July 11th, 2007

After thirteen years of distributing small-press and independent comic books, the owners of Cold Cut Distribution are offering the company for sale, including its inventory, equipment and all other assets.

Within the comics industry, Cold Cut holds a unique position, filling a niche that no other company services. In addition to offering wholesale distribution, Cold Cut could be expanded or repositioned in many ways, including retail mail order, pop culture items, internet sales or other areas. As an established business, Cold Cut has the necessary infrastructure to jump-start any enterprising venture, and can be easily relocated from its current Salinas, CA warehouse to anywhere in the United States.

Please note that Cold Cut Distribution is not closing. We will continue to operate on a normal schedule and process all orders as usual. We are not changing the discounts we offer, or our terms of sale.

Individuals or companies who are interested in Cold Cut should contact Mark Thompson at 831-751-7300 by phone, thompson@coldcut.com by email, or 831-751-1513 by fax. You may also arrange to meet with Mark Thompson in person at the upcoming Comic-Con International in San Diego.


Here's a response to the news from Icarus Publishing:

This turn of events is worrisome for smaller publishers, myself included, in part because no such intention was ever shared with publishers beforehand. There’s also no guarantee that Cold Cut would continue as a distributor even if it finds a buyer… the pitch openly suggests the possibility of converting the operation into a mail-order business.

The rocky history of distributors past does not bode well for small vendors. (When FM International pulled its disappearing act, the roughly $2,000 in overdue invoices it owed Icarus evaporated as well. Cold Cut’s current tab with us… about twice that number.) Things are still early, and perhaps some reassuring communique to publishers is forthcoming. But to be honest, only a check for all amounts due ahead of this sale can assuage the butterflies in my stomach right now.