Mold Remediation in Baltimore, MD

Welcome to "Forksuary", the Last 2-Days of (BRW) Baltimore Restaurant Week, says Charm'tastic Mile

February 1, 2025 - The "Charm'tastic Mile" of Baltimore (CTMB-1.3) www.thecharmtasticmile.com. The chic & famed 1.3 mile corridor located in the heart of Charm City (Est.1975) that connects Dwtn-West, the Inner Harbor & Harbor East (S. Greene & W. Pratt Street to S. President & Fleet Street) that is now listed on Google search as one of the Top 10-15 Most Famous Streets in America is reporting that today is the start of "Forksuary" in B-more.

The Iconic 1.3 mile stretch of downtown-Charm City has created a new-term/slogan for the culinary dining crowd. Welcome to "Forksuary". It's Forks, Wine & Dine in February #ForksuaryBmore.

"Baltimore Restaurant Week https://baltimorerestaurantweek.com is winding down, but the love of dining out and a continued bustling foodie scene will continue in the month of February with our new term "Forksuary". This is a part of the growing-popular Famous Streets & Sports Culture in America. We have the Super Bowl (59) next Sunday and Valentine's Day the following weekend. Let's roll the entire month with a great food energy that brings patrons to the marvelous restaurants in Baltimore", says Derrick E Vaughan of The "Charm'tastic Mile".

The "Charm'tastic Mile" will be in Philadelphia this coming Monday (2-3-25) to report on the 'Super Bowl LIX (59) Hype' in the City of Brotherly Love. The launch of "Charm City 50", the 50th Anniversary (1975-2025) of the Iconic nickname coined for Baltimore in 1975 was launched last Saturday January 25th (1-25-25).

The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV 27-10. It was the 1st SB appearance by Philly. The game was played at the then Louisiana Superdome, now Caesars Superdome. SB XV was played on 1-25-81 and the launch to "Charm City 50" was 1-25-25, 44-years later to the date.

Charm'tastic STAT: There were three Super Bowls played on January 25th. The 1st SB on Jan. 25th, (1-25-81) Super Bowl XV - Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10, the 2nd (1-25-87) Super Bowl XXI - New York Giants 39, Denver Broncos 20 and the 3rd (1-25-98) Super Bowl XXXII - Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24.

For more information or news media interview requests on the new term "Forksuary" or the sports history/origin of "Charm City 50", Est. 1975 in Baltimore please contact Derrick E Vaughan of The Charm'tastic Mile at 443-851-5244 or email: thecharmtasticmile@gmail.com.

Maryland’s Diamond Comic Distributors had a monopoly. How did it go bankrupt?

Hayes Gardner

1/23/2025 5:30 a.m. ESTchat_bubble

The saga is fit for a comic book: meager beginnings, a rapid ascendance and toppling rivals to achieve sweeping power.

Diamond Comic Distributors’ latest chapter, however, reads as a downfall.

After decades as the country’s top comic book distributor, Diamond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, intending to sell off some of the healthier aspects of its business and reorganize. It doesn’t necessarily mean the demise of Diamond, which received $41 million in financingfrom JPMorgan Chase to continue operating, but it does spell the end of an era for an industry giant.

Diamond’s origin traces not to Krypton or a spider bite, but to a TV repair shop basement. That’s where Steve Geppi, a Baltimore mailman in his 20s, opened a small comic store in 1974.

Later headquartered in Hunt Valley, Diamond morphed into the essential connector between publishers and retailers. The company fended off and then gobbled up competitors. Beginning in the mid-1990s, Diamond operated as a de facto monopoly in the eyes of just about everyone but the federal government.

But when Diamond briefly suspended operations during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it began to lose its stranglehold on distribution. Discount Comic Book Service, the country’s largest online discount comic book retailer, quickly created Lunar Distribution to exclusively distribute DC Comics — one of the “Big 2” publishers, Marvel being the other — while Diamond’s operations were paused in April 2020.

Jan 23, 2025

Suddenly, comic book shops had another distributor option besides Diamond.

Over the past five years, its control has further eroded, and industry experts weren’t surprised that Diamond filed for bankruptcy, which will require it to take a large step back.

A Diamond spokesperson declined to make an executive available, but said in an email: “The need to restructure was driven by the unexpected loss of certain exclusive publisher relationships, compounded by an overall contraction in consumer spending, increased inflation, and a loss of margin on key print product lines.”

