Big Rapids Distribution
| Company type | Cooperative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Distribution |
| Founded | c. 1970 |
| Defunct | 1980 |
| Headquarters | Detroit, Michigan , United States |
Area served | Central and southern Michigan |
Key people | Jim Kennedy |
| Products | Underground newspapers, radical literature, underground comix, magazines, paperbacks, mainstream comic books |
Big Rapids Distribution was a distributor based in Detroit that specialized in underground newspapers, radical literature, and underground comix. During the early 1970s, it was instrumental in delivering widespread access to underground comix and alternative papers throughout Michigan, making these materials readily available at full-service newsstands. By the late 1970s, prior to its bankruptcy in 1980, Big Rapids had evolved into an independent alternative distributor serving central and southern Michigan with a diverse inventory of magazines, paperbacks, and mainstream comic books.
Services
Among the prominent periodicals distributed by Big Rapids were Berkeley Barb, Fifth Estate, Creem, Rolling Stone, and High Times. These titles were offered alongside a variety of underground comix publications.
Origins
Established around 1970 in Detroit under the name Keep On Truckin' Coop, the company later shifted its base to Big Rapids, Michigan, adopting the name Big Rapids Distribution while retaining its cooperative model. Jim Kennedy, recognized as a central figure within the company, characterized Big Rapids as an "alternative Independent Distributor."
Rise to prominence
In early 1975, Big Rapids expanded into mainstream comics distribution by acquiring assets from Donahoe Brothers Inc., a now-defunct Ann Arbor distributor from which it had previously procured mainstream comics. The company moved its headquarters back to Detroit and pursued rapid growth strategies, including assuming control over customer accounts burdened with substantial debts—contrasting sharply with their Marxist-themed delivery vehicles. The 1978 legal action initiated by East Coast distributor Irjax Enterprises against Sea Gate Distributors and major comic publishers deregulated the distribution industry, facilitating further expansion for Big Rapids. At its height, the company was a leading alternative distributor in Detroit as well as central and southern Michigan, providing an extensive selection of magazines, paperbacks, and comic books.
Acquisitions
Big Rapids expanded its reach by acquiring several distributors:
- The Comic Distributor — managed by Jim Friel, who joined Big Rapids as an employee after his debt was called in during 1979. (The name was later adopted by Mark Hylton of Comic Carnival.)
- Isis News (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
- Nova (Los Angeles, California)
- Well News Co. (Columbus, Ohio) — whose personnel became foundational to an early Capital City Distribution branch
- Wisconsin Independent News Distributors (WIND) — led by Milton Griepp and John Davis, founders of Capital City Distribution
Bankruptcy and dissolution
Despite being the largest distributor serving the direct market in 1980, Big Rapids filed for bankruptcy and underwent asset liquidation.
Subsequently, several new enterprises briefly emerged from this collapse—such as Comic Kingdom (Bob Hellems, Detroit) and Common Ground Distributors (Robert Beerbohm, San Francisco Bay Area)—though most operations were ultimately consolidated under the newly founded Capital City Distribution and New Media Distribution.