Marvel “Greatly Reduces” Newsstand Distribution

by Rich Johnston, Source: Bleeding Cool.com

It was only a few years ago that Marvel was following the Panini model by collecting 2-3 copies into one and selling them on newstands for $3.99 or $4.99. It was seen as a solid way to “get them when they were young”, expanding out, beyond the traditional comic store.

But of late, Marvel has been calling digital the “new newsstand”. So what happens to the old one?

I now understand that Marvel is all but withdrawing from newsstand distribution. The phase is a “greatly reduced” newsstand service and I’ve heard from some comic stores who use the newsstand distribution system for some stock that there are no Marvels coming in to them at all.

Astronomer: What a Space: 1999 lunar explosion would really be like

By Phil Plait, Source: Blastr.com

Phil Plait is an astronomer and major sci-fi geek. He writes the Bad Astronomy Blog for Discover Magazine and is also the host of the Discovery Channel’s science show “Phil Plait’s Bad Universe.” You can follow him on Twitter at @BadAstronomer.

On September 13, 1999, a tragedy befell all mankind. An accident of unknown origin at the nuclear waste dumps on the far side of the Moon caused a massive explosion which hurled the Moon out of Earth orbit.