Great news, US based Terrans! Rebellion announced this morning that 2000 AD is set to become a weekly title in the US market. Currently, copies of 2000 AD are only available in one-month bagged batches through Diamond Distribution, which cost around $25 for four to five issues! However, as of the next Diamond Previews catalogue, Us and Canada based readers will now be able to order their progs (issues) on a weekly basis.

As a Canadian reader of 2000 AD, I have to say that I am pretty excited about this news, because buying the bagged batches could get pretty expensive at times, and you really feel that cost on the week that it comes out! I know it won’t cost any less this way, but it will certainly feel a bit more manageable!

It should be noted that this won’t be the first time that the progs have been released weekly, as they only shifted to the monthly bags about two years ago (see here). This change was originally made because the shipping of the weekly progs though Diamond used to be rather erratic. Sometimes you could go six or seven weeks without receiving a prog, and then all of a sudden, you would receive 6 or 7 progs in one week! Hopefully this situation won’t arise this time around, as it sounds like they are really making a concerted effort to tap into the lucrative US market, with the new Dredd movie fast approaching!

So, what are you waiting for? Get down to you local store and tell them that you want your weekly issues of 2000 AD!

Here’s the official announcement:

2000 AD to hit US shores – every week

Individual ‘progs’ to become available through Diamond in US

2000 AD® is proud to announce a step change in the way it is distributed in the USA.

From August, the legendary weekly British title will be featured in Diamond Distribution’s Previews magazine as individual issues, known as ‘progs’ – with October’s Prog 1754 being the first retailers and consumers can order as a single issue.

Presently, copies of 2000 AD are bound in monthly packs of four or five issues that can be ordered from Diamond. This means readers have to shell out up to $25 for a single item.

However, this distribution change means that 2000 AD will once again be a weekly comic on both sides of the Atlantic – giving readers the chance to pick up thirty-two pages of action EVERY week for a fraction of the cost of one of the monthly packs.

Overseas readers who prefer their comics digitally can also download copies of 2000 AD via Clickwheel.net, with digital releases only a week behind physical copies, and for just £1.49 ($2.44) – making them great value in the current market.

Matt Smith, editor of 2000 AD, said:

“This is a great step forward in 2000 AD’s mission to bring the best of British to American readers and we’re delighted that we are to become a weekly publication in the US, just like we are in the UK.

“Twenty dollars for one of the monthly packs is a lot of cash to hand over for a single purchase, especially for what to many in the US remains an unknown quantity, so by distributing each issue every week we’re hoping American readers will be tempted by our blend of high-octane action and first class comics talent.”

2000 AD® is Britain’s longest running and most celebrated sci-fi comic, which has been at the cutting edge of contemporary pop culture since 1977. The 32 page, weekly anthology is a multi-award winning cocktail of explosive sci-fi and fantasy, infused with a mean streak of irony and wry black humour.

Giving birth to iconic characters such as Judge Dredd, Halo Jones, Strontium Dog and Rogue Trooper, the imaginative blend of hard-hitting stories and eye-popping art have made 2000 AD essential reading for its legion of fiercely loyal fans for more than 30 years – launching the careers of some of the top names in global comics, including Alan Moore, Mark Millar, Grant Morrison, Brian Bolland, Steve Dillon, Jock, and Peter Milligan.

2000 AD, its monthly sister publication The Judge Dredd Megazine, and its extensive range of collected graphic novels are available to buy online, from all major magazine retailers across the UK and Europe and from all good comic stores across the US.

Related posts:

1. 2000 AD to Release Special Edition of Sláine:The Horned God for US Market!
2. If You Buy One Comic This Week, Make it 2000 AD Prog #1650
3. Thrill-Power News: 2000 AD Now Delivered in Monthly Packs in North America!
4. SDCC 2010: 2000 AD/Rebellion Makes a Statement about the DEA Seizure
5. Marvel Moves Book Market Distribution to Hachette & Extends Direct Market Agreement With Diamond