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Some comic book fans rejoiced at the bankruptcy news, lamenting Diamond’s longtime monopoly and recent issues with delivery delays.

But others said its dominance provided stability to comic book stores. Diamond helped create Free Comic Book Day, a popular promotion held each May. And it served as a quasi-bank for many retailers: When stores were behind on paying for new books, Diamond would extend credit, enabling them to stay open when they otherwise might close.

“For all of their ills and the very fair criticism leveled at Diamond,” said Benn Ray, who co-owns Atomic Books in Hampden and worked for Diamond in the late 1990s, “one of the things that, I guess, has been good, or significant, for the industry was the promotion and the evangelizing of comic books.”

Waiting for Spider-Man

A distributor is only as good as its distribution. And since November, store owners say, Diamond’s deliveries have been late, interrupting the weekly economics of running a business.

Wednesdays are the days that new comic books are permitted to hit the shelves; ideally deliveries arrive a few days earlier so shops can stock those titles.

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Universal Comics in Arbutus receives about two-thirds of its inventory from Diamond and gets a chunk from Lunar.

Chris Banko, a manager at Universal, surveyed shelves last Thursday afternoon. There should have been 35 new titles available to customers, but he only had 14, all of which were DC comics from Lunar.

“I’m still waiting for Diamond to show up,” he said.

A customer at Universal could leaf through a Batman (a DC character) comic, but would be hard-up to snag a new Spider-Man (Marvel). Tardiness has prompted Universal to make a switch. Going forward, Banko said, Universal will receive more of its inventory from Lunar and Penguin Random House, which entered the distribution fray in 2021.

Part of Diamond’s delivery to Universal arrived late Thursday, with the rest showing up Saturday morning.

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“Diamond, we’d been with forever, so we stuck with it,” Banko said. “Now with everything going on, this is that last straw.”

The main character

Geppi, 74, from Baltimore’s Little Italy, grew Diamond from a tiny, local operation to a worldwide enterprise that included the lucrative Alliance Game Distributors. As Diamond absorbed competition, Geppi also purchased Baltimore magazine and a minority stake in the Baltimore Orioles.

Geppi, who did not respond to requests for comment, was asked during a 2020 video interview with “Comic Book Historians” how he felt about the hosts referring to him as “the Godfather of comics.”

“I love it. I feel it’s an honor,” Geppi replied, then quoting from the 1972 film: “‘I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse.’”

For years, there was no refusing Geppi. Diamond had exclusive rights to distribute just about every comic that customers craved, and retailers had a simplified stream of inventory. Rather than juggling several distribution companies, they had a one-stop-shop with Diamond, where they could acquire products from DC, Marvel and a host of smaller publishers.

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The U.S. Justice Department took note, investigating the comic book distribution industry for possible antitrust violations in the late 1990s, but taking no action against Diamond.

Local comic book store owners stressed how influential Diamond has been and applauded the leniency it extended to stores over the years who were behind on bills. Without Diamond, it’s possible fewer comic book stores would exist today.

“Stores may have needed a little bit of help, and Diamond comes through and helps them,” said Marc Nathan, who has had an account with Diamond since he opened Reisterstown’s Cards Comics & Collectibles in 1984. “The other distributors do not.”

End of an era

Dominos began falling during the pandemic, with DC Comics leaving for Lunar and Marvel distributing its comic books through Penguin Random House.

Then, in 2023, Image — the third-largest publisher — switched to Lunar.

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“Image moving over really began the beginning of the end,” said Atom Freeman.

Freeman, whose given name is “Adam” but brands himself as “Atom,” owns Prana: Direct Market Solutions, a comic consulting company. Part of Diamond’s shortcomings, he and others said, was their lack of adaptation.

“It seems like they did not respond quickly enough to the loss of revenue with a change in their operations,” he said.

Diamond’s top creditor is Random House Penguin, likely because it bought product from the company to fill orders from retailers, which it owes $9 million, according to bankruptcy documents filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Maryland. It also owes $4 million to Bandai, a Japanese toy company, and more than $1 million to Hasbro, Disney Consumer Products and others.

Diamond received $41 million in debtor-in-possession financing, which it will use to meet “obligations to associates and suppliers,” according to a Diamond news release.

