# Off Panel #528: It's a Lot! with Christina Merkler

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/off-panel-a-comics-interview-podcast-1312/off-panel-528-it-s-a-lot-with-christina-merkler.md
Podcast: [Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/off-panel-a-comics-interview-podcast-1312)
Published: 2025-12-01T12:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://sktchd.libsyn.com/off-panel-528-its-a-lot-with-christina-merkler
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/sktchd/Christina_Merkler_2025.mp3?dest-id=282628
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Duration seconds: 4827

## Resource

Christina Merkler, the co-owner of Lunar Distribution, Discount Comic Book Service (or DCBS), and InStockTrades, joins the show to talk about a strange year for comic book distribution and a good year for the retail side. Merkler discusses Thanksgiving and related takes, the year for her, Diamond Comic Distributors' bankruptcy, compressing timelines, figuring things out, big changes this year, balancing sides of her businesses, the year for DCBS and InStockTrades, what's driving success, how collections are doing, the non-licensed comics space, connecting readers with books, blind bags, how she's feeling going into 2026, and more.

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## Transcript

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