Comic and Game Retailers Ready for a Comeback

Diamond Comic Distributors and Alliance Game  Distributors, Geppi Family Enterprises companies, today announced the launch of Back The ComebackTM, a multi-phased campaign focused on supporting local comic and game stores as they reopen, restart and rebuild. Centered around the rallying cry of, “Our Comeback Will Be Bigger Than Our Setback,” Diamond and Alliance created the campaign in partnership with publishers and industry influencers to shine a light on the unique relationship consumers have with their local comic and game retailers while raising funds to support restart efforts.

For the Safety of Geeks Everywhere, Comic-Con 2020 is Cancelled

This was coming. We all knew it was coming. You can't possibly plan an international gathering of like-minded geeks with vendors shipping product across the globe and guests making plans that are concrete-like for airlines and hotels, when the world is practically on fire. To think it would be all clear by July was overly optimistic. We at Idle Hands tip our hats to the producers of Comic-Con for making the hard decisions, and to the readers out there, we hope you'll support your favorite artists, comic creators and vendors, as without the massive income they would bring in from SDCC, they'll need you more than ever.

For the first time in its 50-year history San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC), the organizers behind the annual pop culture celebration, announced today with deep regret that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020. The event will instead return to the San Diego Convention Center from July 22-25, 2021.

BookExpo, UnBound & BookCon Moved to 2021

Today, ReedPop announced that due to the escalation of COVID-19 globally, the next edition of BookExpo, UnBound and BookCon will now take place in the spring of 2021.

The events were previously postponed from their original May dates to late July, however, as the pandemic has continued to escalate in the United States and we see the challenges it has brought for the book industry, it is clear that 2020 is no longer a viable option for this community.

Contest of Champions Benefit D&D Stream April 4th

A time of great chaos gripped the land. Citizens of the realm are forced to stare at each other for days on end with only the binge watching of Tiger King to pass their monotonous hours. WHO WOULD COME TO SAVE THEM??!! Enter The Contest of Champions, a Twitch tabletop gaming benefit streaming April 4th on
GameStop's TWITCH Channel (https://www.twitch.tv/gamestop) beginning 11am, PST, produced by Lost Odyssey Events.

Connecting You To Your World **UPDATING DAILY**

For the first time in most of our lives, we are living through an event that everyone across the globe is touched by. This great shift in the way we've been forced to live has jarred many, and for those of us who were already in a precarious place with our mental health, it's a struggle every day. It is with that in mind that we are posting this page that will be both outreach for those in need and refuge for those who need a break from their four walls. Below you'll find links to people banning together for worthwhile causes you can contribute to and places online where you can take in historical sites, appreciate art or just spend some time smiling. We hope you'll find some peace of mind here.

Diamond Comics Distro Addresses Pandemic Response & Effects on Comic Industry

Statement from Steve Geppi, Diamond Comics Distribution CEO:

As everyone knows, the world faces ever-increasing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its effects on the comics & collectibles and tabletop gaming industries have been felt far and wide.  We are hearing from thousands of retailers that they can no longer service their customers as they have in the past, many of them forced to close by government action or resort to in-person or curbside delivery. Even those still open are seeing reduced foot traffic in most cases, a situation that seems likely to worsen with time.

Garden State Film Festival Readies Virtual Screenings

Stars shine this Thursday, 26 March 2020, when the Garden State Film Festival presents hundreds of independent films virtually through parallel and dynamic digital streaming in light of the global COVID-19 crisis, and the announcement from the Governor of the State of New Jersey further restricting public gatherings.

That's right! You can see an incredible selection of +240 innovative films through an unprecedented four-day, live-stream event on your computer, tablet, or mobile phone. Starving for interesting entertainment during self-isolation? GSFF 2020 is the perfect antidote. Enjoy popcorn in your PJ's while streaming hundreds of feature-length films, shorts, documentaries, animation, student films, premieres, and more top-quality cinematic showmanship.