Universal Distribution, a Canadian competitor, has also taken steps to acquire key pieces of Diamond.

A Universal affiliate has offered a $39 million stalking horse bid for Alliance Game Distributors, according to the release. (A stalking horse bid sets the floor price for what an asset of a bankrupt company will be sold for.) Universal also signed a nonbinding letter of intent to acquire Diamond’s European distribution division, Diamond UK.

Diamond is actively seeking a buyer for its remaining business operations, a spokesperson said. If it is unable to find a buyer by April 1, the company would cease operations and lay off as many as 168 employees, according to a federally mandated notification it provided to the Maryland Department of Labor.

Brian Hibbs, who has owned the San Francisco shop Comix Experience since 1989 and writes about the industry, said anyone celebrating Diamond’s bankruptcy is a “moron” and called its possible demise “cataclysmic.”

The end of Diamond would make it harder for comic book stores, he said, and it could mean the end of some smaller publishers, who might not be able to find distribution at all.

“This is potentially a game-changer,” Hibbs said, “and not in any kind of a good way.”

Correction: Photo captions on this story have been updated to correct the name of Atomic Books.

hayes.gardner@thebaltimorebanner.com

Hayes Gardner is a business reporter for The Baltimore Banner. He previously wrote for The Baltimore Sun, the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Ames (Iowa) Tribune, covering a mix of sports, news and business.

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Forth & Goal "Forksabration", 4-Days Remaining for BRW-Baltimore Restaurant Week, Says CTMB-1.3

January 29, 2025 - The "Charm'tastic Mile" of Baltimore (CTMB-1.3) www.thecharmtasticmile.com. The chic & famed 1.3 mile corridor located in the heart of Charm City (Est.1975) that connects Dwtn-West, the Inner Harbor & Harbor East (S. Greene & W. Pratt Street to S. President & Fleet Street) that is now listed on Google search as one of the Top 10-15 Most Famous Streets in America is reporting that It's 4th & Goal "Forksabration", 4-days remaining for BRW- Baltimore Restaurant Week, the Most Delicious Week of the Year. Today until Sunday February 2nd.

Dining patrons, It's a "Forksabration" for a BRW Reservation. The Charm City dining scene has a marvelous collection of restaurants with choices from Asian, Italian, Middle Eastern, Seafood, Steak and more. As we enter the last couple days of January 2025 the New Renaissance of downtown-Baltimore is on the rise.

Downtown Hotel Restaurants are offering BRW to visiting business tourists and locals that like to have dinner inside a hotel. Dinner at a hotel was very big during the 1980's and early 90's. Berry & Elliott's located on the top floor of the Hyatt Regency along with their Iconic Sunday Brunch of the 80's were the talk-of-the-town. There was a time that hotels had some of the best culinary talent and it showed at Hamptons located inside the Harbor Court Hotel. The Conservatory & Brasserie located inside the old Peabody Court. Windows inside the Renaissance Harborplace during the late 80's & 90's were also very popular.

2025 and beyond will mark a new era in the Baltimore dining scene. Bite-by-bite and swirl-by-swirl (wine) will determine how this era measures up to the 80's, 90's and early 2000. Get out and enjoy the last 5-days of BRW, Make it a "Forksabration" in Charm City.

This past Saturday January 25th was the official launch of "Charm City 50", the 50th Anniversary (1975-2025) year-long celebration of the Charm City nickname that was coined for Baltimore in 1975.

Charm'tastic STAT: There were three Super Bowls played on January 25th. The 1st SB on Jan. 25th, (1-25-81) Super Bowl XV - Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10, the 2nd (1-25-87) Super Bowl XXI - New York Giants 39, Denver Broncos 20 and the 3rd (1-25-98) Super Bowl XXXII - Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24.

For more information or news media interview requests on the Year-long Celebration of "Charm City 50", Est. 1975 please contact Derrick E Vaughan of The Charm'tastic Mile at 443-851-5244 or email: thecharmtasticmile@gmail.com.

