CrossGen Comics has chosen Client Distribution Services (CDS) for exclusive representation of its growing line of graphic novels to the bookstore, library, warehouse club, and mass merchandiser channels.  CrossGen has 22 graphic novels in print with another 19 scheduled for publication before the end of the year. The company joins Marvel (see 'Marvel Makes It Official') and Tokyopop (see 'Tokyopop Selects CDS For Book Distribution') in choosing CDS for bookstore distribution. 

 

CrossGen had signed with LPC last year, but LPC's bankruptcy forced CrossGen to choose another distributor.  Chris Oarr, CrossGen's Director of Marketing & Sales, pointed to CDS's commitment to 'growing the graphic novel category within bookstores and mass merchants' as the determining factor in the choice.   CDS's addition of former LPC sales staff members and the creation of a special graphic novel sales force (see 'CDS Graphic Novel Division Takes Shape') has borne fruit immediately, although a number of other former LPC clients and major graphic novel publishers including Dark Horse, Image, and Top Shelf remain in play.

 

Michael Murphy, who heads the new graphic novel distribution group at CDS, noted that in just two months of shipping to bookstores, CrossGen had already shipped over 70,000 books, and Murphy expressed optimism for the future of sales of CrossGen to the book trade based on CrossGen's alliance with Hollywood power broker Michael Uslan (major announcements are expected at San Diego), as well as on the publisher's aggressive Internet program.