An ICv2 Release.  The Covid pandemic was a time of shortening supply chains, as publishers struggled to get their products to consumers and increasingly turned to direct-to-consumer sales through crowdfunding, e-commerce, and live selling.  Once the sole province of scrappy underdogs seeking to a reach a consumer that wasn't finding their products at trade, DTC sales are now utilized by a growing number of mid-sized publishers using it for licensed and other high-profile products.

Does this trend represent the ultimate threat to the trade or a way to find customers that aren’t buying at stores?  To find the answers, ICv2 is hosting "Direct-to-Consumer, the Ultimate Disintermediation?" at the ICv2 Insider Talks: The Next Comics Revolution at New York Comic Con.

The ICv2 Insider Talks: The Next Comics Revolution, and Comic Industry Social Hour, will kick off with the Comic Industry Social Hour at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, October 17, in the dramatic 4th Floor Pavilion at the Javits Center, in association with New York Comic Con.  The Insider Talks, which will run 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., will include four powerful sessions in a quick-moving format, each focusing on the trends that are leading toward the next revolution in the comics business.

In "Direct-to-Consumer, the Ultimate Disintermediation?" ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp talks to two publishing executives that have long histories with direct-to-consumer sales about the strategy and its place in a channel structure that also includes brick-and-mortar retailers.

Direct-to-Consumer, the Ultimate Disintermediation? (4:30-5:00 p.m.) features the following key insiders:

Nicola "Nick" Barrucci began selling and trading comics at conventions while he was still a young teenager.  He went on to become an innovator in mail order and online sales of signed and limited collectibles through TV shopping networks, building on his success to found Dynamic Forces and its sister company Dynamite Entertainment, which is currently celebrating 20 years of publishing best-selling comics.



Filip Sablik is a publishing industry executive with nearly 25 years experience in distribution, editorial, marketing, sales, business development, and operations as well as occasional comic writer and artist.  With prior stints at Diamond Comic Distributors and Top Cow Productions, Sablik was most recently BOOM! Studios' President of Publishing and Marketing for 12 years.  He recently co-founded a new comic and graphic novel publisher with Jamie S. Rich, Jeremy Haun, and Eric Gitter.


Milton Griepp is the founder and President of ICv2, since 2001 the undisputed industry authority on the business of geek culture.  He is a 45-year veteran of the geek culture business, and has managed companies that have sold over $1 billion in retail value of geek culture products as CEO of Capital City Distribution and Next Planet Over.  He also served on the board of comiXology for five years until its sale to Amazon, and was Vice President and board member of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

If you are a business or creative professional, have a New York Comic Con badge in one of the pro categories, and would like a free ticket to the event, email Conferences@ICv2.com.

If you are press and would like to cover the event, email Conferences@ICv2.com.

For more information, click here.

The support of these companies makes this event possible:

Co-Sponsor: GlobalComix
GlobalComix is a comics platform for the modern era, dedicated to reshaping the landscape of graphic fiction creation, distribution, and consumption on a global scale.  Focused on providing tools to grow and succeed, GlobalComix is on a tireless mission to create the best platform in the world to publish, discover, and read comics.  GlobalComix empowers creators with the tools they need to reach new audiences, monetize their work, and engage with fans in novel ways.  For readers, GlobalComix offers a diverse, immersive, and engaging reading experience that spans genres and geographies.

Supporting Sponsor: Diamond Comic Distributors
With over 40 years of service, Diamond Comic Distributors is a leader in the worldwide distribution of comics, games, toys, collectibles and preservation supplies.  With an unparalleled distribution network, Diamond’s mission is to support and serve our customers and partners with all their pop culture needs.  Diamond is part of Geppi Family Enterprises, the largest producers and distributors of English-language comics, toys, collectibles, games, and preservation supplies worldwide.

About ICv2
ICv2 is the #1 industry source on the business of geek culture, including comics and graphic novels, manga, hobby games, and merch, on its website, ICv2.com, in its magazine, Internal Correspondence Annual, and with events like these.  For the people on the front lines of the geek culture business, staying ahead of the trends isn't something that can be left to chance - it's a basic necessity for being successful.  ICv2 is the #1 source of news and information for the thought leaders at the forefront of change.