Neptune Distribution was a UK based

comic a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations *Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a varia ...

company founded and headquartered in Leicester, which existed from

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the ...

. Neptune Comics (as it was named at the outset), began as a small B2C mail order company selling American comics to UK collectors at a time when there were few specialist retail outlets. In early 1986 Neptune Comics also began selling at regional Comic Marts in cities such as Leeds and Sheffield, and by mid 1986 began supplying retail outlets. Neptune Distribution incorporated in 1987 as Neptune Comic Distributors Limited. By this point, Neptune's initial aim of challenging

Titan Distribution Titan Distributors was a British comic book distributor which existed from 1978 to 1993, when it was acquired by a larger U.S. distributor. Operated by Nick Landau, Mike Lake, and Mike Luckman, Titan Distributors supplied comics, science fiction, ...

monopoly A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...

on the UK comic distribution business was well established. Neptune acted as a sub-distributor in regards to American comics, initially acquiring them from

Bud Plant Inc In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of a stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be specia ...

, who were acquired by Diamond Comic Distributors in 1986. Neptune's arrival was successful at first, and the company expanded into publishing in 1989 with Trident Comics, and in late 1990 helping to found

Apocalypse Ltd Apocalypse Ltd was a short-lived publishing company formed out of an alliance of Pat Mills, John Wagner, Alan Grant and Kevin O'Neill. Apocalypse was an offshoot of Neptune Distribution, based in South Wigston, Leicester. Apocalypse was meant ...

, which published ''

Toxic! ''Toxic!'' was a British comic that was published weekly from March 28 to October 24, 1991, by Apocalypse Ltd, with a total of 31 issues. History ''Toxic!'' was the idea of Pat Mills, Kevin O'Neill, Mike McMahon, John Wagner and Alan Grant. ...

'', a weekly title meant to compete with

Fleetway Publications Fleetway Publications was a magazine publishing company based in London. It was founded in 1959 when the Mirror Group acquired the Amalgamated Press, then based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. It was one of the companies that mer ...

's '' 2000 AD''.Bishop, David (2007) ''Thrill-Power Overload: The Official History of 2000 AD'' (Rebellion Developments, June 2007, ), pp. 142-143. The company expanded too quickly, however. Financial problems led the distribution side to stop importing American comics in July 1991, as they were unable to pay outstanding bills owed to Diamond. Neptune was then acquired by Diamond Comic Distributors in 1991;"Newswatch: Geppi Buys ''Baltimore''," ''The Comics Journal'' #174 (Feb. 1995), p. 29. this British distribution base enabled Diamond to form Diamond UK. Diamond next acquired

Titan Distributors Titan Distributors was a British comic book distributor which existed from 1978 to 1993, when it was acquired by a larger U.S. distributor. Operated by Nick Landau, Mike Lake, and Mike Luckman, Titan Distributors supplied comics, science fiction, ...

in 1993."Newswatch: Diamond Acquires Titan Distributors," ''The Comics Journal'' #162 (Oct. 1993), pp. 35-36.

References

External links

* "The Rise and Fall of Neptune Comic Distributors" by a former employee
Part OnePart TwoPart ThreePart FourPart FivePart SixPart SevenPart Eight
1986 establishments in the United Kingdom 1991 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Book distributors British companies established in 1986 Companies based in Leicester Comic book publishing companies of the United Kingdom Comics industry Defunct companies of the United Kingdom Privately held companies of the United Kingdom Publishing companies established in 1986 {{UK-comics-stub