What Is The Black Panel?
The Black Panel offers a shop-within-a-shop service for retailers, bridging you with creative
publishers under an identifiable local produce banner.
What The Black Panel Does For You
The Black Panel handles all distribution between artist and store and passes funds direct to creators.
Comics are stocked on a sale-or-return basis. You keep 25% of sales, we keep 10% to help with
running costs, and the remaining 65% goes to the publishers to help with theirs.
You're also free to pursue straight buy options by giving us a 10% of the book cost. Our publishers
often lower costs for straight buys and volume deals.
We'll check in with you at least once a quarter to collect any sales monies, take stock to go and
deliver new product, as well as confer on business development. We'll keep you up to date with
email personally tailored to your shop, and as a local small business, The Black Panel can promise
to provide support within the week.
The shop within a shop concept allows us to drive business to each another.
Once a fortnight, I'll promote our relationship using social and commercial media. My experience in
this area has seen me work as a columnist in numerous venues including Bleeding Cool, Comics
International, Bugpowder, Irish Comic News and as Best Content Weblog award winner at
WikiWorldBook.
As an adopter of local products, I believe you are offering something unique, and that's worth
attention.
To maintain awareness of the selection on offer, a twice-yearly retailer's catalogue and a small print
run free sheet for customers is available.
For shops showing a commitment to working with us over the months, point-of-sale stands will be
provided. We also offer banner heads and display books free of charge. We'll act as a go-between,
informing you of any comixers keen to be part of book signings, or group workshops. If there's an
artist you'd like to appear at your store, commission or focus on the work of, we'll do our best to
help make it happen. We'll supply you periodically with free comic books for customers, and to
enhance your profits, offer discounts with large sales.
Andy Luke, Black Panel Distribution, July 2012
Terms and Conditions
Retailer accepts responsibility for all stock provided. Where missing or
unreasonably damaged, stock will count as sold and the store will be liable.
Stores will be similarly responsible for return or cost of display units
should they leave the distribution scheme within 26 weeks.
logo designed by Paddy Brown c. 2009
Distributing at The Black Box 2009-2011
The Black Panel is made possible through the combined efforts of Alice Quigley and Trans Belfast, The Black Box, Paddy Brown and Andy Luke.
The binding theme: all comics sold at our stall are produced by creators in the North and South of Ireland. Most are self-financed and self-published. As is the way, we represent the machine of the creative comix industry in these areas.
Since setting up at The Black Box in December 2009 we've had a steady stream of returning customers and an ever growing range: currently over fifty comics not sold regularly anywhere else.
The comics stall appears on the first Sunday of the month from 2-5pm. Along with stalls selling cakes, jewellry, ttv photos, print, vinyl, books, badges, zines, posters, poi and other things.
Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LA (Google Map)
See that big fish at the front? That's by a Belfast small press cartoonist that is. As well as the links here, you can keep informed of the current generation over at the Belfast Comics Blogspot.
