Bud Plant Inc.

Bud Plant Inc.
Company type	Private
Industry	Comic book distribution, Publishing, Retail
Founded	1970
Founder	Bud Plant
Defunct	1988 (as distributor)
Fate	Sold to Diamond Comics Distributors
Headquarters	Nevada County, California, United States
Products	Comic books, underground comix, zines, art books, graphic novels
Number of employees	7 (2020)

Bud Plant Inc. operated as a wholesale distributor of comic books during the 1970s and 1980s, coinciding with the emergence of the direct market. The firm also engaged in publishing a selection of comics and zines. Established in 1970 initially as a mail-order service specializing in underground comix, Bud Plant grew through the acquisition of smaller competitors throughout the 1980s before ultimately being sold to Diamond Comics Distributors in 1988. Currently, it functions under the name Bud Plant's Art Books, concentrating on reprints and graphic novels.

Beginnings

Bud Plant, born in 1952 and a native of San Jose, California, developed an early passion for comics by trading back issues during his high school years via fanzines such as Rocket's Blast/ComicCollector. In 1968, he co-established Seven Sons Comic Shop alongside five partners, though he divested his interest within a year. The following year, Plant and associates inaugurated another retail outlet named Comic World in San Jose.

In 1970, Plant founded Bud Plant, Inc. as a mail-order distributor with a focus on underground comix. By 1971, he and five partners were actively vending comics at prominent conventions across the United States, including events in Houston, New York, Dallas, San Diego, Miami, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

At the 1970 New York ComicCon, Plant met Phil Seuling, a pioneer of the direct market distribution model. Inspired by Seuling’s approach, Plant and his team traveled extensively during 1970 and 1971 to sell comix at various conventions nationwide. Toward the end of 1973, Seuling proposed that Plant take on distribution responsibilities for major publishers such as Archie, DC, Marvel, and Warren on the West Coast from Seuling’s new hub in Sparta, Illinois. Plant declined this offer to prioritize the expanding underground comix segment.

Publishing Ventures

Plant ventured into publishing in 1969 as one of three publishers behind Promethean Enterprises, a fanzine merging elements of comics and comix that continued until 1974. In 1972, he assumed control of Anomaly from Jan Strnad and transformed it into an underground comic.

Through his retail chain Comics & Comix (detailed below), Plant co-published Barbarian Killer Funnies in 1974—a blend of underground and sword-and-sorcery genres—and subsequently released 24 issues of Jack Katz’s The First Kingdom from 1974 through 1986. Comics & Comix also issued Jim Pinkoski’s Spaced (three issues between 1974 and 1976), Dan O'Neill’s Comics and Stories (two issues in 1975), and Alfredo Alcala’s Magic Carpet (two issues spanning 1977–1978).

Around 1978, Plant chose not to publish Elfquest, which was later self-published by Wendy and Richard Pini. Between 1980 and January 1985, Comics & Comix produced the industry trade publication Telegraph Wire.

Published Works

Promethean Enterprises (5 issues; 1969–1974)
Anomaly #4 (November 1972)
Barbarian Killer Funnies (1974)
The First Kingdom (24 issues; 1974–1986)
Spaced (3 issues; 1974–1976)
Dan O'Neill's Comics and Stories vol. 2 (2 issues; 1975)
Magic Carpet (2 issues; 1977–1978)
Telegraph Wire (24 issues; 1980–January 1985)

Comics & Comix Retail Chain

In August of 1972, while attending San Jose State University, Plant co-launched the comic book retailer Comics & Comix in Berkeley, California, partnering with John Barrett and Robert Beerbohm. The following year, Comics & Comix played a key role in organizing Berkeleycon 73—the inaugural Bay Area comics convention. At this event, they purchased a substantial collection exceeding 4,000 Golden Age comic books from Tom Reilly. Revenue generated from this acquisition enabled expansion into additional stores located in San Francisco (opened May 1973), San Jose, and Sacramento—positioning Comics & Comix as the first comic book chain store in the United States.

Growth and Market Penetration

During the early 1980s, Plant provided inventory to Destiny Distributors, a sub-distribution company operating in Seattle and Vancouver, established by Phil Pankow and later absorbed by Diamond in 1990. In 1982, Plant expanded its reach by acquiring regional competitor Charles Abar Distribution located in Belmont, California.

The mid-1980s brought significant industry changes: following the death of Seuling in 1984, his company Sea Gate Distributors declared bankruptcy. Simultaneously, Plant’s West Coast rival Pacific Comics, which also engaged in publishing, ceased operations. Subsequently, Plant and Midwestern distributor Capital City Distributors took over Sea Gate’s previous facility in Sparta, Illinois, situated near Pacific’s former printing site. In 1987, Plant further extended its wholesale network by purchasing Alternate Realities Distributing, Inc. based in Denver, Colorado, managed by Nanette Rozanski.

By 1988, Plant had established a commanding presence over West Coast comic book distribution, effectively fulfilling Seuling’s vision from 1974 and capturing a substantial portion of the market.

Acquisition by Diamond

In the summer of 1988, Steve Geppi of Diamond Comics Distribution acquired Plant’s distribution warehouses. This strategic purchase allowed Diamond to broaden its national footprint and gain control over an estimated 40% of the direct-sales market. Later that same year, Plant also divested Comics & Comix.

Refocusing on Core Operations

Following the sale of his distribution and retail ventures, Plant concentrated on mail-order and online sales specializing in art books, trade paperbacks, and rare volumes. He became renowned for his unique sales catalogs, including:

Bud Plant's Incredible Catalog (1987–1996)
Bud Plant Illustrated Books (1987–2005) – featuring rare and out-of-print titles
Bud Plant's Comic Art Update (1993–2002)
Bud Plant Comic Art Wholesale Catalog (Winter 1996)
Bud Plant's Incorrigible Catalog – showcasing pinup art and adult comics (Winter 2001–2002)
Bud Plant's Incredible Update (2003–present) – continuation of Comic Art Update

Business Restructuring

On July 5, 2011, Plant revealed intentions to retire and sell his mail-order enterprise. After an unsuccessful search for a buyer, he reduced operations in April 2012 by discontinuing printed catalogs but maintained business through email communications with a smaller team.

By 2013, the company resumed issuing smaller full-color catalogs every two months and reinstated key long-term staff members such as Todd Wulf and LaDonna Padgett, both of whom had been with the company prior to the 1988 wholesale sale to Diamond.

Bud Plant participated in the first 48 San Diego Comic-Con conventions until 2018. He returned as a featured guest during the event’s anniversary in 2019, contributing to several panel discussions. Additionally, he appeared as a guest and panelist at the 2019 San Diego Comic Fest.

As of April 2020, Bud Plant continued producing bi-monthly full-color catalogs alongside weekly new product emails and targeted promotional messages. The company employed seven full-time personnel—including Wulf and Padgett—and operated from the same warehouse for over three decades. That year marked Plant’s fiftieth anniversary in business.

Honors

In 1985, DC Comics recognized him in its commemorative publication Fifty Who Made DC Great.
Awarded the Inkpot Award at the 1994 San Diego Comic-Con.

External links