Meteorologist Ava Marie says it's an Impact Weather day due to the Wind Advisory for most of Maryland.

|| Closings/Delays | Weather Advisories | Radar | Forecast | Email Alerts | Send us your pics ||

Strong winds are expected throughout the day starting around 11 a.m. with a steady breeze at 20- 30 mph. We could see potential wind gusts as high as 50 mph in the Baltimore area and even higher in western Maryland. There is a High Wind Warning in that area with possible wind gusts up to 65 mph.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

12:33PM-Windy Wednesday with gusts up near 50mph at times. Wind Advisory remains in effect until 6PM. After that winds should calm down tonight into Thursday as it gets cooler. We'll go from the upper 50s for highs today down to the 40s by Thursday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/Iafd2zLtWN

— Alena Lee (@alenaleewx) January 29, 2025

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Take caution as the high winds could cause unsecured objects to fly around as well as possible broken tree branches. Isolated power outages are also possible. The Wind Advisory will last through the afternoon, ending at 6 p.m. It will be mostly sunny and warmer with temps reaching the mid 50s.

| LINK: MDOT SHA's Statewide Transportation Operations Response Map

Download the WBAL-TV app NOW and turn on push alerts to be aware of severe weather warnings, listen to NOAA Weather radio, and watch WBAL-TV 11 when impending severe weather develops.

@wbaltv11 | @TTasselWBAL | @AvaWBAL | @TonyPannWBAL | @DalenciaWBAL | @AlenaLeeWX

WBAL-TV 11 Maryland Weather Radar

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Maryland's 7-Day Weather Forecast

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You may see the WBAL-TV 11 Weather Team highlight Alert Days or Impact Days in the forecasts. Here's what that means:

Potential power outages

Storm conditions could cause outages by knocking down tree limbs onto power lines and other electric delivery equipment. Baltimore Gas and Electric asks all customers to report their outage in any of the following ways:

The latest outage information, including total number and general locations, is available on the BGE.com outage map.

As a reminder, fallen overhead power lines should never be approached or touched even if the lines do not appear to be live or sparking. Call BGE at 877-778-2222 to report fallen electrical lines, power outages and gas odors.

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"Charm City 50" 1st Sunday, AFC/NFC Champ-Chips & 3rd Day of Baltimore Restaurant Week (BRW)

January 26, 2025 - The "Charm'tastic Mile" of Baltimore (CTMB-1.3) www.thecharmtasticmile.com. The chic & famed 1.3 mile corridor located in the heart of Charm City (Est.1975) that connects Dwtn-West, the Inner Harbor & Harbor East (S. Greene & W. Pratt Street to S. President & Fleet Street) that is now listed on Google search as one of the Top 10-15 Most Famous Streets in America is reporting that today is the 1st Sunday of "Charm City 50". At 5:50 PM yesterday evening was the official launch of the 50th Anniversary (1975-2025) one-year celebration of the Iconic nickname coined for Baltimore in 1975.

Each-year of the January 25th Annual Celebration, there will be a "Charm City" the Year ('25, '26, '27) 1st Sunday or if the Anniversary date is on Sunday. For 2026 "Charm City 51" '26 , it will be on the same day of AFC/NFC Championship Sunday (1-25-26). "Charm City 55" the Double-Nickel will be celebrated in the year 2030. Hello Baltimore Welcome to the 1st-ever "Charm City 50" 1st Sunday.

It's AFC & NFC Championship Sunday. The winners advance to the Big-Game, Super Bowl LIX (59) on February 9, 2025. The Philadelphia Eagles host the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship, game-time 3:00 PM (NFL on FOX). The AFC Championship is the highly-anticipated match-up between the hosting Kansas City Chiefs vs Buffalo Bills, game-time 6:30 PM (NFL on CBS).

Baltimore Restaurant Week (BRW) is entering its weekend finale Sunday on the 3rd-day of the Dining of the City "Forksabration" of culinary cuisine. Charm City local-area and visiting diners are enjoying 2-course brunch/lunch menus and 3-course dinner menus. BRW will run today until February 2nd. The next-day , February 3rd, will be the beginning of Super Bowl LIX (59) Week in New Orleans.

Charm'tastic STAT: There were three Super Bowls played on January 25th. The 1st SB on Jan. 25th, (1-25-81) Super Bowl XV - Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10, the 2nd (1-25-87) Super Bowl XXI - New York Giants 39, Denver Broncos 20 and the 3rd (1-25-98) Super Bowl XXXII - Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24.

For more information or news media interview requests on the Golden Good Time Celebration of "Charm City 50", Est. 1975 in the year 2025 please contact Derrick E Vaughan of The Charm'tastic Mile at 443-851-5244 or email: thecharmtasticmile@gmail.com