had some disputes over several of the bills from its printer. As a result of these negotiations, both Comico’s payments and its printer’s shipments were delayed. At this time, all issues have been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties, and there will be no further interruption ofComico’s shipping schedule.” In fact, Comico is now printing at Web World, who also prints for Eclipse Comics and Fantagraphics Books, and according to Gardner, Schreck’s statements to CBG do not represent an accurate or forthright explanation of the events. (Apparently, CBG did not attempt to verify suggesting anything to the contrary.
Schreck’s statement with any other Comico•s Bob Schreck told the Jourparty.) nal that Comico was not disputing the Gardner told the Journal that amount of money owed, but that the Sleepeck held Comico•s October 16 difficulty between the two companies shipment of books because Comico was the result of “a lack of communihad agreed to pay for this shipment cation.” When the Journal asked prior to shipping. and when the books Schreck ifComico owed Sleepeck (wer were ready to ship Comico informed 900000.00, Schreck refused to conGardner that the money was not “in firm or deny this. When asked how the bank.” Schreck said that the reason Comico would finance such a debt if Comico left Sleepeck was because in it had incurred it, Schreck refused to the last year they were worried that comment and instead referred to ubiSleepeck would ship books late, though quitous rumors about the financial inthe October 16 shipment was the first stability of independent comic publishComico shipment delayed Sleepeck. ers in general, and questioned what the Gardner refuted this by saying that Joumal uiitorial slant would be when Comico’s departure fmm Sleepeck was reporting rumors of the indebtedness due to lack of $700,ooom•• and of Fantagraphics Books, the Journal ‘s referred to Comico as •tissholes” for sister company Comico spokesman Bob Schreck: calls company’s dispute • •a lack Of communication.”
Why and How: The Journal’s invesligation showed that Comico•s indebtedness was at least partly incurred as the result of an apparently unsuccessful nationwide newsstand distribution of such Comico titles as Jonny Quest, Grendel, and the three Robotech titles by Capital Periodical Distributors in Connecticut (not to be confused with the Wisconsin-tvased Capital City Distributors, which services the directsales market). Newsstand distributors typically take anywhere from six to nine months to pay publishers; a national distributor may not pay a publisher for a book that ships in January, for example, until July, August or September. This makes newsstand distribution an expensive proposition, which means that the publisher has to have the capital reserves to finance publishing expenditures such as printing. According to Gardner, Sleepeck deferred at least parl of Comico’s printing bill for a period of six months, at the end of which Comico was supposed to pay Sleepeck from the revenue generated by the newsstand sales. But, according to a knowledgeable source who asked to remain anonymous, Comico was unable to pay Sleepeck at the end of the six month period. Sleepeck continued to extend Comico credit upon Comico•s assurance that they would eventually pay the balance. However, the amount owed continued to increase. The Journal’s source pointed out that the failure of newsstand distribution alone was not a sufficient finanCial setback to have caused the size of Comico•s indebtedness. This source told the Journal that Comico claimed to have lost over when Glenwood Distributors went bankrupt, and that the collapse of Sunrise Distributors g and Alternate Realities also hampered their ability to pay Sleepeck. According to this source, Comico kept falling farther and farther behind while Sleepeck kept extending more and more credit. Another factor that contributed to Comico’s inability to pay Sleepeck,