For our article on the early days of the Direct Market, ICv2 interviewed Bill Schanes, who with his brother Steve was an early retailer and distributor.

Being a comic collector was a tough slog in the early 70s, but the Direct Market changed everything: collecting comics, selling comics, and comics themselves.

One of the most massive movers of the direct market was a 14-store juggernaut until a new owner got busted on drug and weapons charges.

The story begins: in 1965, a teenage Bud Plant rifled through a bin of comics.

In this first video, Plant talks about the very early days of the comics business in the 1960s, and some of the first comic stores in California.

In this second video, Plant talks about meeting Phil Seuling, the beginnings of the direct market, and opening the first Comics & Comix store.

In this third video, Plant talks about rapid growth in the 1980s, selling his wholesale business to Diamond, and the meaning of it all.

Eisner Award Hall of Fame nominee Bud Plant shares his thoughts on being nominated, our endorsement, and the role Phil Seuling played in the origin of the comics Direct Market.

The explanation for why the comic store channel is called the comics Direct Market is rooted in the origins of the distribution system.

We interviewed VIZ Media Vice President Kevin Hamric for ICv2 Manga Week, and heard about VIZ's top Fall 2023 releases, including box sets and Star Wars: The Mandalorian Manga.