215:. They were responsible for the unusually good coverage that underground comix and underground papers got in the Michigan area in the early 1970s, when they could be found in most full-service newsstands there. At its height, shortly before it went bankrupt in 1980, Big Rapids was functioning as an alternative independent distributor in the central and southern Michigan areas, selling a full line of magazines and paperbacks, as well as mainstream comics.
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and all the major comics publishers — opened up the distribution market, enabling Big Rapids to expand even further. At its height, Big Rapids was actually functioning as an alternative independent distributor in the
Detroit and central and southern Michigan areas, selling a full line of magazines
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Jim
Kennedy (1947–2008) (President), Michael John, Gary o’Gorman, Bruce Montrose, Pete Kwant, Dave Levison, John and Cathy Joyce, Lee Ann Kennedy, Carol John, David Katz, John Church, Debbie Brentz, Sharon Hays, Richard
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Moving their headquarters back to
Detroit, Big Rapids was aggressive, often taking over the businesses of customers who ran up large debts (ironic, given that their delivery vehicles carried pictures of
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In 1980, despite being the largest of many distributors in the direct market, Big Rapids went bankrupt and their assets were liquidated.
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went under and Big Rapids purchased its assets. (Up to that point, Big Rapids had bought its mainstream comics from
Donohoe Brothers.)
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There was a scramble to fill the void; a couple of new companies that grew briefly from the wreckage lasted only briefly —
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structure. Jim
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401:'s in the San Francisco Bay Area). Most of the pieces were picked up by the brand-new
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Big Rapids' entry into mainstream comics distribution came in early 1975, when
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on the inside doors). The 1978 lawsuit brought by East Coast distributor
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360:(Columbus, Ohio) — their personnel became the nucleus of an early
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Comic Shop: The Retail
Mavericks Who Gave Us a New Geek Culture
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Among the periodicals distributed by Big Rapids were the
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Video slideshow of Big Rapids activities and employees
253:, in addition to a plethora of underground comix.
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490:Business services companies established in 1970
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495:Mass media companies disestablished in 1980
480:Privately held companies based in Michigan
510:Mass media companies established in 1970
368:Wisconsin Independent News Distributors
187:Wisconsin Independent News Distributors
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439:"Who We Are: Milton Griepp," ICv2.com.
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393:(Bob Hellems' company in Detroit) and
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16:Distributor for the underground press
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323:and paperbacks, as well as comics.
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505:1980 disestablishments in Michigan
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485:Wholesalers of the United States
500:1970 establishments in Michigan
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429:(Ohio University Press, 2017).
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266:Big Rapids was founded as a
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85:; 44 years ago
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475:Companies based in Detroit
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395:Common Ground Distributors
382:Bankruptcy and dissolution
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197:Big Rapids Distribution
20:Big Rapids Distribution
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209:underground newspapers
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150:underground newspapers
336:The Comic Distributor
320:Sea Gate Distributors
300:Donahoe Brothers Inc.
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276:Keep On Truckin' Coop
175:The Comic Distributor
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28:Keep On Truckin' Coop
280:Big Rapids, Michigan
114:Big Rapids, Michigan
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294:Rise to prominence
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106:Headquarters
33:Company type
272:cooperative
205:distributor
154:comic books
140:Shackleford
122:Area served
47:Distributor
37:Cooperative
464:Categories
413:References
318:— against
250:High Times
135:Key people
101:bankruptcy
346:Isis News
312:Karl Marx
304:Ann Arbor
178:Isis News
219:Services
145:Services
128:Michigan
73:Michigan
43:Industry
25:Formerly
268:Detroit
262:Origins
257:History
203:-based
201:Detroit
110:Detroit
88: (
80:Defunct
69:Detroit
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53:Founded
405:or by
364:branch
270:-area
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199:was a
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284:co-op
238:Creem
352:Nova
181:Nova
98:Fate
90:1980
83:1980
63:1970
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302:of
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