Initial comic and graphic novel orders to Diamond from North American pop culture stores were up 7% (in dollars) over December 2000, capping off a strong year-over-year trend for the fourth quarter.

For the first time in recent memory, initial U.S. orders on a comic title by pop culture stores have topped $1 million retail.

CrossGen Comics announced that with the release of Mystic #18, The First #13 , and Negation Prequel on November 7th, that it had published 100 consecutive comic releases as scheduled.

According to Marvel's most recent quarterly financials, Marvel's publishing inventory reached $1.2 million at cost as of September 30. This is over four times its inventory at the end of 2000.

By the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, Nick Barucci and the folks at Dynamic Forces will have raised more than $100,000 dollars for a variety of 9/11 charities including the Police and Fireman's Widow's and Orphans Fund...

Dreamwave Productions announced that it is ending its association with Image Comics effective in April 2002.

Marvel and DC comic shipments were neck and neck in October, according to Diamond Comic Distributors final report of market share numbers for the month, despite a gap of around 8% in advance order market shares.

Marvel released its Q3 report last week, and its publishing and toy results continued to improve vs. Q2, although licensing was somewhat weaker.

The venerable Simpsons top two categories in our Top 10 Cool lists for October, compiled from reports submitted by retailers across the country.

Marvel's no reprint policy was on retailers' minds again this week with the news that Amazing Spider-man #36, which is selling very rapidly coast-to-coast, will not be reprinted as a stand-alone issue but will instead by re-issued as part of a Marvel Must-Have book in December.